State warns of poor air quality today

You could find it hard to breathe this afternoon and Friday, with high levels of ground level ozone being possible.

According to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, an Air Quality Action Day is in effect for parts of our area, including Jennings and Jackson counties until midnight Friday night.

That means that a combination of high temperatures, light winds, and other factors, are expected to produce conditions where high levels of ground-level ozone emissions may exceed federally mandated standards. High ozone near the ground acts a lung irritant. It can cause coughing and breathing difficulties for sensitive populations. Children, the elderly, and anyone with heart or lung conditions should reduce or avoid exertion and heavy work outdoors today.

IDEM recommends that you take actions to lower ozone levels, including:

• Walking, biking, carpooling or using public transportation.
• Avoid going through drive-throughs.
• If your vehicle is going to be idling for more than 30 seconds, shut it off.
• Combine your errands into one trip.
• Avoid refueling your vehicle or using gas-powered lawn equipment until after 7 p.m. tonight.
• Conserve energy by turning off lights or setting the air conditioner to 75 degrees or higher.ua