Why Drivers Are Being Told to Avoid Gas Stations

A stock photo of a man pumping gas. Drivers in several states are asked to avoid gas stations until air quality improves.

Summer temperatures have brought a wave of air quality alerts across the nation, and avoiding gas stations until air quality improves is one of several actions people can take.

Over the past few weeks, several states have been affected by poor air quality, which has worsened with excessive temperatures across multiple regions. As of Monday morning, air quality alerts were in place in six states, according to the National Weather Service: Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Colorado, New York and California.

An early-summer heat wave gripping the Midwest and the Northeast prompted the air quality alerts in those regions, while the Post Fire blazing north of Los Angeles prompted the alert in California.

"Ozone is complex and arises from many sources. Hot summer weather is definitely a contributor in that it sets up the conditions for ozone formation," Steven Brown, program leader for the Chemical Science Laboratory's Tropospheric Chemistry program, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told Newsweek.

"Urban air pollution, wildfires and other sources of natural and human-caused emissions may all interact to produce summertime ozone," he said.

Brown also said that air quality alerts are common in the U.S. during the summer months.

"While it is still early in the ozone season, poor air quality due to high ozone does occur in mid-June at many locations in the U.S.," he said.

Environmental officials in several states are asking residents to avoid actions that contribute to worsening air quality, such as refueling their vehicles or using gas-powered lawn equipment during peak ozone hours. Air quality is typically at its worst during the hottest parts of the day.

"People and businesses are urged to avoid activities which lead to ozone formation," Michigan's Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy said in its air quality alert issued Monday morning.

"These activities include refueling vehicles or topping off when refueling, using gasoline powered lawn equipment, and using charcoal lighter fluid. Positive activities include driving less, telecommuting, walking or biking, delaying or combining errands and using water-based paints," the alert said.

Many of the alerts are issued once the air quality index reaches the unhealthy for sensitive groups level, which begins when the AQI hits 101 or higher. Unhealthy air quality is measured from 151 to 200, very unhealthy air quality is from 201 to 300, and hazardous air quality is above 300.

The AQI was estimated to be moderate across most of the affected areas—measuring between 51 and 100—and unhealthy for sensitive groups in California, according to AirNow, a coalition involving the U.S. government and tribal agencies that monitors air quality. As temperatures rise throughout the day, the AQI is expected to be unhealthy for sensitive groups across the Midwest and Northeast.

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