Tribes work together to monitor valley air quality

A new air monitoring station has taken up residence near Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. The Cabazon Band of Mission Indians and the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians are partnering up to study air quality in the valley.

Air is sucked in from outside and studied for particulate matter and ozone. Particulate matter is smaller than the width of a strand of hair but can cause major health issues.

“Larger particulates can get caught up in our nose and respiratory system, but the smaller 2.5 particles can actually enter into the bloodstream through the lungs,” said Shawn Muir, environmental coordinator for the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians.

Muir said the Coachella Valley was recently re-designated from severe to extreme non attainment for ozone, calling it a serious problem. The likely culprit? Vehicle emissions, but that’s not the only concern. Muir said increasing population, construction, and additional particulate matter from the Salton Sea, all contribute to decreased air quality.

New LED light technology is used to detect particulate matter mass. Ultraviolet light is used in another machine to look at ozone in the air.

According to Kenneth Ready with the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians, Wednesday’s air quality is not great, but it’s about average for what we see in the valley.

“Either way the wind is blowing, we’re getting poor air quality,” said Ready.

Muir and Ready said the tribes are hoping to work with other air quality agencies to get this new layer of information out to the public. A new website is expected to be launched so anyone can access the data within the next few months. For now, some of that information is available at this link: https://bit.ly/2RWk3Aa

The project is funded with federal and state grants.