Chiayi City Mayor first to adopt American style Air Quality Flag Program

Chiayi City Government has announced it will adopt the American Air Quality Index (AQI) standard for air pollution instead of using the Ministry of Education’s standard. Chiayi Mayor Twu Shiing-jer (涂醒哲) stood before the people to inform them that Chiayi City will adopt a more stringent pollution standards flagging system, and taught the children the meaning of the different colored flags. The city switched to the more stringent U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standard at the request of councilors and civil society organizations.

The US version uses six colors, which are different from that of the Ministry of Education, as well as an additional orange flag. The biggest difference between the two standards is that in the US standard a yellow flag is raised for readings above 12 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), indicating it is harmful to people unusually sensitive to air pollution; and for readings above 35 µg/m3 an orange flag is raised, indicating that it is harmful to sensitive groups. In contrast, in the Ministry of Education system a yellow flag is raised for readings above 35 µg/m3. Air pollution capital, Chiayi City, has adopted the most stringent requirements as a direct demand of the people.  

Chiayi City Mayor first to adopt American style Air Quality Flag Program

URL:https://www.peopo.org/news/272035

(以下是中文對照)

嘉義市開第一槍: 市長宣示改用美國版空污旗

嘉義市政府宣布空污旗不用教育部標準，改用美國版AQI標準。市長涂醒哲主動向各界說明嘉義市採用更嚴格空污旗標準，並在司令台上衛教小朋友不同顏色旗幟的意義。在議員與民間團體要求下，市府改用更嚴格的美國環保署標準。美國版本有6種顏色，顏色和教育部版本也不同，多了一面橘色旗。

兩者標準最大差異是美國標準PM2.5 超過12ug/m3以上，就掛上黃旗，表示對特定族群有害，35 ug/m3以上，改掛橘色旗，表示對敏感族群有害。反觀教育部標準35 ug/m3以上，才掛上黃旗。空污首都嘉義市，改用最嚴格標準自我要求。