Commissioner of Health Recommendations during Canada Wildfires

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06-07 2023 |

PLEASE BE AWARE:

As I am sure you are all well aware, the fires in Canada are continuing to impact the air quality in Ulster County and across the State.    Based upon the current forecast we expect to be impacted by these conditions through at least Thursday.

On the recommendation of our Commissioner of Health Carol Smith and our partners in the State and Federal government – we are strongly encouraging all of our community partners to exercise caution when working, traveling, or playing outdoors, especially when the air quality worsens.  This is especially important for those people who are in sensitive or at-risk groups including those with heart or lung disease, older adults, children, pregnant people and those who spend a lot of time outdoors.

We have included some useful information regarding air quality and how to make decisions for yourself or your organization as these conditions persist.

Below are the current conditions as of 5:00pm on June 6.

  • Currently in Shokan, north of the Ashokan Reservoir, the AQI is currently at 211 – which is considered very unhealthy and would recommend that all residents limit or avoid outdoor activity.
  • In the Kingston area, the AQI is currently 159 which is considered unhealthy and the recommendation is for residents to limit outdoor activities, and for those with sensitives to bad air quality to consider moving all activities indoors.

Useful resources for monitoring Air Quality Index (AQI) and to assist in decision-making for your organization:

  • Air Now Information – AirNow is a partnership of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Park Service, NASA, Centers for Disease Control, and tribal, state, and local air quality agencies.
  • Click here to assist schools  – This is a useful pdf to assist schools in making decisions about outdoor play for their students.  We have also included this information as an attachment.
  • Air Quality Guide – This is a more general guide that makes activity recommendations based on the AQI.  We have also included this information as an attachment.

 

Ulster County Executive Office