IDEM issues Air Quality Action Day for Tuesday for northern Indiana

News release by Indiana Department of Environmental Management:

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has issued an Air Quality Action Day (AQAD) and is forecasting high levels of fine particles (PM_2.5) in the air for Tuesday, June 27, in the following regions:

• North Central Indiana, including the cities of: Elkhart, Goshen, Knox, Logansport, Plymouth, Peru, South Bend, Warsaw, Winamac and all other cities within the area.
• Northeast Indiana, including the cities of: Angola, Auburn, Decatur, Fort Wayne, Hartford, Huntington City, LaGrange, Marion, Portland, Wabash and all other cities within the area.
• Northwest Indiana, including the cities of: Crown Point, Gary, Hammond, Kentland, LaPorte, Michigan City, Portage, Rensselaer, Valparaiso and all other cities within the area.

A state map including regions and affected counties is available at SmogWatch.IN.gov. 

Tuesday will be mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 70 and north-northwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. This may continue to move smoke from Canadian wildfires across northern Indiana.

Note: IDEM’s AQAD forecast is based on data from ozone air quality monitors located throughout the state. IDEM encourages residents of counties within or bordering the AQAD region(s) to heed the forecast. Air quality information for all Indiana counties can be found at SmogWatch.IN.gov. 

Some municipalities have additional open burning restrictions on AQADs. For more information, see idem.IN.gov/openburning/laws-and-rules.

Hoosiers are encouraged to visit smogwatch.IN.gov to view current and forecasted conditions and subscribe to email alerts.

IDEM encourages everyone to help reduce PM_2.5 by making changes to daily habits. You can:

• Carpool or use public transportation.
• Avoid using the drive-through and combine errands into one trip.
• Turn off engines instead of idling for long periods of time.
• Avoid using gas-powered equipment.
• Conserve energy by turning off lights and setting the air conditioner to a higher setting;
• Use propane gas instead of charcoal when grilling outdoors;
• Reminder: Indiana’s open burning laws make it illegal to burn trash and generally prohibit open burning, visit IN.gov/openburning for more information.

PM_2.5 is composed of microscopic dust, soot, and liquid that settles deep into the lungs and cannot be easily exhaled. Those people at risk are particularly vulnerable after several days of high PM_2.5 exposure. IDEM examines weather patterns and PM_2.5 readings to make daily air quality forecasts. Air Quality Action Days generally occur when weather conditions such as light winds, snow cover, higher humidity, and lower atmospheric inversions trap pollutants close to the ground. To learn more about PM_2.5 or sign up for air quality alerts, visit SmogWatch.IN.gov.