Global Clean Air

NJ state legislators and residents talk new legislation to limit warehouse and truck pollution at virtual town hall

By Derek Schwabe / Published: November 8, 2024

A map from a presentation by Dr. Gaige Kerr of George Washington University showing recent research that he led earlier this year on the rise of warehouses across the United States.

What’s new: A coalition of environmental and community groups, including EDF, Clean Water Action and EarthJustice, held a virtual town hall last month with New Jersey state lawmakers and residents to promote pending legislation that would limit harmful truck pollution near warehouses, ports and other high-traffic facilities. Attendees heard from state Assemblymembers Andrea Katz and Carol Murphy, researchers and policy experts as they detailed the growth of the state’s warehouse and truck pollution, its health impacts and how the the Warehouse and Port Pollution Reduction Act (A4679/S3546) would help alleviate it.

Why it matters: The proliferation of the e-commerce industry in recent years has contributed to a steady rise in warehouses and other high-traffic facilities across the United States. Densely populated states like New Jersey have been disproportionately affected, with residents of color and of lower incomes more likely to have a warehouse sited near their homes. In New Jersey, freight trucks make up 11% of the on-road fleet but emit 56% of the transportation sector’s nitrogen oxides (NOx) and 33% of its fine particulate matter (known as PM2.5). In 2023, PM2.5 from on-road diesel vehicles led to 340 deaths, nearly 3,000 cancer cases, 164 heart attacks, 3,921 asthma flareups and 110 asthma emergency room visits in the state.

What would the new bill do? The bill centers around a regulation known as an Indirect Source Rule (ISR). California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District enacted a similar rule in 2021, and it is already driving down truck pollution in Southern California. It combines “carrot” and “stick” measures that create incentives for operators to reduce on-site pollution. These include an emissions reduction mandate and a flexible menu of investments that facilities can choose to come into compliance, including zero emissions trucks, charging equipment and solar panels. Grants and other financial incentives are available at the national, state and utility levels to help lower the costs of these investments. The bill would also mandate more transparency around emissions, increase community involvement in the permitting process for new facilities, and impose fines for noncompliance.

What they’re saying: Proponents of the bill expressed an urgent need to reduce the health harms posed by freight truck air pollution. Assemblywoman Katz, co-sponsor of the bill, acknowledged the benefits of e-commerce while calling on warehouse operators to do more to protect people’s health: “I’m not categorically opposed to warehouses. I like to get my Amazon deliveries the next day—that’s nice! I just want them to be responsible neighbors.”

Assemblywoman Murphy stressed the role of regulation, adding “When we have trucks that are projecting emissions through diesel and things of that nature, we’re also starting to talk about how that impacts our breathing…now we have to start turning out the regulations for those trucks.”

What’s next: EDF and partners will continue to assist legislators as they refine the bill and build support for it in the state, with To learn more about the bill and get updates on its progress, visit this page on the state legislature’s website.

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New Air Quality Data Directory connects advocates with crucial data to advance clean air goals

By EDF Web Team / Published: August 12, 2024

By Adrienne Parks, Analyst, Community Engagement

What’s new: A new tool from Environmental Defense Fund and partners is making it easier to connect clean air advocates with data to drive action. The Air Quality Data Directory is a filterable and searchable database of air pollution emissions datasets and associated tools intended to help demystify the process of finding and using relevant air quality data.

Why it matters: Air quality data is a powerful tool for driving change and validating communities’ lived experiences with pollution exposure. However, it isn’t always clear which datasets best answer specific questions or what data the public can access.

This data directory is a central hub that can help orient users to the world of air emissions datasets and tools. By applying filters to narrow down the many available datasets, advocates can identify which data source(s) can help advance a goal or solve a problem.

The aim of the directory is to help get the right data into the hands of advocates working to protect our health and climate. See below for an example of how a community-based organization in Texas uses databases that are found in our directory to inform and amplify their advocacy.

Data in Action – Air Alliance Houston’s AirMail Tool: Air Alliance Houston (AAH) is an advocacy organization working to reduce the health impacts of air pollution and advance environmental justice in the Houston area. AAH developed AirMail, a permit-tracking tool designed to help advocates monitor and take action on polluter permit notices in their communities.

What does AirMail do? AirMail tracks industrial permits as soon as they are submitted to the state regulator and triggers bilingual direct-mail campaigns to notify local residents. The tool helps fill gaps in the state’s community engagement efforts by calling attention to industrial polluters’ plans to expand operations.

What data does AirMail use? AAH developed a prioritization process that determines which permits AirMail focuses on by pulling in several datasets on air emissions: EPA data on facility-level greenhouse gas emissions, releases of toxic chemicals, modeled risk from toxic chemicals, facility compliance with environmental laws and more.

In addition to prioritizing facilities based on these datasets, AAH included qualitative data not already captured. It answered questions like:

Has a facility’s pollution caused well-publicized harms to a community?
Has it been in the news for fires, accidents, or other disasters? and
Are people paying attention to the health risks of added pollution?

How does AirMail inform advocacy? AirMail automatically generates postcards notifying residents of the potential pollution harms—and ways they can take action. Examples of these include submitting public comments and contacting state representatives to request a public meeting.

What’s next: EDF and partners will continue to build out this directory as new datasets and tools come online. If you’d like to see a specific resource added to our list, please reach out via this form or by email.

We would like to thank our partners and contributors who helped put this resource together. We could not have done it without your helpful feedback and advice along the way.

Air Alliance Houston
Tulane Environmental Law Clinic
The Data Center
WE ACT for Environmental Justice
The Climate Reality Project
Rocky Mountain Institute
Beyond Petrochemicals
Earthjustice
Healthy Gulf
Environment Texas
Environmental Integrity Project

EDF team visits Brazil to expand Air Tracker, support clean air action

By Tammy Thompson / Published: July 3, 2024

The EDF team finalizes its partnership with the Secretaria Municipal de Meio Ambiente da Cidade after a meeting with the City of Rio De Janeiro.

What’s new: Our recent trip to Brazil in June gave EDF the opportunity to formalize partnerships with city and state officials in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, as these megacities seek new ways to better track and address air pollution.

Alex Franco, Sergio Sanchez and I also met with city experts, academics and community members to discuss how Air Tracker can help these growing metro areas as they try to address persistent challenges from soot and other pollutants.

These cities pose new challenges for Air Tracker, such as integrating a global weather forecasting model for the Brazilian expansion and addressing data limitations in areas like modeling, emissions inventories and ambient air quality, but we’re looking forward to learning how we can adapt the tool to meet the needs of Brazil’s cities.

Why it matters: Most Brazilians (90%) live in cities, where air pollution levels exceed the World Health Organization’s recommendations. The Brazilian government is set to adopt a resolution in September that will establish gradually stricter standards for soot (PM2.5) and other air pollutants over the next 20 years. However, current air quality levels expose millions to unhealthy air. We hope our work there will help Brazil achieve its air quality goals to protect public health and serve as a model across the region.

The good news: Local, state, and national leaders are eager to tackle air pollution. EDF has partnered with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change since last year to enhance regulations and enforcement plans to help reduce air pollution on a national scale.

EDF has also partnered with local authorities in Rio de Janeiro (SMAC, Rio de Janeiro’s Municipal Secretariat of Environment) and São Paulo (CETESB, the São Paulo State Environmental Agency) to deploy Air Tracker to analyze patterns in air pollution and learn how it moves through the city. This will help identify major sources and develop effective solutions. They’ve already given us a list of hotspots like industrial areas, warehouses where vehicles idle and traffic chokepoints where they feel Air Tracker can help make an impact.

Beyond that, we’re excited that local leaders are interested in connecting with community partners as well as state and health officials to build broad support for clean air solutions.

Our trip also gave us the opportunity to meet with nonprofit community leaders and academics from across Latin America at an air quality modeling conference, where Alex Franco presented on Air Tracker. These kinds of local connections will be critical as we improve Air Tracker, so it can meet the policy needs of Brazilian leaders and the residents they serve.

Go Deeper: This trip was made possible thanks to the Clean Air Fund and its generous support for the global expansion of Air Tracker. It’s also part of our ongoing efforts to reduce air pollution across Latin America and the Caribbean.

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Video: EDF and partners release report finding one in three New Jersey residents lives near a mega-warehouse

By Derek Schwabe / Published: June 26, 2024

What’s new: EDF released a new report tracing the growth of mega-warehouses and associated diesel truck pollution in New Jersey, building upon recent research in New York and Illinois. The launch event, held on June 18 and co-hosted by the Coalition for Healthy Ports NY/NJ, included a report overview from EDF, remarks by two state legislators and personal accounts from advocates all over the state (view the full recording above). The report found roughly one in three New Jersey residents lives within half a mile of a large warehouse of at least 50,000 square feet—the highest rate among states examined so far. Here are other key findings:

The report identified 3,034 warehouses in the state of New Jersey. 56% of those exceed 100,000 square feet (about the size of a standard big box retailer). Together, they generate at least 380,000 truck trips every day.
These warehouses collectively comprise 527 million square feet – up 35% in the last two decades.
2.7 million people – about one in three – live within a half mile of these warehouses. Some 178,000 are under age five and 350,000 are over age 64.
Limited English populations are 1.9 times more likely to live within half a mile of these warehouses than expected, compared to statewide demographics. This group composes 0.02% of the total state population and 0.04% of warehouse neighbors.
Hispanic/Latino populations are 1.8 times more likely to live within half a mile of these warehouses than expected, compared to statewide demographics. This group composes 20.2% of the total state population and 36.7% of warehouse neighbors.
Low-income populations are 1.5 times more likely to live within half a mile of these warehouses than expected, compared to statewide demographics. This group composes 9.8% of the total state population and 14.8% of warehouse neighbors.
Black populations are 1.4 times more likely to live within half a mile of these warehouses than expected, compared to statewide demographics. This group composes 14.8% of the total state population and 21.1% of warehouse neighbors.
Indigenous American populations are 1.1 times more likely to live within half a mile of these warehouses than expected, compared to statewide demographics. This group composes 0.07% of the total state population and 0.08% of warehouse neighbors.

Why it matters: Although they play a vital role in the supply chain, diesel trucks emit significant pollution around warehouses while idling and traveling at low speeds. Regulations to protect health haven’t kept up. Research shows traffic-related air pollution increases childhood asthma risk. Asthma causes missed school days and is linked to poorer school performance. In the US, black children are nearly nine times more likely to be hospitalized and five times more likely to die from asthma compared to non-Hispanic white children. Diesel truck pollution also raises risks of preterm birth, low birth weight, dementia, heart disease, and stroke.

What’s next: policy solutions

The report arrives as state legislators consider the Warehouse and Port Pollution Reduction Act, a bill that would curb pollution at warehouses, ports and other truck attracting facilities by requiring them to implement concrete emission reduction measures. The bill would direct the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to establish flexible compliance options alongside permitting requirements to achieve these reductions, with higher thresholds for environmental justice communities.

Go deeper: Download the full report.

The New Jersey Warehouse Boom report builds on recent similar EDF analyses in New York and Illinois, as well as a 10-state report published in 2023. Please explore these resources to learn more.

Also posted in Academic, Business, Climate, Concerned Citizen, Energy, Environmental Justice, Government Official/Policymaker, Homepage, Monitoring, New York City, Partners, Public Health/Environmental Official, USA / Authors: dschwabe / Comments are closed

State of the Air Report shows America must work harder to fight pollution

By Tammy Thompson / Published: May 7, 2024

What’s new: The American Lung Association released its annual State of the Air report last month, showing that climate change is making it more difficult to clean up our polluted air. About one-third of all Americans were breathing unhealthy air in 2023—a greater number than in year’s past, despite gains made through ever improving vehicle, industrial, and oil and gas

emissions standards. And while these air pollution trends are another indication that a warming planet is having a negative impact on our daily lives, we still have tools within reach that can help improve air quality for millions both in the United States and around the world.

Why it matters: As the planet warms, and wildfires become more common, high levels of PM2.5 (fine particulate matter, or soot) are reaching into corners of the country previously considered safe from such smoke. The impacts can seem like a nuisance for healthy individuals, but for those with health problems, a series of days dominated by wildfire smoke can be dangerous or even deadly.

In addition, growing numbers of hot, sunny days combined with increasing instances of high-pressure areas create the perfect conditions for ozone. In the United States, the Clean Air Act has helped reduce the amount of ozone precursors in the air and is driving down the number of people exposed to the highest number of ozone days. That has helped reduce the number of people living in counties with a failing ozone grades. However, despite that improvement, these hot, stagnant days are having a substantial impact on counties. In fact, twice as many U.S. counties are seeing air quality decline than are seeing improvement due to unhealthy levels of ozone.

Most ever days with worst levels of particle pollution

Graphic from 2024 State of the Air Report, Courtesy of The American Lung Association.

What we can do about it: EPA recently strengthened the annual fine particle (PM2.5) standard to 9 micrograms per cubic meter and announced plans to improve monitoring. And while U.S. standards are moving in the right direction, they still do not meet those established by the World Health Organization, set at 5 micrograms per cubic meter averaged annually. Many cities met the old standard but do not meet this new strengthened federal standard. These cities represent areas where residents have been breathing unhealthy air due to human activity—not wildfires.

Here’s a list of both government and scientific ways we can combat air pollution:

We can lower pollution in the air by reducing its components like NOx, hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds (VOC)s, which are prevalent in both industrial activity and our cleaning supplies.
We can conduct more studies of VOCs to determine how much they are contributing to poor air quality.
We can use growing amounts of data to pinpoint hotspots, in order to better understand the sources of persistent pollution. These include data from new monitors that communities across the U.S. are now installing using the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act funds, as well as from satellites, which cover areas of the country that are not monitored at all.

Beyond those actions, we can take personal steps to stay safe on days with high ozone and soot levels, by purchasing relatively inexpensive air filters that can go from room to room, cleaning both pollutants and allergens. It’s also possible to track both dangerous smoke and soot levels using a variety of free websites and apps, like AirNow.gov. Tools like EDF’s Air Tracker can also help us see how pollution travels to better understand its sources and impacts.

While it’s true that impacts from climate change pose new challenges to our efforts to curb pollution, with the help of new tools and data, we can overcome them.

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New EDF report reveals more than 2 million Illinois residents live near a mega-warehouse

By Derek Schwabe / Published: April 26, 2024

What’s new: EDF released a report this week, Illinois Warehouse Boom, which examines the growth of mega-warehouses and their health impacts in communities across Illinois, building on its recent research in New York. The launch event featured a report overview by EDF authors, personal accounts from community advocates and remarks from three state legislators (see full recording above). The report finds that at least one in six Illinois residents now lives within half a mile of a large warehouse of at least 100,000 square feet. Other key findings include:

More than 2 million Illinois residents – at least one in six – live within half a mile of a leased warehouse of at least 100,000 square feet.
Of those, 127,000 are under age five and 251,100 are over age 64.
At least 525,000 freight truck trips per day service a total of 2,401 leased mega-warehouses across the state.
Hispanic/Latino populations are 195% more likely to live within half a mile of a warehouse than would be expected, based on statewide statistics.
Black populations are 137% more likely to live within half a mile of a warehouse than would be expected, based on statewide statistics.
Low-income populations are 125% more likely to live within half a mile of a warehouse than would be expected, based on statewide statistics. This population composes 12.2% of the total population but makes up 15% of warehouse neighbors.

Why it matters: Diesel trucks emit significant pollution around warehouses while idling and while traveling at low speeds, and regulations to protect health haven’t kept up. A growing body of peer-reviewed research shows that exposure to traffic-related air pollution increases the risk of childhood asthma. Asthma is a leading cause of missed school days and has been linked to diminished school performance. Black children are nearly nine times more likely to be hospitalized for asthma and five times more likely to die from asthma, compared to non-Hispanic white children. Air pollution from diesel trucks is also associated with increased health risks at other stages of life. It raises the risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, dementia, heart disease and stroke.

What’s next: policy solutions

The report arrives as Illinois state legislators consider the Warehouse Pollution Insights Act, a bill that would bring greater transparency around mega-warehouses by requiring truck-attracting facilities to report information on warehouse ownership, truck trips and associated emissions to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). The bill would also expand IEPA’s truck and air quality monitoring capacity with a focus on high-impact communities, and require new facilities to include charging infrastructure to support electric freight vehicles.

Other policy responses have also been proposed, such as the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule, which would require truck manufacturers to sell an increasing percentage of zero-emission trucks and school buses. If implemented by 2027, the ACT rule could see approximately half of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles becoming zero-emission vehicles by 2050, according to a Northwestern University analysis supported by EDF.

Go deeper: Download the full report.

Also posted in Concerned Citizen, Environmental Justice, Government Official/Policymaker, Homepage, Monitoring, Partners, Public Health/Environmental Official, USA / Authors: dschwabe / Comments are closed

Mobile monitoring reveals congestion effect for vehicle emissions in London

By lpadilla / Published: March 11, 2024

University of York mobile laboratory for measuring ambient air pollution (Photo taken by Shona Wilde).

New study shows just how much congestion intensifies emissions from diesel vehicles

In a recently published study, researchers from the University of York and Environmental Defense Fund show how traffic exacerbates nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution from road vehicles, in particular from intense emitters like diesel trucks and buses, pointing to solutions that can bring an outsize benefit to air quality.

Comparing pollution with targeted monitoring

EDF and York designed a study that measured air pollution along two distinct routes in the London metropolitan area—one that was extremely congested in Central London and the other farther from the city center where drivers experience more free-flowing conditions including some highway driving. The Central London route was identified as a pollution hotspot in the Breathe London Pilot project, which provided motivation for the new targeted study.

Using York’s mobile monitoring laboratory equipped with fast-response instruments, we collected ambient measurements of both NOx and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) for two weeks along the two different routes to quantify the emission intensity of the London fleet, which included a wide range of vehicle types driving in both heavy congestion and light-traffic conditions. We also used dashboard video recordings to identify which specific vehicle types were the likely cause of hotspots.

Using the latest analysis methods, we mapped the spatial patterns of persistent emission sources, while simultaneously revealing the attributes of the most significant emitters within the vehicle fleet. We found that NOx emissions were a factor of two times higher for fleets with a high proportion of diesel vehicles operating in congested driving conditions, and a factor of five times higher for intense emitters like SCR-retrofit diesel buses and heavy goods vehicles in stop-and-go traffic.

We then compared our data to an existing database of measurements from remote sensors, which measure vehicle emissions more directly at the tailpipe, to verify our ambient data against an established reference. The comparison further demonstrated the congestion effect whereby fleets predominately composed of vehicles rated with the highest emission standards (Euro 6/VI) generated NOx pollution that would be expected from a fleet of lower standard vehicles (Euro 2/II-5/V), when impacted by high traffic.

Our new approach allowed us to focus on the emission intensity of both the overall fleet and specific high-emitting vehicles and make comparisons to established measurements of real-world emissions. The results provided greater insight than standard measurements solely focused on total ambient concentrations.

Real-time, high-frequency air pollution measurements. (Photo taken by Shona Wilde)

New methods increase understanding with fewer resources

Beyond illustrating the impact congestion has on emission intensity, the study shows the feasibility of extracting valuable insights from reasonably short mobile monitoring campaigns. Compared to previous large-scale studies, such as the ~1-year long Breathe London mobile study, this campaign was less resource intensive, requiring just two weeks of driving and reducing vehicle and instrument maintenance. This campaign simplified field logistics and increased the efficiency of the data analysis. The new method could also prove useful to scientists and policy makers who want to learn more about local fleet emissions under a variety of traffic conditions in places that aren’t currently well-monitored. Mobile monitoring provided a continuous picture of emissions along a route, not limited to individual locations like stationary monitors.

This approach offers policy makers a new way to spot specific vehicle types and conditions that produce greater emission intensity, so they can develop targeted interventions and monitor progress over time in a cost-effective manner.

While there is no substitute for knowing the exact vehicle emitting pollution, as one might find using remote sensing, this new technique provides useful information in places where remote sensing is either impossible or impractical. It’s also especially useful when exploring the impacts of congestion, as remote sensing is not well suited for stop-and-go traffic.

While the project focused on London, the methods and insights developed can be useful for other cities, particularly those where there are diesel vehicles operating in heavy traffic.

Practical policy applications

Because this method identifies the effects of the highest-polluting vehicles in the most congested areas, it gives local transportation officials a clear roadmap to develop the most impactful solutions.

The adverse effect of congestion on tailpipe emissions can be eliminated with the transition to electric vehicles, which has added benefits for the climate, especially for heavy-duty diesel trucks and buses. Officials could also consider introducing solutions like restricting operating hours for these vehicles in high-traffic areas or creating bus lanes, both of which could ease congestion. The approach could help determine which city-owned vehicles need to come in for maintenance to restore performance of aging exhaust aftertreatment technology.

In cities that already implement clean air zones and technology retrofit programs, air quality can improve even further if high congestion can be better addressed in places where diesel vehicles operate. In London, where the ULEZ has already helped reduce ambient Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) concentrations, accelerating replacement of the most potent polluters with electric vehicles, starting with the most congested routes, would provide additional climate, health and mobility benefits improving the driving experience for everyone.

To learn more about the study, read the article in Atmospheric Environment: X.

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New interactive data story highlights air pollution and health impacts in the South Bronx

By Mindi DePaola / Published: December 20, 2023

South Bronx Unite’s new interactive data story clearly maps the concentration of warehouses and other truck-attracting facilities in the South Bronx and throughout New York City. It also maps some of the health impacts associated with the air pollution emitted by the facilities and large diesel trucks that often come with them.

What’s new: EDF partner, South Bronx Unite, has just launched an interactive data visualization that’s mapping what residents of the South Bronx have long experienced—that air pollution from industrial facilities is taking a disproportionate toll on the health of residents in their community and across New York City. For the last year, a multi-disciplinary team at EDF has been collaborating with South Bronx Unite to improve local air quality monitoring and create engaging tools that tell the stories found in monitoring data.

Why it matters: Every city relies on large industrial facilities, and New York City is no exception. Think waste transfer stations, power plants, printing facilities and warehouses that support in-time delivery services. Many of these facilities are major air polluters in the neighborhoods where they are placed. Beyond the facilities themselves, the heavy-duty vehicles that they attract, such as large delivery trucks, are among the leading polluters on the road.

What we know: For decades, South Bronx residents have faced disproportionately high air pollution and asthma rates. Leveraging recent EDF research that describes air pollution’s burden of childhood asthma, the new webpage now backs up residents’ lived experiences with even more quantitative information, presented as a narrated interactive visualization that helps tell the story.

How the work has been used: Presenting this additional data in an easy-to-understand format will help advance tangible policy change that can improve health outcomes in the South Bronx and beyond. South Bronx Unite leaders recently participated in NYC Climate Week events where they used this tool to tell the story of their air quality monitoring efforts and what they will mean for public health.

Moving forward: South Bronx Unite will continue to use the air quality and health insights from this new tool to advance their advocacy goals. They have begun working closely with the EDF New York State team to build consensus with local coalitions.

Real policy actions are already taking shape in New York that could help alleviate the health impacts of warehouses and other polluting facilities in the South Bronx and across the state. In November 2023, state lawmakers introduced the Clean Deliveries Act, which would require the state to review the negative impacts of so-called “mega-warehouses” and establish emissions reduction plans.

South Bronx Unite brings together neighborhood residents, community organizations, academic institutions and allies to improve and protect the social, environmental and economic future of the South Bronx. Learn more about their work and how you can support it at southbronxunite.org.

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New EDF study shows unequal burden from truck-related pollution near warehouses

By Aileen Nowlan / Published: May 12, 2023

New research from EDF–Making the Invisible Visible: Shining a Light on Warehouse Truck Air Pollution—shows some 15 million people live within a half-mile of a warehouse in 10 states across the United States. The research demonstrates how the burden from truck-related air pollution exposure is not evenly distributed. In all of the states studied, warehouses and the trucks they attract are disproportionately located in Black, Latino, Asian or American Indian communities as well as areas of low wealth.

The boom in just-in-time delivery has resulted in a rise in warehouse-related truck traffic.

While warehouses and the trucks that deliver their goods became more common after the deregulation of the trucking industry, the explosion of just-in-time production and next-day delivery has brought more of these facilities much closer to people’s homes and in more communities than ever before. Understanding who is bearing the brunt of the health burdens associated with warehouse activity can help policymakers, businesses and communities implement smart, targeted policies to reduce emissions and protect health, keep kids in school and improve workforce productivity.

How we did it: Our teams identified warehouse location data and analyzed it through the lens of our Proximity Mapping framework that allowed us to learn demographic information about the people living near them.

Why it matters: More than 1 million children under 5 live within a half-mile of warehouses, making them more vulnerable to adverse health impacts like asthma. Their families are more vulnerable to adverse birth outcomes, dementia, heart disease and stroke, , because of the pollution from the trucks that serve warehouses.

The good news: Low-cost solutions are available today to reduce the pollution burden on these communities. Increased air quality monitoring and zero-emissions goods transport are all tools we can tap into now to reduce harm from truck pollution.

Meanwhile companies are investing in zero-emission delivery vans, yard trucks and even long-haul vehicles. States can help advance this trend through policies such as the Advanced Clean Trucks rule, which eases permitting requirements for charging infrastructure. The EPA’s recently proposed tailpipe regulations are designed to ensure that half of up to half of new urban delivery freight vehicles sold by 2032 will be zero-emitting. Indirect Source Review rules are a tool for state and local leaders to ensure warehouses don’t burden their neighbors.

But we can’t let up. Communities deserve to know what kinds of businesses are operating near their homes and schools, especially if they attract vehicles that are harmful to their health. We must demand greater transparency around warehouse locations and the extent of pollution generated at warehouses. Transparency around health costs and the cost of clean up is essential for fairness to those already impacted by warehouses, while alerting communities facing warehouse expansion to the threats posed by their new neighbors.

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Environmental justice groups bring Air Tracker to cities in Alabama and California

By Alex Franco / Published: December 12, 2022

EDF’s Air Tracker pollution monitoring tool is now live in two new cities—Birmingham, AL, and Vallejo, CA—as local groups ramp up efforts to understand how industrial activity impacts community air quality and engage both the public and area regulators.

Who’s using it: GASP, also known as the Greater-Birmingham Alliance to Stop Pollution, is working to learn more about the impacts of local steel, coke and cement facilities to inform public comments on Clean Air Act Title V permit renewals for these facilities. They also want to use the tool to alert regulators and inspectors of acute pollution events.

In Vallejo, the Citizen Air Monitoring Network (VCAMN) is actively monitoring particulate matter and wants to use Air Tracker to identify potential pollution sources. The local community is surrounded by a Phillips 66 refinery, NuStar Energy tank farm, Selby toxic slag site and the I-80 interstate highway. Multiple heavy and medium industrial sites—including a wastewater treatment plant, a quarry, a concrete recycling plant and a dry dock for ship maintenance and repair—also reside within the city boundaries.

“The Air Tracker tool from EDF is an incredible resource for small, local groups like GASP,” said GASP Executive Director Michael Hansen. “We can use it to gather information and form testable hypotheses about air quality issues in the communities we serve. We’re so grateful for the scientists who created the Air Tracker and look forward to using it in our advocacy work.”

Why it matters: We designed Air Tracker in part to help local communities learn about the air they’re breathing and hope to engage with more groups like these before bringing Air Tracker to new areas.

Go deeper: Learn more about how Air Tracker works, read the blog post about its development or watch a recent Q&A with the team behind it.

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