Air pollution is a threat to public health in Kansas City and the region, particularly in poor, overburdened communities near factories, power plants, rail yards, and warehouses, and in both rich and poor neighborhoods near heavily traveled highways.
For example, air quality monitoring by citizens near a KCK railyard found levels of diesel exhaust air pollution high enough that it could cause deaths, and many neighborhoods in downtown and NE Kansas City, Mo have dangerously levels of sulfur dioxide.
Air pollution causes cancer, cardiovascular, respiratory and other diseases, and triggers asthma attacks in children. Air pollution is a contributor to the health problems found in many portions of the Kansas City area, including Kansas City, Kansas, which has many neighborhoods with high levels of infant mortality and premature death.
Our Mission
CleanAirNow is dedicated to improving air quality in Kansas City and the surrounding region, particularly in communities suffering the greatest health burden, and to preventing and mitigating disease caused by air pollution. We are a community-based and community-driven equitable partnership of community groups, educational, research, environmental, health, other organizations, and individual members.
Our Goals
Our goals are to:
– Enable and empower youth and adults in the region’s most vulnerable communities to organize, lead, and advocate for their communities.
– Educate community members, political leaders, and other key decision-makers in air pollution health risks and how to make our community healthier.
– Develop and advocate regional and local policies, legislation and regulations to reduce and mitigate the health impacts of air pollution.
2017 Objectives
We have two primary objectives for the coming year:
– Implement a citizen science air pollution monitoring capability (we have two MiniVol air quality monitors) and the IVAN Environmental Justice Reporting and Monitoring system.
– Build the CleanAirNow organization through membership recruitment, service to the community through IVAN and our air monitors, and reaching out to the governmental and other organizations where we want to have an impact.
For more information about our mission, goals, geographic scope and more, please check out the CleanAirNow Organizational Summary and learn more at http://cankc.org/cleanairnow-organizational-summary/
If you agree with our direction and would like to lend your voice to our effort, please apply for a free membership in CleanAirNow by clicking below.
Thank you,
Richard Mabion, Leticia DeCaigny, and Eric Kirkendall
Dedicated to improving air quality in Kansas City and the surrounding region, particularly in communities suffering the greatest health burden, and to preventing and mitigating disease caused by air pollution.
