Michigan Clean Diesel Collaborative: Improving air quality through community driven initiatives in Southwest Detroit

The Michigan Clean Diesel Collaborative (MCDC) is a community driven initiative launched and facilitated by Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision (SDEV). SDEV is a community-based non-profit that works with residents, community organizations, government, and industries to combat environmental issues that concern the local community. Air quality is a concern for the residents of Southwest (SW) Detroit and is a topic that is regularly discussed during environmental justice meetings. Currently, SW Detroit is in a nonattainment area for SO₂ and a maintenance area for PM₁₀ and PM_2.5. The cumulative air pollution load created by industrial, energy production, and highway/port activities creates serious environmental justice concerns for SW Detroit, which is home to six of the top ten most polluted zip codes in Michigan.

MCDC program focuses on three primary components including community participatory data gathering, working with private and public fleets to replace diesel engines, and engaging residents and policy-makers in an anti-idling campaign. This program began over 10 years ago as an outcome of a U.S. EPA grant, which identified and implemented MCDC to reduce risks of environmental problems chosen by the community stakeholders participating in the project: 1) mobile source air pollutants 2) stationary source air pollutants 3) incompatible land uses and 4) lead poisoning. Recent successes include truck surveys conducted by residents in 2009 through 2017. This data has helped educate stakeholders and governments on how best to monitor truck traffic in the neighborhoods and is contributing to more effective enforcement of commercial truck routes. SDEV actively pursues clean diesel grants for retrofits and replacements of diesel engines used in SW Detroit, which has led to the elimination of over 35,000 tons of diesel emissions. The Anti-Idling campaign was a critical element contributing to the development of a City of Detroit anti-idling policy in 2010. SDEV along with the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center are currently working with city council members to push for new amendments to the ordinance.

MCDC presents a collaborative model that incorporates community-based participatory research and other approaches to deliver positive results on environmental topics of concern identified by those impacted.