Individuals living in many regions of Poland are breathing some of the most polluted air in the entire European Union. Thirty six of the 50 most polluted cities from the 2018 list by the World Health Organization were in Poland. The poor air condition directly influences health outcomes of the Polish citizens. Simultaneously, many individuals and local government agencies remains unaware of legal tools and options for interventions in cases of environmental pollution.

We have invited activists from five voivodeships that are suffering the most from the smog problem. During the first meeting, the participants will exchange knowledge, their experiences, and methods they employ in their work. We will organize a series of trainings during which we will discuss legal tools, research methods and techniques, the law and the anti-smog legislation. We will also organize citizens watch – we will measure the effectiveness of the crisis management centers within the air pollution prevention system, as well as local and national governments’ engagement in improving the air quality in 100 municipalities from the five participating voivodeships. We will also involve the fire departments and offices of construction supervision from the involved municipalities to better react to instances of air polluting. What is more, we will organize a campaign in selected voivodeships on how to use the legal tools such as administrative order for coal furnace replacement. It is an unknown procedure that we intend to promote by initiating 25 legal proceedings in five voivodeships. Lastly, we will run a civic educational anti-smog campaign, during which we will invite citizens for a debate on replacing the coal furnaces and difficulties involved in the procedure.