INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) recently issued an Air Quality Action Day (AQAD) for Tuesday, June 14. IDEM also forecasted high ozone levels in numerous Indiana regions, including in St. Joseph, Elkhart, and LaPorte counties.

AQADs are effective from midnight to 11:59 p.m. on the specified date.

Individuals sensitive to air quality, children, the elderly, and those with lung or heart conditions are advised to reduce heavy exertion and outdoor activities.

IDEM also encourages reducing ozone levels by introducing changes to daily routines. Their recommendations include:

• Driving less or opting for carpooling, public transportation, walking, biking
• Combining errands into a single trip
• Avoid refueling your vehicle or using gas-powered lawn equipment until after 7 p.m.
• Keeping your engine tuned and not letting your engine idle
• Conserving energy by turning off lights and setting the thermostat to 75 degrees or above

AQADs typically occur when weather conditions trap pollutants to the ground. Ground-level ozone is formed from a combination of hot weather, sunlight and emissions from factories, vehicles and gasoline.

To learn more about ozone or to sign up for air quality alerts, you can visit the Indiana SmogWatch page or the IDEM website.