Duwamish Valley

The Duwamish river valley and the communities we now know as Georgetown and South Park in Seattle, and Allentown in Tukwila have been inhabited for many generations. The Duwamish Tribe were the original inhabitants of the area.

Bounded by the mainlines of the BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad, Boeing Field, manufacturing facilities, major roadways, and the Duwamish River flowing through the middle. These communities are hubs of transportation, industry, and residential spaces.

Because of major transportation and industry so active in the area, air quality is greatly impacted - along with other environmental facets. 

Air Toxics Study

Starting in the fall of 2021, we will be measuring a type of air pollution called air toxics in the Duwamish Valley as part of a year-long study. Learn more here.

Community Engagement 

Our relationships and engagement with the community include a variety of efforts.

  • We participated in a recent process to relocate the South Park Children's Playground, by providing data and analysis of air quality impacts from the adjacent roadway. We also advocated to move it to the east side of the park, away from the major polluting roadway. 
  • We helped retrofit a number of diesel engines (trucks and boats) that traverse the community. The goal is to substitute older, dirty engines and replace them with cleaner, more efficient technologies. You can learn more about this program here. 
  • We are currently working with short-haul truck drivers on an educational training series for proper maintenance of the cleaner and newer trucks. You can see the video series here. 
  • We partnered with Seattle Parks and Recreation's RecTech on a summer youth program that raises awareness on environmental justice issues whiles providing career development through technology. 
  • We recently participated in the Duwamish Waterway Tour, hosted by Washington Green Schools, to learn more about the history and the current environmental restoration efforts. Check out some of image below of the tour.
  • We worked with the community and municipal partners to establish a fixed-site air monitor at Duwamish Park.
  • We worked with community residents to measure air pollution in the Allentown area using small sensor, portable monitors. You can see the report below.

Air Monitoring Report

From 2017-2018, we conducted an air quality study to better understand air pollution levels in the Tukwila-Allentown neighborhood. During the study, we supported a number of community engagement opportunities in order to understand the community’s concerns about air quality. Some of the concerns included if air pollution levels are the same across Allentown, is there more air pollution near the railyard and 124th street, and how does air quality compare to other urban areas in the Puget Sound region.  

You can read the report here. 

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Community Blog

Meet Ekua Monkah
December 18, 2018
Meet Ekua Monkah, a young leader in the environmental justice movement. Hear her concerns for her community, what environmental justice means, and her hopes for the future.

A Community for Veterans
November 9, 2018
Hear a story how Habitat for Humanity is building a community for Veterans.The community, known as Megan’s Meadows, helps Habitat homeowners establish security and self-sufficiency so they can build a better life for themselves and their families. Habitat’s vision for veterans is to help them thrive by providing housing, employment, and financial education.

Air Quality Through Tech
July 27, 2018
We have partnered with RecTech, an internship program with Seattle Parks and Recreation, that trains students through technology to better prepare them for college. The program helps students gain not only job skills but also life skills, from learning how to create a story board to the script, and how to work together and ensure all of the project is complete.

Earth Day and Equity  
May 1, 2018
Earth Day has been an international event and movement since 1970 and one of the most widely observed secular holidays. At the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (the Agency), we try to live with the sentiment that Earth Day is everyday, so everyone, everywhere can breathe clean and healthy air.

Community Partners

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