Mayor Eric Adams and his administration mounted a full-throated defense before the City Council on Wednesday of its handling of the unhealthy air quality last month due to raging Canadian wildfires.
During a hearing, the City Council criticized City Hall for not having an effective citywide communication plan about poor air quality issues as heavy smoke blanketed the Big Apple on June 6 and 7.
The administration made its first announcement just before midnight on June 6.
“It was the appropriate response based on the science and we trust the science,” Emergency Management commissioner Zach Iscol told the lawmakers at one point during the hearing.
“I’m telling you that based on the forecasting abilities, we did everything that we should have done.”
Mayor Adams responded to criticism about how his administration handled the air quality issues. SteveSands/NewYorkNewswire/MEGA
In an interview earlier in the day on FOX 5, Adams disputed critiques of his administration’s efforts to tackle the issue of air quality.
“What should we have done? Put out the fires?” Adams told the station, adding that the criticism came from “the same usual suspects.”
In his response, Adams said ‘What should we have done? Put out the fires?’ Brian Zak/NY Post“They criticize us to criticize us,” he added. “Let them do the sound bites, I’m going to create a sound city.”
