We utilize air monitoring to improve community health and affect change through public policies, local, state and federal level. Unfortunately, the communities that are least responsible for the climate crisis are being hit the hardest by the effects of air pollution.
We are a dynamic force committed to addressing disparities in our communities by
actively working to eliminate toxic exposures and promote positive environmental
practices. Through targeted initiatives, advocacy, and community engagement, we strive
to empower individuals and neighborhoods to become leaders in the fight for cleaner
air, water, and soil.
Through grassroots leadership we organize and alongside community led initiatives to address environmental racism and improve the health of our community. Meaningful community engagement requires community members to have a seat at the table and be involved in decisions that impact their lives and communities.
Actively engaged in advancing energy justice, demanding communities have a say in their energy choices. Advocating for clean energy to be prioritized in fence-line communities to promote health and tackle the climate crisis.
Community led research and projects allows for greater civic participation in the decision making processes and in policy. While also providing community ownership and access to their own data, equipment, and results.
A Toxic Tour highlights specific locations where inadequate urban planning and poor decision-making by city officials negatively impact health and environmental outcomes for a given community. These sites contribute to the perpetuation of environmental injustice.
Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. This goal will be achieved when everyone enjoys: The same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards, and equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work.
CleanAirNow leads environmental health workshops available in Spanish and English for our community. Community learns about climate health, air pollution and the negative health impacts and risks from exposure to pollution and contamination. Participants gain skills and tools needed for civic engagement, community leadership, and environmental health expertise.
Be informed and Discover Our Current Environmental Campaigns
The document, jointly developed by CleanAirNow (CAN) and the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), delves into the historical roots of environmental racism in Kansas City and the current struggles faced by communities of color and low-income neighborhoods. It outlines the cumulative impacts of pollution on health, emphasizing the urgent need for systemic change.
Their recent analysis of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, spearheaded by Alejandra Frias-Fraire, underscores the urgency for equitable urban planning and mitigation strategies.
Kansas City residents, particularly Latinx and Black communities, grapple with a barrage of environmental and health hazards stemming from industrial pollution, traffic, heat, and flooding risks. Historically marginalized by discriminatory practices like redlining and zoning, these communities face disproportionate exposure to pollution and lack access to green spaces and adequate healthcare.
As we take a moment to reflect on the recent event, “Resisting Injustice with Community Power,” hosted by CleanAirNow and Vecinos KC, our hearts swell with gratitude for the incredible support, engagement, and commitment shown by each and every one of you.
Argentine/Turner Diesel Exhaust Air Pollution Monitoring Final Report (June 24th,
CleanAirNow is an environmental justice organization dedicated to combating air pollution and promoting clean air for all communities.
Atenas Mena is the Environmental Health Director and shares a co-leadership role at CleanAirNow. Atenas was born and raised in Kansas City and is a proud first-generation Mexican American. She received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Avila University in 2014 and went on to receive her master’s in nursing leadership from Missouri Western State University in 2019.
In addition to working as a nurse, Atenas received extensive environmental health training in the field, working with the Children’s Mercy Environmental Health Program team, as both an educator and a team coordinator. She has worked continuously throughout the last few years with CleanAirNow through boots-on-the-ground projects, served on the board of directors, and has recently transitioned into the current leadership role as Environmental Health Director. Atenas centers her work around reducing health inequities, educating communities on environmental health impacts, and empowering community members to have a voice and fight for equity and environmental justice.
Atenas recently received The Sapling Award in recognition of her outstanding commitment and leadership in environmental health nursing. This Award seeks to recognize a nurse leader who goes beyond everyday nursing endeavors to actively promote and protect environmental and human health and advance environmental justice.
Beto is an environmental justice organizer and co-executive director of CleanAirNow. He serves to raise community voices in the fight against environmental racism and to overcome the systemic exclusion of frontline communities from the decision-making process. His lived experience, growing up fenceline to a petrochemical facility continues to drive his work at the intersection of climate, environmental justice, and public health. He is a founding member of the California Environmental Justice Coalition, Co-Founder of La Union Hace La Fuerza, a farmworker justice organization and member of national CJ & EJ networks including the EJ Leadership Forum, Building Equity and Alignment (BEA) and the National Leadership Advisory Board Member of the Moving Forward Network.
Beto’s contributions to the movement include organizing, legislation that prioritizes environmental justice and community-led research amongst many other community-engaged initiatives that directly inform state policy. He has co-authored multiple academic publications on community-based participatory research, air pollution, data accessibility, and community engagement. In August 2023 was invited to continue serving through 2025 as a member of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Air Act Advisory Committee, to represent a grassroots frontline perspective. He also serves in advisory board roles of professional associations and academic institutions, such as the American Public Health Association’s Center for Climate, Health and Equity, Children’s Environmental Health Sciences Translational Research at USC, Community Engagement Core of the Southern California Environmental Health Sciences Center at USC, Health Effects Institute Environmental Justice Advisory Group and USC MPH Public Health Advisory Board Member for the Trojan Scholars for Advancement in Public Health.
Beto is currently involved in a research project titled “Building Momentum to Bridge Climate and Health Across KU Campuses and the Community supported by the Health Humanities and Arts Research Collaborative, The Commons, and the Office of Research at the University of Kansas.”