Code Orange air quality alert issued Thursday for parts of Allegheny County
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A Code Orange air quality alert has been issued this week because of unhealthy levels of pollution for sensitive groups of people.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has declared a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for the Liberty-Clairton area of Allegheny County on Thursday. The DEP said the alert includes Clairton City, Glassport, Liberty, Lincoln and Port Vue.
There is also an alert Thursday for the Susquehanna Valley area, which includes Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, and York counties.
"A strong overnight and morning temperature inversion and light winds will likely contribute to daily average concentrations of fine particulate matter in the Code Orange range on Thursday," a Wednesday release from 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.
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.