The Agency will issue an Air Quality Alert when ozone or other major air pollutants are expected to reach levels considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.
What to Do During an Air Quality Alert
- Take the bus, carpool, bike or walk instead of driving
- Refuel your vehicle after 8 pm, do not top off when refueling and tighten the gas cap
- Do not idle your vehicle
- Combine trips or eliminate unnecessary vehicle trips
- Keep your vehicle maintained with properly-inflated tires and timely oil changes
- Avoid use of gasoline-powered lawn equipment on Air Quality Alert days
- Avoid use of oil-based paints and stains on Air Quality Alert days
- Never burn leaves or other yard trimmings
- Always burn clean, seasoned wood in outdoor fire pits, fireplaces and wood stoves
- Avoid using fire pits or fireplaces for non-essential home heating on Air Quality Alert days
- Conserve electricity
For more details on the Air Quality Index and its corresponding health messages, refer to AirNow. You may also choose to sign up for EnviroFlash, a free service and app that notifies you of daily air quality conditions based upon your personal settings that you control.