Our History
A few concerned residents join forces to form a group to prevent and eliminate smog in the Houston region. They name the group GHASP: the Galveston-Houston Association for Smog Prevention. Out of this grassroots effort, GHASP becomes a Texas nonprofit corporation in 1992.
Another Texas nonprofit, Mothers for Clean Air (MfCA), forms with the purpose of providing community-based outreach and advocacy.
GHASP and MfCA decide to join together as one organization: GHASP/MfCA. The previous activities of GHASP and MfCA fit together like pieces in a puzzle. The new organization combines and strengthens the goals of both organizations: to influence public policy on air quality and environmental health issues in order to protect the health of residents and improve their quality of life. Dr. Matthew Tejada is appointed as the Executive Director of the newly merged GHASP/MfCA.
In January 2010, the new organization is renamed as Air Alliance Houston (AAH). Air Alliance Houston’s mission is to reduce the public health impacts from air pollution through research, education, and advocacy.
In November 2012, AAH, together with partner organizations, launches the Healthy Port Communities Coalition (HPCC). Today, the HPCC continues to be a strong voice in advocating for the health and wellbeing of Houston’s portside communities disproportionately impacted by pollution from the Houston Ship Channel.
Adrian Shelley is appointed as the new Executive Director of AAH. Dr. Matthew Tejada becomes Director of the Office of Environmental Justice of the US EPA.
AAH partners with other environmental groups to establish a collaborative effort, branded One Breath Partnership (OBP), in order to elevate awareness about the harmful effects of air pollution by amplifying the work of local researchers and encouraging affected residents to share their stories.
Dr. Bakeyah S. Nelson becomes the first woman of color to lead AAH in March 2017. Adrian Shelley moves on to work at the state level with Public Citizen.
Recognizing the need to ensure a more equitable and resilient future for the region post-Hurricane Harvey, Dr. Nelson and Jennifer Powis (The Powis Firm) convene environmental and social justice groups to develop a common policy agenda, leading to the establishment of the Coalition for Environment, Equity, and Resilience (CEER) in 2018.
In November, Jennifer Hadayia, MPA becomes AAH’s Executive Director.
Like her predecessor, Jennifer worked for several years at Harris County Public Health; while there, she directed the design of their first-ever Health Equity strategy, which included a focus on “upstream” environmental determinants of health such as air quality. Jennifer grew up in Houston and is a third generation Ship Channel family.
AAH honors past AAH board president Bob Levy, Ph.D. (pictured bottom right), for his years of service as a Houston air quality champion. Bob's leadership laid the foundation for our organization today, as he was instrumental during the merger of GHASP and Mothers for Clean Air. We will miss his warmth, humor, and tireless dedication to environmental justice.
Too many cities in Texas, from Houston to El Paso, are facing down new highways that threaten to pave over communities. In 2022, AAH convenes over 25 nonprofit and community groups from across Texas to form the Texas Streets Coalition, dedicated to changing statewide transportation policy and funding priorities to start putting people first.
Pictured left to right: Councilmember Dr. Letitia Plummer, Jennifer Hadayia,
December 21, 2023, is Proclaimed as Jennifer Hadayia Day in the City of Houston. Councilmember Dr. Letitia Plummer attends the AAH staff holiday party to personally present the proclamation.
Jonathan J. Ross, JD steps down as Board President. Mustapha Beydoun, PhD steps into the position.
Pictured Left to Right: Andy Escobar of CEER, Genesis Granados of AAH
Encuentro: Working Towards Bodily and Environmental Justice
In 2023, Air Alliance Houston and Tecolotl organize a multi-sector convening series of organizations and individuals from environmental and reproductive justice spaces in Houston. The goal of this initiative is to create a platform to explore, emphasize, and act upon the intersection of environmental and reproductive justice.
Mothers for Clean Air debuts Ozone Theater. From this time through 2019, tens of thousands of students have learned about unhealthy air and its impact on health. In 2007, the program receives an EPA “Clean Air Excellence Award.”
MfCA begins hosting the largest Earth Day celebration in Houston. MfCA, and later AAH, continues to host the event from 2004 through 2016. An Annual Earth Day Art Auction is established to support AAH education outreach programs and to provide scholarships to local schools and students.
AAH publishes the final report and results of a year-long community air monitoring project at Galena Park. The results show unacceptable health risks due to diesel and particulate matter pollution and recommend several steps to reduce the residents’ exposure.
AAH kicks off the new year by launching a Community Air Monitoring Program (C.A.M.P.) to create a custom air monitoring network for five Houston-area communities: Pasadena, Galena Park/Jacinto City as well as Kashmere Gardens, Near Northside, and Gulfton Complete Communities. The program aims to identify air pollution hotspots, install air monitors, track data, and develop neighborhood action plans to address air quality and work towards environmental justice.
AAH celebrates the 1 year anniversary of our Community Air Monitoring Program (C.AM.P.), which becomes the largest community air monitoring network in Houston with over 50 low-cost community sensors throughout Houston/Harris County. On top of the original five communities (Pasadena, Galena Park/Jacinto City as well as Kashmere Gardens, Near Northside, and Gulfton), our C.A.M.P. now also encompasses Baytown, Channelview, and Northeast Houston.
AAH helps pass anti-idling ordinances for heavy diesel vehicles in the cities of Houston, Galena Park and Jacinto City, and subsequently launches anti-idling campaign in the city of Pasadena. Avoiding idling time has multiple benefits, including reducing air pollution exposure, in particular that of children who breathe closer to the ground and therefore closer to vehicle tailpipes.
AAH releases results of a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) of the Texas Department of Transportation’s North Houston Highway Improvement project (NHHIP), or I-45 expansion. The report informs decision-makers about the project’s potential harmful health effects to communities, specifically those impacting children that go to school nearby the planned expansion, and urges TxDOT to adopt a number of mitigation strategies.
AAH and partners advocate for a delay in the vote to move ahead with TxDOT’s controversial I-45 expansion project. Over 130 Houstonians rally on July 23 to air their concerns to the Houston-Galveston Area Council’s Transportation Policy Council. Following the community outcry, the Council commits an additional $51.5 million toward community planning and mitigation.
In response to official complaints filed by advocates drawing attention to the I-45 Expansion’s civil rights and environmental justice issues, on March 8, federal authorities ask the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to pause the project in order to review potential violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Right after, on March 11, Harris County Attorney’s Office sues TxDOT over the project in response to community concerns about displacement and environmental impacts. The federal intervention and local officials’ opposition is a huge win for impacted residents along the I-45 and in setting a precedent for highway fighters across the country.
Intensive advocacy by AAH and other groups, starting with a lawsuit filed against the EPA in 2012 and subsequent benzene monitoring study in Galena Park, play a central role in the promulgation of a new EPA “Petroleum Refinery Sector Rule.” This legislation will reduce air emissions from petroleum refineries and install fenceline monitoring systems to protect neighboring communities.
AAH initiates its community engagement and advocacy efforts to limit concrete batch plants and their siting close to schools, parks and homes. AAH participates in community meetings with Lindale Farms neighbors to protest against the polluting activities and the around-the-clock noise of the Integrity Ready Mix and Aurora Ready Mix concrete batch plants.
AAH and partners file and win two critical lawsuits – one against the EPA for delaying the Chemical Disaster Rule which requires facilities to strengthen their safety protections, and the other against the Chemical Safety Board for not complying with the Clean Air Act requirement to inform the public about the toxic releases from chemical incidents.
In March 2019, Dr. Bakeyah Nelson testifies before the US Congress regarding stalled Clean Air Act enforcement since the 2016 Presidential Election.
During March and April 2019, AAH staff lead the way in providing information to the public regarding the devastating ITC and KMCO industrial fires. The ITC fire cast thick plumes of toxic smoke over the region for several days, causing shelters-in-place and halting traffic in the Houston Ship Channel. The KMCO explosion kills one plant worker and injures 10 others. AAH, together with partners, express the urgent need to address the deficiencies in emergency preparedness, enforcement, and air monitoring by regulatory agencies.
AAH and partners successfully advocate for the Harris County Commissioners Court to grow the county’s emergency response infrastructure. September 10, the Court unanimously votes in favor of investing a total of $11.6 million to modernize and better equip the fire marshal’s office, pollution control and public health departments.
On January 22, in a huge win for healthy neighborhoods everywhere, Soto Ready Mix withdraws its application to build a concrete batch plant in Houston’s Acres Homes neighborhood thanks to the resolute opposition of AAH, community leaders, and Houston’s elected representatives.
In another big win for healthy communities, Nomadic Aggregates, LLC, withdraws its application to construct a concrete batch plant in Aldine during a public meeting on January 30, after being faced with fierce organizing and opposition from residents supported by AAH and elected officials.
AAH was an integral part of the Healthy Port Communities Coalition’s (HPCC) historic convening of all federal parties involved in the Ship Channel’s 11th expansion - Project 11. Community leaders and stakeholders, EPA Region 6, Port of Houston and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were brought together to discuss and visit the sites and communities that stand to be directly impacted by Project 11’s dredging - both from the contaminated soil and construction air pollution. More meetings and events are in the works to ensure port communities’ health will be protected.
AAH played an important role in the development of Houston’s first-ever Climate Action Plan (CAP), launched April 22nd, by co-leading the Transportation Working Group (WP).
AAH and other local environmental groups’ efforts in urging Harris County to create a regional initiative to address climate change pay off on July 20 as the County announces the creation of an Office of Sustainability and the development of a Climate Justice and Action Plan.
Pictured: AAH Environmental Justice Outreach Coordinator Crystal Ngo leading a panel during the first AAPI Climate Townhall in Houston lead by Rise AAPI and AAH
As part of our Language Justice Initiative through the Environmental Justice Programs, AAH begins focusing on engaging the Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. For the first time, major documents are being translated from English into Spanish AND Vietnamese. AAH also begins working with language justice organization Woori Juntos who focus on engaging the AAPI community.