{"id":6690,"date":"2023-08-02T17:03:48","date_gmt":"2023-08-02T21:03:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yemeniamerican.com\/en\/?p=6690"},"modified":"2023-08-02T17:03:48","modified_gmt":"2023-08-02T21:03:48","slug":"wayne-county-executive-warren-c-evans-launches-countywide-air-quality-network","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yemeniamerican.com\/en\/wayne-county-executive-warren-c-evans-launches-countywide-air-quality-network\/","title":{"rendered":"Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans Launches Countywide Air Quality Network"},"content":{"rendered":"

The<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Collaborative Effort with JustAir Solutions is\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Focused on Tracking and Tackling Air Pollution<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

PR – YAN \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans is on a mission to use data, transparency, and technology to reduce the devastating impact of poor air quality on Wayne County residents.<\/p>\n

The recent \u201cAir Action\u201d days across Southeast Michigan resulting from Canadian Wildfires has demonstrated just how dangerous poor air quality can be for all of us. But for too many residents poor air quality is an every-day occurrence. County Executive Evans wants to fix that.\u00a0The plan includes installing 100 stationary monitors throughout the county.\u00a0Monitor locations will be determined in partnership with communities based on the concentration of air pollution and the burden of disease it causes, along high-traffic roadways, and near places where children congregate.\u00a0The monitors will be attached to lampposts and streetlights collecting critical\u00a0air pollution\u00a0data,\u00a0like particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and black carbon.\u00a0When air quality is poor, children face the greatest risk. So, in addition to the fixed-point air monitors,\u00a0Wayne County will also offer five hundred mobile air quality monitors to vulnerable residents.\u00a0These monitors can clip on children\u2019s\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0backpacks, for example, and seamlessly track air quality data on their way to and from school.\u00a0Residents will be able to see air quality data\u00a0on a public-facing dashboard and have the option to receive text alerts directly to cell phones to be notified when air quality is poor.<\/p>\n

The county is collaborating with local environmental company JustAir Solutions, which provides\u00a0air pollution monitoring solutions to cities across the U.S. to bring greater transparency into the disparities of air quality. The joint Project is focused on gathering accurate, comprehensive data on air quality throughout\u00a0Wayne County\u2019s 43 communities – ultimately giving residents and decision makers critical information needed to create cleaner, safer air.<\/p>\n

\u201cAir pollution poses a major health risk globally as the smoke from the Canadian wildfires is showing us. Here in Wayne County, we\u2019re doing something about it,\u201d said Warren C.\u00a0 Evans, Wayne County Executive.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re taking the steps needed today to prevent the devastating effects tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis project will allow us to track air quality data, give residents access to information they need to stay safe, and help us better understand the impact of poor air quality on asthma,\u201d said Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, Wayne County Health Director. \u201cThis data will arm both policymakers and the public with critical information needed to implement environmental justice solutions to keep Wayne County residents safe,\u201d said Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, Director Wayne County Department of Health, Human and Veterans Services.<\/p>\n

With better collaboration, monitoring, and data, Wayne County can help improve the region\u2019s air quality and improve outcomes for all residents.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a privilege to be working alongside Wayne County leaders who are taking action to protect communities,\u201d said Darren Riley, Co-founder, and CEO of JustAir. \u201cPoor air quality impacts everyone, but people with asthma and other health ailments are impacted the most. Wayne County residents have some of the highest rates of asthma in the state and Detroiters are already going to the emergency room for asthma attacks at a rate four times greater than Michigan residents as a whole.\u00a0Our data and alert system can literally save lives and, long-term, this data will inform policy makers’ decision-making to prevent air pollution and reduce the impact of poor air quality on residents.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Wayne County Community Air Quality Project is expected to take place over three years, from August 2023 through December 2026.\u00a0 It\u2019s a three-phase project:<\/p>\n