HARRISBURG, Pa. — Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties are among the regions of the state included in a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for fine particulate matter issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for Tuesday, the department said Monday in a press release.
Smoke from wildfires in northern and western Canada, along with light winds, will likely contribute to daily average concentrations of fine particulate matter in the Code Orange range on Tuesday, the DEP said.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index 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 issued when the AQI is forecasted to be Code Orange or higher, the department said.
On an Air Quality Action Day, 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, the department said.
Residents and businesses within the Air Quality Action Day areas are strongly encouraged to voluntarily help reduce air pollution by:
- Reducing or eliminating fireplace and wood stove use
- Avoiding the open burning of leaves, trash and other materials
- 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, Allegheny County Health Department at www.alleghenycounty.us/airquality, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission’s Air Quality Partnership at www.airqualitypartnership.org, Air Quality Partnership of Lehigh Valley-Berks at www.airqualityaction.org, or Southwestern Pennsylvania Air Quality Partnership at www.spaqp.org.
