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New Local Air Quality Data Reveals Alarming Health Hazards for Houston Area Residents 

Media Alert – Interview and photo opportunity
Contact: Riikka Pohjankoski, [email protected], 713.589.7079 

Air Alliance Houston presents one-year findings from its Community Air Monitoring Program

WHAT:
Air Alliance Houston and community partners will unveil the findings from the first year of their Community Air Monitoring Program (C.A.M.P.), a citizen-science initiative to improve air quality and health, during a news conference on Friday, April 21 at 10:30 am. This unprecedented data highlights with local precision the air pollution hazards present in five communities in the Greater Houston Area: Near Northside/Northline, Kashmere Gardens, and Gulfton in the city of Houston and the cities of Pasadena and Galena Park/Jacinto City in Harris County.

The data collected by the five C.A.M.P. air monitor networks indicate a significant presence of Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), a toxic gas linked to respiratory problems, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) which can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, triggering serious health conditions. Also, high levels of health-harming Ozone (O3) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), such as benzene or formaldehyde, were measured in several communities.

The results come from multiple low-cost air monitors activated in 2022. The C.A.M.P. aims to educate, create safer neighborhoods, and empower communities most impacted by poor air quality to take action. Residents in these five areas are now using the data to take steps to protect their health and the health of their communities.

WHEN:
Friday, April 21, 2023, at 10:30 AM

WHERE:
Outside Galena Park Multiservices, 1902 First St, Galena Park, TX 77547
Parking: use the parking lot across the street.

VISUALS:
An APIS-brand air monitor on-site, map of all C.A.M.P. air monitors, line charts and handouts of community pollution levels over the past year in the C.A.M.P. communities

WHO:
Air Alliance Houston and representatives of the C.A.M.P. communities:
– Maricela Serna, Galena Park Multiservices
– Sandra Rodriguez, President, Gulfton Super Neighborhood 27
– Keith Downey, Vice-President, Super Neighborhood Alliance; President, Kashmere Gardens Super Neighborhood 52
– Cruz Hinojosa Jr., President, Environmental Community Advocates of Galena Park (ECAGP)
– Pat Gonzalez, Founder/Director, Caring for Pasadena Communities
Dr. Loren Hopkins, Chief Environmental Science Officer, Houston Health Department
Dr. Grace Tee Lewis, Senior Health Scientist, Dr. Grace Tee Lewis, Senior Health Scientist, Climate & Health, Environmental Defense Fund


About Air Alliance Houston 

Air Alliance Houston is a non-profit advocacy organization working to reduce the public health impacts from air pollution and advance environmental justice through applied research, education, and advocacy. For more information and resources, please visit www.airalliancehouston.org.

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