KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — A long-delayed air report for Kalamazoo is coming soon, but state officials say that an environmental health assessment addressing air pollution issues is still not quite ready to go.
The report was expected to be released months ago.
Officials with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services answered questions posed by members of the Kalamazoo Environmental Concerns Committee on Wednesday, November 16 at Kalamazoo City Hall.
The committee addressed delays in the report about the affect air pollution levels caused by Graphic Packaging International have had on those in surrounding neighborhoods.
Toxicology assessment section manager with the department Andrea Keatley said there was no precise deadline or timeline set for when the report would be released, but that it was currently going through scientific review and will be released as soon as it is ready.
In addition to using environmental sensor data from 2020 and 2021, Keatley said the team was working with an asthma epidemiologist to look at community prevalence and hospitalization rates, as well as other community stressors along with using drone sensor data from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.
Kalamazoo residents have long worried about the possible impact on their health due to industrial pollutants in the area of the city wastewater treatment plant and Graphic Packaging International Factory, both documented sources of toxic hydrogen sulfide gas.
Kalamazoo City Mayor David Anderson is hopeful the health department committee will have the report completed no later than the first quarter of 2023.
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