The purpose of this american rescue plan funded and competitively selected cooperative agreement is to conduct ambient air monitoring of pollutants of greatest concern in communities with…

The Environmental Protection Agency Region 1 awarded a $510,211 Project Grant to Health Resources In Action, Inc. (HRIA) doing business as The Medical Foundation under the Surveys, Studies, Research, Investigations, Demonstrations, and Special Purpose Activities Relating to the Clean Air Act program (CFDA 66.034).

HRIA will conduct ambient air monitoring of pollutants in environmental justice communities in Massachusetts disproportionately impacted by pollution and COVID-19. Activities include providing $90k in subawards to three community-based organizations to support local air quality monitoring efforts. HRIA will foster knowledge and build community capacity to improve environmental health conditions through expanding monitoring, supporting a learning community, developing a statewide universal platform for real-time air quality data, and disseminating results. The project aims to leverage existing expertise, empower communities through citizen science, and build trust to find sustainable solutions to air pollution problems. The grant period is from April 1, 2023 to November 30, 2025.

The purpose of this american rescue plan funded and competitively selected cooperative agreement is to conduct ambient air monitoring of pollutants of greatest concern in communities with environmental and health outcome disparities stemming from pollution and the covid-19 pandemic. Activities:these funds will be used to support community and local efforts to monitor their own air quality and to promote air quality monitoring partnerships between communities and tribal, state, and local governments that: leverage existing air quality expertise, expand use of community monitoring groups and other approaches that give the community a voice in the monitoring of the air quality, and build a foundation of trusting relationships and enhanced understanding from which sustainable solutions to community air pollution problems can be found. Specifically, the recipient will foster knowledge and build capacity at the community#8208; level to improve environmental health conditions in massachusetts (MA) communities by expanding air quality (AQ) monitoring, supporting a learning community, building a statewide universal platform, and disseminating results. Subrecipient:$90,000 for three community based organization (CBO) ($30K each in grants) the goal of mhan is to foster knowledge and build capacity at the community#8208; level to improve environmental health conditions in MA communities by expanding AQ monitoring, supporting a learning community, building a statewide universal platform, and disseminating results. Mhan will prioritize three EJ communities' where residents experience disproportionate challenges related to environmental exposures, racial and health disparities, socioeconomic factors, sources of pollution, and are most burdened by asthma, covid#8208;19, air toxic cancer risk, and other chronic health conditions related to high levels of PM2.5 and O3. To do this, mhan will: provide funding and AQ sensors to three community (CBO) and/or faith#8208; based organizations (FBO) from separate EJ communities; engage them in the mhan citizen science EJ ambassadors' learning community data, along with the three pvaqm EJ communities; and invite them to participate in the data, research/communications/website, and/or evaluation committee(s). The statewide platform - a mobile friendly website - will provide real#8208; time, easily accessible, actionable data for any interested community monitoring PM2.5 and O3 , highlight the EJ communities' stories, and be available in english and spanish. Finally, mhan will organize a summit to share findings and data#8208; to#8208; action experiences from the EJ communities.outcomes:massachusetts healthy air network (mhan) will prioritize three environmental justice (EJ) communities' where residents experience disproportionate challenges related to environmental exposures, racial and health disparities, socioeconomic factors, sources of pollution, and are most burdened by asthma, covid#8208;19, air toxic cancer risk, and other chronic health conditions related to high levels of particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone (O3). To do this, mhan will: provide funding and air quality (AQ) sensors to three community (CBO) and/or faith#8208; based organizations (FBO) from separate EJ communities; engage them in the mhan citizen science EJ ambassadors' learning community data, along with the three pvaqm EJ communities; and invite them to participate in the data, research/communications/website, and/or evaluation committee(s). The statewide platform - a mobile friendly website - will provide real#8208; time, easily accessible, actionable data for any interested community monitoring PM2.5 and O3 , highlight the EJ communities' stories, and be available in english and spanish. Finally, mhan will organize a summit to share findings and data#8208; to#8208; action experiences from the EJ communities. Expected deliverables include promoting EJ by prioritiz