This Month's Topics:

• NY on PAUSE, Updated Public & Stakeholder Participation Information
• Life During COVID-19
• Open Burn Ban in Effect Until May 14
• From Then to Now, 50 Years of Air Quality Improvements
• What's New With VW?
• Join the Team
• Helpful Links
• Dates to Remember
• AQI Alerts for Respiratory Health

Public & Stakeholder Participation Information:

Due to the unprecedented nature of COVID-19, Governor Cuomo has issued a PAUSE Order directing non-essential meetings/gatherings to be suspended or canceled. See Executive Order 202 and subsequent additions. As a result, at this time DEC has canceled the public hearings previously scheduled for the following proposed rulemakings and extended the comment periods for these rulemakings for 30 days.

• Proposed Subpart 225-1, Fuel Composition and Use - Sulfur Limitations - Comment period extended to 5/15/2020.
• Proposed Part 248, Use of Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel and Best Available Retrofit Technology for Heavy Duty Vehicles - Comment period extended to 5/15/2020.
• Proposed Part 230, Gasoline Dispensing Sites and Transport Vehicles - Comment period extended to 5/21/2020.
• Proposed Part 231, New Source Review for New and Modified Facilities - Comment period extended to 5/21/2020.
• Proposed Part 235, Consumer Products - Comment period extended to 5/21/2020.
• Various projects in the Environmental Notice Bulletin (ENB).

Additional information and access to past announcements are on our Public & Stakeholder Participation Information page.

Air Mail! is the publication to announce public and stakeholder information about air quality topics. All NYS residents are environmental stakeholders – we welcome anyone to join the information sessions and other opportunities posted here.

Life During COVID-19

Like many of you, most of DEC’s staff have been working from home for the last month. In the Division of Air Resources, our office has been reduced to a few staff covering critical tasks such as assisting others to work from home, mail processing, website maintenance, and response to certain public needs. Our mission to improve air quality hasn’t changed during the COVID-19 NYS on PAUSE order. We are still permitting, measuring air contaminants, and rolling forward with plans to provide New Yorkers with cleaner than ever air.

The staff and management in the Division of Air Resources hope you and your loved ones are and remain safe and healthy during this difficult time, and wish you a speedy recovery from this pandemic.

Open Burn Ban in Effect Until May 14

The annual spring burn ban started March 16 across NY and will be in effect until May 14. The incidence of wildfires has been significantly reduced since the regulation was enacted. Wildfire smoke is dangerous to inhale and puts numerous people and animals at risk of respiratory illness. Get more information on our Open Burning webpage.

From Then to Now, 50 Years of Air Quality Improvements

DEC is celebrating its 50th birthday this year! Looking back through the years, we see environmental benefits in clean air, water, and abundant fish and wildlife that we now enjoy. It has taken decades of work by public and private sector individuals and organizations across New York State to reduce pollution levels enough to heal our environment. As we approach Air Quality Awareness Week, it's important to remember that even small actions can lead to significant improvements in our air quality over time. Let's take a short pictorial stroll back in time to see what our air used to look like compared to what it looks like now.

Photo Captions: Left: View of the George Washington Bridge and NYC through heavy smog, circa 1973. Photo Credit: U.S. National Archives. Right: Sailboats at sunset on Huntington Harbor, Long Island, NY, 2018. Photo Credit: George Brinkwart.

Photo Captions: Left: A NYC street corridor with buildings blotted out by heavy smog, circa early 1970. Right: A view down a bustling NYC street corridor on a warm midsummer day in 2017. Photo Credits: DEC staff.

Photo Captions: Photos taken from the Burlington Vermont haze cams looking across Lake Champlain at the Adirondack Mountains. Left: A smoggy haze blocks the view of the lake and mountains in the background in 2001. Right: A clear view showing the lake and mountains taken from the northwest haze cam in 2006. Photo credits: Camnet real-time air pollution & visibility monitoring haze cams, Burlington Vermont reference photos.

What's New With VW?

DEC expanded its Volkswagen Settlement website by adding VW Funding for Diesel Replacement and EVSE Projects. This page includes:

• funding opportunities, with the amount of VW incentives being made available by each VW mitigation action item, and
• links to press releases for diesel-powered vehicle replacements and electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) projects.

The VW funding page will be updated regularly as additional projects are announced, so check back periodically.

Join the Team

Do you have a bachelor's degree or higher in engineering or engineering technology? New York State employs more than 2,000 engineers in various agencies across the state, including DEC. Learn more about career opportunities in engineering with NYS on the Civil Service website.

As a permanent, full-time employee of the DEC, you would enjoy many benefits, including: generous leave time; excellent health, dental and vision insurance plans; pension plan; deferred compensation program; and flex spending account. You may also qualify for: military leave; paid jury duty leave; child rearing leave and part-time or reduced work schedule.

Helpful Links:

• DECinfo Locator – An interactive map that lets you access DEC documents and public data about the environmental quality of specific sites in NYS, as well as outdoor recreation information.
• DEC Delivers – Stay in-the-know by subscribing to the environmental topics that interest you. DEC Delivers will send you information, updates, and e-newsletters on the topics of your choosing. As an Air Mail! subscriber, you may be interested in subscribing to the Air Quality Alert topic so you know when air quality levels are a concern in your area.
• AQI Forecasts – Check the daily ozone and particulate matter pollution forecast for your area of NYS.
• NYSDEC YouTube – Keep up with what's going on with staff at DEC by subscribing to our YouTube channel. Watch video clips of DEC public protection in action, learn about the Hudson River, or watch the latest episode of "On the Front Lines," DEC's monthly video series.
• DEC Career Opportunities – DEC offers numerous opportunities for qualified individuals looking to work in environmental fields and support the protection of the environment. Join our team by taking advantage of available career opportunities in natural resource management and environmental protection.

Dates to Remember:

• Now through May 15: DEC's annual Saratoga Tree Nursery native tree and shrub seedling sale – Dozens of native tree and shrub species will be available for purchase at a low cost. Browse this year's selection on our website. 
• March 16 to May 14: Annual spring burn ban – Temporarily outlaws residential brush and yard debris burning statewide.
• Second Tuesday of the Month: Sustainability Lunchtime Learning Webinars – A monthly series covering numerous topics of interest like choosing a green cleanser, climate-friendly air conditioning, and water conservation. Preregistration is required.
• April 21: John Muir's Birthday – Known as "The Father of our National Parks," he inspired people to respect natural resources and explore America's wilderness.
• April 22: Earth Day – Remember that Earth Day is every day. Include activities that reduce air pollution such as using less energy at home, walking or biking instead of using a car, and ditching gas-powered lawnmowers.
• April 26: National Arbor Day – Trees clean the air by absorbing odors and pollutants and trapping them in their leaves and bark. They also make the all-important oxygen that we all breathe.
• May 4 to 8: Air Quality Awareness Week – This year's theme is Better Air, Better Health. The goal of Air Quality Awareness Week is to increase awareness of how important air is and to inspire people to take steps to reduce their contribution to air pollution. Let's take action together to keep our air clean.
• May 15: Environmental Excellence Awards - DEC is accepting applications for the 2020 New York State Environmental Excellence Awards. Completed applications must be submitted no later than Friday, May 15, 2020.

Stay Informed about Your Air Quality

NYS' ozone season runs from April through September. DEC publishes ground-level ozone forecasts during ozone season and particulate matter pollution forecasts year-round using a scale called the Air Quality Index (AQI). DEC sends out an air quality alert when there is a high AQI value, which indicates polluted air. Individuals with pre-existing respiratory or cardiovascular conditions and people who exercise outdoors should take caution during an air quality alert. Find out if an Air Quality Alert is in effect by calling the toll-free Ozone Hotline: 1-800-535-1345.

The AQI can be accessed in three ways:

• Check the daily ozone and particulate matter pollution forecast.
• Find an Air Quality Monitor near you.
• Sign up to receive Air Quality Alerts for NYS via e-mail.

We would like to know what you think. Please send your Air Mail! questions or comments to us at DAR.web@dec.ny.gov.