KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Seeing the air quality in your city can be as simple as opening your weather app. However, the city of Kalamazoo wants to take things a step further. Kalamazoo is partnering with JustAir so residents can see their own neighborhood’s air quality.
“The purpose of JustAir is pretty simple, I think we’re really aiming to create an equitable breathing environment for everyone,” said CEO and co-founder, Darren Riley.
After being diagnosed with Asthma five years ago, Riley looked into how people’s environment can impact their health.
Now, the city of Kalamazoo is working with the Michigan-based company on a one-year pilot project.
“We want to make sure that no matter what community you're from, whatever background you have, you have equal access to clean air,” Riley told FOX 17.
Step one of the project involves installing air quality sensors in different neighborhoods to detect pollution. Riley said step two will be collecting that data, allowing the residents to see it, and working with city stakeholders to come up with solutions.
In September 2019, the city started monitoring air in some neighborhoods, but Public Services Director and City Engineer James Baker said that focused on hydrogen sulfide. Partnering with JustAir, the goal is to expand.
“Now, there's certainly more things in the air and more things we can monitor. So, it's a goal to reach out and provide some additional datasets, and some, you know, additional transparency to folks that live in the neighborhoods,” Baker said.
Kalamazoo has 22 neighborhoods, and according to Baker, most weather apps that show the air quality of the city are likely only showing you the county fairgrounds.
“But our neighborhoods are quite a far distance away from where the Kalamazoo county fairgrounds are currently at,” said Baker. He also added that it’s important for people to get real-time air quality data based on where they live, because it can help them understand how air quality to impact your overall health.
Baker said the cost for the pilot scale phase is around $25,000. They’re hoping to start installing around eight air quality sensors in May.
