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Q&A
Discussion of ozone pollution in NYC and the region
0:54:51
ยท
4 min
Council Member Gennaro and Commissioner Aggarwala discuss the current state of ozone pollution in the New York, New Jersey, and Long Island region, its causes, and efforts to address it.
- The region is in severe nonattainment for ozone pollution, with levels 33-50% higher than recommended
- Ozone levels in NYC are higher in 2023 than any year since 2009
- Factors contributing to increased ozone levels include climate change, heat, and the 2023 Canadian wildfires
- Ozone formation is complex and influenced by various factors, including other pollutants and regional sources
- Efforts to reduce ozone focus on addressing precursor pollutants and implementing measures like congestion pricing
Jim Gennaro
0:54:51
Okay.
0:55:00
Alright.
0:55:04
Now some prepared questions from staff.
0:55:40
A lot of these questions were covered in your statement.
0:55:54
Here's one.
0:55:54
We'll try this.
0:55:56
The New York, New Jersey, and Long Island region is in serious nonattainment.
0:56:01
I think the term is probably severe nonattainment for ozone pollution which means that ozone concentrations are between 3350% higher than recommended levels.
0:56:11
Data from the New York City Community Air Survey shows that ozone levels in the city are higher in 2023 than any other year since 02/2009, likely increase in the coming years.
0:56:24
What is DEP doing DEP or anyone doing to help bring the region into attainment?
0:56:29
How does DEP coordinate with other environmental agencies within the relevant air quality control district to do this work, that is to come into compliance?
0:56:41
How about that?
Rohit Aggarwala
0:56:43
Okay.
0:56:45
So it is true that ozone is kind of the anomaly that while on most other key pollutants New York City has done extraordinarily well, Ozone recently has had an upward an an uptick.
0:57:00
This is actually true across The United States.
0:57:02
Yeah.
0:57:03
Every
Jim Gennaro
0:57:04
way climate thing because it involves heat.
Rohit Aggarwala
0:57:05
That's right.
0:57:06
So 2023 across The United States showed an increase
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0:57:11
in
Rohit Aggarwala
0:57:11
ozone across the board.
0:57:14
So this was not just a New York City thing.
0:57:16
As you just pointed out, ozone is a little bit unusual because it's not actually emitted from the tailpipe or or from the smokestack.
0:57:25
It is a a chemical that forms in the air in the presence of heat and sunlight.
0:57:30
And so one of the key things that's happened is that as our summers get hotter, there is a greater proclivity to form ozone, and that's one of the key drivers.
0:57:40
We also, in 2023, had the Canadian wildfires which had a massive continent wide
Jim Gennaro
0:57:47
I hated those.
Rohit Aggarwala
0:57:48
Impact.
0:57:49
Yeah.
Jim Gennaro
0:57:49
I hated those.
Rohit Aggarwala
0:57:49
Yeah.
0:57:49
We all did, especially the Canadians, I think.
0:57:52
But and then there is an anomalous saying that across the board, and this is true outside of New York as well, that it actually tends to be places with less traffic that have higher concentrations of ozone because even though nitrous nitrogen dioxide is a precursor to Right.
0:58:15
Ozone, it also it's an unstable compound, so it absorbs ozone.
0:58:20
So oddly enough, as we've brought down some of these other criteria pollutants, we've actually made it so there is a greater likelihood that ozone will linger.
0:58:31
And finally, ozone is primarily a regional issue.
0:58:35
It travels great distances and therefore much of the ozone in New York City is probably coming from elsewhere in The United States.
0:58:42
So ozone is a tougher nut to crack than many of the other things that we look at like particulate matter where we have a much greater opportunity to address it locally.
0:58:50
I think, you know, the reality is we are we believe that much of what we need to do to to continue to drive down ozone is the the work that we've been doing to drive down some of these other precursors.
0:59:08
That despite that anomaly Right.
0:59:10
It is still the right answer to focus on reducing nitrogen dioxide, cleaning up our buildings like through local N97 and other efforts, congestion pricing which will have had, I'm sure, a big impact on criteria pollutants in the city is and we'll see that in a year or so.
0:59:29
And so we don't have a different strategy because of the change in ozone, but I think we're keenly aware of the fact that climate change is making ozone a greater threat.
Jim Gennaro
0:59:39
Thank you.