Southeast Michigan faces persistent challenges with air pollution from industrial facilities, traffic, and climate change. Our coverage tracks pollution sources, regulatory enforcement, and the communities fighting for cleaner air.
Air Quality Reporting
Lyon Township ‘may be revisiting’ data center site plan: Residents pack meeting
Approval for a 1.8-million-square-foot data center depends on review of sound study and energy audit, Lyon Township says.
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Allen Park officials postpone decision on 26-megawatt data center
Allen Park residents say they’re concerned the data center could increase electric rates, while developers say the project will have minimal impacts.
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Detroit air quality declines due to winter weather patterns: What the forecast says
Michigan is in a warmer weather pattern that traps pollution at the surface, a meteorologist tells Planet Detroit.
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The impact of wildfire smoke is worse than you think, new studies say
Greenhouse gas and particulate emissions from fires globally may be 70% higher than once believed.
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Detroit gathering focuses on role of environmental justice in Michigan’s climate work
The engagement session aims to address community needs and the bigger climate picture, says Regina Strong, the state’s environmental justice public advocate.
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VOICES: In Detroit’s data center moment, lead with health, water, and trust
As data centers are developed in metro Detroit, state and city leaders must emphasize public health, says Kathleen Slonager, executive director of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America – Michigan Chapter.
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State renews Detroit hazardous waste facility’s license, adds new restrictions: ‘Our community efforts have made a difference’
In the lead-up to the state’s decision, neighbors, elected officials, and environmental activists advocated for the closure of US Ecology Detroit South.
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Detroit’s ozone status downgraded: What’s next in the fight for clean air?
The Sixth Circuit ruling returns Southeast Michigan to nonattainment status for ozone and requires state regulators to adopt additional pollution control rules before seeking redesignation.
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Activists demand shutdown of Detroit hazardous waste facility with long violation history
US Ecology has received dozens of state violations for air quality noncompliance at the Frederick Street facility since 2014.
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Trump’s EPA targets Biden’s soot rule
Air monitors in Southwest Detroit, Dearborn and Downriver regularly show levels above the EPA’s new threshold, Planet Detroit reported last year.
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Trump exempts Zug Island’s EES Coke Battery from new pollution rules for 2 years
In May, Planet Detroit reported that EES Coke Battery was offered a two-year exemption by the Trump administration from deadlines to comply with air pollution standards.
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Polluters seize opportunity when EPA enforcement stalls during shutdowns
Though the current political showdown is nearing an end, new research shows that government shutdowns leave polluting legacies.
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The EPA let companies estimate their own pollution levels. The real numbers are far worse.
In a move that stunned environmentalists, the Trump administration halted an EPA initiative aimed at monitoring emissions from 20 industrial facilities.
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City must act against Aevitas oil treatment facility that caught fire: Detroit councilmember
A Detroit firefighter was injured during the response to the June 30 fire at Aevitas Specialty Services, which took about seven hours to bring under control.
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State regulators want EPA to ignore wildfire-smoke ozone spikes in Detroit
In a bid to maintain air quality compliance, Michigan’s environmental agency seeks to exclude four days of ozone data, attributing the spikes to Canadian wildfire smoke rather than local pollution.
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Day of the Dead altar at DIA spotlights air pollution’s human impact
The artists will discuss their work at a Nov. 2 panel discussion at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
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Ypsilanti City Council calls for halt to University of Michigan data center project
Ypsilanti council opposes University of Michigan data center with resolution that draws attention to potential environmental impacts and Los Alamos’ nuclear weapons work.
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Protestors call for closure of concrete plant in Detroit’s Cadillac Heights: ’24/7 noise’
Since a concrete plant owned by the Moroun family was built in Cadillac Heights in 2022, residents have complained of dust, blight and noise.
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Detroiters describe citywide struggle with truck traffic: ‘Our streets are sinking’
Children living within two blocks of I-75 have asthma rates 25% to 42% higher than those living further away from major roads, says Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation’s Rachel Marquez.
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Detroit cracks down on Southwest truck traffic with new restrictions: Activist ‘beyond thrilled’
The truck restrictions could be expanded beyond Southwest Detroit, where “the issue is most severe,” says city’s infrastructure chief.
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Government shutdown paralyzes EPA protection of air, water, land
A scientific study of pollution from about 200 coal-fired power plants during the 2018-2019 government shutdown found they “significantly increased their particulate matter emissions due to the EPA’s furlough.”
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EPA, EES Coke Battery are $135 million apart on Clean Air Act penalties as Zug Island pollution trial ends
The EPA is seeking a $140 million civil penalty against Zug Island’s EES Coke Battery, while the facility and its owner DTE Energy propose a $5 million penalty.
Keep readingDTE’s Zug Island operation switched fuel sources after damage to facility: Court testimony
EES Coke Battery on Zug Island switched to coke oven gas as its exclusive fuel source after damage to the facility was discovered around 2011 and 2012, according to federal court testimony.
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EES Coke Battery exec: Pollution controls cost more than Zug Island facility is worth
EES Coke Battery’s net worth is about $135 million to $155 million, executive vice president testifies Thursday.
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🌤️ Check real-time air quality & weather in Michigan
Get Notified about Advisories or Alerts
The Air Quality Index (AQI) measures how clean or polluted the air is and what health effects might be a concern. It ranges from 0 to 500, with higher numbers meaning worse air quality.
- 🟢 0–50: Good – Air quality is satisfactory.
- 🟡 51–100: Moderate – Sensitive individuals may notice effects.
- 🟠 101–150: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups – Children, older adults, and those with respiratory conditions should limit outdoor activity.
- 🔴 151–200: Unhealthy – Everyone may begin to experience effects.
- 🟣 201–300: Very Unhealthy – Avoid outdoor activity if possible.
- ⚫ 301–500: Hazardous – Health warnings of emergency conditions.
- Limit outdoor activity, especially exercise.
- Use an N95 mask outdoors if needed.
- Keep windows closed and use air purifiers indoors.
- Check local AQI forecasts daily.