Air Quality Alerts Return to Hell’s Kitchen One Year After Wildfires

A year ago this week, Canadian wildfires turned the skies of Hell’s Kitchen into an orange haze. Yesterday, air quality alerts were issued — even with little sign of haze above the neighborhood. Let’s take a look at what’s happening in New York’s skies.

The primary pollutant of yesterday’s alert was ground-level ozone — mostly from automobile and industrial exhaust. This type of air pollution is common in the summer months, due to the combination of heat and sunlight.

According to AirNow , the Air Quality Index on Tuesday afternoon reached 151, pushing it into the “Unhealthy” range which is between 150-200. Sensitive groups, such as those with asthma, children and teens, older adults and those active outdoors for more than six hours a day, are urged to take caution to reduce exposure.

While it has not produced the orange tint of last year’s fires , ozone can trigger a variety of health problems such as lung irritation and inflammation, asthma attacks, wheezing, coughing and increased susceptibility to respiratory illness. Everyone should avoid strenuous outdoor activity to limit their exposure.

Wildfire activity is projected to be higher across Canada, according to AccuWeather , with larger blazes covering more acreage that may periodically impact air quality across the northern US.

At the end of the month, Hell’s Kitchen will host one of the biggest traffic experiments in American history, when the Congestion Charge is introduced. The hope of many is to see fewer motor vehicles below 60th Street and a reduction in traffic jams around the Lincoln Tunnel.

In the longer term, a plan is in place to bring electric power to the huge passenger ships that dock at Manhattan Cruise Terminal on the Hudson River. However, NYC’s Economic Development Corporation, which runs the terminal, currently sets the target at 2028.

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