The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has declared an Air Quality Action Day for much of central Indiana Saturday — including Johnson County.
The Air Quality Action Day will be in effect from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. Saturday for the following counties: Carroll, Warren, Tippecanoe, Clinton, Howard, Fountain, Montgomery,Boone, Tipton, Hamilton, Madison, Delaware, Randolph, Vermillion, Parke, Putnam, Hendricks, Marion, Hancock, Henry, Vigo, Clay, Owen, Morgan, Johnson, Shelby, Rush, Sullivan, Greene, Monroe, Brown, Bartholomew, Decatur, Knox, Daviess, Martin, Lawrence, Jackson and Jennings, according to an alert from the National Weather Service.
An Air Quality Action Day means that a combination of the high temperatures, light winds, and other factors are expected to produce conditions where high levels of ozone emissions may exceed federally mandated standards, according to the NWS.
Anyone sensitive to changes in air quality may be affected when ozone levels are high. Children, the elderly, and anyone with heart or lung conditions should reduce or avoid exertion and heavy work outdoors, officials say.
Officials recommend the public consider taking the following actions to help reduce ozone-forming emissions:
- Walk, bike, carpool or use public transportation.
- Avoid using the drive-thru and combine errands into one trip.
- Avoid refueling your vehicle or using gasoline-powered lawn equipment until after 7 p.m.
- Turn off your engine when idling for more than 30 seconds.
- Conserve energy by turning off lights or setting the air conditioner to 75 degrees or above.
