HARRISBURG, Pa. – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has declared a Code Orange Air Quality Alert for ozone for parts of the viewing area Tuesday.
The alert covers Berks, Lehigh, Northampton, Dauphin, Cumberland, Lancaster, Lebanon, and York counties, according to a news release from the state DEP.
On a Code Orange Air Quality Alert, the state DEP says young children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems, such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis, are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution.
The state DEP says these groups should limit outdoor activities.
On Tuesday, mostly sunny skies and highs around 90 degrees will contribute to ozone buildups in the code Orange range during the afternoon hours in the Susquehanna Valley and Lehigh Valley, the state DEP says.
Residents and businesses within the Air Quality Alert area are strongly encouraged to voluntarily help reduce ozone air pollution by:
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.
Residents are encouraged to check www.airnow.gov for current conditions in their area.
The state DEP says ozone is formed when airborne chemicals such as nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (called “precursors”) react with sunlight.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index provides standardized color codes for forecasting and reporting daily air quality, the state DEP said in its news release.
Green signifies good air quality; Yellow means moderate air quality; Orange represents unhealthy pollution levels for sensitive groups of people; and Red warns of unhealthy pollution levels for all.
An Air Quality Alert is declared when the AQI is forecasted to be Code Orange or higher.
For more information, visit DEP at www.ahs.dep.pa.gov/AQPartnersWeb, EPA’s AirNow at www.airnow.gov.
For more information, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s website, or follow DEP on Facebook, X, Instagram, or LinkedIn.