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Canada wildfire smoke closes New York container terminalCanada wildfire smoke closes New York container terminal

APM Terminals closed its largest terminal on the US East Coast on June 7 due to deteriorating air quality.

Gary Howard, Middle East correspondent

June 8, 2023

1 Min Read
A view of the New York City skyline obscured by orange haze
EarthCam

In an operational update sent to customers, the company said it was closing APM Terminals Elizabeth at 1500 hrs local time on Wednesday, June 7 “due to the deteriorating air quality in the NY/NJ area caused by Canadian wildfires”

New York topped the list of cities in the world with the worst air quality on June 7 as orange haze covered an area from New York south beyond Philadelphia and West to Detroit. Philadelphia topped the same air quality list late Wednesday night with an Air Quality Index of 447.

As of 0200 hrs on Thursday, June 8, the Air Quality Index in New York was at 188, equating to an unhealthy reading, with high levels of particulates in the air. The air quality forecast shows an improvement in air quality from Thursday through Saturday, before deteriorating again on Sunday.

The air quality issues are caused by smoke from wildfires in Canada which are being dragged by a weather system down and across the East Coast of the US. At the time of writing, 437 fires were active in Canada with 248 of those out of control.

The air quality has also caused flight delays at US airports and cancellation of sports events in the New York area.

Operations at APM Terminals Elizabeth were set to resume as normal on Thursday June 8.

About the Author

Gary Howard

Middle East correspondent

Gary Howard is the Middle East Correspondent for Seatrade Maritime News and has written for Seatrade Cruise, Seatrade Maritime Review and was News Editor at Lloyd’s List. Gary’s maritime career started after catching the shipping bug during a research assignment for the offshore industry. Working out of Seatrade's head office in the UK, he also produces and contributes to conference programmes for Seatrade events including CMA Shipping, Seatrade Maritime Logistics Middle East and Marintec. 

Gary’s favourite topics within the maritime industry are decarbonisation and wind-assisted propulsion; he particularly enjoys reporting from industry events.

Conferences & Webinars

Gary Howard regularly moderates at international maritime events. Below you’ll find a list of selected past conferences and webinars.

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