Twenty-three cities are affected by a significant episode of pollution on Tuesday.
Since Sunday February 12, a good part of France has been suffocating under fine particles, notes France Bleu based on the information revealed on the site of the federation of approved associations for monitoring air quality (Atmo). The Atmo air quality index is poor throughout France.
Only seven cities colored green by Atmo
Tuesday, February 14, the situation must worsen in Strasbourg, which will be classified scarlet red “very bad”. The Alsatian capital succeeds Lyon which was in scarlet red the day before, at the start of the week. Tuesday morning, 22 cities were colored “bad” red by Atmo, “degraded” yellow in 14 cities. In France, there are only seven cities classified in green, i.e. an “average” level of fine particles. Atmo-France forecasts are updated daily at 2 p.m.
This episode of winter pollution with fine particles linked to the cooling of temperatures and therefore to the increase in heating emissions, particularly from wood, has forced the prefectures of several departments to put restrictions in place.
The Rhône valley has in particular been placed on red alert, the Ardèche prefecture said in a press release on Monday February 13. Until the end of this episode of pollution, it is forbidden to use wood as supplementary individual heating, it is necessary to control the temperature in the buildings (heating in winter: 18°C), or to lower its speed of 20 km/h on roads limited to 90 km/h or more. The industrial sector must stop its most polluting activities. Dust-generating sites must also be postponed until the end of the pollution episode.
Only recommendations to fight against this pollution, deplores the Respire association
In Strasbourg, classified scarlet red on Tuesday, it is necessary to favor shorter outings and reduce intense activities, indicates France Bleu Alsace. Elsewhere, such as in the Loire, the Haut-Rhin, the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, or even the Gironde, it is also forbidden to burn green waste in the open air or to use wood as heating for pleasure. In the Bouches-du-Rhône, on the road as well as at sea, the speed is also reduced.
In Lyon, classified scarlet red, motorists must have a Crit’Air sticker 0, 1 or 2 to drive in the low emission zone (ZFE) of the metropolis. A temporary speed reduction of 20 km/h has also been introduced on all roads in the Rhône department where the authorized speed limit is normally greater than or equal to 90 km/h.
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In Strasbourg, classified scarlet red on Tuesday, it is necessary to favor shorter outings and reduce intense activities, indicates France Bleu Alsace. Elsewhere, such as in the Loire, the Haut-Rhin, the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, or even the Gironde, it is also forbidden to burn green waste in the open air or to use wood as heating for pleasure. In the Bouches-du-Rhône, on the road as well as at sea, the speed is also reduced.
“These measures are of the order of the recommendation and there is no obligation”deplores the Respire association on Twitter, which is calling for “reform the procedure for managing pollution peaks”. “Especially since with each peak in fine particle pollution, there are serious health consequences and more significant emergency room visits for respiratory reasons”.