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Fairbanks, Alaska

Citizens for Clean Air, AK

Since 2008, Citizens for Clean Air AK has advocated, educated, legislated and litigated for cleaner air. CCA is based out of the Fairbanks North Star Borough, which includes most communities in the Alaskan Interior. The region is designated by the EPA as a “Serious Air Quality Non-Attainment Area,” meaning it has failed to reduce air pollution to levels in accordance with the Clean Air Act of 1990. This failure puts federal funding at risk, but more importantly, threatens the health of everyone, with the poorest Alaskans exposed to the worst pollution. For 14 years, the Interior has had some of the worst winter air pollution in the nation. A recent major study involving 50 scientists from around the world discovered high proportions of a new toxic pollutant called hydroxymethanesulfonate throughout the community. CCA uses litigation and public outreach to hold those responsible to account, educate the public, and promote clean, affordable, renewable energy to keep everyone warm.

Air Quality Monitor in Fairbanks, AK. Photo Credit: CCA

Citizens for Clean Air is a volunteer-run organization with eight coordinators and a network of 200 supporters. Coordinators come from the community and include citizen scientists, doctors, engineers, lawyers, housewives, grandfathers, wind farm owners/experts, teachers and more. As representatives of communities in the EPA’s Serious Nonattainment for Air Quality region, they have worked both to secure political support for better environmental policies, while also taking the issues to court, prevailing in five timeline litigations with EarthJustice. In 2018, CCA joined Sierra Club and Alaska Community Action on Toxics to sue the EPA to bring the air quality up to Clean Air Act standards. CCA has also taken the lead on confronting the hydroxymethanesulfonate (HMS) issue unearthed in the ALPACA report. The presence of HMS has been proposed as a significant contributor to midlatitude wintertime pollution events.

Contact
Patrice Lee, Coordinator
Climate impacts
Air Pollution, Erosion-Subsidence, Heat, Wildfires
Strategies
Legal/permit challenges to development, contamination, pollution, etc, Renewable energy, Political activism, including protests, petitions, and lobbying, Art activism including murals, performances, photography, and videos, Community organizing and education, Risk mapping and/or monitoring e.g. flooding/contaminants etc, Legislation/policy reform
Environmental Justice Concerns
Logging/biomass, Incinerator/dumping/landfill, Lead contamination, Hazardous/toxic sites, Mining, Coal/coke plants and emissions, Industrial agriculture/animal waste, PFAS/PFOS, Port/transit/highway contamination/noise, Air pollution
501c3 Tax Deductible
No
Accepting Donation
Yes