Air Quality Action Day issued for Central Indiana

Indianapolis, Indiana – The weather service advises you to take measures because it is the dog days of summer.

On Monday, August 21, Central, East, Southeast, and Southwest Indiana will observe an Air Quality Action Day, according to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

The following cities will be impacted:

• Central/East Central Indiana, including the cities of: Bloomington, Brookville, Columbus, Frankfort, Indianapolis, Greensburg, Kokomo, Lebanon, Martinsville, Muncie, Richmond and all other cities within the area.
• Southeast Indiana, including the cities of: Brownstown, Corydon, Jeffersonville, Madison, New Albany, Salem, Versailles and all other cities within the area.
• Southwest Indiana, including the cities of: Bedford, Bloomfield, Evansville, Huntingburg, Mount Vernon, Paoli, Princeton, Rockport, Tell City, Vincennes and all other cities within the area.

“High temperatures near or over 90 degrees combined with light winds will lead to conditions that are suitable for ozone to build to the level Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups,” according to IDEM.

IDEM is encouraging everyone to help reduce ozone by making changes to daily habits including:

• Drive less: carpool, use public transportation, walk, bike, or work from home when possible
• Combine errands into one trip
• Avoid refueling your vehicle or using gasoline-powered lawn equipment until after 7 p.m.
• Keep your engine tuned, and don’t let your engine idle (e.g., at a bank or restaurant drive-thru)
• Conserve energy by turning off lights and setting the thermostat to 75 degrees or above