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Eastern Jackson County, MO —
An ozone alert has been posted for the metro area for Wednesday, meaning there are unhealthy concentrations of ground-level ozone in the metro area.
The primary concern is for active children and adults and those with respiratory disease such as asthma, all of whom are advised to limit prolonged outdoor exertion.
The Mid-America Regional Council posts a “sky cast” – green, yellow, orange or red – each day from April through October. Orange and red are ozone alerts. This is the 19th orange alert day so far this year but the first in two weeks. Thirteen of those alert days feel between July 7 and Aug. 7, roughly the same period as the worst of the heat so far this summer. There hasn’t been a red day in Kansas City in several years.
It’s also suggested on alert days that residents drive less and, when possible, use public transit. Both the KCATA and IndeBus have 75-cent bus fares on ozone alert days. Also and avoid fueling your vehicle until after sundown; the vapors released during fueling create ozone when exposed to sunlight. Officials also advise putting off mowing, as lawnmowers and other gas-powered lawn equipment put off a surprising amount of pollution. The air-quality problem is worse when it’s warm, as exhaust from smokestacks, cars, lawnmowers and other places mixes with air and sunlight to create ozone.
Mid-America Regional Council: www.marg.org
An ozone alert has been posted for the metro area for Wednesday, meaning there are unhealthy concentrations of ground-level ozone in the metro area.
The primary concern is for active children and adults and those with respiratory disease such as asthma, all of whom are advised to limit prolonged outdoor exertion.
The Mid-America Regional Council posts a “sky cast” – green, yellow, orange or red – each day from April through October. Orange and red are ozone alerts. This is the 19th orange alert day so far this year but the first in two weeks. Thirteen of those alert days feel between July 7 and Aug. 7, roughly the same period as the worst of the heat so far this summer. There hasn’t been a red day in Kansas City in several years.
It’s also suggested on alert days that residents drive less and, when possible, use public transit. Both the KCATA and IndeBus have 75-cent bus fares on ozone alert days. Also and avoid fueling your vehicle until after sundown; the vapors released during fueling create ozone when exposed to sunlight. Officials also advise putting off mowing, as lawnmowers and other gas-powered lawn equipment put off a surprising amount of pollution. The air-quality problem is worse when it’s warm, as exhaust from smokestacks, cars, lawnmowers and other places mixes with air and sunlight to create ozone.
Mid-America Regional Council: www.marg.org
