Environmental Quality
All New Yorkers, regardless of race, disability status, age, or socioeconomic background, have a right to clean air, water, and land. Environmental justice communities in particular have long borne the brunt of pollution from industrial processes, heavy traffic, and environmental contamination, impacting health outcomes and quality of life. These indicators provide critical data about the quality of environmental conditions across New York City.
Air Quality
Air quality monitors provide critical information about air pollution across the City. Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) consists of small airborne particles that can impact respiratory health. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) and ozone (O3) are gases produced from fuel combustion and motor vehicle exhaust. These pollutants effect people’s health in many ways, such as through lung and heart disease. Learn more about the impacts of air pollutants here.
Annual Average Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5)
2023
Annual Average Nitric Oxide (NO)
2023
Annual Average Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
2023
Summer Average Ozone (O3)
2023
Annual Average Black Carbon (BC)
2023
Water
Drinking Water Quality
New York is known for the high quality of its drinking water supply, but many factors can impact the quality of water in certain areas. This map identifies key indicators from water quality sampling sites, including: chlorine and fluoride, which are residual chemicals from the treatment process; turbidity, which measures the relative clarity of water; and chloroform and E. coli, bacterial organisms that indicate potential contamination of parts of the water supply.
Lead Pipes
The City stopped installing new lead service lines in 1961 and banned lead solder for plumbing in 1987, but many lead lines remain in service today. Lead contamination can have effects on people of all ages, but exposure is especially dangerous for children and people who are pregnant. Lead is a neurotoxin that can cause cognitive issues, high blood pressure, or miscarriage. Common ways people can be exposed to lead is through lead paint, construction dust, or through lead water service pipes. You can use this map to see if your home has a lead service line.
Land
Chemical Bulk Storage Facility
This map shows the location of various chemical storage facilities across our city. Click a location to see what kind of chemicals are stored.
Brownfield Cleanup Sites
According to the EPA, “A brownfield is a property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.” You can use this map to see what brownfields are near you.
Climate & Economic Justice
The Climate & Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) identifies communities facing significant environmental, social, and/or economic challenges as "disadvantaged communities," prioritizing them to receive targeted federal investments.
In 2021, following President Biden’s Executive Order 14008, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) developed the CEJST to highlight “disadvantaged communities” for the purposes of directing federal resources through Justice40, a social equity and environmental justice initiative. These communities are determined using a range of indicators, including energy burdens, air quality, higher education enrollment, former redlining areas, expected agricultural losses, and proximity to traffic.
However, on January 20, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order that rescinded President Biden's directive. As a result, the CEJST was removed from the White House website on January 22, 2025.
The CJEST is now available on our Climate Dashboard, where it can be used to access key environmental justice data.