CHICAGO.- The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, for its acronym in English) issued alerts for poor air quality on Sunday in several states stretching from Montana to Ohio due to smoke coming from wildfires in Canada.
“Air quality watches are in effect for much of the Great Lakes, North Central region, and northern Great Plains,” the National Weather Service said. “This is due to the persistent thick concentration of Canadian wildfire smoke over these regions. While the concentration of smoke in the atmosphere should begin to decrease on Monday, there is still enough smoke to maintain poor air quality that is unhealthy for susceptible groups in parts of these regions early next week.”
The EPA’s AirNow air quality page called the air in Chicago “unhealthy” as of 9 a.m. Sunday. And in Michigan, state environmental authorities have reported that the air is “unhealthy for susceptible groups.”
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services advised the state’s population to regularly review the Air Quality Index when deciding whether or not to participate in outdoor activities.
The Indianapolis Office of Sustainability issued a Knozone Day of Action for Sunday, stating that people throughout central Indiana should avoid spending time outdoors as much as possible, especially active children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with asthma, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), emphysema, heart disease, or COVID-19. Susceptible groups should remain indoors on Sunday and refrain from activities that degrade indoor air quality, such as lighting candles or vacuuming.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Sunday that unhealthy air from the wildfires in Canada is expected to affect parts of New York state again on Monday, mainly the northern and western parts. She added that the air quality index is forecast to be 100 to 150 in those areas, when the norm is 0 to 50. Hochul made her remarks during a press conference on heavy rains and flooding.
“As if the rain falling from the sky wasn’t enough, if you start looking up tomorrow, you’ll see a situation similar to what we had a couple of weeks ago due to air quality degradation resulting from the wildfires. in Canada”, explained the governor. “It is likely that we will issue an air quality alert for parts of our state. It seems to be projected mostly around Western New York and the North Country at the moment. But as we’ve seen, it can change very quickly and start developing in more populated areas.”
Health authorities have recommended that people stay safe by taking steps like wearing a mask, staying indoors, and keeping the air indoors clean.
FOUNTAIN: With information from AP
