County Executive Bello And The Department Of Public Health Announce County Closures Amid Air Quality Concerns

July 16th, 2026

Seneca Park Zoo, and County golf courses and parks to close today

View Full Press Release (PDF)

Monroe County Executive Adam Bello announced today the following County facility closures as a result of the Air Quality index reaching the "Very Unhealthy" designation:

• The Seneca Park Zoo,
• all County parks, including the Genesee Valley, Durand-Eastman and Churchville golf courses, and
• the Ontario Beach Park swim area and spray park.

Additionally, tonight’s scheduled Movies in the Park at ESL Ballpark is cancelled.

To protect the health and welfare of county employees, all employees who typically work outdoors have been reassigned to indoor tasks. Crews from the Department of Transportation and Environmental Services will respond to outdoor emergency situations only.

For the duration of this situation, Seneca Park Zoo staff will bring as many of the animals housed there indoors in order to ensure they are protected from the poor air quality.

The Monroe County Department of Public Health and Office of Emergency Management will continue to review air quality index (AQI) forecasts on a daily basis and make decisions about whether or not to close certain county facilities based on those forecasts and continuous monitoring.

Since air quality can vary by location and time of day, we encourage everyone to regularly monitor local air quality and take appropriate steps to protect yourself and your loved ones. There are a number of ways to monitor air quality, such as airnow.gov and other apps, the National Weather Service forecast, and your local news station.

To learn more about air quality and health, visit: www.monroecounty.gov/eh-outdoorair.

If you have questions about your individual air quality risk factors, please consult your primary care provider.