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 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. Subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:the recipient will disseminate introductory educational materials and a community-wide survey in each town; work with local communities to assemble a steering committee in each jurisdiction; meet to review survey feedback, brainstorm and investigate locations, and receive training on how to use mobile sensors; conduct walking audits in the community using mobile sensors which measure PM2.5 to investigate locations and times of day where pollution levels may be elevated; review results using the device's open-source map; help communities to post monitoring data on the project's website; host a series of webinars for berkshire county residents introducing the sensors, discussing how to interpret and use data for personal protection and to make the air in their homes and neighborhoods cleaner; conduct targeted outreach to specific groups; download data from each sensor twice a year, analyze data and prepare reports for each community that will be presented to the steering committees and made available to the broader community. Expected deliverables include purchasing 300 iqar air visual pro indoor air sensors measuring particulate matter (PM1.0, PM2.5, PM10), carbon dioxide (CO2) and dispersing them to low-income households and schools in environmental justice (EJ) communities. Expected outcomes include increased community awareness of availability of the data, health impacts, personal protective measures, and how to improve their indoor and outdoor air quality. Residents and municipalities will receive the data needed to implement and advocate for local and state policy changes, implore polluters to curb emissions, and implement projects that derive the most benefits for air quality in an equitable way. An overall decrease in premature death, cancers, and respiratory diseases is expected for berkshire county residents. Direct beneficiaries of these activities are all berkshire county residents, especially the county's most vulnerable populations.