Project Grant 00E03355

DESCRIPTION:THE PURPOSE OF THIS COMPETITIVELY SELECTED AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDED GRANT AGREEMENT PROVIDES FUNDING TO WAREHOUSE WORKERS FOR JUSTICE (WWJ) 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. THE WWJ WILL DEPLOY STATIONARY AIR SENSORS TO COLLECT AND IDENTIFY NEAR REAL TIME LOCATION-SPECIFIC AIR QUALITY DATA AT SELECTED COMMUNITY SITES.ACTIVITIES:WWJ WILL CHOOSE MONITORING LOCATIONS BASED UPON PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT FROM COMMUNITY MEETINGS AS THE AIR QUALITY SENSORS WILL UNDERGO INITIAL TESTING AND VALIDATION. RESULTING DATA FROM AIR QUALITY MONITORING AND DATA COMPARISON WILL BE USED BY WWJ AND LEWIS UNIVERSITY TO IDENTIFY THE DISTRIBUTION AND CAUSES OF PM2.5. WWJ WILL DEVELOP A PUBLIC WEBSITE AS A DEDICATED RESOURCE FOR AIR QUALITY INFORMATION, PUBLIC MEETINGS, AND TO POST DATA FINDINGS. THE ACTIVITIES WILL BE USED TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY AND LOCAL EFFORTS TO MONITOR THEIR OWN AIR QUALITY AND TO PROMOTE AIR QUALITY MONITORING PARTNERSHIPS 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:A SUBAWARD TO LEWIS UNIVERSITY WILL BE ISSUED BY WAREHOUSE WORKERS FOR JUSTICE TO CONDUCT AMBIENT AIR MONITORING AND PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY OUTREACH IN JOLIET, IL. A LEWIS UNIVERSITY FACULTY MEMBER AND GRADUATE STUDENTS WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY CONTROL ASPECTS OF THIS PROJECT TO MEASURE PM2.5 THROUGH STATIONARY AIR SENSORS.OUTCOMES:THE ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES INCLUDE DEVELOPMENT OF STATIONARY AIR QUALITY SENSORS IN/NEAR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES TO CONDUCT PM2.5 MONITORING DATA. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE INCREASED COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDING OF AIR QUALITY CONCERNS BASED ON GRANULAR DATA OF LOCAL AIR QUALITY AND INCREASED AWARENESS OF AIR QUALITY AND HEALTH EFFECTS THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND EDUCATIONAL EVENTS. THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE RESIDENTS OF JOLIET, IL.