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Governor Phil Murphy

Statement by Governor Murphy on Worsening Air Quality in New Jersey

06/7/2023

TRENTON – The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has declared an Air Quality Action Day for Particulate Matter for Wednesday, June 7. Levels of fine particulates will rise into the unhealthy range for sensitive groups statewide today and potentially extend into the evening hours due to wildfire smoke transport from the Canadian wildfires. Governor Phil Murphy released the following statement in response to today’s air quality in New Jersey: 

“My team is in close coordination with the State Department of Environmental Protection as we vigilantly monitor the effects of the Canadian wildfires on air quality in our state. As conditions worsen statewide, I strongly urge all sensitive individuals – including those with heart or lung disease, the elderly, and the young – to stay safe and limit strenuous activities and the amount of time active outdoors today. Make no mistake, from the wildfires in Canada to those cropping up with increasing frequency and severity in our own backyard, these extreme weather events are tangible – and devastating – evidence of the intensifying climate crisis. As the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Forest Fire Service works tirelessly to protect our residents and properties across the state, we will continue to do our own part by pursuing the bold action our climate reality demands.”

For additional air quality information in New Jersey, click here. For additional recommendations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, click here.