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AGENCY TESTIMONY
Improvements in air quality and uneven distribution of benefits
0:20:31
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Commissioner Aggarwala presents data on significant improvements in New York City's air quality over the past 20 years, including reductions in pollutants and health impacts. However, he notes that these improvements have not been evenly distributed across the city.
- 60% decline in PM2.5 and 40% decline in NO2 over 20 years
- 50% reduction in asthma-related emergency room visits attributable to pollution
- Improvements driven by federal requirements and local initiatives
- Negative health impacts now more concentrated in low-income neighborhoods
- Air pollution from traffic contributes to premature deaths and emergency department visits, concentrated in specific neighborhoods
Rohit Aggarwala
0:20:31
Thank you.
0:20:31
Over the past twenty years we've seen a 60% decline in PM 2.5, a 40% decline in NO2 or nitrogen dioxide, and as a result, we've seen a 50% reduction in asthma related emergency room visits in New York City attributable to pollution.
0:20:50
These were driven by several initiatives, including federal requirements for cleaner diesel fuel.
0:20:55
Here in New York City, the city council, with your personal leadership chairman, enabled DEP to ban dirty heating oil.
0:21:02
And then in 2015, the city council required that DEP take action on what is now the largest local source of particulate matter, which is commercial cooking.
0:21:11
Pursuant to that legislation, our rules on cook stoves took effect last year, and our rules on charbroilers had a hearing last month.
0:21:19
While we have seen citywide improvements, they have these have not been evenly distributed.
0:21:25
In fact, the negative health impacts of air pollution are now even more concentrated in low income neighborhoods than they were before.
0:21:32
Air pollution from traffic alone contributes to an estimated three twenty premature deaths and eight seventy emergency department visits and hospitalizations each year in New York City.
0:21:42
These are concentrated in neighborhoods such as the South Bronx, Harlem, the North Shore, East New York and Brownsville.
0:21:50
The reality of preexisting health conditions and reduced access to health care make air pollution a much greater threat in these neighborhoods compared to wealthier parts of the city.
0:22:01
Based on NICAS data, the Health Department has found that the density of warehouses, a stronger indicator of freight industrial use that generates truck traffic, explains the difference in pollution levels between neighborhoods much more clearly than industrial zoning generally.