Clean Air Program

Smoke fills air over fields

Air pollution can cause or exacerbate the impacts of health problems for people in affected communities

Our Community Engagement Core partners with residents in urban, rural and tribal areas of Washington State to help mitigate impacts of air pollution from industrial sources and wildfires. Current projects include the Duwamish Valley in Seattle and Methow Valley in northeastern Washington. 

 

lady at live installation
The Fifth Season: Living with wildfire smoke

Community members in Washington’s Methow Valley share their stories of coping with and adapting to summer’s wildfire smoke season in a new public art installation called The Fifth Season, which was recently unveiled at the Winthrop Public Library. Here, you can hear each participant's audio story and read more about them.

The Fifth Season project is a collaboration between Clean Air Methow and the EDGE Community Engagement Core with funding from UW's Earthlab and Population Health Initiative.

Teens with masks pose with cardboard frames
A brochure for coping with wildfire smoke events

MPH graduate student, Anna Humphreys, worked with Clean Air Methow and our Community Engagement Core to create a brochure with tips and resources from experts and community members on how to practice self-care during a wildfire smoke event.

A couple walks through smoke
Infographic on how to build a box fan air filter

Box fan air filters are relatively expensive, easy to assemble, and highly effective at removing particulate matter from indoor air. Our one-page infographic shows you all you need to know to build your own.

Youth march for clean air
Clean Air Methow

Our Community Engagement Core is partnering with the Methow Valley Citizens Council to study and implement health-protective mitigation measures in response to wildfires and related smoke inhalation and other stress factors.

Industrial pollution over Duwamish River
Duwamish Valley Clean Air Program

Our Community Engagement Core serves as an academic research partner and technical advisor to the Duwamish Valley Clean Air Program, coordinated by the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition to address health disparities linked to poor air quality in the South Seattle neighborhoods of South Park and Georgetown.