Air Quality on the Neighborhood Scale: All Means Necessary

Effective measures to improve air quality and optimize health benefits require teamwork to scale from satellite observations with broad coverage and surface-based measurements with research-grade instruments and local arrays of low-cost sensors.  Results must be evaluated with models and communicated to regulatory agencies for corrective action.  The bulk of the most vulnerable communities lack monitors and satellites can help fill in the gaps.  Historically these efforts have been carried out by scientists but historically the worst air quality has been in disadvantaged communities with inadequate monitoring and justifiably distrustful of government agencies.  Communities must be encouraged to express their concerns and empowered to seek mitigation action.  A neighborhood in Baltimore has long complained of coal dust but suffers from myriad air pollution problems – a legacy of residential communities surrounded by industry and heavy traffic.  A community in suburban Washington has formed an effective environmental justice action team to measure, display, and report AQ problems.  Success includes improved enforcement of regulations on pollution sources and a $147M grant to replace diesel with electric vehicles around the Port of Baltimore.  Unfortunately, these are just two of dozens of afflicted communities in the area.  We report on successes and challenges and how these efforts might be generalized and scaled up.