The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has issued a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for fine particulate matter for Sunday in the counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia in southeastern Pennsylvania, the counties of Berks, Lehigh, and Northampton in the Lehigh Valley-Berks area, the counties of Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, and York in southcentral Pennsylvania, and the counties of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland in southwestern Pennsylvania.

A strong ridge of high pressure will remain over Pennsylvania through Sunday. Strong morning temperature inversions and weak winds will contribute to concentrations of fine particulate matter in the Code Orange range throughout the day. The highest concentrations are most likely to occur between 3 a.m. and 10 a.m. Concentrations may decrease during the afternoon, but not enough to keep daily average concentrations below the Code Orange range.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index provides standardized color codes for forecasting and reporting daily air quality. Green signifies good air quality; yellow means moderate air quality; orange represents unhealthy pollution levels for sensitive groups of people; and red warns of unhealthy pollution levels for all.

On air quality action days, young children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems, such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis, are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution and should limit outdoor activities.

Residents and businesses within the Air Quality Action Day areas are strongly encouraged to voluntarily help reduce air pollution by:

Reducing or eliminating fireplace and wood stove use;

Avoiding the open burning of leaves, trash and other materials; and

Avoiding the use of gas-powered lawn and garden equipment.

For more information, visit DEP at www.dep.pa.gov.