PA DEP issues Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for July 8

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has issued an Orange Air Quality Action Day for Montgomery County and surrounding areas for Monday, July 8, due to ozone.

“Predominantly sunny skies and temperatures between 35 and 35 degrees Celsius should create the conditions for robust ozone development and formation up to code ORANGE during the afternoon hours,” the department said in a statement.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index (AQI) provides standardized color codes for daily air quality forecasting and reporting. Orange represents pollution levels that are harmful to sensitive populations.

An Air Quality Action Day is declared when the AQI is forecast to be orange or higher. On Air Quality Action Days, young children, the elderly, and people with respiratory problems such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis are particularly vulnerable to the effects of air pollution and should limit their outdoor activities.

Residents and businesses in the Air Quality Action Day areas are urged to voluntarily contribute to reducing air pollution by:

• Save electricity by setting the air conditioning to a higher temperature;
• Combining errands to reduce the number of car trips;
• Limiting engine idling; and
• Refueling cars and trucks after dark.

For more information, contact DEP at www.dep.pa.gov or visit EPA’s AirNow website at www.airnow.gov.

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