INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has issued an Air Quality Action Day (AQAD) and is forecasting high ozone levels for Monday, August 21, in the following areas:

• Central/East Central Indiana, including the cities of: Bloomington, Brookville, Columbus, Frankfort, Indianapolis, Greensburg, Kokomo, Lebanon, Martinsville, Muncie, Richmond and all other cities within the area.

• Southeast Indiana, including the cities of: Brownstown, Corydon, Jeffersonville, Madison, New Albany, Salem, Versailles and all other cities within the area.

• Southwest Indiana, including the cities of: Bedford, Bloomfield, Evansville, Huntingburg, Mount Vernon, Paoli, Princeton, Rockport, Tell City, Vincennes and all other cities within the area.

A state map including regions and affected counties is available at SmogWatch.IN.gov. 

IDEM forecasters anticipate higher ozone as hot and hazy conditions make their way into the region on for the coming work week. High temperatures near or over 90 degrees combined with light winds will lead to conditions that are suitable for ozone to build to the level Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG).

Note: IDEM's AQAD forecast is based on data from ozone air quality monitors located throughout the state. IDEM encourages residents of counties within or bordering the AQAD region(s) to heed the forecast. Air quality information for all Indiana counties can be found at SmogWatch.IN.gov. 

Some municipalities have additional open burning restrictions on AQADs.  For more information, see idem.IN.gov/openburning/laws-and-rules. 

IDEM encourages everyone to help reduce ozone by making changes to daily habits. You can:

• Drive less: carpool, use public transportation, walk, bike, or work from home when possible

• Combine errands into one trip

• Avoid refueling your vehicle or using gasoline-powered lawn equipment until after 7 p.m.

• Keep your engine tuned, and don’t let your engine idle (e.g., at a bank or restaurant drive-thru)

• Conserve energy by turning off lights and setting the thermostat to 75 degrees or above 

Air Quality Action Days are in effect from midnight to 11:59 p.m. on the specified date. Anyone sensitive to changes in air quality may be affected when ozone levels are high. Children, the elderly, and anyone with heart or lung conditions should reduce or avoid exertion and heavy work outdoors.

Ground-level ozone is formed when sunlight and hot weather combine with vehicle exhaust, factory emissions, and gasoline vapors. Ozone in the upper atmosphere blocks ultraviolet radiation, but ozone near the ground is a lung irritant that can cause coughing and breathing difficulties for sensitive populations.

IDEM examines weather patterns and current ozone readings to make daily air quality forecasts. Air Quality Action Days generally occur when weather conditions such as light winds, hot and dry air, stagnant conditions, and lower atmospheric inversions trap pollutants close to the ground.

To learn more about ozone or to sign up for air quality alerts, visit SmogWatch.IN.gov.