JENNA OUTCALT
Staff Writer
Chautauqua Institution and the surrounding region are currently under an Air Quality Health Advisory, issued by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, due to smoke from Canadian wildfires.
“It’s something out of our control,” Billy Leone, chief of the Department of Safety & Security, said. “We recommend you keep outside activity to a minimum unless you actually have to.”
During periods of very unhealthy air quality, which are categorized by the DEC as having a 201 to 300 Air Quality Index, the DEC recommends sensitive groups, such as children, older adults or people with respiratory conditions, avoid physical activity outdoors. The DEC recommends everyone avoid strenuous outdoor activity and consider moving events indoors or rescheduling them, regardless of their sensitivity to air quality.
“We’re expecting it to hang around for the next few days; we’re prepared for that,” Leone said.
Leone recommended Chautauquans wear a mask if they go outside. Face masks can help when people need to spend time outdoors, with close-fitting masks like N95s and KN95s being the most effective at filtering out particulate matter.
Due to the nature of the event, conditions are ongoing and may change throughout the day. The Institution is monitoring local air quality and has a limited supply of masks available to Chautauquans at buildings across the grounds including the Colonnade, Main Gate Welcome Center, Visitors Center, Chautauqua Bookstore, Smith Memorial Library, Athenaeum Hotel, Turner Fitness Center, Alumni Hall and the CLSC Octagon.
“We’ve been working closely with our county emergency management team, and they have supplied us with some masks to hand out to our staff,” Leone said. “Noel Guttman, the emergency coordinator for the county, has been in touch with the state, and he’s going to retrieve a supply from the Buffalo area tomorrow to bring down, so we’ll have even more to be able to hand out.”
In a press release, the DEC specifically warned about the presence of fine particulate matter, referred to as PM 2.5 because the particles in the air are 2.5 microns or less in diameter.
“Exposure can cause short-term health effects, such as irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, coughing, sneezing, runny nose and shortness of breath,” the DEC said in the press release. “Exposure to elevated levels of fine particulate matter can also worsen medical conditions such as heart disease and asthma.”
Leone encouraged Chautauquans to monitor their health and any potential symptoms closely.
“If anybody’s feeling symptoms of heavy breathing or lightheaded or dizziness, please call 911 and get evaluated as soon as possible,” Leone said.
Leone recommended Chautauquans double-check the status of outdoor events before going.
“There have been some events that have been moved or canceled on the grounds, so look for the CHQ website for updates on that,” he said.
For the most up-to-date information regarding air quality alerts and changes to Institution programming, visit the “News and Announcements” page at chq.org.
