"Wayne County's Mounting Pollution Problem - For decades, residents from the City of Detroit and nearby downriver neighborhoods have been affected by a number of heavy industrial operations in their communities. The Michigan Department of Community Health has deemed this area the “Epicenter of Asthma Burden,” due to the health consequences these local families face. 92 Schools in Wayne country are in areas where the air is unsafe to breathe."

Metro Detroit faces extreme pollution. Industrial operations along with transportation and natural causes produce CO2 gasses which linger in the air and risk harming Michigan citizens.  A new air quality report has determined the counties in Michigan that have the highest levels of air pollution and it seems the Metro Detroit area is plagued with a smog problem. The American Lung Association released its "State of the Air 2018" report Wednesday and concluded that ozone pollution overall worsened significantly in recent years. The authors emphasized the need to keep the Clean Air Act intact, funded and enforced — something some lawmakers have targeted for repeal. The study says the number of people exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution increased drastically. Ozone and particle pollution are associated with premature death, developmental harm, reproductive harm, lung cancer and heart damage, the ALA says.

James Clift, policy director at the Michigan Environmental Council in Lansing said, "When it comes to our blue skies above, the greatest issue is manmade energy. In fact, almost two-thirds of air pollution is a result of generating electricity." He went on to say, "The health impact is stark. In Michigan, 11.5 percent of adults and 9.2 percent of kids have asthma – about 25 percent above the national average. It’s been linked to heart disease, lung cancer and diabetes too."