PADEP issues air quality alert for area on second day of heavy wildfire smoke
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - Mahanoy Plane, seen from Frackville, is blanketed in smoke on June 6, 2023.
SHENANDOAH – On the second day our area has been smothered by smoke from Canadian wildfires, the Department of Environmental Protection has issued its first air quality alert in years, if ever, for counties north of the Blue Mountain.
A Code Red air quality action day has been issued for the entire state Wednesday, and DEP asks that residents limit their outdoor activities, especially older people, children, and those with lung or respiratory conditions.
Our area continues to be blanketed by wildfire smoke from across eastern Canada.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Air Quality Index (AQI) provides standardized color codes for forecasting and reporting daily air quality. Green signifies good air quality; Yellow means moderate air quality; Orange represents unhealthy pollution levels for sensitive groups of people; and Red warns of unhealthy pollution levels for all.
An Air Quality Action Day is declared when the AQI is forecasted to be Code Orange or higher. On an Air Quality Action Day, young children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems, such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis, are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution and should limit outdoor activities.
Though, despite Schuylkill County and points north dealing with Code Orange air quality Tuesday, a Code Orange was only issued for the Lehigh Valley, Berks County, Dauphin County and points south and east.
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