DEP Issues Orange Air Quality Forecast in MontCo Tuesday

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) announced Monday an orange air quality action day for ozone on Tuesday in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties, marking unhealthy pollution levels for “sensitive people.”

“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,” according to the PA DEP.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s air quality index ranges from green, meaning good air quality, yellow as moderate; orange meaning unhealthy pollution for sensitive people and red indicating unhealthy pollution levels for all.

“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,” said the PA DEP.

The organization suggests that residents and businesses voluntarily limit some pollution-producing activities by keeping lights off in the house during the day, planning errands in one trip to reduce pollution from vehicles and limiting air conditioning to reduce power usage,.