Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
AGENCY TESTIMONY
Concerns about opening cooling centers during air quality advisories
0:19:00
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100 sec
Carolyn Olson expresses concerns about the proposal to open cooling centers on days with air quality health advisories, regardless of the forecasted heat index.
- The proposal might not reduce pollution exposure and could potentially increase it in some cases
- Traveling to cooling centers during poor air quality could increase short-term exposure to pollution
- It's difficult to ensure that a cooling center's air quality is better than a person's home
- The proposal could place a heavy financial burden on the city
Carolyn Olson
0:19:00
I will now turn to the legislation's proposal to open cooling centers on days with air quality health advisories regardless of the forecasted heat index.
0:19:10
The health department concurs with NYSM in our appreciation for the intent behind this proposal as well as our concerns with its implementation and potential impacts.
0:19:22
While well intentioned, this proposal is unlikely to reduce pollution exposure and could have the opposite effect increasing it in some cases while placing a heavy financial burden on the city.
0:19:34
When there is extreme heat, cooling centers definitely lower people's heat exposure because of air conditioning which allows for recovery from heat stress.
0:19:45
As little as a few hours in a cool environment can decrease a person's risk of poor health outcomes due to heat.
0:19:52
In contrast, any indoor location during an air quality event will reduce a person's exposure to air pollution.
0:20:00
So we tell New Yorkers to limit their time outdoors as much as possible.
0:20:04
When the air quality is poor, a person's short term exposure to pollution could be increased by any time spent traveling outdoors, including a visit to a cooling center.
0:20:15
In addition it is much harder to ensure that a cooling center's air quality is any better than a person's home.
0:20:23
The center they visit may have a poorly designed ventilation or be in a more polluted location than their home or workplace like near a high traffic road.
0:20:32
After the air quality event from wildfire smoke in 2023, the city developed a detailed emergency response protocol for any similar events.