DEP Issues Code Orange Air Quality Action Day For Wednesday, Dec. 25 In Allegheny County

The Department of Environmental Protection has forecast a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for ozone for Wednesday, December 25 in the Liberty-Clairton area of Allegheny County.

 On Wednesday, a ridge of high pressure will remain in place across the eastern US. This ridge of high pressure will keep skies clear during the morning hours, allowing a strong inversion to form over western Pennsylvania. 
           The inversion will prevent mixing within the boundary layer, while at the same time allowing fine particulate matter to become trapped near the surface. The inversion is likely to weaken only a little during the afternoon as winds remain light. 
           Overall, fine particulate matter will be at its highest during the morning hours, making overall concentrations likely to trigger into the Code Orange threshold. 

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;

-- Carpooling or using public transportation; and 

-- Combining errands to reduce trips. 

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

[Posted: December 24, 2019] www.PaEnvironmentDigest.com