Woodbury County Residents Install Air Monitors to Track Air Pollution Levels

WOODBURY COUNTY—Following a 2024 analysis that found Iowa's air monitoring network is not adequately placed to capture air pollution levels near coal plants, a group of citizens throughout Woodbury County has installed air monitors to track pollution levels in the community.

Air monitoring is mandated by the Clean Air Act, but just one air monitor from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources currently exists for all of Woodbury County, and it is not placed in the area with the highest asthma rates as analyzed in the Coal in Siouxland Health Report.

“There's not enough being done to monitor air and protect the health of residents in Siouxland. Our local government and Iowa DNR either believe that Siouxland doesn't need more air monitoring or that local air monitoring is not important enough. They need to take responsibility and protect our community,” said Deb H., a Siouxland resident who installed an air monitor at her home.

To help provide more real-time monitoring, the Iowa Environmental Council (IEC) secured funding to install six additional air monitors from Salix to Sergeant Bluff and across Sioux City.

Four of the new monitors are in residential areas, some of which have already recorded dangerously high PM2.5 AQI levels (air quality index) of more than 150, which poses serious health risks. PM2.5 AQI levels between 151-200 can cause some members of the general public to experience adverse health effects with 24 hours of exposure, and even more serious impacts for members of sensitive groups.

“We haven’t had our air monitor for very long, but it’s already shown us some concerning numbers. We’re very interested to see what trends our data will show after collecting for six months to a year from now,” said Woodbury County resident Gayle H., who has installed an air monitor.

Two of the newly installed monitor locations are near facilities serving young children — a preschool and an aftercare center with a nearby park and another daycare close by. 

Following an educational event about air monitoring hosted by IEC, a concerned mother and daughter installed their own air monitor at their own expense; it has also recorded unhealthy PM2.5 levels.

"I decided to place an air monitor in my property because I am deeply concerned by the degrading quality of Iowa's air. I believe that our state has to take initiative on protecting our health from environmental hazards particularly in the face of a federal government that is increasingly incurring in dereliction of duty regarding air quality control and enforcement,” said Christian S., a Woodbury County resident, who installed an air monitor.

Monitoring will be recorded and reported in regular updates as data becomes available, with the goal of improving public health protections and ensuring compliance with air quality standards. 

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The Clean Up MidAm Coalition includes multiple organizations including the Iowa Environmental Council, Environmental Law & Policy Center, Sierra Club, Great Plains Action Society, Clean Energy Districts of Iowa, Iowa Faith & Climate Network, Moms Clean Air Force, and countless Iowans who care about the future of our state.