Clean Air, Healthy Villages Video Series: Protecting Air Quality and Public Health in Alaska Native Villages

Air pollution sources, such as wood smoke, solid waste burning, road dust, diesel emissions, and indoor air quality are an increasing concern in Alaska Native Villages, and pose a major problem to community health in areas where the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of Alaska have a minimal ability to respond. Multiple conditions in rural Alaska make these air quality issues more challenging - unhealthy indoor air quality from mold and homes sealed tightly for extreme weather, solid waste burning in open landfills because it cannot be buried, electricity produced by diesel-powered generators often located adjacent to homes and schools, and homes and steam baths heated with antiquated wood stoves. EPA Region 10 sought to provide targeted and unique support for tribes to address these local air pollution concerns in a culturally-appropriate, localized way. Thus, the Alaska Tribal Air Toolkit (the Toolkit) was developed. The Toolkit is a web and multi-media approach designed to make air quality resources more accessible to the rural tribal communities of Alaska. The Toolkit's core elements are a set of five fact sheets and a series of six short videos filmed on location in collaboration with Alaska tribes and community members; these resources give an explanation of each pollution source, its health impacts, and options available to mitigate it. With relevant information, communities can take action based upon their own priorities and approaches that are culturally and locally effective. In the short time the Toolkit has been available, its value and effectiveness has been evidenced anecdotally and by the large number of toolkit orders, web viewings, and presentations at meetings and conferences.