Residents, Businesses Encouraged to Reduce Air Pollution
HARRISBURG, Pa., July 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Department of
Environmental Protection and its regional air quality partnerships have
forecast an air quality action day for Saturday, July 26, in the
Berks/Lehigh Valley, Liberty/Clairton, Susquehanna Valley and Philadelphia
regions.
The air quality forecast predicts Saturday will be code ORANGE for
ozone in the Berks/Lehigh Valley, Susquehanna Valley and Philadelphia
regions:
-- The Berks/Lehigh Valley region includes Berks, Lehigh and
Northampton counties;
-- The Susquehanna Valley region includes Cumberland, Dauphin,
Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties;
-- The Philadelphia region includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware,
Montgomery and Philadelphia counties.
The air quality forecast predicts Saturday will be code ORANGE for
particulate matter in the Liberty/Clairton region.
-- The Liberty/Clairton region includes the boroughs of Clairton,
Glassport, Liberty, Lincoln and Port Vue in southeastern Allegheny County.
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). Air quality
action days are declared at orange and red when fine particulate matter
reaches unhealthy levels.
Ground-level ozone, a key component of smog, forms during warm weather
when pollution from vehicles, industry, households and power plants "bakes"
in the hot sun, making it hard for some people to breathe.
On air quality action days, young children, the elderly and people with
respiratory problems, such as asthma, emphysema and bronchitis, are
especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution and should limit
outdoor activities.
To help keep the air healthy, residents and businesses are encouraged
to voluntarily limit certain pollution-producing activities by taking the
following steps:
-- Ride the bus or carpool to work;
-- Avoid burning leaves, trash and other materials;
-- Wash dishes and clothes with full loads; and
-- Save energy -- do not overcool your home.
These forecasts are provided in conjunction with the Air Quality
Partnership of the Delaware Valley, the Southwest Pennsylvania Air Quality
Partnership, the Lehigh Valley/Berks Air Quality Partnership, and the
Susquehanna Valley Air Quality Partnership.
For more information on ozone, visit http://www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword:
Ozone. To view the air quality forecast, for more information on the Air
Quality Partnerships, or to sign up to receive free daily forecasts by
e-mail, visit http://www.aqpartners.org.
CONTACT:
Tom Rathbun
717-787-1323
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