Code Orange Air Quality Alert issued for Pittsburgh area Wednesday

PITTSBURGH — A Code Orange Air Quality Action Day has been issued for the Pittsburgh area for Wednesday.

Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties are all included in the alert.

According to the Department of Environmental Protection, partly to mostly sunny skies along with residual smoke, increasing weekday emissions, light winds, and temperatures of 90 degrees or higher will likely contribute to 8-hour average concentrations of ozone.

High ozone levels are most common during summer months when days are long with more sunshine.

Young children, seniors, and those with respiratory problems, such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis, are especially vulnerable to air pollution and should limit outdoor activities during this time.

Residents and businesses within the Air Quality Action Day areas are strongly encouraged to voluntarily help reduce fine particulate matter and air pollution by:

• Avoiding the open burning of leaves, trash, and other materials
• Avoiding the use of gas-powered lawn and garden equipment
• Driving less by carpooling or using public transportation
• Combining errands to reduce vehicle trips
• Limiting engine idling
• Refueling cars and trucks after dusk
• Conserving electricity by setting air conditioning to a higher temperature and turning off lights that are not in use

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