Project Grant 02F30101

DESCRIPTION:THE PURPOSE OF THIS 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. THE LOUISIANA ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION NETWORK (LEAN) WILL BE ASSESSING AIR QUALITY AT THE BLOCK LEVEL THROUGHOUT LOUISIANA'S INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR WHILE EXPANDING AIR QUALITY LITERACY IN HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES AND IDENTIFYING ACTIONABLE STRATEGIES TO REDUCE EXPOSURE AND EMISSIONS.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. SPECIFICALLY, THE RECIPIENT WILL: DESIGN A MONITORING STRATEGY, WITH COMMUNITY GUIDANCE, CENTERED AROUND ACLIMA'S (LOUISIANA ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION NETWORK'S (LEAN'S) TECHNICAL PARTNER) PROPRIETARY TECHNOLOGY AND REINFORCED BY STATIONARY AIR MONITORING HUBS IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. THIS PROJECT WILL TAKE PLACE IN 4 DISTINCT PHASES: 1. OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT, 2. ACLIMA'S HYPERLOCAL MONITORING, 3. BUILDING COMMUNITY AIR HUBS, 4. ANALYSIS AND SOLUTIONS. THROUGH A COMBINATION OF PUBLIC OUTREACH, COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS, DATA COLLECTION, AND ANALYSIS, THIS PROJECT AIMS TO FILL THE GAPS IN INFORMATION NECESSARY TO ADDRESS LONG STANDING CONCERNS IN AN OVERBURDENED REGION. THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF THIS WORK IS TO PROVIDE AIR QUALITY DATA TO UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, IMPROVE AIR QUALITY LITERACY, IDENTIFY LOCALLY SPECIFIC STRATEGIES TO REDUCE EXPOSURE, AS WELL AS DEVELOP RECOMMENDATION TO REDUCE EMISSIONS.SUBRECIPIENT:LEAN WILL HOST A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS WITH COMMUNITY/NEIGHBORHOOD/SCHOOL PARTNERS COMMUNICATING RESULTS OF COMMUNITY MONITOR RESULTS, ACLIMA COLLECTED DATA AS WELL AS APPLICABLE DATA COLLECTED BY LDEQ / EPA.OUTCOMES:EXPECTED DELIVERABLES: - PRINT/DIGITAL AD CAMPAIGN MATERIAL - ENGAGEMENT WORKSHOPS AND ACLIMA EMPLOYMENT RECRUITMENT - COMPREHENSIVE AIR QUALITY DATA OF ENTIRE INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR - 3-4 AIR MONITORING STATIONS CONTROLLED AND MAINTAINED BY LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS - FEEDBACK MEETINGS WITH COMMUNITY PARTNER/LIAISONS TO AID IN OPERATION AND USE OF HUBS - COMPREHENSIVE REPORT OF ENTIRE MONITORING EFFORTS TO DATE, INCLUDING MOBILE MONITORING AND STATIONARY HUBS. - EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL COMMUNICATING THE RESULTS OF MOBILE AND STATIONARY MONITORING OUTCOMES: - WIDER SCOPE OF COMMUNITIES AND INDIVIDUALS DEMONSTRATING INCREASED KNOWLEDGE OF AIR QUALITY DATA AND ASSOCIATED RISKS. - INDIVIDUALS INTERACTING WITH THE PROJECT WILL BE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT LOCAL POLLUTING AGENTS, POLLUTANTS PRESENT AROUND THEIR HOMES AND NEIGHBORHOODS, CONCENTRATIONS OF AMBIENT AIR POLLUTION, AND THE HAZARDS THEY POSE TO HUMAN HEALTH. - ADJUSTMENT IN COMMUNITY AND INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIORS TO REDUCE EXPOSURE. COMMUNITY MEMBERS WILL BE ABLE TO IDENTIFYING SAFE TIMES OF DAY TO BE OUTSIDE AND IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO EMITTING FACILITIES, - COMMUNITIES COLLECTIVELY ORGANIZING TO ENGAGE IN CONVERSATION AND ACTION WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRIES ABOUT AIR QUALITY IN THEIR AREAS. - POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGES TO INDUSTRIAL ZONING AND PERMITS. - REDUCTION OF HARMFUL EMISSIONS FROM INDUSTRIES WITHIN THE PROGRAM AREA. - REDUCED ILLNESS AND HOSPITALIZATION DUE TO RESPIRATORY HAZARDS. INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: DIRECT BENEFICIARIES OF THESE ACTIVITIES ARE COMMUNITY RESIDENTS WHO WILL HAVE DECREASED RISK OF ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS, INCLUDING CANCER AND NEUROLOGICAL EFFECTS.