Air Quality Alert - E & W Baton Rouge, Livingston, Ascension, Iberville, Pointe Coupe

[stella1952]

Statement as of 4:32 AM CDT on June 06, 2011

... Air quality alert in effect from 7 am this morning to midnight
CDT tonight...

The Louisiana department of environmental quality is forecasting a
ozone action day for East Baton Rouge... West Baton Rouge...
Livingston... Ascension... Iberville and Pointe Coupee parishes... in
effect from 7 am this morning to midnight CDT tonight.

The air quality index indicates that ozone will be at the Orange
level... which is unhealthy for sensitive groups. Increasing ozone
levels may cause unhealthy air quality during afternoon hours.
Active children and adults... the elderly and people with respiratory
diseases such as asthma... should avoid prolonged outdoor exertion.

Please take whatever voluntary steps you can to reduce emissions
that contribute to ozone formation. Drive less and make sure your
automobile is in good working condition. Make sure your gas cap is
tight. Wait until after 6 PM to refuel your vehicle and use gas
powered lawn equipment. More information about current air quality
and what you can do to help prevent ozone formation is available at
the d E q website www.Deq.Louisiana.Gov or by calling
2 2 5 2 1 9 3 4 8 9 on weekdays.

*cough* *gag* *wheeze*

[Joe-Nathan]

I guess your trash burning neighbors have something to do with this.

I haze has been real bad the last couple of days over here in the Acadiana area too.

Apparently it has been bad in SE TX too:

AIR QUAILITY ALERT MESSAGE
TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
403 AM CDT MON JUN 6 2011

TXZ201-215-216-070915-
HARDIN-JEFFERSON-ORANGE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LUMBERTON...BEAUMONT/PORT ARTHUR...ORANGE
403 AM CDT MON JUN 6 2011

..OZONE ACTION DAY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CDT THIS EVENING

THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY IS FORECASTING A CODE
ORANGE OZONE ACTION DAY FOR JEFFERSON...ORANGE...AND HARDIN
COUNTIES...IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CDT THIS EVENING.

THE AIR QUALITY INDEX INDICATES THAT OZONE WILL BE AT THE ORANGE
LEVEL...WHICH MEANS MEMBERS OF SENSITIVE GROUPS MAY EXPERIENCE
HEALTH EFFECTS. THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS NOT LIKELY TO BE AFFECTED.
INCREASING OZONE LEVELS MAY CAUSE UNHEALTHY AIR QUALITY DURING
AFTERNOON HOURS. ACTIVE CHILDREN AND ADULTS...THE ELDERLY AND PEOPLE
WITH RESPIRATORY DISEASES SUCH AS ASTHMA...SHOULD AVOID PROLONGED
OUTDOOR EXERTION.

PLEASE TAKE WHATEVER VOLUNTARY STEPS YOU CAN TO REDUCE EMISSIONS
THAT CONTRIBUTE TO OZONE FORMATION. DRIVE LESS AND MAKE SURE YOUR
AUTOMOBILE IS IN GOOD WORKING CONDITION. MAKE SURE YOUR GAS CAP IS
TIGHT. WAIT UNTIL AFTER 6 PM TO REFUEL YOUR VEHICLE AND USE GAS
POWERED LAWN EQUIPMENT.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CURRENT AIR QUALITY AND WHAT YOU CAN DO TO
HELP PREVENT OZONE FORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT THE D E Q WEBSITE
WWW.OZONEACTIONDAY.ORG.

[dkmac]

Drove into N.O. (well, actually Metairie) this morning for the funeral visitation for the mother of one of my golfing buddies, and the air above the lake, and over New Orleans was extremely hazy. Couldn't see the tall buildings downtown until I got off the causeway. All kinds of thunder in Harahan, and then over here in Covington, but no rain - YET.