The Hacienda Owners Association is a proud supporter of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District's 2009 Spare the Air program. Important AirAlert advisories alert Bay Area residents about those days where their efforts to reduce air pollution can make a substantial difference in regional air quality. Annually, more than 1,800 employers participate in this important air quality effort.

2009 Spare the Air

The 2009 summer Spare the Air season has officially begun and will continue throughout the summer months. The Spare the Air Program was established by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to educate people about air pollution, and to encourage them to change their behavior as an aid to prevention. With new more stringent federal ozone standards, it is more important than ever to make clean air choices every day.

AirAlert Registration

The main component of the Spare the Air program is the Air Quality Notification service. New to the program this year is the EnviroFlash system which sends air quality forecasts and Spare the Air Day email notifications. Spare the Air organizers are encouraging any person interested in the program to sign up individually. Simply go to www.baaqmdsparetheair.enviroflash.info/ and complete the registration form to receive advance notice of Spare the Air days. You can also choose to receive air pollution forecasts every day, or specifically on those days when air quality is poor. Enter your email address to register for Bay Area Enviroflash email notifications, or enter your cell phone or pager address to receive a shorter email for these devices. EnviroFlash is sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and provides a number of useful new features:

• HTML-formatted emails with pollution levels color-coded to clearly show the Air Quality Index (AQI) category (for example: Good, Moderate, Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy).

• The ability to select a specific AQI category at which to receive forecast emails. For example, choosing "Good" will cause all forecasts to be sent (Good and above). If "Moderate" is chosen, you will only receive a forecast email when AQI levels are forecast to reach Moderate or above. Those currently receiving daily forecasts from the AirAlert system will initially be put in the "Good" category; however, this can easily be changed by logging into EnviroFlash.

• The ability to select a specific area for which to receive forecasts. Forecasts for other zones within the San Francisco Bay Area will appear below your selected area.

If you were enrolled in the AirAlert program in the past, no action is required on your part. Your AirAlert subscription will automatically be transferred to the new EnviroFlash system. However, you may manage your subscription by logging into EnviroFlash at www.baaqmdsparetheair.enviroflash.info/. Air Alerts and daily air quality forecasts will now be sent from enviroflash@sonomatech.com.

Business Participation Sought

Businesses are also encouraged to join the Spare the Air program to help provide comprehensive notification services and assistance to their employees. Employers can enroll in the fax or email notification program at the following location: www.sparetheair.org/employers/registration.htm. Once enrolled, the Air District informs employers by fax or email or both when they are expecting a Spare the Air day. Employer coordinators are notified at approximately 1 pm the day before, providing them time to inform the employees at their worksite. A number of resources are available to employer participants as well. Reports, references, tool-kits and more are yours as part of the program. You may also order free materials, such as brochures, posters, and incentive items, to support your Spare the Air efforts.

Hacienda Spare the Air Resources

Hacienda would also like to help facilitate your participation in the Spare the Air program. As a key component of the Spare the Air program are efforts to reduce vehicle emissions, we have a number of special incentives to assist you with the use of commute alternatives. Additional information on energy management and pollution reduction is also available. Resources include:

Free WHEELS pass

All Hacienda employees and residents of Archstone, Avila, Siena and Verona may obtain a free WHEELS ECO Pass to use any time on the WHEELS system. This pass provides free access to: all local buses, links to and from BART and ACE rail services, and the 70X I-680 Express between Hacienda and the Pleasant Hill/Walnut Creek area. To obtain a pass, simply follow this link: www.hacienda.org/services/services_commute_pass.html.

New Rider Program

Take a ride on ACE, BART, County Connection, SJRTD, Tri Delta Transit or AC Transit for free. If you are interested in trying a transportation alternative for the first time, check out Hacienda's New Rider program. Details are available by following this link: www.hacienda.org/services/services_commute_rider.html.

Energy Conservation and Pollution Reduction Resources

Hacienda has a number of informational materials related to the Spare the Air Campaign. If you would like a special package of Spare the Air information including energy conservation tips, details on simple actions that aid pollution reduction efforts, alternative commute guides and more, simply post an e-mail to the following address, info@hacienda.org, and let us know what information you would like to receive.

Contact Information

Robin Savinar
Allison & Partners
505 Sansome Street, 7th Floor, San Francisco, California  94111
(415) 277-4927 phone     (415) 277-7503 fax
robin@allisonpr.com e-mail     www.sparetheair.org WWW

Hacienda Owners Association
4473 Willow Road, Suite 105, Pleasanton, California  94588-8570
(925) 734-6500 phone      (925) 734-6501 fax
info@hacienda.org e-mail     www.hacienda.org WWW