The tease of fresh, sweet air during the early pandemic still lingers in recent memory. With no cars on the road, residents could literally taste the clean air we had not known we were missing. Now, the unexplained rerouting of Logan International Airport traffic trailing exhaust, obliterates the last vestiges of hope that we might have taken advantage of the pandemic’s pause to create a better “new normal”, and enjoy a more robust set of initiatives to improve air quality for Chinatown. The possibility of greater environmental justice seems to have gone up in a puff of heavy, dirty air.
Experts from Johns Hopkins University and Boston University School of Public Health, among others, link poverty to COVID-19 vulnerability, noting that communities of color suffer disparate impact. Echoing the findings of others, the Massachusetts Attorney General found that, “Air pollution disproportionately impacts (communities of color).” A key indicator of COVID-19 vulnerability is environmental quality, specifically air quality.
Several environmental health reports show significantly elevated cardiovascular mortality risk, lung cancer and childhood asthma for people living near heavily traveled freeways.
In June of 2019 as the Union of Concerned Scientists announced their report: “Inequitable Exposure to Air Pollution from Vehicles in Massachusetts” and the Boston Globe reported, “Chinatown has worst air quality in Massachusetts”, spokesperson for the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs said, “the Baker-Polito administration ‘looks forward to reviewing the report’ and will ‘continue to take proactive steps’ to protect residents.”
The improvement steps from the Governor’s office remain difficult to find, and no comment could be obtained from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs on this topic despite several attempts. Governor Baker used his line-item veto power to kill a proposed fee on ride shares. This would have created an estimated 56 million dollar fund which could have been used to mitigate air pollution in several ways or to create green jobs. With little action, despite a multitude of studies backing the need for environmental justice, what should Chinatown residents look for as students return to schools and parents return to offices?
On average, residents of color in Massachusetts are exposed to pollution from vehicle emissions that are 26 to 36 percent higher than the exposure of white residents.
Communities of color have been the hardest hit by COVID-19, the poorest and most polluted communities are the most vulnerable. Families with lower incomes are more likely to live with multiple COVID-19 risk factors: public transit may be their only transit option, overrepresentation in “essential” jobs (transportation, healthcare and food supply), more frequent shopping due to lack of funds to fill a pantry, or living situations which do not allow for social distancing. The incidence of respiratory illnesses (like asthma) and cardiovascular illness and death is higher in communities of color which are most likely near highways and industrial facilities.
With the construction of the Josiah Quincy (JQUS) Upper School building set to begin in Chinatown, air quality is naturally a concern. Even prior to the pandemic, JQUS planners understood the necessity of clean air and aggressive planning for that. Higher levels of filtering and structural choices that pull air from cleaner sources should help offset the pollution for the JQUS students, at least while they are at school.
At home, you can install HEPA filters and better windows. Ask the landlord about regular maintenance of air filtration systems in your building. If you smoke, quitting will help. Smoking cessation help is available through Tufts’ and AACA’s Asian Health Initiative.
You can join the Green Justice Coalition, or ask candidates what specific steps they will take to address the disparate impact of air pollution on Chinatown.
As the Coronavirus lingers and threatens another surge, mounting evidence shows that environmental issues are linked directly to COVID-19 health outcomes. Environmental justice efforts continue as some challenges remain, some opportunities dissipate and some tough truths come to light. Chinatown residents will not be able to breathe as easily until the neighborhood’s air quality is taken as seriously on Beacon Hill as it is on Harrison Ave.