[Archived] Code Orange Air Quality Alert Issued

City Press Release


	For Immediate Release	For More Information, Contact
	August 29, 2007 PIO# 213-07/ajb	Andrea Blackford, Communications Officer, at 703.519.3489

CODE ORANGE AIR QUALITY ALERT ISSUED

The Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments has issued a code orange air quality alert for Thursday, August 30, 2007. This forecast means air quality is expected to be unhealthy for individuals in sensitive groups. Children, the elderly and individuals with heart or respiratory ailments, emphysema, asthma or chronic bronchitis should reduce outdoor activities. Healthy individuals should limit strenuous outdoor work or exercise and outdoor activities. Approximately 60 to 70 percent of the pollutants that cause ground-level ozone are created from vehicles, lawn mowers, other garden equipment and common household products.

In order to prevent high levels of ozone from forming:

-Limit driving and when possible, combine trips or telework.

- Use area bus and rail lines or carpool. During Code Orange Alert days, all DASH, Fairfax Connector and Metro buses operating in Alexandria are free to ride.

- Avoid mowing lawns with gasoline-powered motors.

- Refuel vehicles after dusk. Avoid idling.

- Use environmentally friendly products.

- Conserve electricity; keep air conditioning no lower than 78 degrees.

For more information on air quality, visit https://alexandriava.gov/tes/DEQ/airqualityhome.html, or the Council of Governments web site at http://www.mwcog.org/environment/air/forecast/.

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