Filed Under: Local | New York City | Air | Air

The majority of New York’s air pollution is attributed to vehicle emissions that cause ground-level ozone or smog - a pollutant formed when hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides meet sunlight. According to 1990 U.S. Census data about 74% of Manhattan households do not own cars, and more people than ever are using mass transit. Over the past two decades, however, motor vehicle travel has increased by 53% in the New York metropolitan region, contributing to many gridlock days in Manhattan and on access highways, bridges and tunnels. The bi-state transportation system between New York and New Jersey is one of the most heavily used systems in the country. This network of tunnels and bridges moved more than 248 million vehicles in 2003. Diesel tailpipe emissions, especially prevalent in traffic-choked Manhattan and communities that border heavily congested thoroughfares, include toxic carcinogenic fine particulates which represent one of the most serious health threats in the New York City metropolitan area. New York City is extremely dependent on diesel buses for public transportation. Until the City's bus fleets are all converted to alternative fuels, their diesel emissions remain a major contributor to the City's air pollution. NYC Air Pollution Since the Fresh Kills landfill closed a few years ago, forcing trash to be transported elsewhere, (see Solid Waste section) the number of truck trips in and out of every borough has exacerbated the air pollution problem. The air quality and safety issues stemming from truck routes traversing multiple residential areas, and the expansion of solid waste facilities to replace Fresh Kills, are among the City's most pressing public health and environmental justice concerns. In September 2004, Mayor Bloomberg announced a 20-year plan with Hugo Neu Corporation (HNC) that is enabling New York to reinstate a plastics and glass recycling program. In October 2004, the Bloomberg administration announced another 20-year plan to deal with the city’s residential waste that called for shipping the bulk of garbage elsewhere by barge, a solution that would eliminate much of the traffic and pollution caused by hauling it out of the city. At the same time, NYC announced that it would move commercial traffic shipping from the Bronx and Brooklyn to a marine transfer station on the West Side of Manhattan. The trash plan is subject to approval by the City Council but so far has been embraced by many stakeholders in the boroughs. Another troubling trend is the growing popularity of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) that are classified differently than passenger cars and therefore subjected to less strict emissions standards. In 2002, SUVs, pickups and minivans outsold passenger cars for the first time ever. Unfortunately, SUVs produce an average of 40% more carbon dioxide than cars, with average fuel mileage requirements lowered to 20.7 miles per gallon versus 27.5 miles per gallon for cars. This shift has resulted in fuel economy—for 2002 models—hitting its lowest levels in 22 years—and to the U.S. having an increased reliance on oil consumption. New York City's air quality is also impacted by emissions from coal and oil based heating systems, sewage treatment vapors, local power plants and wind-blown pollution originating from Midwestern coal-fired electric power plants. Manhattan ranks highest in the state for sulfur dioxide concentration because of its abundance of residential and commercial space heating. In addition, dirty coal-burning furnaces still exist around the city. Increased airplane emissions from area airports further aggravate the City's air quality, dumping additional exhaust and fume discharges on neighborhoods, especially Queens, which hosts both John F. Kennedy International and La Guardia Airports. According to a study by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the airports are among the top producers of ground-level ozone and smog in Queens. There are no catalytic converters to minimize harmful jet fuel emissions, and the emissions from one plane are equal to that of 3,000 cars. Children in Queens suffer from asthma in disproportionate numbers, especially those living in proximity to airports. Similarly, Staten Islanders are exposed to air pollutants emitted from nearby Newark Airport and many northeastern New Jersey industries. Helicopters in New York City are also a persistent source of air pollution, as emissions from helicopters are essentially unregulated. Dry cleaning establishments located in residential apartment buildings also contribute to air pollution because they emit a probable human carcinogen called perchloroethylene (perc), a chemical used in the cleaning process. While perc-based cleaners are prohibited from operating in multi-residential buildings anywhere else in the state, more than half of the City's perc-based cleaners are located in City buildings, subjecting more than 69,000 residents and 30,000 workers to their fumes. The problem is particularly profound in Manhattan, where nearly 80% of perc-based dry cleaners are located in residential buildings. New perc-based dry cleaners should be banned from residential buildings and support should be encouraged for dry cleaning sites in commercial facilities, and safer wet-cleaning technologies like those practiced by several dry cleaning facilities in Brooklyn and Manhattan.