Attacks on community air monitoring in West Virginia threaten our democracy
PurpleAir sensors report air quality data in real-time to a publicly available website. (Morgan King | Courtesy photo)
Community air monitoring is democracy at work. Over the past year and a half, I have installed air quality sensors on people's homes, private businesses, community centers and government buildings. This work transcends several communities and organizations and is an effort of many West Virginians who believe in the power of science, transparency and community.
Democratizing access to air quality data is the primary goal of community air monitoring efforts in West Virginia. Everyone should know the condition of the air they breathe. And, above all, every West Virginian should have access to clean air. Unfortunately this is not the case for every person in our state.
Having access to air quality data allows the people who live, play and love our state to make their own informed decisions about their health. Notably, our communities are more vulnerable to air pollution than other states. West Virginians face among the highest rates of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease and diabetes in the country.
The sensors report air quality data in real-time to a publicly available website provided by the company who produces these sensors, PurpleAir. The pollution that PurpleAir sensors test for include particulate matter and volatile organic compounds (VOC). Particulate matter is a mixture of solid and liquid particles suspended in the air, like dust, bacteria and pollen, and VOCs are a group of chemicals that can be harmful to human health and the environment. The sensors also test for temperature and humidity, which can be useful for tracking heat disparities across neighborhoods and hyperlocal locations.
With only 13 ambient air quality stations monitored by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) and a mere five of those stations active and reporting this week, it is safe to say that there is inadequate air monitoring for our 55 counties and 148 towns. The 16 air quality sensors that I have helped to deploy are more than triple that of the functioning WVDEP air monitors. With plans to deploy at least 50 more in the coming months, community air monitoring offers an affordable and empirical gap-filler where our government failed to step up.
Yet, there are impending legislative threats that would limit this program and weaken our democratic system in an already volatile time for our environment and country. Last year, House Bill 5018 intended to limit the uses of data from these programs. While there were questions on the constitutionality of the bill and most speakers at a public hearing were against the bill, the House of Delegates still advanced it by a significant majority. It then went on to die in the Senate Energy committee.
If this year's anti-community air monitoring bill is similar to the last, it will pose legislative overreach. A provision dictated what data could or could not be used within courts and violated the sanctity of the separation of powers and the constitutional principle of the three branches of government. Essentially it was our legislature saying that they cannot trust the judicial experts to make the right decision based on the evidence presented before them.
Even worse, House Resolution 1 passed on the first day of session to establish the rules for the House of Delegates, including the elimination of public hearings in the people's house. This further threatens our democratic process and suppresses the voices of constituents.
Last year, the public hearing on House Bill 5018 brought out residents who found value in knowing their air quality data. This year when the bill is considered through the new committee process, it will be on the whim of the committee chair to decide who gets to testify on the issue. As dismal and unfortunate as it is, I will not be surprised if that means locking constituents out of the legislative process. This should frighten folks — our freedoms are being stripped little by little.
If those in power do not want you to know the quality of the air you breathe, then it's worth questioning why. And, if those in power do not want you to be able to ask that question to their face, then it's worth resisting in unconventional ways. One way to fight back is to install your own air quality sensor or get in contact and let me help you install one at your home or business. Community science initiatives can and will build collective power. After all, as much as those in power may try, they can't take the truth or scientific fact away from us.
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