This agreement provides funding under the inflation reduction act (IRA)

This $652,664 Cooperative Agreement awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6 under the Environmental Justice Government-to-Government (CFDA 66.312) program will fund the City of Dallas to implement an air quality monitoring and vegetation buffering project in the St. Philips community. The project aims to address environmental justice concerns in this area by deploying air quality sensors, developing vegetative screening along key roadway corridors, and analyzing the impacts on air quality and community health. The project activities will be led by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute and Texas Trees Foundation as sub-recipients. This effort builds on previous non-regulatory air quality pilots in the area and aligns with other infrastructure projects to enhance the St. Philips community's resilience and environmental quality.

The agreement provides funding to city of dallas. Specifically, the recipient will build on previous non-regulatory air quality pilot efforts. By adding vegetative buffers along area roadways, the project will measure the impact of implementing vegetation to improve air quality and reduce local heat island impact in the ST. Philips community in southeast dallas. The project seeks to address air quality as the local environmental and public health issue for this area. There are three primary air quality concerns: region-wide severe non-attainment air quality status, transportation-related emissions along the SM wright and MLK roadway corridors, and a relatively high number of other industrial facilities located near adjacent residential areas. Activities:the activities include deploying non-regulatory air quality monitoring equipment in up to ten locations, selected in correlation of higher rates of asthma, coronavirus disease 19 (covid-19, other cardio-pulmonary diseases, and environmental justice demographic data. Texas trees foundation will also use air quality data, to develop an overlay of vegetative buffering to be implemented. Planting efforts to be coordinated with city of dallas and completion of a parallel grant-funded complete street project along MLK boulevard, and the grant funded smart street improvements on the SM wright corridors in this project area. Subrecipient:texas aandm transportation institute (TTI) - center for advancing research in transportation emissions, energy, and health (CARTEEH): developing and implementing air quality sensor network; data calibration and quality verification, data compilation and reporting. Texas trees foundation: based on data, develop and implement appropriate vegetative screening to buffer air quality along MLK corridor; assess data for air quality, temperature and met; work with health professionals to correlate VEG buffer effects on health outcomes. Parkland hospital and health systems: based on data, develop and implement public health information, concerning air quality, asthma, covid-19; use data to expand predictive model capabilities; advance community health needs assessment, and related public health policy. Children's health: based on data, develop and implement public health information concerning air quality, asthma, covid-19. Specifically handle education for ST. Phillips community, community base organization (CBO's), dallas independent school district (DISD) staff. Positive breathing - asthma chasers: based on data, develop and implement public health information, concerning air quality, asthma, covid-19. Specifically handle education for existing DISD family programs, and faith-based organizations. ST. Phillips community: work with the city and public health partners to make sure project team understands neighborhood concerns, and that the project information meets the neighborhood needs.outcomes:the anticipated deliverables include regular progress reports on project status, trainings, meetings, presentations. Technical memorandum summarizing existing data and identified project focus areas. Draft and final quality assurance project plan (QAPP). Equipment calibration/RE-calibration records / site installation documentation. Technical memorandum with data compilation, summary and assessment of data quality per quality assurance project plan (QAPP). Preliminary / final planting plan; as-built drawings showing installation; plant monitoring plan, technical memorandum with data compilation, summary and assessment of data. Monthly status reports, financial reports; draft/final project reports; post project completion reports. The expected outcomes include supporting progress towards greater state and federal understanding of the cumulative impacts of air quality and public health, and the critical role that the local urban forest canopy plays in improvin