DETROIT – You can literally smell it, feel it, and, unfortunately, even taste it.
The grimy, gross smoke from the Canadian wildfires has blanketed southeast Michigan, creating hazardous air conditions.
In Southwest Detroit, the smoke is amplifying a longstanding issue.
The air quality index measures how safe the air is to breathe.
Zero to 30 is considered good. Anything over 300 is considered hazardous.
The AQI in Detroit was over 500 for most of the day on Thursday (July 16), making it too dangerous to be outside without a mask.
According to a new study from the American Lung Association, Detroit’s air gets a grade of “F” due to ozone and other pollutants, and days like this only make it worse.
The dangerous air quality is already a cause for concern, but it is especially severe in places like southwest Detroit, where it is among the worst in the country due to decades of air pollution.
In the 48217 zip code alone, there are more than 40 major and minor polluters, and the poor air quality from these factories and refineries has had long-term effects on residents, ranging from eczema and asthma to heart disease and various cancers.
“It’s definitely something that I hope that we can consider as a legislature,” State Sen. Stephanie Chang said. “Because as we see today, air quality is something that should be on all of our minds and should be something that we are prioritizing.”
Chang represents District 3, which includes parts of Southwest Detroit, Downtown, and the East Side. She, along with State Rep. Donovan McKinney, introduced the Protecting Overburdened Communities Act last year.
It would require state environmental regulators to consider the cumulative health impacts of multiple pollution sources.
“The wildfire smoke has been going everywhere, right? Why is it so much worse in Detroit compared to other areas?” Chang said. “We have all of these additional factors that have already been polluting our air.
“So, when you add in all of the polluting sources plus Canadian wildfire smoke, it’s just compounding a problem that has existed for some residents for many, many years,” Chang said. “This is something that I really hope that people will remember and prioritize.”
The measure is set to be reintroduced this fall before Chang, whose term ends in January, leaves office.
“We need to do a better job as a state of considering the fact that there are some communities that are just really, really over-burdened by pollution,” Chang said.