IDEM has issued another Air Quality Action Day for Thursday, June 22nd due to high ozone levels.
The North Central and Northwest Indiana are included in Thursday’s action. The following communities are in the northcentral area: Plymouth, Knox, Winamac, South Bend, Elkhart, Goshen, Peru, Logansport, and Warsaw. The Northwest area includes Crown Point, Gary, Hammond, LaPorte, Michigan City, Portage, Rensselaer, and Valparaiso to name a few.
Continued sunny skies with highs in the mid-‘80s as continued high ozone is expected around the western Great Lakes.
IDEM encourages everyone to help reduce ozone by driving less, getting gas, or using gas-powered equipment after 7 p.m. Don’t let your engine idle in drive-up or drive-thru situations, and conserve energy by turning off lights and setting the thermostat to 75 degrees or higher. 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.
Ground-level ozone is formed when sunlight and hot weather combined with vehicle exhaust, factory emissions, and gasoline vapors. Ozone in the upper atmosphere blocks ultraviolet radiation, but ozone near the ground is a lung irritant that can cause coughing and breathing difficulties for sensitive populations.
