The City has declared one for today, here’s why and what it means:
WHAT HAPPENS
City Agencies – Please implement your actions plans for tomorrow.
PLEASE NOTE: Clean Air Action Day has been called for Thursday 11/11/10 for high levels of Fine Particle Pollution.
Please initiate your organization’s action plans for Clean Air Action Days (Fine Particle) and also be mindful of emission reducing steps you can take.
What You Can Do to Reduce Fine Particle Pollution
· Carpool, ride Metro Transit bus, walk or bike to work or recreational activities.
· Combine errands and reduce trips.
· Don’t let engines idle — It gets 0 MPG!
· Conserve energy at home and work by turning off unnecessary lighting, computers and other electrical devices when not in use.
· Open burning and use of burn barrels should be reduced. Avoid use of outdoor wood burning boilers and fireplaces.
· If you use a wood burning stove, make sure it is an efficient model; burn dry wood.
—————–
Dear Coalition members and partners:
The Clean Air Coalition is issuing a Clean Air Action Day alert for fine particle pollution effective November 11, 2010.
Dane County will experience elevated PM 2.5 levels that have are unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Please notify your employees of the potential for unhealthy fine particle pollution levels so that they can take appropriate actions to protect their health and the health of the general public.
Also, please implement any emission reduction actions in your Clean Air Action Day protocols for Thursday.
Further updates may be send out later today or tomorrow.
Thanks.
Jeanne Hoffman
WHY
From the DNR:
The advisory is being issued because of persistent elevated levels of fine particles in the air. These fine particles come primarily from combustion sources, such as power plants, factories and other industrial sources, vehicle exhaust, and wood burning.
The Air Quality Index is currently in or expected to soon be in the orange level, which is considered unhealthy for people in sensitive groups. People in those sensitive groups include those with heart or lung disease, asthma, older adults and children. When an orange advisory for particle pollution is issued, people in those groups are advised to reschedule or cut back on strenuous activities.
People with lung diseases such as asthma and bronchitis, and heart disease should pay attention to cardiac symptoms like chest pain and shortness of breath or respiratory symptoms like coughing, wheezing and discomfort when taking a breath, and consult with their physician if they have concerns or are experiencing symptoms. Fine particle pollution deposits itself deep into the lungs and cannot easily be exhaled. People who are at risk are particularly vulnerable after several days of high particle pollution exposure.
WHERE IS THE ALERT FOR?
Counties: Brown, Calumet, Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Fond Du Lac, Green Lake, Jefferson, Kenosha, Marathon, Marquette, Milwaukee, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Portage, Racine, Rock, Sauk, Shawano, Sheboygan, Taylor, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, Wood
