DEP issues Code Orange air quality alert for Pittsburgh area Tuesday
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A Code Orange air quality alert was in effect for several counties Tuesday because of unhealthy levels of pollution for sensitive groups of people.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection declared a Code Air Quality Action Day for Allegheny, Washington, Westmoreland, Fayette, Beaver, Butler, Armstrong and Indiana counties.
Mostly sunny skies and highs around 90 degrees will likely contribute to 8-hour average concentrations of ozone in the Code Orange range, the DEP said.
On a Code Orange air quality day, the DEP recommends young children, the elderly and those with respiratory problems limit outdoor activities.
"It's people that have respiratory issues that generally need a lot of clean or pure oxygen. Those are gonna be the folks outside, they're doing activities outside that they're really gonna struggle to catch their breath," said KDKA Meteorologist Ron Smiley.
Residents and businesses are also strongly encouraged to help reduce ozone air pollution by driving less, limiting engine idling, refueling vehicles after dusk and conserving electricity by raising the thermostat and turning off lights that aren't in use.
More information about the air quality alert for Tuesday can be found here.
