Not listed DESCRIPTION:THE AGREEMENT PROVIDES FUNDING UNDER THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT (IRA) TO RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FOR THE EXPANSION AND ENHANCEMENT OF THEIR AIR MONITORING ACTIVITIES. SPECIFICALLY, THE RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT OFFICE OF AIR RESOURCES INTENDS TO USE THE FUNDS FOR MAINTAINING AND UPGRADING THE ENTIRE RHODE ISLAND AIR MONITORING NETWORK AS WELL AS ESTABLISHING A NEW MULTIPOLLUTANT SITE. THE UPGRADED EQUIPMENT WILL LOWER THE AMOUNT OR DISRUPTIONS IN MONITORING DUE TO DOWNTIME FROM THEIR CURRENT AGING EQUIPMENT. CONSISTENT MONITORING WILL HELP RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT TO IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS POTENTIAL AIR POLLUTION ISSUES. INVESTING IN THESE AIR MONITORING SITES ASSURES SUSTAINABILITY OF THE MONITORING PROGRAMS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. THE MONITORING WILL HELP TO IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS POTENTIAL AIR POLLUTION ISSUES SO RHODE ISLAND MAY MORE EFFECTIVELY IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS EXISTING, EMERGING, AND FUTURE ISSUES. THE PROJECT ALSO ALIGNS WITH EPA'S GOAL TO MODERNIZE THE TECHNOLOGIES, EQUIPMENT, AND NETWORK DESIGN USED TO MEASURE AIR QUALITY AS WELL AS ENHANCE THE QUALITY AND SECURITY OF CRITICAL DATA COLLECTION, HANDLING, AND REPORTING FROM THE NETWORK. CONSISTENT WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN, THE ENVIRONMENTAL OUTCOMES FROM THIS GRANT INCLUDE MAY REDUCE INCIDENCES OF RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES, INCLUDING ASTHMA AND LUNG CANCER, REDUCED EXPOSURE TO AIR POLLUTANTS, AND IMPROVED VISIBILITY IN AND NEAR DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES. ACTIVITIES:RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT OFFICE OF AIR RESOURCES INTENDS TO USE THIS FUNDING TO REPLACE SELECT MONITORING EQUIPMENT AT EACH OF THE MONITORING SITES AS INDICATED TABLE 1. SPECIFICALLY, UNDER 60105(A) SEVERAL PIECES OF EQUIPMENT AT THE RHODE ISLAND SITE, 440070022, WILL BE REPLACED AND UNDER 60105(B) A NEW MULTIPOLLUTANT SITE WILL BE DEPLOYED AND SEVERAL PIECES OF MONITORING EQUIPMENT AT EXISTING SITES WILL BE UPGRADED/REPLACED. RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT INTEND TO OPERATE A NEW MULTIPOLLUTANT SITE IN WOONSOCKET. THE SITE WILL BE LOCATED IN ONE OF THE DISADVANTAGED CENSUS TRACTS IN THE WOONSOCKET AREA. THERE ARE SEVERAL CENSUS TRACTS IN WOONSOCKET CONSIDERED DISADVANTAGED MEETING MORE THAN ONE BURDEN THRESHOLDS AND THE ASSOCIATED SOCIOECONOMIC THRESHOLD. RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT WILL FURTHER INVESTIGATE THESE AREAS TO DETERMINE WHICH SITES WILL BE BEST SUITED FOR AIR MONITORING AND PROVIDE US WITH USEFUL DATA FOR ANALYSIS THAT CAN BE USED FOR POLICY AND DECISION MAKING. AS NOTED IN THE PROJECT DESCRIPTION, IN ADDITION TO THE NEW MULTIPOLLUTANT SITE, THE FUNDING WILL BE USED TO PURCHASE NEW EQUIPMENT ACROSS ALL RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PERMANENT MONITORING SITES. VERNON ST, NEAR RD, COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF RHODE ISLAND AND EAST PROVIDENCE ARE ALL INDICATED ON THE CLIMATE AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE SCREENING TOOL MAP WITHIN THE NARRATIVE AND ALL FALL WITHIN AREAS OF THE MAP HIGHLIGHTED AS DISADVANTAGED AREAS. INVESTING IN THESE AIR MONITORING SITES ASSURES SUSTAINABILITY OF THE MONITORING PROGRAMS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.SUBRECIPIENT:NO SUBAWARDS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT.OUTCOMES:EXPECTED PROJECT OUTPUTS INCLUDE: - ONE NEW MULTIPOLLUTANT AIR MONITORING SITE - CRITICAL EQUIPMENT UPGRADES AND REPLACEMENT AT ALL NETWORK SITES (SEE TABLE 1 OF NARRATIVE) THE FOLLOWING OUTCOMES ARE EXPECTED FROM THE PROJECT DETAILED ABOVE: - INCREASED MONITORING IN DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES. - INCREASED PUBLIC AWARENESS OF AMBIENT AIR QUALITY. - INFORMATION ABOUT AIR QUALITY IN PREVIOUSLY UNMONITORED AREAS. - POTENTIAL IDENTIFICATION OF NEW AIR QUALITY ISSUES AT THE NEW MULTIPOLLUTANT SITE. - AIR MONITORING DATA THAT SUPPORTS POLICY AND DECISION MAKING. - INCREASED SUSTAINABILITY OF AMBIENT AIR MONITORING NETWORKS. - ABILITY TO BETTER INFORM PUBLIC $870.5k 8/23/24