We are University of Oregon Journalism graduate students from the Multimedia Journalism master’s program in Portland, and over the course of several months we tracked every development surrounding Portland’s toxic air problem, compiling data and doing investigative research of our own. What resulted aims to reflect various sides of a complex story, which does not end here.

The goal of this project is to create awareness and affect change that will directly impact Portland communities. Without help from members of these communities, our vision could not have been fully realized.

We hope that the issues raised by concerned parents, alarmed neighbors and frustrated artists have provoked serious thought about air quality and its legislation here in Oregon. Addressing a problem is merely the first step toward fixing it.