Butler, Warren residents urged to avoid outdoor activity Friday during Air Quality Alert

A young girl is silhouetted in the evening sun as she skips along the roadway in Snyder Park Tuesday to catch up to her father. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Credit: Bill Lackey

Credit: Bill Lackey

A young girl is silhouetted in the evening sun as she skips along the roadway in Snyder Park Tuesday to catch up to her father. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

There will be an Air Quality Alert for Butler and Warren counties on Friday, May 21, issued by the Southwest Ohio Air Quality Agency because it anticipates elevated ozone levels.

Active children and adults, as well as people with respiratory diseases like asthma, should avoid all outdoor exertion, the agency said. All other groups, especially children, should still limit outdoor exertion, it said.

During the Air Quality Alert, the air quality agency offered several recommendations to help lower ozone levels. These include:

  • Taking the bus, carpooling or walking instead of driving
  • Refueling after 8 p.m., avoiding topping off the gas tank and securely tightening the gas cap
  • Avoiding idling your vehicle
  • Combining trips to avoid unnecessary vehicle use
  • Avoiding using gas-powered lawn equipment or oil-based paints and statins
  • Conserving electricity and avoiding using fire pits or fireplaces for non-essential home heating
  • Never burning leaves or yard trimmings, and only burning clean, seasoned wood in outdoor fire pits, fireplaces and wood stoves

The Southwest Ohio Air Quality Agency said in our area, ozone is the most common cause for elevated air pollution levels, especially during warmer weather.

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