Monday, July 9 Declared Code Orange Air Quality Action Day In Southeast PA

The Department of Environmental Protection and its regional air quality partnerships have forecast a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for ozone in Southeast Pennsylvania for Monday, July 9.  
The area includes-- Bucks Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties.

Sunny skies, light winds and temperatures approaching 90 degrees Fahrenheit will likely result in ozone levels in the Code Orange range, thus yielding an Air Quality Action Day for ozone.  Ozone conditions could stay elevated on Tuesday before dropping on Wednesday with increased rain chances across the region.

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 DEP’s regional air quality partnerships.

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