Governor Kathy Hochul announced actions State agencies and authorities will advance to help address the impacts of extreme heat.
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The actions stem from the Governor's 2022 State of the State directive to develop an extreme heat action plan to coordinate interagency investments and efforts to help mitigate community climate impacts and prioritize assistance to disadvantaged communities on the front lines of heat vulnerability.
The interim recommendations released today represent the first phase of a more comprehensive Extreme Heat Action Plan that will identify State-led actions that address the structural drivers of extreme heat and its disproportionate impact on New York's most vulnerable communities.
The interim recommendations include actions to prepare communities for a heat emergency and address acute extreme heat-related impacts and needs this summer.
The recommendations identify six opportunity areas for action: planning, coordination, public cooling spaces, heat health warning systems and protocols, community partnerships, and housing and cooling.
Immediate actions being implemented and planned during the development of the EHAP include:
Expanding the availability of cooling centers and shelters by identifying potential partners to provide their facilities as cooling centers, promoting their use, and extending access to State Parks, swimming areas, recreational lands, and other State facilities that provide relief from extreme heat;
Developing uniform utility hot weather provisions to help improve communication with consumers and prevent disconnections during hot weather events;
Improving access to existing energy efficiency and weatherization programs and expanding the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) available to eligible low- and moderate-income New Yorkers for projects to heat and cool their homes;
Exploring the State's long-term ability to mitigate energy cost-burden impacts associated with cooling and electrification to give further consideration to the health implications of energy burden on low-income households;
Developing an Extreme Heat Adaptation Plan with a focus on disadvantaged communities and increasing the capacity of environmental justice organizations and other community groups to collaborate, and find local solutions to provide services that help mitigate extreme heat impacts;
Improving alert systems for extreme heat and/or humidity and ensure the use of clear, consistent, and accurate language;
Convening a heat emergency coordination team and developing an extreme heat-specific hazard annex to the State's comprehensive emergency management plan by June 1, 2023; and
Providing a comprehensive assessment of existing resources and capacities to help ensure effective implementation of recommended short- and long-term actions.
With the extreme heat this week, New York State agencies are ready to help keep New Yorkers safe. The New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services is monitoring the weather conditions and coordinating response.
The New York State Department of Public Service is working with utilities to ensure they are prepared for heat indices reaching into the 100s.
DEC and DOH will issue Air Quality Health Advisories when DEC meteorologists predict levels of pollution, either ozone or fine particulate matter, are expected to exceed an Air Quality Index value of 100. Information about the Air Quality forecast for New York State can be found here.
For additional information about the impacts of extreme heat, go to https://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/125801.html. ■