This Month's topics:

• Public & Stakeholder Participation Information
• Taking Care of Leaves and Air
• The Burning Question: Fall Leaves
• Heating Your Home and Keeping Air Clean
• Helpful Links
• Dates to Remember
• AQI Alerts for Respiratory Health

Public & Stakeholder Participation Information:

• Federal Revised Proposal for the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) - The Federal Government's latest proposal to address outstanding interstate pollution transport obligations. EPA will hold a virtual public hearing two weeks after publication and accept comments for 45 days after publication in the Federal Register.
• Various NYS 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.

Taking Care of Leaves and Air

The autumn leaves are falling, which means it’s time to break out the rakes and leaf blowers. While gas-powered leaf blowers make it easy to collect your fallen leaves, they can have some unseen effects on our air quality.

Exhaust from gas-powered leaf blowers contains many pollutants, including nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide (CO), and fine particulate matter (PM). Emissions from these leaf blowers are significant because the engines are often inefficient and generate large amounts of pollution. For example, using a typical gas-powered backpack leaf blower for just 1 hour emits as much CO as driving a standard car for 8 hours. Leaf blowers also kick up a lot of dust into the air, spreading particles such as pollen, mold, and animal feces far and wide. Some of that dust is so small that it can go deep into the lungs of the operator and nearby people and pets. Refueling gas-powered lawn equipment also increases the chance of fuel spills, which releases volatile organic compounds into the air. These ground-level pollutants can be harmful to breathe, contributing to respiratory and heart disease, especially in those with preexisting conditions.

Electric or battery-powered leaf blowers, on the other hand, do not generate these emissions, although they still blow around particulates already on the ground. They are also much quieter than gas-powered leaf blowers. Some electric leaf blowers even shred the leaves for compost or landscaping. Switch to electric-powered leaf blowers or just grab a rake to help keep our air clean this fall!

The Burning Question: Fall Leaves

Burning leaves in NYS is illegal, but what should you do with them instead? To keep our air clean and to protect our families, friends, pets, and property from wildfires, consider the following alternatives to burning:

• Compost them in your yard.
• Use leaves as mulch in your garden or to cover sensitive plants for the winter.
• Ask neighbors if they can use the leaves.
• Mulch them with your lawnmower to fertilize your lawn.
• If your community offers it, put leaves in biodegradable bags for curbside collection.

Outdoor fires are regulated in NYS. Burning vegetation, other lawn debris, and trash release pollution in the form of smoke and soot. Smoke contains particulate matter and harmful chemicals, like carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons, which pose a health risk and pollute the environment. See our website for more tips on what to do with fall leaves.

Heating Your Home and Keeping Air Clean

As the weather gets colder, we’ll all be turning up the heat. If you plan to use an outdoor wood boiler (OWB) to heat your home this winter, be sure to follow DEC’s regulatory requirements and guidelines on how to use it properly and safely.

OWBs are devices designed to burn wood to heat buildings, usually located outside the home in a small shed. OWBs work by burning the wood or fuel to heat up a liquid or gas, which is pumped to and distributed throughout the building with pipes. 

Depending on the device model and fuel used, OWBs may contribute to smoke pollution and visual impairment in a neighborhood. Only some OWB models are approved for use in NYS, as these models are more efficient and create less smoke. Be sure to check out the full list of DEC approved OWBs before buying a new device. Remember to never burn trash in your OWB and only use local, untreated wood that is properly seasoned to help keep our air clean.

Photo caption: Wood smoke from OWBs contains fine particles and several harmful chemicals, including carbon monoxide and benzene. NYS certified OWBs burn the wood more efficiently and emit less smoke and pollutants.

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 video series.

Dates to Remember:

• Second Tuesday of the Month: Sustainability Lunchtime Learning Webinars – A monthly series covering numerous topics of interest, such as choosing a green cleanser, climate-friendly air conditioning, and water conservation. Pre-registration is required.
• Through October: Fall Foliage Report – Before you head out on your leaf-peeping adventure, check out the fall color report from I Love New York. The Adirondack and Catskill mountains are breathtaking this time of year. Remember to be safe and respectful when hitting the trails, too.
• October 31: Halloween – Consider keeping your trick-or-treating local by walking house to house or to outdoor fall celebrations. You will help stop the spread of COVID-19 and keep our air clean.
• November 3: Election Day – Get out and vote!
• November 15: New York Recycles Day – Organize your own event this year to promote recycling across the state.
• November 16: The National Environmental Education Act was signed on this day in 1990 – Teach children about our environment to pass along a love of nature to the next generation.  Don’t know where to start? Check out the Conservationist for Kids magazine for some ideas.
• November 28: Thanksgiving – Compost your food waste to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from landfills.

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 email.

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