Congressman Josh Harder is pushing for more robust air quality monitoring to alert people when air conditions start deteriorating.

The Tracy Democrat questioned Environmental Protection Agency Adminsuitaor Michael Regan earlier this month during a Congressional hearing regarding efforts to build out the AirNow program to serve as a reliable and nationally consistent air quality monitoring and alert system.

Harder’s push came a month after he helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act that included $1 million in funding for the City of Stockton to work toward cleaning up its air quality and greenhouse gas emissions.

 Stockton — and by extension Manteca, Lathrop, Tracy, and Ripon — consistently has some of the worst air pollution in the country.

Stockton was ranked 41st among 2023’s “Asthma Capitals” identified by the American Lung Association  based on air quality data.

The data noted the Stockton area had a worse than average amount of visits to emergency departments for asthma issues.

The Stockton prevalence of asthma related deaths and people with asthma was rated as about average by the American Lung Association.

Right behind Stockton at 42nd was Stockton, that was average in all three categories.

The worst city in California was Fresno that came in No. 9 nationally. It has a worse than average asthma prevalence and asthma death rates but average asthma-related visits to emergency departments.

It was also the worst year nationwide since 1998.

The proposed updates to AirNow are based on recommendations from the non-partisan Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission’s Report.

The US Forest Service, Department of Interior, EPA, and National Weather Service (NWS) would work together to make improvements to existing systems and build out this smoke monitoring and alert system.

 “As you know, my district is ranked one of the most polluted in the entire country,” Harder said. “This is a major issue. I had childhood asthma as a kid. My brother had it. I don't want my two daughters to grow up with the same challenges that I had.”

One of the commission's recommendations was to improve the EPA's air quality monitoring so people had real time alerts that there was a nationally consistent smoke monitoring system that could convey real information on poor air quality to the public.

“I'm working on legislation right now to expand those recommendations into law,” Harder said.

 Harder said the mobile app the AirNow system would provide the public real time information “so folks can make informed decisions about when they go outside, where they go and making sure they're keeping their kids safe.”

The Stockton area gets hit especially hard by wildfires due to its geological location, prevailing winds, and the fact the Great Central Valley is essentially a big bowl where pollutants can be trapped and linger for extended periods.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com