The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has declared today an air quality action day for Indiana County concerning the levels of ozone that may be present in the air today.
With temperatures expected to head into the upper 80s and lower 90s for some areas, the DEP has filed a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for Westmoreland and Armstrong counties along with other counties near Allegheny County. The DEP also said they are issuing an air quality action day for Indiana County with respect to Ozone. An Air Quality Action day is declared when the Air Quality Index hits Code Orange or higher, which represents pollution levels in the air. Orange is first level of unhealthy pollution levels, and a code orange day means that young children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems will be especially vulnerable to the effects of the air quality today.
The DEP advises that those sensitive groups should limit their outdoor activities. They also give some suggestions on how to reduce the pollution levels for today, including:
- Driving less by carpooling or using public transportation;
- Combining errands to reduce vehicle trips;
- Limiting engine idling;
- Refueling cars and trucks after dusk; and
- Conserving electricity by setting air conditioning to a higher temperature and turning off lights that are not in use.
For more information, visit www.ahs.dep.pa.gov
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