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Environment DEC


From the August 2004 issue

DEC Unveils New Air Quality Index Tool

image of smog
DEC offers a new tool to advise the public of potential
health risks due to air pollution

A new tool is being used by DEC to inform the public of potential risks to health caused by exposure to ozone, fine particulate matter (PM2.5), or both. The Air Quality Index (AQI) Forecast for New York State tells you how clean or polluted your air is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for you. It was created as an easy way to correlate levels of different pollutants to one scale; the higher the AQI value, the greater the health concern. When levels of ozone and/or fine particles are expected to exceed an AQI value of 100, an Air Quality Health Advisory is issued alerting sensitive groups to take the necessary precautions.

Health Advisories

DEC will issue Air Quality Health Advisories when DEC meteorologists predict levels of pollution, either ozone or fine particulate matter, are expected to exceed an Air Quality Index (AQI) value of 100. The AQI was created by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

DEC's Air Quality Health Advisory regions consist of the following:

  • Region 1 Long Island - Nassau and Suffolk
  • Region 2 New York City Metro - New York City, Westchester, and Rockland
  • Region 3 Lower Hudson - Sullivan, Ulster, Dutchess, Putnam, and Orange
  • Region 4 Upper Hudson - Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer, Greene, Columbia, Schoharie, Montgomery, Fulton, Saratoga, and Washington
  • Region 5 Adirondacks - St. Lawrence, Lewis, Hamilton, northern Herkimer, Warren, Essex, Franklin, and Clinton
  • Region 6 Eastern Lake Ontario - Monroe, Wayne, Oswego, Jefferson, and northern Cayuga
  • Region 7 Central - Livingston, Ontario, Yates, Seneca, southern Cayuga, Onondaga, Madison, Oneida, southern Herkimer, Otsego, Delaware, Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Tioga, Tompkins, Schuyler, Chemung, and Steuben
  • Region 8 Western New York - Niagara, Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming, Erie, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Allegany

You may call New York State's toll-free Air Quality Hotline at 1-800-535-1345 to find out if an Air Quality Health Advisory has been issued for your area.