Region under air quality alert
Fayette and Washington counties are among seven Southwestern Pennsylvania counties under a Code Orange air quality alert that was issued for Tuesday.
The Code Orange alert indicates that pollution levels are unhealthy for some groups, including the elderly, those with respiratory issues such as emphysema, and children.
The alert was issued by the Department of Environmental Protection.
According to the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh, the warm, humid summer weather was expected to continue through Tuesday with highs exceeding 90 degrees before a cold front moves in Wednesday. Showers are expected Wednesday morning.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index (AQI) provides standardized color codes for forecasting and reporting daily air quality. Green signifies good air quality; yellow means moderate air quality; orange represents unhealthy pollution levels for sensitive groups of people; and red warns of unhealthy pollution levels for everyone.
An Air Quality Action Day is issued when the AQI is forecasted to be Code Orange or higher. On an Air Quality Action Day, young children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems 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 air pollution by driving less (consider carpooling or using public transportation); combining errands to reduce trips; limiting engine idling; refueling cars and trucks after dusk; and conserving electricity by setting air conditioning to a higher temperature and turning off lights that are not in use.