COLUMBIA – Conditions are likely tomorrow for increased ground-level ozone concentrations in some areas of South Carolina, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported today. DHEC is forecasting an Orange Ozone Action Day for the following counties:

• Upstate: Oconee, Pickens, Greenville, Spartanburg, Cherokee, Union, Laurens, Anderson, Greenwood and Abbeville

"When ozone levels are elevated, active children and adults as well as people with respiratory diseases, such as asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor exertion," said Myra Reece, chief of DHEC’s Bureau of Air Quality. "Ground-level ozone is formed when hot, dry, stagnant weather conditions exist. When that happens, emissions from vehicles contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone."

Reece said ways residents can help limit the formation of ground-level ozone include:

• Carpool
• Stay in at lunch
• Avoid excessive vehicle idling
• Use SMARTRIDE or other mass transit (To see if you have SMARTRIDE in your area, link to: http://www.scdot.org/getting/Smartride/smartride.shtml.)

DHEC’s daily forecast for ground-level ozone can be found at http://www.scdhec.gov/ozone or by calling toll-free (866) 238-4973. To receive the daily ozone forecast via e-mail, you can sign up by visiting http://www.enviroflash.info/.