The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has issued an Air Quality Action Day (AQAD) for today, March 17, in four central Indiana counties.
IDEM has confirmed and is forecasting elevated levels of fine particles (PM2.5) in the air due in part to smoke from a fire at the Walmart Distribution Center in Plainfield, Ind. Weather conditions will continue to spread the smoke to the northeast. Conditions should improve overnight and Friday. The AQAD is for the following counties:
- Boone, Hamilton, Hendricks, and Marion
IDEM encourages everyone to help reduce fine particles in the air by making changes to daily habits. You can:
- Avoid burning wood in fireplaces or wood-fired boilers and any other unnecessary fires.
- Reminder: Indiana’s open burning laws make it illegal to burn trash and generally prohibit open burning. Visit IN.gov/openburning for more information.
- Reduce activity time outdoors to reduce unhealthy exposure to fine particulate matter.
- Combine errands into one trip.
- Avoid using gasoline-powered equipment or gas-powered recreational vehicles.
- 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 or setting the thermostat to 70 degrees or lower.
PM2.5 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 PM2.5 exposure. Additional information about how smoke from fires can affect your health is available on U.S. EPA’s website: www.epa.gov/pm-pollution/how-smoke-fires-can-affect-your-health.
IDEM examines weather patterns and PM2.5 readings to make daily air quality forecasts. Air Quality Action Days generally occur when weather conditions such as light winds, higher humidity, and lower atmospheric inversions trap pollutants close to the ground.
To learn more about PM2.5 or sign up for air quality alerts, visit SmogWatch.IN.gov.
