The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and its regional air
quality partnerships have forecast a code Orange air quality action day for
ozone for Tuesday, July 3, for the Pittsburgh and Liberty-Clairton regions.
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.
The Pittsburgh region is Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette,
Washington and Westmoreland counties. The Liberty-Clairton region – located
within southeastern Allegheny County – is the municipalities of Clairton,
Glassport, Liberty, Lincoln and Port Vue.
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.
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.
To help keep the air healthy, residents and businesses are encouraged to
voluntarily limit certain pollution-producing activities by:
- Combine errands and reduce trips;
- Riding the bus or carpooling to work; and
- Refuel cars and trucks after dusk.
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, visit www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword: Air
Quality Partnership.