When asked to characterize the quality of the air they breathe, three to four percent of the region's residents reported this as only "fair" or "poor." As the graph shows, residents with less than a high school education are more likely to report unfavorable air quality, as are those with household incomes less of less than $10,000 and those of unfavorable physical health. There were some geographic areas (by county or zip code) in which reports of unfavorable air quality were more prevalent.

One interested in the many separate aspects of air quality could begin to explore the data that are available (mainly for more southern portions of our state) for its many elements at the web sites of the West Michigan Clean Air Coalition, the Michigan Department of Evironmental Quality and the Environmantal Protection Agency. 

In the mid-1990s, a committee of concerned residents and health, medical, environmental, ecological, governmental and tribal organizations formed as a CHAP initiative. Called Northern Exposures, this group meets to share information about local air quality and other important local environmental issues and develop collaborative projects to maintain and improve the quality of the environment in our communities. More information on this CHAP initiative can be obtained via email.