Community-Led Air Quality Monitoring Initiative in Kalamazoo County: A Report on Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

A community-driven initiative in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, known as the “269 Air Quality” program, is actively addressing local environmental and health challenges through citizen science. This report analyzes the program’s structure, objectives, and significant contributions to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those concerning health, sustainable communities, and environmental justice.

Program Overview and Core Mission

The “269 Air Quality” program, an initiative of the Institute of Public Scholarship, deploys a network of air quality monitors in residential areas across Kalamazoo County. The program’s primary objective is to empower residents with real-time, localized air quality data, enabling them to make informed decisions to protect their health and advocate for policy changes. This grassroots effort directly supports the creation of healthier and more sustainable living environments.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The program’s activities and goals demonstrate a strong alignment with multiple SDGs, integrating environmental monitoring with community well-being and institutional accountability.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The initiative’s central focus is on mitigating the adverse health effects of air pollution, a key target of SDG 3. By providing data and resources, the program helps residents manage chronic conditions and reduce exposure to harmful pollutants.

• Health Impact Mitigation: Residents, such as Michelle Bates-Phipps, report using the data to manage health conditions like asthma, which developed after exposure to poor air quality from nearby industrial sites.
• Public Health Education: The program educates the public on health risks associated with pollutants from industrial emissions, wildfire smoke, and fireworks, providing actionable advice on protective measures like using air purifiers.
• Empowerment for Health Management: Access to real-time Air Quality Index (AQI) data allows individuals, especially those with respiratory illnesses, to take preventative actions, such as staying indoors during periods of high pollution.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The program is a model for achieving SDG 11 by making human settlements more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable through community participation and data-driven decision-making.

• Citizen Science and Participation: The program designates participants as “community scientists,” fostering a sense of ownership and active involvement in monitoring and improving the urban environment.
• Targeting Vulnerable Areas: Monitors are strategically placed in neighborhoods disproportionately affected by industrial pollution, including areas near the Graphic Packaging International factory and the city’s water reclamation plant.
• Building Community Resilience: By collecting and sharing data, the community builds a case for infrastructure improvements and policy interventions aimed at reducing pollution and enhancing the quality of urban life.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

A core objective of the “269 Air Quality” program is to leverage scientific data to advocate for environmental justice and promote accountable governance, in line with SDG 16.

1. Data for Accountability: The collected data serves as evidence to hold corporate and municipal entities accountable for pollution. This is exemplified by the community’s long-standing concerns and legal actions, such as the $5 million settlement involving Graphic Packaging.
2. Informing Policy Change: The ultimate goal is to use the robust dataset to influence the City of Kalamazoo to implement stronger environmental policies that protect all residents, particularly those most impacted by poor air quality.
3. Ensuring Access to Information: The program democratizes access to environmental information, ensuring that community voices, backed by data and personal stories, are heard in municipal decision-making processes.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The success of the initiative relies on a multi-stakeholder partnership model, reflecting the collaborative spirit of SDG 17.

• Collaborative Network: The program is a partnership between the Institute of Public Scholarship, community scientists (residents), and other local organizations like the Kalamazoo Climate Crisis Coalition.
• Community Engagement: Events such as the monthly “Kickback & Breathe” meetings serve as platforms for collaboration, data sharing, and strategy development among diverse community members.

Methodology and Community Engagement

Technical Framework

The program utilizes PurpleAir Classic monitors to gather data. Key technical aspects include:

• Measurement Capabilities: The monitors use laser counters to measure particulate matter, a primary component of the Air Quality Index (AQI). They also record temperature, humidity, and pressure.
• Data Accessibility: Data is collected and made publicly available, allowing for transparent analysis of air quality trends, including identifying recurring pollution spikes and the impact of events like Canadian wildfires.

Outreach and Empowerment Strategies

The program employs a multifaceted approach to engage and empower the community.

• Public Education: Through newsletters and workshops, the team disseminates digestible scientific information and practical advice, such as how to build DIY air filters.
• Storytelling for Advocacy: The Institute’s executive director, Dr. Michelle Johnson, is collecting oral histories and “asthma stories” to complement the quantitative data, ensuring that the human impact of air pollution is central to advocacy efforts.

Conclusion and Future Outlook

The “269 Air Quality” program serves as an effective model for how local communities can take collective action to address environmental challenges and advance the Sustainable Development Goals. By integrating citizen science, data-driven advocacy, and community storytelling, the initiative not only provides a critical service but also empowers residents to build a healthier, more just, and sustainable future. The program’s goals to expand its monitoring network, publish its findings, and influence municipal policy underscore its long-term commitment to creating lasting positive change in Kalamazoo County.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  This goal is central to the article, which details how poor air quality in Kalamazoo is making residents sick. It explicitly mentions diagnoses of allergies and asthma, and a range of illnesses attributed to industrial pollution. The entire “269 Air Quality” initiative is framed as a public health effort to empower residents to monitor their environment and protect their health.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The article focuses on an urban environmental problem within the cities of Kalamazoo and Parchment. The community-led program aims to improve the quality of life by addressing air pollution, making the community safer and more resilient. The goal is to use the collected data to advocate for policy changes that will create a healthier and more sustainable urban environment for all residents.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  This goal is addressed through the theme of environmental justice and community empowerment. Residents have long felt they were being “effectively poisoned” and are now taking action to hold institutions accountable. The program empowers citizens (“community scientists”) to collect data, participate in decision-making processes, and advocate for stronger policies from their local government. The mention of a lawsuit and settlement with Graphic Packaging also points to the pursuit of justice.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The “269 Air Quality” program is a clear example of a multi-stakeholder partnership. It is an initiative of a civil society organization (the Institute of Public Scholarship) that collaborates directly with community members, and is in talks to partner with other local groups like the Kalamazoo Climate Crisis Coalition. This collaborative approach, funded by grants and private donors, is essential to achieving the program’s objectives.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 3.9: Substantially reduce deaths and illnesses from pollution

  The article directly relates to this target by focusing on illnesses caused by air pollution. Residents report suffering from allergies, asthma, and other health problems due to emissions from the Graphic Packaging factory and the city’s water reclamation plant, including hydrogen sulfide (H2S). The program’s effort to monitor air quality is a direct attempt to gather data on this pollution to mitigate its health impacts.

• Target 11.6: Reduce the environmental impact of cities

  This target is addressed by the program’s specific focus on “paying special attention to air quality.” The installation of PurpleAir monitors throughout Kalamazoo is a direct action to measure and understand the city’s air pollution problem. The ultimate goal stated in the article is to use this data to “encourage the city to implement stronger policy” and reduce air pollution, thereby lowering the adverse per capita environmental impact.

• Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, and participatory decision-making

  The article highlights this target through its description of the “269 Air Quality” program’s methodology. By engaging residents as “community scientists,” hosting monthly “Kickback & Breathe” events for community input, and collecting personal stories, the program fosters inclusive and participatory action. The stated goal is to use this community-generated data and testimony to “influence policy” and ensure that the voices of affected residents are heard in city-level decision-making.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator 11.6.2: Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (e.g., PM2.5) in cities

  This is explicitly mentioned in the article. The PurpleAir monitors used by the program are described as containing “two laser counters for particulate matter data collection.” The article also references the Air Quality Index (AQI), which is calculated based on particulate matter and other pollutants. The data collected by the 16+ monitors provides a direct measurement for this indicator, allowing for tracking of air quality over time.

• Implied Indicator: Rate of illness attributable to air pollution (related to Target 3.9)

  While the article does not provide statistics, it implies this indicator through personal testimonies. Michelle Bates-Phipps mentions her “unexpected allergic and asthma diagnosis,” and the article notes that “sick residents have blamed it for a range of illnesses.” The collection of “asthma stories” and “environmental memories” is an effort to qualitatively measure the health burden of air pollution on the community.

• Implied Indicator: Level of citizen participation in environmental monitoring and policy advocacy (related to Target 16.7)

  Progress can be measured by tracking the metrics of the program itself. The article states there are “more than a dozen households” participating, with “around 16 [monitors] up and running.” The number of community scientists, the attendance at monthly public events, and the expansion of outreach to neighborhood associations are all quantifiable measures of citizen participation in the effort to influence public policy.

4. SDGs, Targets and Indicators Summary

Source: nowkalamazoo.org