Real-time air monitoring data now available for the Hudson Valley
Heat, humidity, wildfire smoke, fine particulates, smog… ah, it’s summer in the Hudson Valley, and as temperatures rise, so do the potential health effects from the air quality in our towns and cities.
Air quality can affect those with compromised immunities, and those just trying to enjoy some time quality outside this summer. But “large swaths of the United States, especially in rural regions like the Hudson Valley, have been identified as air quality monitoring deserts, relying on remote data from monitoring sites, which may be located far from the actual locations where people are living.”
This can result in misleading data that can be harmful to public health, according researchers at the Center for Environmental Sciences and Humanities at Bard College (CESH).
To help give Hudson Valley residents better access to air quality information, the CESH has teamed up with JustAir, an environmental justice start-up, to create an online platform that gives direct access to real-time, validated air quality data.
Users can subscribe to receive updates on their phones to be alerted when air quality reaches unhealthy pollution levels. The platform also includes guidance on ways people can reduce local air pollution during increased periods.
Bard Community Sciences Lab Manager Desiree Lyle installs an air quality monitor for the Poughkeepsie Regional Air Quality Station at the Adriance Memorial Library. Photo: Julia Beeman
By expanding on a network initiated by Bard and the Hudson Valley Community Air Network in 2020, the new Hudson Valley Community Air Network x JustAir platform will provide “far more accurate readings” using validated, real-time data from Bard College Community Sciences Lab’s four Regional Air Quality Stations located at the Stevenson Library on Bard campus in Red Hook, Andy Murphy Neighborhood Center in Kingston, Adriance Library in Poughkeepsie, and Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh.
Currently, the Hudson Valley Community Air Network uses 45 street-level sensors from Albany to Newburgh to capture air quality data. Bard “plans to implement the next phase of the JustAir platform resulting in the complete onboarding of HVCAN’s hyperlocal sensors, which will serve as a model for air quality monitoring that is functional for community needs and free from national-level tampering,” according to a press release. The project will also expand on the Kingston Air Quality Initiative, which released a four-year air quality study report with the city of Kingston last year.
Each regional air quality station will host a launch event where local community members can join and learn more about the impacts of air pollution on their lives. (Event details below)
“Knowledge is power, and access to real-time air quality data gives people the tools they need to protect their health and the health of their families,” said Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger. “This new platform empowers Hudson Valley residents to make informed decisions about their daily activities, whether it’s choosing when to exercise outdoors or taking precautions on high-pollution days.”
“Although we often don’t think about it, clean air is a precious resource that needs to be protected in the same way we protect our beautiful waterways,” added Eli Dueker, Associate Professor of Bard Environmental Studies and Director of the Center for Environmental Sciences and Humanities.
See the Hudson Valley Community Air Network x JustAir platform at https://justair.app
JustAir Bard College Community Sciences Lab Launch Events
Poughkeepsie JustAir Launch Event
Tuesday, June 24, 2025 from 5:30 to 7:30pm
Adriance Memorial Library, 93 Market Street, Poughkeepsie
Newburgh JustAir Launch Event
Wednesday, June 25, 2025 from 5:30 to 7:30pm
Desmond Center at Mount Saint Mary College, 330 Powell Avenue, Newburgh
Kingston JustAir Launch Event
Thursday, June 26, 2025 from 5:30 to 7:30pm
Andy Murphy Midtown Neighborhood Center, 467 Broadway, Kingston
