Illinois EPA Issues “Air Pollution Action Day” Warning

Degraded air quality from Canadian wildfire smoke will impact parts of central Illinois this afternoon and evening. According to the National Weather Service, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has issued an “Air Pollution Action Day” for today due to the presence of wildfire smoke. An “Illinois Air Pollution Action Day” is declared when weather conditions are such that widespread ozone and or particulate levels are expected to be at or above the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG) category of the Air Quality Index for all or almost all of Illinois. The EPA says everyone should reduce prolonged activities or heavy exertion outdoors. They say active children, older adults, and people with pulmonary or respiratory disease, such as asthma, should especially avoid prolonged activities or heavy exertion outdoors. Air quality forecasts, AQI cautionary statements, current air quality, and tips on how you can reduce your emissions can be found at airnow.gov.