Wisconsin is going through its longest stretch of soot pollution since February of 2005. according to the state DNR. The air has not been moving very much since last Sunday. The agency’s Air Monitoring Section Chief Bart Sponseller says it’s unusual but not unprecedented.
Bart Sponseller (:42)
Sponseller says their forecaster believes a new weather system to help clear the air will not arrive until this weekend. For now, the DNR has extended its air quality watch until 11’o clock for 54-of-the-72 counties. Counties in the far north and northeast parts of the state are the only ones not covered.
Sponseller says people often attribute air quality advisories to ozone pollution, which he says occurs only in the summer. Fine particulars are the culprit in this episode. The EPA says Wisconsin currently has the largest mass area of particle pollution in the country from things like vehicles and smoke-stacks
Kids, seniors and those with heart and lung issues are advised to limit their physical activity.