California Governor Gavin Newsom (Photo: USA TODAY)
Sacramento, California – As federal environmental protections face erosion, California is moving in the opposite direction. Governor Gavin Newsom this week announced the launch of the Statewide Mobile Monitoring Initiative (SMMI), a pioneering effort that will collect air quality data on a block-by-block level across 64 communities, many of them long subjected to disproportionate pollution burdens.
Framed as a direct countermeasure to federal environmental deregulation, the initiative marks a significant step in California’s ongoing effort to tackle environmental injustice and climate-driven public health threats. The program, led by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), will deploy sensor-equipped vehicles and mobile laboratories beginning in June to provide hyper-local pollution readings that will inform regulatory decisions and community interventions.
“While the federal government threatens to take us back to the days of smoggy skies and clogged lungs, California continues to lead the way,” Governor Newsom said in a statement. “We’re deploying first-of-their-kind vehicles to monitor pollution levels at a block-by-block level, delivering critical air quality information to communities across the state.”
The project is part of the broader California Climate Investments program, which uses revenue from the state’s Cap-and-Invest system to fund environmental and public health initiatives, particularly in low-income and heavily impacted areas. According to CARB, more than 60% of the monitoring effort will focus on these so-called “priority populations.” These include neighborhoods repeatedly nominated under the state’s Community Air Protection Program, which aims to amplify the voices and health concerns of communities historically sidelined in environmental policymaking.
The SMMI will operate through June 2026, with data collected from each community made publicly available at the project’s conclusion. Along the way, results will be shared with residents, air quality districts, academic researchers, and policymakers to shape targeted pollution mitigation strategies. This hyper-local data could be instrumental in securing grant funding, updating air quality regulations, and informing public health research.
“This is about building an air quality monitoring system that integrates the lived experiences of the people most impacted by air pollution,” said Dr. Steven Cliff, Executive Director of CARB. “The Statewide Mobile Monitoring Initiative represents an unprecedented opportunity to gather the detailed information we need to better protect public health in neighborhoods that have historically borne the brunt of environmental injustice.”
More than 40 community-based organizations are working in partnership with CARB to guide the monitoring process. Their participation ensures that each phase of the program—from site selection to data analysis—reflects community priorities and knowledge.
California’s investment in cleaner air has historically delivered measurable benefits. Over the past half-century, state initiatives have slashed diesel-related cancer risks by nearly 80 percent and saved an estimated $250 billion in health costs. That trajectory has continued under the Newsom administration, which has overseen a dramatic expansion of clean energy infrastructure. The state now has over 15,000 megawatts of battery storage, up more than 1,900% since the beginning of Newsom’s tenure. In 2023 alone, California ran entirely on clean electricity for the equivalent of 51 days.
While the SMMI won’t immediately eliminate pollutants from California’s air, it will supply the one thing policymakers, residents, and researchers alike have long sought: clarity. And in the ongoing struggle over environmental health—one increasingly shaped by climate extremes, systemic inequality, and shifting federal priorities—information is power.
