The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality issued itsthird Ozone Action Alert in one week for Tuesday due to an AirQuality Index forecast of 124 in the Baton Rouge area.
The “code orange” alert means sensitive groups, such as theelderly, young children and people with respiratory diseases,should avoid prolonged outdoor activity, according to the DEQ Website. Other healthy adults and children should limit outdooractivity.
“August is usually our worst month,” said Jean Kelly of the DEQ.”The fact that we’re having orange days now means we will probablysee more warnings this summer.”
The AQI measures concentration of pollutants in the air.
Kelly said the Environmental Protection Agency classified BatonRouge and the surrounding parishes as severe. A severe area is onewith high potential for unhealthy ozone levels.
The area has not experienced a “code red” day this year, whichwould mean an AQI of over 150. That level means recommended limitedoutdoor exertion for everyone, not just those with sensitivelungs.
The area reached the red level four times last year, accordingto the Baton Rouge Clean Air Coalition Web site.
Kelly said the number is low compared with other severe areassuch as Houston, which had 65 red-level days last year.
Rainy conditions over the last several weeks kept the AQI at alow level, Kelly said.
The DEQ sponsors Ozone Action Programs to decrease the risk ofreaching unhealthy ozone levels. The program is designed toencourage citizens to limit ozone-depleting activities on high-riskdays by carpooling, conserving energy inside the home and limitingfuel-emitting activities during the day.
Kelly said the severe rating for the area was the reason BatonRouge drivers were required to switch to reformulated gasoline inJune. The requirement later was stalled when the City of BatonRouge and the Chamber of Commerce filed suit.
A decision on reformulated gas is pending in the Fifth Circuitcourt of Appeals. But Kelly and other DEQ officials do not thinkreformulated gas will help Baton Rouge’s air quality and may evenaggravate the situation.
“Baton Rouge is not a town like Houston or Los Angeles orChicago where there is a tremendous amount of traffic,” Kelly said.”Our modeling shows that it might even cause more pollution,because when you have [reformulated gas] you get about threepercent less gas mileage.”
Kelly said more trips to the pump would harm the environment andbe costly for drivers.