Stagnant Air Advisory

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Stagnant Air Advisory Now Through Saturday

In coordination with the National Weather Service, Oregon DEQ and Washington's Southwest Clean Air Agency have issued an air pollution advisory for the northern Willamette Valley and Clark County.  The agencies urge residents in the following areas to not burn in woodstoves and fireplaces because of poor air quality conditions: Clark, Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, Polk, Yamhill and Marion Counties.

The National Weather Service has issued an air stagnation advisory for Tuesday, Jan. 25 through Saturday, Jan. 29.   Stagnant air is expected to trap smoke at ground level causing pollution to build up and become unhealthy, especially for sensitive people.There is a  possibility conditions could worsen as the week progresses and in the evening hours

Washington County Health officials recommend that people who are sensitive to air pollution limit time spent outdoors especially in the evening and early morning when pollution levels are highest. Air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, cause difficulty breathing, and make lung and heart problems worse. Air pollution is especially harmful to children, people with heart and lung problems and adults age 65 and older.

This type of wintertime air pollution comes mainly from wood smoke. If burning wood is your only source of heat, burn hot fires using dry wood to lessen pollution. To reduce pollution people also should avoid outdoor burning, limit driving and avoid excessive vehicle idling such as a long morning warm ups or leaving the engine on while picking up the kids from school.

For further information, see the release from the Department of Environmental Quality at: http://www.deq.state.or.us/news/prDisplay.asp?docID=3539.  

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