HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has declared a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for fine particulate matter for Thursday, Jan. 13 in portions of Central Pennsylvania, including Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties.
"A moderately strong temperature inversion Thursday morning with calm or very light wind will likely contribute to daily average concentrations of fine particulate matter in the Code Orange range," the DEP said in its announcement.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index (AQI) provides standardized color codes for forecasting and reporting daily air quality, according to the DEP.
- Green signifies good air quality
- Yellow means moderate air quality
- Orange represents unhealthy pollution levels for sensitive groups of people
- Red warns of unhealthy pollution levels for all
An Air Quality Action Day is declared when the AQI is forecasted to be Code Orange or higher, the DEP said.
On an 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.
Residents and businesses within the Air Quality Action Day areas are strongly encouraged to voluntarily help reduce fine particulate matter air pollution by:
- Reducing or eliminating fireplace and wood stove use;
- Avoiding the open burning of leaves, trash and other materials; and
- Avoiding the use of gas-powered lawn and garden equipment.
For more information, visit DEP at www.ahs.dep.pa.gov/AQPartnersWeb, EPA’s AirNow at www.airnow.gov, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission’s Air Quality Partnership at www.airqualitypartnership.org, or Air Quality Partnership of Lehigh Valley-Berks at www.airqualityaction.org.
