Sunnyside, an underserved Black community on the south side of Houston, is home to a concentration of metal recycling facilities, concrete batch and crushing facilities, freeways and substantial industrial activity. We know that air pollution produced by these facilities is damaging to public health — but we don't know how much of it's here.

The first step in addressing this issue is knowing exactly what we are being exposed to. There is no regulatory monitor nearby on the south side of Houston to keep track of all the pollutants — and how much of them — in the air.

Exposure to just one kind of air pollution — tiny particles called PM2.5 — in the Houston region in 2015 alone contributed to more than 5,000 premature deaths in 2015 and nearly $50 billion in economic damages, one study found. Air pollution increases risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, lung cancer and respiratory diseases.

And environmental justice communities with deep cultural histories like Sunnyside tend to bear the brunt of it. Sunnyside has had the highest asthma rates in Houston the last two years, the Houston Health Department’s asthma data dashboard shows, and all three of Sunnyside’s ZIP codes were found to have “high rates of ambulance utilization to treat asthma attacks."

We want to know why this is happening, but due to the lack of monitors, Sunnyside is an air pollution blind spot. We need the same equipment as other parts of the city, so we have the information to protect our community's health. We have a right to know what we are breathing — and the right to breathe clean air.

Today is the last day to let your voice be heard! Urge TCEQ to add a new regulatory air monitor site in Sunnyside by sending our petition below or emailing them directly at tceqamnp@tceq.texas.gov.