In a turbulent year for air quality, Detroit bore the brunt of the fallout from Canadian wildfires, earning the dubious honor of having the world’s worst air quality for several days over the summer. Climate change-fueled fires led to the city’s most severe ozone year in a decade, prompting a flurry of health alerts and an increased focus on air pollution.
However, amid the smoke and scrutiny, a silver lining emerged: a heightened awareness of climate change and a surge in activism. As the smoke settles, Detroit grapples with the lingering consequences of pollution, from the health impact on its citizens to the ongoing challenge of clean energy legislation.
Here’s a look back at what Planet Detroit reported on in 2023 and what we’re looking at for 2024.
Wildfire smoke engulfed the Midwest and East Coast
What happened: Canadian wildfires caused Detroit to have the worst air quality in the world for several days over the summer.
Smoke from record-setting Canadian wildfires contributed to metro Detroit’s worst ozone year in a decade. Detroit city government was criticized when it initially failed to issue a health alert via its 365 alert system in late June, even though the air quality index had climbed to nearly 300 or “very unhealthy.. However, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy did add new air quality alerts for high levels of PM 2.5 (fine particulate matter) in response to wildfire smoke. EGLE issued 22 air quality alerts for 2023, the most since 1999.
What’s next: Fires could continue to increase in northern forests, bringing smoke to Michigan.
Experts say the hot, dry, windy weather that fed Quebec’s wildfires this year was made twice as likely and 20% more intense by human-caused climate change. One study predicts these conditions will recur every 20 to 25 years.
BRIGHT SPOT: If there was any upside to this smoky summer, it may be that more people are taking climate change seriously.
Air pollution got a lot more attention
What happened: The smoke and increase in poor air quality days raised awareness about ongoing problems stemming from industrial and vehicle emissions.
In May, the Environmental Protection Agency decided that Detroit was no longer “out of attainment” for ozone under the federal Clean Air Act. The agency had discounted data from several “exceptional event” days in 2022 when wildfire smoke had influenced air quality, a practice one Michigan regulator called a “magic wand” to make air seem less polluted.
EGLE also garnered criticism for allowing the Edward C. Levy Co. to use manipulated air quality data when requesting a permit for a slag grinding facility in southwest Detroit. Nearby air monitors show the facility could push particulate matter in the area above federal guidelines, but the company used monitoring data from a less polluted location six miles away when requesting the permit.
Some stats on Detroit air quality in 2023:
- Detroit ranked #5 on the Asthma and Allergy Foundation’s “asthma capitals” list. The report also found the city had the second-highest rate of asthma in the county.
- Detroit children missed 570,000 days of school since 2016 due to problems related to air pollution
- 660 Detroiters die prematurely every year because of air pollution.
What’s next: New policies could reduce pollution. The EPA may tighten rules for particulate matter, which experts say could majorly impact southwest Detroit. Planet Detroit will also examine legal challenges to the agency’s “exceptional event rule.
BRIGHT SPOTS: Core City activists won when Detroit rejected a developer’s proposal for a concrete crusher in the neighborhood. Federal grants helped support air quality monitoring and health education in the city. And groups like the Ecology Center, Outlier Media and Planet Detroit have been promoting $40 DIY air filters as a stopgap to help households deal with unhealthy air.
Michigan hailed as a leader for clean energy legislation – but not everyone is pleased
What happened: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation to make the state carbon-neutral by 2050.
The legislation requires utilities to meet a 100% clean energy standard by 2040 and boost energy efficiency. Many advocates are excited about this. However, critics say the “clean energy” definition includes some not-so-clean sources like natural gas, landfill gas and biogas and allows utilities to use unproven and expensive technology to capture at least 90% of the carbon at natural gas plants and count this as “clean.”
The new laws also shift authority over large-scale wind and solar projects to state regulators, circumventing local control. The legislation did not enable community solar, which environmental justice advocates say would help spread the benefits of renewables to low-income communities.
What’s next: How will this legislation play out? The legislation offers “good cause” exemptions for utilities to delay clean energy rollout. Republicans strongly opposed these bills and could undermine the legislation if Democrats lose control of the state legislature.
BRIGHT SPOT: These ambitious goals could drive a lot of clean energy development in the state.
Truck traffic continued unfettered across Detroit
What happened: Detroit still doesn’t have a city-wide truck route ordinance, while neighborhoods are threatened by air pollution and new facilities as they wait for the city to complete another truck route study. Advocates say more protective zoning and infrastructure are also needed, as well as enforcement of existing laws. Meanwhile, new warehouse developments bring hundreds more trucks to Detroit each day.
What’s next: A truck route ordinance, finally? We expected Councilperson Gabriela Santiago-Romero to introduce an ordinance before the end of the year, but that has not happened. We’re still waiting.
BRIGHT SPOT: Southwest Detroit residents and businesses are organizing with others across the city to push for changes that could protect residents from noise, dust and emissions associated with trucking.
DTE customers continued to pay a premium for poor reliability
What happened: Power failures during last winter’s ice storm drove public backlash toward DTE Energy over its awful performance. There were also summer blackouts.
DTE is among the worst utilities in the United States for blackout duration. Why? Aging, aboveground infrastructure but also increasing climate-driven severe weather. The utility also cut back on maintenance (especially tree trimming) to benefit shareholders.
The Michigan Public Service Commission held public hearings, and Ann Arbor residents called for a public utility. However, the MPSC approved a $368 million rate increase for DTE, which adds $6.51 to the average customer’s monthly bill. DTE and Consumers are looking for longer-term funding sources to pay for weather-related outages, which could raise customers’ bills even more.
Did anything else happen with DTE? So much.
Politicians considering Michigan’s clean energy legislation took money from DTE-affiliated PACs and dark money groups. And Planet Detroit revealed that one DTE-affiliated PAC helped fund a group trying to repeal Gov. Whitmer’s emergency powers in 2020 and end the state’s COVID lockdowns and restrictions.
Finally, regulators approved a settlement between DTE and stakeholders that will see the company close its Monroe coal-fired power plant in 2033, secure investments for renewables and battery storage, and lift the cap for the required purchase of excess energy from residential solar owners from 1% to 6% of the utility’s peak load. DTE also said it would reduce its carbon emissions by 90% by 2040 and reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 under the plan.
What’s next: More blackouts could increase calls to hold DTE accountable or create public utilities.
As part of its rate hike, DTE must track and report on grid investments over two years, analyzing reliability based on customer demographics. Advocates say this could help address “utility redlining,” where Black and low-income residents receive less reliable service.
BRIGHT SPOT: If nothing else came out of this year’s utility drama, DTE is on the hook to build out $11 billion worth of renewables.
Water affordability remained an issue, and we still have a lot of lead service lines to replace
What happened: Water assistance programs continued, but water rates remained unaffordable for many as shutoffs returned to Detroit.
The city of Detroit continued implementing its Lifeline Plan for water assistance. More than 24,000 households are enrolled in the program, funded through 2025 as city officials seek long-term funding.
Water shutoffs resumed in August. Proposed state legislation aimed to link water bills to income, introduce new shut-off protections, and create a statewide Low-Income Water Affordability fund. However, the legislation hasn’t come out of committee and some water rights activists believe it wouldn’t be adequately funded to ensure true affordability.
Highland Park residents faced possible charges on their property taxes because of an alleged $55 million debt to the Great Lakes Water Authority but worked out a deal with assistance from the state.
Thirteen water systems in Michigan have exceeded the lead action level in 2023, while as many as 330,935 lead service lines may be present in 67 water systems that receive water from GLWA. Michigan will lower the lead action level to 12 ppb from 15 ppb in 2025. Currently, 28 water systems in the state exceed that level.
What’s next: It remains to be seen if there’s the political will to pass water affordability at the state level or extend the life of the federal Low-Income Households Water Assistance Program.
BRIGHT SPOT: A Biden administration proposal to update the federal Lead and Copper Rule could require all lead service lines be removed in the next 10 years. Gov. Whitmer said Michigan is already ahead of the curve in removing these lines but could expedite its program if more federal funding is available.
Black infant mortality reached an all-time high in Detroit
What happened: Black mothers and babies continued to have worse health outcomes than their white counterparts and these worsened during the pandemic.
And after reaching a historic low in 2019, Black infant mortality approached an all-time high of 18.1 per 1000 in Detroit in 2021. Black women are 2.8 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.
Infant mortality among white babies in Detroit also spiked, from less than 1 per 100,000 to 12.1 per 100,000 in 2021. Why? Experts point to social determinants of health – non-medical factors like housing stability, environment, and racism, which are believed to account for 80-90% of health outcomes. But the pandemic also damaged women’s health directly while decimating infant maternal support programs.
What’s next: As the pandemic fades – can fragmented health systems rebuild and drive the numbers back down?
BRIGHT SPOT: Programs like the Women-Inspired Neighborhood (WIN) Network: Detroit continue to match pregnant women with community health workers to help them navigate pregnancy and obtain services.