DEP Issues Code Orange Air Quality Action Day Saturday For 5 Southeast Counties

The Department of Environmental Protection and its regional air quality partnerships have forecast a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for Saturday, June 29 in 5 Southeastern Pennsylvania counties.

The counties include Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia.

On Saturday, very light surface winds, sunshine, and high temperatures in the lower 90s Fahrenheit will promote significant ozone development to the code ORANGE range in Southeastern Pennsylvania counties. Air quality will improve across the southeast region of Pennsylvania on Sunday with breezy conditions in the wake of a cold front, with good air quality continuing into Monday.

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 Partnership for the Delaware Valley.

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