INDIANAPOLIS -- If you were planning to mow your lawn Saturday, you may want to reconsider. We are under an air quality alert that could leave some people out of breath.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has forecasted high ozone levels in central Indiana on Saturday and an Air Quality Action Day has been declared for three Indiana regions.
The areas impacted by the high ozone levels are listed below.
- Southeast Indiana – Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Scott, and Washington
- Southwest Indiana – Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, Greene, Knox, Perry, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh, and Warrick
- Central Indiana – Marion, Bartholomew, Boone, Brown, Delaware, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Madison, Monroe, Morgan and Shelby
IDEM says anyone who is sensitive to poor air quality may be affected by high ozone levels. Children, the elderly and anyone with lung or other serious health problems are encouraged to limit their time outside.
IDEM says you can help reduce ozone with the following habits:
- Walk, bike, carpool or use public transportation.
- Avoid using the drive-through and combine errands into one trip.
- Avoid using gasoline-powered lawn equipment until after 7 p.m.
- Turn off your engine when idling for more than 30 seconds.
- Conserve energy by turning off lights or setting the air conditioner to 75 degrees or above.
Click here to learn more about ozone and smog in Indiana.
