It's not just the Double No Circulation Today: These are the restrictions during an environmental contingency

Authorities in Mexico City and the State of Mexico have activated an environmental emergency due to the concentration of pollutants, which implies the activation of the Double No Circulation Day for certain private and service vehicles , but what else is happening during this period?

The Environmental Commission of the Megalopolis said that around 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday , maximum ozone concentrations of up to 157 parts per billion (ppb) were recorded, enough to activate the environmental contingency .

According to authorities, a high pressure system east of Mexico City caused air currents to slow down, which, combined with solar radiation caused by rising temperatures, caused pollutants to concentrate.

According to the Environmental Commission of the Megalopolis, the Double No Circulation Day begins at 5:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 27 and ends at 10:00 p.m. that day.

The reason why the Double No Circulation Day does not begin until the day after the contingency was declared is because there are already thousands of people who have been out of their homes since early on this day , and if restrictions on movement are placed, their return home would be complicated.

In this sense, the Double Today No Circulation program is activated with the aim of reducing the emission of pollutants in the coming hours.

Federal and local industry faces a number of restrictions during environmental contingencies . Some of the instructions they have to comply with are:

• Gas stations that do not have a vapor recovery system must suspend their operations by 20 percent .
• The manufacturing industry must reduce its emissions of ozone precursors by 40 percent and stop maintenance, cleaning and degreasing work that generates pollution.
• The Miguel Hidalgo refinery, located in Tula, Hidalgo , cannot operate at more than 75 percent of its total capacity, and must reduce combustion capacity in direct-fired heaters and boilers in process and power plants.
• The Francisco Pérez Ríos thermoelectric plant in Hidalgo must reduce fuel oil consumption by 30 percent .
• Companies engaged in the firing of bricks, ceramics and foundry in artisanal kilns must suspend their combustion activities.
• Businesses and services are required to stop activities that pollute the air, such as the use of thinner, turpentine, paint, lacquer, varnish, ink or other types of coating.
• Establishments that use firewood or charcoal and do not have ideal control must suspend activities.
• Carburetor stations must suspend 20 percent of their activities, especially if they do not have dry disconnection valves. The measure also applies to LP gas distribution plants.
• LP gas and petroleum storage plants must suspend maintenance, repair and transfer work.
• Boilers without ozone precursor emission control systems must operate at half capacity.

In addition to the restrictions on vehicle circulation in Mexico City and the State of Mexico , these are some of the measures that are applied with the implementation of the environmental contingency :

• Health authorities are required to disseminate recommendations for protection against poor air quality.
• The circulation of official vehicles of all levels of government is restricted , with the exception of hybrid or electric vehicles, emergency vehicles, surveillance vehicles and urban services vehicles.
• Efforts are being made to detect vehicles that should not be circulating and that do not comply with the Double Today No Circulation program.
• Burning of materials and waste is prohibited.
• Forest fire surveillance is increasing.
• Maintenance activities on urban infrastructure such as the use of solvents, painting, patching, paving, among others, are cancelled, with the exception of those that address urgent repairs.
• Road works that interrupt traffic are suspended.

Environmental contingencies are a sign that the air quality is poor , and spending too much time outdoors can be harmful. Therefore, some of the recommendations and actions that apply in open spaces are:

• Suspend all outdoor activities between 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
• Avoid exercising or doing cultural activities outdoors , also between 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
• Postpone outdoor sporting or cultural events .
• No smoking , especially indoors.
• Facilitate remote work and online shopping.
• Do not use air fresheners, sprays, paints, waterproofers or any product with solvents.
• Fill up with gas between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. , that is, at night or in the morning.
• Check and repair gas leaks .
• Reduce fuel use at home by shortening shower time to a maximum of five minutes and using containers with lids when cooking.