STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Gov. Kathy Hochul is urging residents to monitor air quality conditions as smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to impact large portions of the state.
Hochul issued an update on the state’s air monitoring efforts, announcing an air quality health advisory for ozone in the Long Island and New York City Metro regions for Monday.
Additionally, advisories for fine particulate matter pollution remain active across multiple regions including New York City Metro, Lower and Upper Hudson Valley, Adirondacks, Eastern Lake Ontario and Central and Western New York.
“New York continues to track air quality conditions across the state, and people in certain areas may notice visible smoke throughout the day,” Hochul said.
She went on to emphasize the importance of staying informed during summer months when factors like distant wildfires can impact air quality, encouraging New Yorkers to “take appropriate precautions to stay safe and protect themselves and their families by paying attention to the State’s Air Quality Health Advisories.”
Weather patterns are expected to bring more spikes in smoke to certain regions tomorrow, according to state officials.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation works with the Department of Health to monitor air quality using data from more than 50 sites across the state.
Air quality health advisories are issued when pollution levels are predicted to exceed an air quality index value of 100. The air quality index was designed to correlate different pollutants to a single scale, with higher values indicating greater health concerns.
Despite having some of the nation’s most stringent air quality regulations, New York still experiences days when ozone or particulate matter can affect air quality.
Officials are directing residents to check airnow.gov for accurate air quality forecasts and conditions. Information about exposure to smoke from fires is available on the DOH website.
“Poor air quality can pose serious health risks — especially for those with heart conditions, lung diseases, such as asthma, young children, those over 65 years old and pregnant individuals,” New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said.
“To reduce exposure, limit strenuous activity outdoors. We encourage all New Yorkers to visit airnow.gov for the latest air quality forecast and be on the lookout for Air Quality Health Advisories from the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Department of Health,” McDonald added.
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