The air pollution problem in Dallas

Dallas - In a city grappling with frequent air quality alerts and a long-standing issue of environmental inequality, residents are keen to understand the City of Dallas' strategy for informed environmental policymaking and the city also wants to provide more details on the efforts, Dallas Metro News reported.

According to city authorities, collecting air quality data is a critical step, emphasizing the need for collaboration and information exchange. This sentiment was echoed during a recent "Air Sensor Summit," where representatives from the city, environmental organizations, and governmental agencies convened to discuss plans for community air sensor networks and assess who is already engaged in similar initiatives.

However, some environmental organizations say the promised collaboration has yet to materialize. They highlight areas like Joppa in southern Dallas, burdened by heavy industries, where the legacies of environmental inequality persist. Residents in these communities argue that the city's response to their concerns has been sluggish.

Another point of contention is the usefulness of the city's air quality data. While the collected data can aid researchers, only one sensor in Dallas, operated by the Environmental Protection Agency in Uptown, provides data admissible for enforcing environmental laws in court. This sensor is notably distant from the low-income and minority neighborhoods most vulnerable to poor air quality.

City officials indicate that one aim of the summit was to better understand the various groups involved in air quality monitoring across the city.

"I think its important that we continue to collaborate and work together and share information," former Air Quality Initiatives coordinator Kevin Overton said at the Sept. 8 event.

While city officials emphasize the need for gathering air quality data, some organizations argue they've been doing just that for years and have even invited the city to join their efforts.

Alicia Kendrick, a resident of the heavily industrialized Joppa neighborhood and chair of the Joppa Environmental Health Project, was among the few from pollution-affected areas who attended the early morning summit. According to Kendrick, the event fell short of addressing many questions from the community's viewpoint.

"After you get all this data...then what? What happens after that?" Kendrick asked.

City officials responded by stating their top priorities: disseminating the gathered information to communities and aiding policymakers in zoning or permitting decisions.

Kendrick, however, critiqued the summit's format, pointing out that those most impacted by pollution and poor air quality were largely absent from the discussions.

During the event, questions arose about the types of air sensors being used. Officials explained there are regulatory and non-regulatory sensors. Regulatory sensors, like the lone unit operated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Uptown, are few, costly, and provide data usable in legal actions. In contrast, non-regulatory sensors, which the city and community networks primarily use, produce data not accepted for enforcement actions. This led non-profit leaders to question whether funds were being ineffectively used on sensors that couldn't facilitate shutting down significant polluters.

Jim Schermbeck, the director of Downwinders at Risk, argued that data from non-regulatory monitors still holds great value.

As of an early September meeting held by the city’s newly established Parks, Trails and the Environment committee, Dallas has 24 air monitor sensors. Only five of these have been operational since February, including locations near long-time pollution sources like the GAF roofing factory in West Dallas and South Central Park in Joppa, a mostly minority community surrounded by heavy industry.

City officials acknowledged that the remaining sensors are at various stages of readiness but did not specify a timeline for their deployment.

“Two of the priorities in gathering this data, is to make sure we provide this information to you as you make policy decisions,” Director of the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability Carlos Evans said. “For example, whether to approve the operation of a batch plant.”

Evans emphasized that another key objective is to disseminate the sensor data directly to the communities where these devices are installed.

To determine where additional monitors are most needed, the city utilized the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s "Environmental Justice" screen. This national tool helps identify communities suffering from environmental inequities.

Evans noted that his department is working on refining this approach to focus on more localized data.

Credit: Dallas Metro News, KERA News