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IDEM forecasters explain Smog Watch, monitoring network and how air-quality action days are declared

2154712 · January 27, 2025
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

John Welch of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management walked the committee through the state’s Smog Watch forecasting process, how monitors collect ozone and PM2.5 data, and the partnership between IDEM and the city in issuing Air Quality Action Days.

John Welch, an air quality forecaster with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), briefed the Indianapolis City-County Council’s Environmental Sustainability Committee on the state’s Smog Watch forecasting system, monitoring network and the process for declaring air-quality action days.

Welch said IDEM issues daily forecasts for PM2.5 year-round and for ozone from March 1 through Oct. 31. He described a collaborative decision process with the city: IDEM provides technical forecasts and the city of Indianapolis concurs before NoZone action days are formally issued. “We do not pull the trigger essentially on an ozone action day or an ozone action day until we get…

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