SACRAMENTO – The Air Resources Board (ARB) has developed a CD-ROM with 17 years of air quality data. This CD contains a wide range of statistics concerning California ambient air quality from 1980 through 1996.

        The innovative computer program has comprehensive measurements for 17 years of criteria pollutant data (1980-1996), seven years of toxic air contaminant data (1990-1996), and extensive hourly, daily and annual value summaries. Additionally, the CD contains statistics about California air quality including: maximum pollution levels, number of exceedances, and an average of the top 30 daily maximum values. These statistics are provided for each monitoring site in California and give a thorough summary of the state's 15 air basins.

        ARB Chairman John Dunlap said, "This CD-ROM, the first of its kind, is the result of the ARB's continuing efforts to make air quality data trends available to California stakeholders in a convenient and user-friendly format."

        There are several features included in the CD-ROM, which make it a unique and useful form of electronic information. It includes an easy-to-use data viewer, color relief map overlays, and boundary lines for air basins and counties throughout California.

        Other highlights of the CD include Voyager data visualization software, which displays detailed data in map and graph format. This user-friendly software also contains a tutorial that serves as a guide to help navigate through the program. Because of its size, the CD-ROM runs completely off the CD drive, using no hard drive space on the PC. This program is not recommended for downloading to the hard drive and will operate more efficiently if used directly from the CD.

        The CD-ROM is free while supplies last and can be ordered by E-mail from the California Air Resources Board at: AQDCD@arb.ca.gov. Also available is a companion CD for users with Microsoft Access.