As part of a $500,000 pilot program, the City of Sacramento is installing 100 air quality monitors in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. Research shows that levels of air pollution can vary widely by city block, with major health consequences. This is compounded in communities of color, with Black, Asian-American, Latino, and Indigenous families, in particular, breathing more air pollution than white families because they are more likely to live near highways, refineries, ports, and other sources of harmful pollution. “We (already) have very high-performing regulatory monitors,” said Jennifer Venema, who leads the City of Sacramento Office of Climate Action and Sustainability, “but what we haven’t had is block-by-block neighborhood coverage.” The data from the monitoring could help school district officials determine the best method of educational instruction (in-person or virtual) for students based on the current air quality near their home or school. While measuring pollution alone won’t resolve inequities, city officials believe this data will be critical to creating future climate change policies and help ensure that investments are being made where they will have the largest benefits to health and equity. (Sacramento Bee $)
