Lawton facing Air Quality Alert day today

The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality has issued an Air Quality Action Day for Lawton today because of an expected elevation in ozone levels.

According to ODEQ, Lawton and Oklahoma City will be in the Orange (unhealthy for sensitive groups) category because smoke from regional fires will continue to impact the area. Thursday was a moderate (Yellow) ozone day for Lawton, a designation ODEQ expects to continue for Lawton and the rest of the state on Saturday. Under the Orange designation, ODEQ recommends that active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease such as asthma limit prolonged outdoor exertion.

The Lawton Metropolitan Planning Organization says residents can take actions to help lessen ozone pollution, lessening the likelihood of future ozone alert days. One of the major factors is limiting driving, and Lawton’s mass transit system will make that easier by offering half-price adult fares (75 cents) on LATS fixed routes on Air Quality Action Days such as today.

Other options include:

• Walk, bicycle or carpool to your destinations. If you must drive, plan activities so trips can be combined. Turn off your vehicle’s air conditioner when possible. Do not use drive-through windows, where you are forced to idle. Bring your lunch rather than driving somewhere, or carpool with co-workers.

• Fill your vehicle’s gas tank in the early morning, before temperatures increase.

• Make sure gas caps on automobiles, lawn mowers and other equipment properly seal.

• Abstain from using oil-based paints, solvents, cleaners or varnishes.

• Conserve energy in your home to reduce energy needs: shut your blinds, close off rooms that do not need to be air conditioned, turn off unneeded lights and appliances.

• Postpone mowing or using other gasoline powered equipment, or use electric or manual equipment.