Washington state ramps up fight against air pollution with new data-collecting devices

by Paul River

On October 5, 2023

SEATTLE — As the planes fly overhead in Seattle’s South Park neighborhood, they are a constant reminder of the impact air pollution can have on someone’s health.

This community is no stranger to pollution, and nearby parts of the Duwamish River are among the most polluted in the country.

It is these vulnerable communities and others that the state is trying to get air pollution data on in an attempt to provide them with more funding.

Earlier in the week, Gov. Jay Inslee was in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood. Inslee was shown new devices that will record data on pollutants you can breathe in and that cause health issues like vehicle exhaust and wildfire smoke.

But while Deric Gruen, with the state-wide climate coalition Front and Centered, said it is an important step, it’s not going to solve issues now.

Gruen said, “We need data to monitor progress. We need data that are enforceable and that we can use to regulate pollution, especially from industries. We need to listen to community experiences and put monitors not just where they exist but across our state in places where communities are having poor air quality and health impacts. Most of all, we need to not wait to take action to reduce pollution over numbers of four, five, six years.”

Washington Department of Ecology officials said, “Starting this year, we will be producing biennial reports on each community, so every two years. The data we collect will be shared online, where all community members can access it.”

Sites for air quality devices will be re-evaluated in six years.

Ecology officials went on to say, “Reducing air pollution in the areas we’ve identified as overburdened across Washington will happen in stages over multiple years. The more granular data we collect from expanding the network will inform how we develop stricter air quality standards and a community grant program to measurably reduce air pollution for those most impacted. We will start to scope rulemaking for those stricter standards and begin designing the grant program early next year. The grant program will award $10M in funding to communities over the next two years.”

Gruen gave examples of the steps the state can and should take now.

“We need to change the way that we permit industry to look at the history of pollution that’s been burdening a neighborhood and set the limits lower. Or maybe not authorize additional pollution facilities in neighborhoods that are already overburdened,” Gruen added. “We need to invest in public transportation systems and electrified transportation of heavy-duty vehicles. We need to address our energy systems and our indoor quality air as well.”

Gruen went on to say about the air quality devices, “We don’t want to have the experience where, ‘Oh, we’re doing this here. Let’s wait and see how it plays out.’ We want to see both things happen at once.”

Ecology officials said additional sensors will go in: Brewster, Burbank, Cashmere, Cheney, Cle Elum, Entiat, Enumclaw, George, Goldendale, Issaquah, Kennewick, Manson, Mattawa, Mount Rainier, Newport, Oroville, Padilla Bay, Royal City, Spokane, Stevenson, Tonasket, Vancouver, and White Salmon.

They said they anticipate rolling out at least another 50 monitoring sensors for that work in the first part of 2024.

This piece was republished from KOMO News.