The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced six upcoming meetings that will provide progress updates for communities participating in the State’s 2022-23 Community Air Monitoring Initiative. Mobile air monitoring began in September 2022 in Brooklyn, Queens, Rochester, Syracuse, Mount Vernon/Yonkers/New Rochelle, and Hempstead/New Cassel/Roosevelt/Uniondale/Westbury and DEC held the first round of update meetings for these communities in January and February 2023. This next round of meetings continues DEC’s efforts to gather community input in targeting emission sources and identifying future strategies to reduce air pollution in these communities, including the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. 
 
At these meetings, DEC staff will provide an overview of the initiative and present a preliminary review of the second quarter of air monitoring results specific to each community. Information will include how and where the air monitoring is being conducted on the street level and how DEC will compile and analyze the data to identify potential contributors of emissions for each pollutant being monitored. Preliminary data collection is underway. DEC will provide results once additional information is compiled. 
 
DEC will also provide an update on the progress of establishing community advisory committees to engage with local stakeholders throughout this initiative. DEC will continue to hold regular meetings over the next year to update the community on the progress of air monitoring and to provide a forum for input. Staff from DEC's Division of Air Resources and Office of Environmental Justice will be available to answer questions and respond to feedback. 
 
The next round of meetings for the remaining four communities where monitoring is underway – the Bronx, Manhattan, Buffalo/Niagara Falls/Tonawanda area, and Capital Region – are planned for June. Additional update meetings for all communities will be held later this summer.  

Brooklyn 

• When: Wednesday, May 10, at 3 p.m.
• Link to join meeting: https://meetny.webex.com/meetny/j.php?MTID=mfb4aaeca573b80e46df27c5347e0f50c
• Meeting Number: 161 576 1732
• Meeting Password: k5pUJDPxc88
• Call In Number to join by phone only: 518-549-0500
  

Syracuse 

• When: Wednesday, May 10, at 6 p.m. 
• Link to join meeting: https://meetny.webex.com/meetny/j.php?MTID=mb6c612fb5636287fde90cb7713913344
• Meeting Number: 161 132 1232
• Meeting Password: air315
• Call In Number to join by phone only: 518-549-0500

Queens 

• When: Thursday, May 11, at 1 p.m.
• Link to join meeting: https://meetny.webex.com/meetny/j.php?MTID=m4c19b57a2c5fe61f2d8841fb549c6826
• Meeting Number: 161 308 8421
• Meeting Password: VzSiaN9ps45
• Call In Number to join by phone only: 518-549-0500
  

Hempstead/New Cassel/Roosevelt/Uniondale/Westbury 

• When: Thursday, May 11, at 6 p.m.
• Link to join meeting: https://meetny.webex.com/meetny/j.php?MTID=ma1bf592331842da754ffc45dcff1925e
• Meeting Number: 161 956 3654
• Meeting Password: YCtwpa3hm89
• Call In Number to join by phone only: 518-549-0500
  

Rochester 

• When: Tuesday, May 16, at 2:30 p.m.
• Link to join meeting: https://meetny.webex.com/meetny/j.php?MTID=md648bb8ba42dd41051004376892c8b43 
• Meeting Number: 161 254 2493
• Meeting Password: 16.23
• Call In Number to join by phone only: 518-549-0500
  

Mount Vernon/Yonkers/New Rochelle 

• When: Thursday, May 18, at 6 p.m.
• Link to join meeting: https://meetny.webex.com/meetny/j.php?MTID=mb2f53b8c018db542914e87dd67ba22de
• Meeting Number: 161 880 9723
• Meeting Password: R3AirMonitor
• Call In Number to join by phone only: 518-549-0500
  

For more information about the Community Air Monitoring Initiative, visit the DEC website at https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/125320.html.  

Interpreter services shall be made available to deaf persons, and translator services shall be made available to persons with limited English proficiency, at no charge for either service, upon written request. Requests should be received 10 calendar days before each meeting, but DEC will make every effort to fulfill requests received closer to the meeting date. Requests can be directed to the NYSDEC Office of Communication Services, either by mail to NYSDEC, Office of Communication Services, 625 Broadway, Albany, New York 12233-4500, by telephone (518) 402-8044, or by e-mail to language@dec.ny.gov.