Map Shows States Asking People to Avoid Using Their Cars

Starting Wednesday night, people in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky are being encouraged to limit their car usage and walk, bike, carpool, or use public transportation instead, in an effort to reduce ozone-forming emissions during a heat wave and air quality alerts.

Large swaths of the Midwest and Northeast are in the throes of a heat wave. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued heat advisories, one in Ohio remaining in effect until Friday evening, as the state expects "heat index values of 100 to 104 degrees," and another in Indiana and Kentucky until Saturday evening given "a prolonged period of dangerously hot conditions with heat index values near 100 degrees."

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In addition to heat advisories in the region, air quality alerts are in effect from midnight Wednesday to midnight Thursday given that "levels of ozone within the region may approach or exceed unhealthy standards." To help minimize additional emissions, local officials in the three states are advising residents against driving.

Officials at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) have named tomorrow, Thursday, an Ozone action day for several counties, including Harrison, Washington, Scott, and Jefferson.

They recommend: "Walk, bike, carpool or use public transportation, avoid using the drive-through and combine errands into one trip, avoid refueling your vehicle or using gasoline-powered lawn equipment until after 7 PM, turn off your engine when idling for more than 30 seconds, conserve energy by turning off lights or setting the air conditioner to 75 degrees or above."

Allen Carter, IDEM communications director, told Newsweek in an email Thursday, "IDEM is not 'requesting' people not use their vehicles. The fact sheet simply provides tips for individuals to help reduce ground-level ozone. The utilization of the tips is not something that is being ordered or monitored in any way."

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The Southwest Ohio Air Quality Agency has issued similar recommendations in neighboring Ohio and Kentucky counties with the inclusion of requesting people to refuel their vehicles after 8 p.m. On their website they list additional recommendations, such as "avoid use of oil-based paints and stains," "never burn leaves or other yard trimmings" and "avoid using fire pits or fireplaces for non-essential home heating."

This afternoon, the agency issued an air quality alert for Thursday for southwest Ohio, northern Kentucky and Dearborn County in Indiana, classifying it as a level above moderate, unhealthy for sensitive groups.

The air quality alert Thursday has been issued for over three dozen counties. A full list of the counties and cities impacted can be found in the NWS alert announcement.

In a post-publish comment, Joy Landry, a communications specialist at Southwest Ohio Air Quality Agency, told Newsweek in an email Thursday morning that the region is under another Air Quality Alert today, June 20, "our third of 2024." Landry said, "I anticipate they will extend this Alert for Friday as we expect another day of high heat and abundant sunshine.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's AirNow map, all of Ohio and a majority of Indiana and Kentucky are experiencing moderate air quality.

People most likely to be impacted during an air quality alert include active children and adults, and those with a respiratory illness, such as asthma. Anyone who falls under this "sensitive" category should limit their prolonged outdoor exposure while air quality is under watch.

Newsweek reached out to the Southwest Ohio Air Quality Agency and Indiana Department of Environmental Management for additional comment on Wednesday.

Updated 6/20/24 at 1:10 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Carter and Landry.