The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), with backing from a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant, has unveiled the Community Air Action Planning (CAAP) pilot program. This initiative is aimed at helping four communities in Oregon to monitor and improve their local air quality, as DEQ selected these areas using environmental justice principles. The communities are Chiloquin, McMinnville, Medford (downtown and north Medford), and the neighborhoods of Rockwood & Wilkes East in Gresham, chosen from a pool of 200 applicants, according to an official statement from the Department of Environmental Quality.
Ali Mirzakhalili, DEQ's Air Quality Administrator, highlighted the significance of the grant for community engagement and collaboration in devising comprehensive solutions to air quality issues, which the selected communities eagerly anticipated. "The air we breathe has a major impact on our health,” he said, per DEQ's press release, noting how the program aligns with the mission to empower community members to understand and address their air quality concerns.
Residents have expressed their concerns about air quality and the opportunities the CAAP program provides. Marcia Mikesh from McMinnville described smoke events and persistent dust problems. At the same time, Aaron Martin, a science teacher in Chiloquin, stressed the lack of air quality monitoring devices in his community and the educational potential this program holds for his students. Jennifer Mylenek, a Medford community leader, is hopeful that the data collected on air pollution levels can lead to improved health outcomes for the area.
Support for the initiative also comes from educational leaders like Briana Weber, Head of Harmony Montessori School in Rockwood, where she noted the importance of hyperlocal data for taking direct action that benefits the community. Through CAAP, each participating location will collect data with DEQ's support and receive a comprehensive air monitoring report at the end of the pilot program.
The CAAP program is starting, and the DEQ and Neighbors for Clean Air will hold meetings to discuss air quality, decide where to put monitoring equipment and educate people. This will help understand local air quality problems and develop better ways to tackle pollution and protect health.
