**--- PRESS RELEASE ---
"For Immediate Release"

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DEP issues Air Quality Alert for the Eastern Interior and Mid-Coast Regions of Maine

 
*AUGUSTA, October 3, 2024* — Ground-level particle pollution concentrations are expected to reach the ‘Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups’ (USG) level in the Eastern Interior and Mid-Coast Regions for today and tomorrow according to Air Quality Meteorologists at the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

Smoke from a fire in Orrington is causing high particle pollution levels at local monitors, one of which was sited by the Maine DEP on Wednesday to measure localized air quality.  The winds in the Penobscot River Valley are expected to remain from the south over the next 24 hours.  Maine DEP is issuing this air quality alert as authorities anticipate that the fire is expected to burn for at least one more day.  While valley locations will be especially susceptible to higher levels of particle pollution, all areas in the vicinity should take precautions.

At elevated levels of particle pollution, children, the elderly and individuals suffering from respiratory or heart diseases such as asthma, bronchitis or COPD can experience reduced lung function and irritation.  In addition, healthy adults who exert themselves outdoors may also notice these health effects.  Affected individuals may notice symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, throat irritation and/or experience mild chest pain.

Some actions you can take to protect your health during such periods of include:


* Avoiding strenuous outdoor activity
* Closing windows and circulating indoor air with a fan or air conditioner
* Asthmatics should keep their quick-relief medications and action plan handy

Additional health information may be found on the following websites:


* Maine CDC asthma prevention and control: [link removed] [ [link removed] ]
* USEPA's asthma control and management:

www.epa.gov/asthma [ [link removed] ]


* AIRNOW for smoke impacted areas:

_https://www.airnow.gov/air-quality-and-health/fires-and-your-health/_

In addition to those in a sensitive group, others who are responsible for the welfare of people impacted by poor air quality are urged to use one of the listed tools to follow the Air Quality Forecast:


* *Maine DEP’s Air Quality Forecast*: maine.gov/dep/air/aqforecast [ [link removed] ]
* *Maine DEP's Air Quality Hotline*: 1-800-223-1196
* *USEPA’s EnviroFlash email and text alert system: *[link removed]
* *USEPA’s AIRNOW Fire and Smoke Map: *[link removed]
* *USEPA’s AIRNOW Mobile App*: [link removed]
* *gov “Wildfires and Air Quality” Online Resource: *[link removed]

For more information, call the contacts listed above or go to Maine DEP’s air quality web site www.maine.gov/dep/air/aqforecast [ [link removed] ].



"For additional information, contact":

David R. Madore, Deputy Commissioner

[email protected] [ link ]






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This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Maine Department of Environmental Protection · 17 State House Station · Augusta, ME 04333 · 207-287-7688 GovDelivery logo [ [link removed] ]