The agreement provides funds to conduct ambient air monitoring of pollutants of greatest concern in communities with environmental and health outcome disparities stemming from pollution and the…

The agreement provides funds 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. Jefferson county public health will create local capacity for underserved communities in jefferson county to monitor and address their own air quality. They will monitor for fine particulate matter 2.5 microns in diameter or smaller (PM2.5). They will partner with jefferson county public schools and other community-based organizations to replicate and expand on denver department of public health and environment's highly successful love my air program. The program will place low-cost, high-quality monitoring equipment at partner sites, providing real-time, particulate matter measurements on easy to understand, public-facing dashboards. Jefferson county will support partner grassroots outreach and education efforts. Data will be shared with county and state organizations that provide health advocacy, research and reporting to the community.activities:the activities will be used to support community and local efforts to monitor their own air quality and to promote air quality monitoring partnerships between communities, 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 use low-cost air monitoring equipment to monitor PM2.5 in jefferson county. They will identify host site partners, participate in training on the use of the monitoring sensors, install monitoring equipment and the data interface, engage in outreach and education activities, create and distribute quarterly data summaries. The recipient intends to expand the outreach of the program by adding other community-based organizations as partners, including sustainable neighborhoods and public libraries. They intend to form a sensor host committee to ensure an inclusive and collaborative process. They will hold community-wide training to the host site communities to increase the communities capacity to address air pollution locally. Subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:the anticipated deliverables include the selection of host sites and the deployment of low-cost air monitoring sensors throughout the community. The data obtained will be aggregated and analyzed and findings will be shared with the host sites on a quarterly basis. This data will also be shared with community monitoring advisory groups. Results will be shared with the jefferson county sustainability commission for purposes of supporting the air quality portion of the county climate action plan. The county will provide technical assistance and guidance to host sites. The expected outcomes include increased community knowledge about local air quality and health behavior changes. Increased collaboration with project partners and an increased community voice in air quality topics at a local and regional level. Long term outcomes include reduced exposure to air pollutants and improved public health outcomes. The intended beneficiaries include the residents of jefferson county, colorado.