The Spokane region quietly reached an air quality milestone this summer decades in the making – The Spokesman-Review

Spokane’s Air Quality Transformation: A Report on Urban Sustainability and Public Health

Introduction: Historical Context and Sustainable Development Challenges

In the 20th century, the city of Spokane faced significant environmental and public health challenges directly contravening core principles of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Industrial growth, while economically beneficial, resulted in severe air pollution from soot and smoke. This issue was compounded by urban expansion, leading to increased vehicle exhaust, emissions from coal and wood-burning stoves, and dust from unpaved roads. This environmental degradation posed a direct threat to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) by increasing respiratory risks for the population and undermined progress toward SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by creating an unhealthy and unsustainable urban environment.

Regulatory Intervention and Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships (SDG 17)

By the 1990s, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designated Spokane as a “serious non-attainment area” for carbon monoxide and particulate pollution, placing it among the most polluted cities in the nation. This designation catalyzed a multi-decade effort rooted in collaboration, a key tenet of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

• The Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency, established in 1969, led the local implementation of state and federal clean air mandates.
• The agency engaged in extensive public education and worked closely with the business community and elected officials to create a shared vision for a healthier city.
• This collaborative framework provided the necessary funding and timeline to systematically address the root causes of poor air quality, transforming a regulatory challenge into a community-wide initiative for sustainable development.

Strategic Interventions for Sustainable Production and Consumption (SDG 12)

Spokane’s successful transition to a city with clean air was achieved through a series of targeted programs and technological advancements that reflect the principles of SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). These measures addressed pollution at its source across multiple sectors.

1. Sustainable Transportation: The introduction of more fuel-efficient vehicles and the use of oxygenated fuels significantly reduced carbon monoxide emissions, contributing to cleaner urban mobility under SDG 11.
2. Sustainable Agriculture: Improvements in farming practices led to decreased soil erosion, thereby reducing the amount of particulate matter in the air.
3. Sustainable Infrastructure and Household Practices: The agency partnered with public works departments to use cleaner traction sand in winter and implemented programs to replace inefficient, high-polluting wood stoves with modern alternatives.

Attainment of Clean Air Standards and SDG Achievements

In August 2005, Spokane officially reached compliance with federal air quality standards for carbon monoxide and particulate matter. The successful completion of a mandatory 20-year maintenance period in August 2025 marks a significant milestone. The city has not exceeded federal limits for these pollutants since the 1990s, demonstrating a sustained commitment to environmental health. This achievement represents tangible progress on several SDGs:

• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): The dramatic improvement in air quality has created a healthier environment for all residents, contributing to longer and healthier lives.
• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): Spokane has successfully transformed its urban core into a safer, more resilient, and sustainable community, making it a more attractive place to live and work.
• SDG 13 (Climate Action): While focused on local pollutants, the measures taken, such as improving vehicle efficiency, are synergistic with broader climate goals.

Emerging Challenges and Future Outlook: Wildfire Smoke and Climate Resilience (SDG 13)

While historical pollution sources have been controlled, Spokane now faces a modern air quality challenge in the form of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from wildfire smoke. This issue is intrinsically linked to SDG 13 (Climate Action), as climate change increases the frequency and intensity of wildfires.

• These fine particles pose a significant health risk, capable of penetrating deep into the respiratory system.
• Despite spikes in pollution during wildfire season, the EPA’s exclusion of natural disasters from compliance calculations means Spokane remains in attainment.
• The city maintains good or moderate air quality for approximately 95% of the year, a testament to the enduring success of its pollution control programs.

The community’s heightened awareness of the Air Quality Index (AQI) and the engagement of younger generations in environmental issues indicate a strong foundation for addressing future challenges. Spokane’s journey serves as a powerful example of how a community can work together to overcome severe environmental degradation and build a healthier, more sustainable future in alignment with global development goals.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

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

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  The article directly connects air quality improvements to human health. It mentions that fine particulate matter is “hazardous to human health” and can cause “significant damage to the respiratory system.” The success of the clean air initiatives is framed as making the region a “healthier place to live,” leading to “healthier, longer lives.”

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The entire article focuses on the urban environment of Spokane. It details the city’s journey from being one of the most polluted in the country due to industrialization, vehicles, and residential heating, to achieving federal air quality standards. This addresses the core of making cities more sustainable and improving the quality of life for urban residents.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  The article discusses the sources of pollution, such as “industrial engines,” “vehicles spewing exhaust,” and “coal and wood-burning stoves.” The solutions involved changes in production and consumption patterns, including the “introduction of more fuel-efficient cars and oxygenated fuels,” using “cleaner traction sand,” and replacing “outdated wood stoves.”

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  The reduction of carbon monoxide, a pollutant discussed in the article, is relevant to climate action. Furthermore, the article identifies “wildfire smoke” as the “new concern” and the primary source of fine particulate matter. Wildfires are increasingly linked to climate change, making their management and the mitigation of their health impacts a climate adaptation issue.

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  The article mentions that sources of particulate pollution include “dust kicked up by agriculture.” It also notes that “improvements to farming practices led to less soil erosion and particulates in the air,” which directly relates to sustainable land management and protecting terrestrial ecosystems.

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

  This target aims to “substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.” The article’s focus on reducing carbon monoxide and particulate matter, which are described as “hazardous to human health” and capable of causing “significant damage to the respiratory system,” directly aligns with this target. The stated outcome of the efforts is “healthier, longer lives.”

• Target 11.6: Reduce the environmental impact of cities

  This target is to “reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality.” The article is a case study of Spokane successfully addressing its designation as a “serious non-attainment area” for air quality, thereby reducing its environmental impact and improving urban living conditions.

• Target 12.4: Responsible management of chemicals and waste

  This target focuses on the “environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes… and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil.” The article details the reduction of air pollutants (carbon monoxide, particulates) from various sources like industry, transportation, and residential heating through technological and behavioral changes, which constitutes a reduction in their release to the air.

• Target 15.3: Combat desertification and restore degraded land

  This target aims to “combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil… and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world.” The article’s mention of “improvements to farming practices” that led to “less soil erosion and particulates in the air” connects directly to this target by highlighting actions that protect and restore soil quality.

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

• Indicators for Targets 3.9 and 11.6

  The article provides several specific indicators used to measure air quality and, by extension, progress towards reducing the health and environmental impacts of pollution:

  • Concentration of Carbon Monoxide (CO): The article states that Spokane repeatedly “flunked air-quality standards for carbon monoxide” and that concentrations are now so “minute that the agency stopped monitoring for it in 2016.”
  • Concentration of Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5): The article specifies monitoring for “particulate matter 10 micrometers in diameter or smaller” (PM10) and, since 1997, for “smaller particles, 2.5 micrometers in diameter or smaller” (PM2.5).
  • Air Quality Index (AQI): The article mentions the “Air Quality Index” as a common point of discussion during wildfire season.
  • Frequency of Poor Air Quality Days: An indicator is the number of days with unhealthy air. The article notes an “annual average of 5½ days where the AQI was over 100” due to wildfire smoke since 2012. It also highlights that “95% of the year” has good or moderate air quality.

• Indicators for Target 12.4

  While not presented as formal metrics, the article implies indicators of progress through the adoption of cleaner technologies and practices:

  • Adoption of fuel-efficient vehicles and cleaner fuels: The “introduction of more fuel-efficient cars and oxygenated fuels” is cited as a key reason for the decrease in carbon monoxide.
  • Replacement of inefficient heating sources: The program for “replacing outdated wood stoves” is mentioned as an ongoing effort.

• Indicator for Target 15.3

  The article implies a qualitative indicator for progress on sustainable land management:

  • Reduction in soil erosion: The text explicitly states that improved farming practices led to “less soil erosion,” which can be measured to track progress.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: spokesman.com