On Monday, February 27th, 2017, members of CleanAirNow met with officials from Earthworks to monitor air pollution in Kansas City.Eric Kirkendall, Daniel Beall-Hall, and Richard Mabion, President of the NAACP in KCK, represented CleanAirNow.  Hilary Lewis and Sharon Wilson represented Earthworks. Photographer Clifton Rendón‎ documented the team’s work in photographs, some of which are featured here.

CleanAirNow is a partnership of community groups, educational, research, environmental, health, other organizations, and individual members dedicated to improving air quality.

Earthworks is an environmental group that “stands for clean air, water and land, healthy communities, and corporate accountability.”

Earthworks staff are experts in use of the FLIR Gasfinder 320 Infrared Camera. It can detect around 20 airborne gases that might cause health problems. The camera overlays conventional video images with infrared images, and uses computer processing to make the gases visible.

Gases that can be detected by the FLIR camera include 1-Pentene, Benzene, Butane, Ethane, Ethanol, Ethylbenzene, Ethylene, Heptane, Hexane, Isoprene, MEK, Methane, Methanol, MIBK, Octane, Pentane, Propane, Propylene, Toluene, and Xylene.

Monitoring was done near public parks and areas where workers, children, seniors, and other residents are vulnerable to air pollution.

CleanAirNow members gained insight on which kinds of sites can be monitored for polluting emissions, such as tank farms. They were also informed about what weather conditions footage is best captured in –  when the wind is low.

Although the wind was a challenge, the team successfully captured video of air pollution emissions from a BNSF fuel storage tank near the BNSF Argentine Railyard.  Check out the video below, which shows gases being emitted at the top of the tank.

Special thanks to Clifton Rendón‎ for his photos and the Earthworks team for working with us and sharing this video!