DEP Declares Code Orange Air Quality Action Day In Philadelphia Area For Thursday, May 3

The Department of Environmental Protection and its regional air quality partnerships have forecast a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for ozone on Thursday, May 3, for the 5-county Philadelphia area (encompassing the counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia).

Temperatures reaching the middle 80s F, under mostly sunny skies and light west to southwest winds will act to create code ORANGE conditions.

On air quality action days, young children, the elderly and those with respiratory problems, such as asthma, emphysema and bronchitis, are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution and should limit outdoor activities.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s standardized air quality index uses colors to report daily air quality. Green signifies good; yellow means moderate; orange represents unhealthy pollution levels for sensitive people; and red warns of unhealthy pollution levels for all.

To help keep the air healthy, residents and business are encouraged to voluntarily restrict certain pollution-producing activities by:

-- Refueling cars and trucks after dusk;

-- Setting air conditioner thermostats to a higher temperature;

-- Carpooling or using public transportation; and

-- Combining errands to reduce trips.

These forecasts are provided in conjunction with the Air Quality Partnerships for the Delaware Valley.

Visit DEP’s Air Quality Partnerships webpage for more information on air quality across Pennsylvania.