The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation at
Albany has issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for Fine
Particulates until midnight EDT tonight.
Air quality levels in outdoor air are predicted to be greater than
an Air Quality Index value of 100 for Fine Particulates.
Genesee County, remains under an air quality health advisory, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation.
The air quality seems to have improved over a significant portion of Western New York, but Genesee County and further east is still a hazardous area, according to the most recent report.
It was another grey, smoky day in Genesee County on Thursday, including along Route 20 in Bethany, as weather patterns again pushed smoke from wildfires in Canada into New York.
An air quality advisory is in place and is expected to remain in effect until midnight on Friday.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for several areas of the state, including Western New York counties of Genesee, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming.
The DEC and Department of Health issues these advisories when meteorologists predict levels of pollution, either ozone or
The New York State Department of Health recommends that with the reduced air quality, everyone should limit their outdoor activities to reduce exposure. Masks will be available to the public at the following locations in Genesee and Orleans Counties on Thursday, June 8th, 2023, during normal business hours
The New York State Department of Health recommends that with the reduced air quality, everyone should limit his or her outdoor activities to reduce exposure. Masks will be available to the public at the following locations in Genesee and Orleans Counties during normal business hours while supplies last.
If the smells wafting through your open windows have been tinged with burning embers more than tangy barbecue sauce Tuesday, they’re likely coming from wildfires raging through eastern Canada, and a rheumatology expert has five words of advice to keep in mind.
Even dairy farmers know how to turn lemons into lemonade.
Volunteers had to act quickly Wednesday to reconfigure their annual Kinderfarmin' event at Hildene Farm in Pavilion after air quality concerns caused superintendents at six of the eight scheduled schools to cancel field trips.
"Agriculture never stops," noted organizer Natasha Sutherland, and neither do kindergarteners.
Apparent smoke from the wildfires in Canada created a haze over the Tonawanda Creek on Friday morning. Photo by Howard Owens.
So this is what life has come to for much of upstate New York: checking the air quality reports every couple of days and having a good scientific expert on speed dial.
At least that’s how it is for The Batavian, with air levels reaching up past 150 for Western New York the last few days, signaling a red zone of “unhealthy.”
Statement from Batavia City School District Superintendent Jason Smith:
Dear BCSD Families and Community,
As you may have seen on the news, experts believe the air quality issues we’ve been experiencing due to the fires in Canada will continue in the coming days.
The worst fire season on record in Canada, according to news reports, is causing a decline in air quality throughout large parts of the United States, including Western New York.
As a result, Batavia City Schools are canceling all outdoor activities for the rest of the day, on the advice
Derek Mallia, assistant professor of atmospheric science at the University of Utah
If you’re breathing a little easier with the downgraded air quality levels of late, Derek Mallia, assistant professor of atmospheric science at the University of Utah, has projections that may give pause for celebration.
Although the worst may be over, as far as high levels of particulate matter 2.5 are concerned, this region is not out of the woods just yet. So to speak.
“It could be a very intermittent, kind of smoky summer for areas in New York,” Mallia said during a phone interview Friday from Utah with The Batavian.
Photo by Alison Lang, on Goodman Road, Alexander, who noticed the juxtaposition of dense smoke hanging over Genesee County from Canadian wildfires and beef cattle in a field.
Explore this charming 3-bed, 1.5-bath brick ranch farmhouse on 2.6 acres in the Pembroke School District! Featuring an entertainer's kitchen with an open floor plan, epoxy river/black walnut island top, farmhouse sink, and maple hardwood floors, this home is ideal for gatherings. The finished Bills/Sabres bonus room in the
Following a police pursuit from Byron into Batavia on July 31, a subject barricaded himself in an unoccupied -- though rented -- apartment in a complex on Bank Street. The police presence drew a lot of community attention. Photo By Howard Owens. (Photo a National Press Photographers Association regional award winner).
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer today announced he has secured $15 million in federal funding for New York State to help install new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at over 200 locations across the state.
The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Charging and
Batavia's Jaimin Macdonald catches another interception to power Batavia's strong defense
Eastridge got on the board first, but it was all Batavia after that, as the Blue Devils went on to win a smoke-delayed, and then rain-delayed, Flag Football sectional semifinal playoff game on Friday at Van Detta Stadium.
A building at 3399 Buffalo St., Alexander, a former medical office, that has been the subject of a decade-long legal battle between the Village of Alexander and C&D Design, Build, Development, a Corfu-based business. Photo by Howard Owens.
After an adverse ruling against the village of Alexander in a property condemnation case, the village and its code enforcement officer have filed a malpractice lawsuit against the Attica-based law firm and the lead attorney who handled the case.
The suit names as defendants Dadd, Nelson, Wilkinson & Wujcik, PLLC and attorney James M. Wujcik.
Wujcik, until last week, was County Attorney for Genesee County. He served one term, which is two years.
The YWCA of Genesee County will honor four incredible local women at the 2024 Women of Inspiration Awards Luncheon on Sunday, April 28 from 12:30 - 3 p.m. at Batavia Downs. Come hear from Keynote Speaker Deanna Dewberry and celebrate our four outstanding, inspiring women!
