Democratizing Access to Community Air Monitoring

By Morgan King, Climate and Energy Program Manager

2025 was a notable year for expanding and protecting community air monitoring. WV Citizen Action has installed dozens of air quality sensors around the state, giving more West Virginians real data to protect their health and hold polluters accountable. 

Why It Matters

With only eight statewide air monitoring sites operated by the WV Division of Air Quality reporting to AirNow.gov, a federal website providing continuous air quality updates, public access to local air quality information is limited across the state. By installing free community air quality sensors in WV communities, we are democratizing access to air quality data around the state. 

Air quality data is reported in real time from these air quality sensors: particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, temperature, relative humidity, and atmospheric pressure. Anyone can check the results by visiting map.purpleair.com on a desktop or mobile device with internet access. 

The EPA fire and smoke map integrates this PurpleAir data into fire.airnow.gov to warn of wildfires across the country. Hot spots for these air quality sensors are in the Kanawha Valley, the Ohio River Valley, the Highlands, and the Coalfields. These air quality sensors are grant-funded and provided for free by WV CAG. The monthly data and power consumption of the device have been calculated as negligible, at less than a few cents per month.

Legislative Threats

As we built out this network statewide, industry lobbyists took notice and, for two years in a row, attempted to prevent the community air monitoring data from being used to protect West Virginians’ health. Both years, we were able to stop the harmful legislation. We anticipate it returning in 2026 and will need all hands on deck to protect and expand community air monitoring.

Get Involved

Interested in hosting an air quality sensor on your home, business, school, municipal building, or community center?  All you need is a reliable wifi network and an outdoor power source. Want to support us in the fight at the State Capitol to protect community science and air monitoring? Reach out to climate@wvcag.org!