The agreement provides funding under inflation reduction act to conduct ambient air monitoring of pollutants of greatest concern in communities with environmental and health outcome disparities…

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6 awarded a $453,732 Project Grant under the "Surveys, Studies, Research, Investigations, Demonstrations, and Special Purpose Activities Relating to the Clean Air Act" (CFDA 66.034) program to the Capital Area Council of Governments (Capcog). The grant funding will be used to conduct continuous ambient air monitoring of particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area, with a focus on underserved communities.

Capcog will operate seven research-grade continuous PM2.5 monitors and distribute up to 20 low-cost continuous PM2.5 sensors throughout the region. Capcog will also issue subawards totaling $58,703 to Huston-Tillotson University ($24,114) and St. Edward's University ($34,589) to provide faculty and student support for the project. The air quality monitoring data will be streamed to the EPA's AirNow system, with the goal of improving understanding of PM2.5 levels, enhancing local decision-making, and reducing public exposure to short-term PM2.5 pollution in the region.

The agreement provides funding under inflation reduction act to conduct ambient air monitoring of pollutants of greatest concern in communities with environmental and health outcome disparities stemming from pollution and the coronavirus disease (covid-19) pandemic.activities:capitol area council of governments (capcog) 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 and tribal, state and local governments. Capitol area council of governments (capcog) proposes to operate seven research-grade continuous particulate matter (PM2.5) monitors and to distribute up to 20 low-cost continuous particulate matter (PM2.5) sensors in the region. Project will consist of continuous measurements of particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations in the metropolitan statistical area (MSA). Project will also improve the understanding of where high levels of particulate matter (PM2.5) occur in the region, improve particulate matter (PM2.5) forecasting, enhance local decision-making, better-targeted particulate matter (PM2.5) emission reduction actions, reduce public's exposure to short-term particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution and expand community capacity for future monitoring. Subrecipient:capitol area council of governments (capcog) will issue subawards to huston tillotson university (HTU) and ST. Edwards university (SEU). Each university will have 2 faculty members throughout the project period and one student for summer 2025. The subawards will fund faculty time to participate throughout the grant period as a project partner in addition to training the faculty on the maintenance and operation of the monitors. The subawards will fund one student from each university to work on the project in summer 2024 to learn the operation and maintenance of the monitors and to assist in data analyses of the collected data throughout the project period. The subaward amounts include travel for university faculty and students to visit the sites to receive training on the maintenance and operation of the monitors. Capcog proposes to subaward approximately $24,114 to HT and $34,589.00 to SEU for the project period. The subaward amounts were developed in consultation with SEU and HT faculty and the offices of sponsored programs to ensure accuracy of the cost estimates. The total subaward amount equals $58,703.00.outcomes:capitol area council of governments (capcog): anticipated deliverables include near-real-time continuous measurements of particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations in the metropolitan statistical area streamed to the environmental protection agency's airnow system along with reports documenting monitoring operations and data quality. Expected outcomes of this project will be to improve understanding of where high levels of particulate matters (PM2.5) occur in the region that may not currently be measured by existing monitors, especially in areas with underserved communities. Additionally, increase enhanced monitoring which will provide more informed local decision-making, increase targeted particulate matter (PM2.5) emission reduction actions and the reduction of the public's exposure to short-term particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution when IT occurs. This project will also provide training in particulate matter (PM2.5) monitoring equipment which will allow the community to sustain the operation of the monitors and expand community capacity for future monitoring beyond the grant period. The intended beneficiaries include citizens of the state of texas (central area) in or near underserved communities specifically in the austin-round rock-georgetown metropolitan statistical area (bastrop, caldwell, hays, travis and williamson county).