Project Grant 02F46401

DESCRIPTION: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 CORONA VIRUS DISEASE-19 PANDEMIC. PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS AND LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA ARE SOME OF THE MOST HEAVILY POLLUTED FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRIAL AREAS IN THE GULF SOUTH. HOWEVER, THESE TWO COMMUNITIES HAVE RECEIVED VERY LITTLE SUPPORT FOR AIR POLLUTION MONITORING OR REFORM. THIS PROJECT WILL SET AIR MONITORING BASELINES THAT FUTURE MEASUREMENTS CAN COMPARE TO. THE PRIMARY USE OF AIR SENSOR DATA WILL BE FOR COMMUNITY INFORMATION AND ENGAGEMENT.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. THIS PROJECT WILL SET AIR MONITORING BASELINES THAT FUTURE MEASUREMENTS CAN COMPARE TO. MICAH 6:8 MISSION'S TEAM OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS WILL DEPLOY ONE SENSOR IN THE GREATER LAKE CHARLES AREA AND ONE SENSOR IN THE GREATER PORT ARTHUR AREA. THE SENSORS WILL BE FIXED IN PLACE, AIR QUALITY (AQ) SYNC1 HIGH-GRADE SENSORS WITH A WEATHER STATION ATTACHED. DATA FROM THE AQSYNC IS TRANSMITTED IN REAL TIME THROUGH A CELLULAR NETWORK INSTALLED ON THE MONITOR ITSELF. THE COLLABORATORS ON THIS PROJECT WILL ENDEAVOR TO FIND FUTURE FUNDING FOR MOBILE AIR MONITORING FOR A WIDER VARIETY OF POLLUTANTS, TO COMPLEMENT THE FIXED SENSORS.SUBRECIPIENT:FOR A BETTER BAYOU AND HEALTHY GULF ARE PARTNERS WITH MICAH 6:8 MISSION. THEY WILL BE CONDUCTING SOCIAL MEDIA AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH, PERFORMING MAINTENANCE ON THE EQUIPMENT SUCH AS CHANGING FILTERS, AND PROVIDING DATA MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION WITH CONTRACTORS.OUTCOMES:THE ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES INCLUDE: 1) AT LEAST ONE YEAR OF CONTINUOUS AIR EMISSIONS DATA (BARRING INOPERABLE CONDITIONS DUE TO STORMS) AND WEATHER DATA FROM A FIXED LOCATION IN PORT ARTHUR, AND A FIXED LOCATION IN LAKE CHARLES. 2) A WEBSITE WITH MAPS AND ANIMATION, AND COMMUNICATION OF THE RESULTS OF THE SENSORS TO THE PUBLIC. 3) COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FORUMS (SOCIAL MEDIA, NEWSLETTER, TEXT, E.G.) WHERE PEOPLE CAN FIND OUT WHAT'S IN THE AIR, PLUS LEARN HOW TO GET INVOLVED IN ADVOCACY AND COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER ABOUT POLLUTION CONCERNS. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE: 1) INCREASED PUBLIC AWARENESS OF AIR POLLUTANTS AND PUBLIC HEALTH AS A RESULT OF AIR POLLUTION. 2) COMMUNITY MEMBERS FEEL MORE EMPOWERED AND MORE EMBOLDENED TO AGITATE FOR HEALTH, JUSTICE AND EQUITY. 3) COMMUNITY MEMBERS FEEL LISTENED TO AND VALUED. 4) DATASETS ON AIR POLLUTION THAT ARE RIGOROUS IN QUALITY AND SCIENTIFIC DEFENSIBILITY ARE AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITIES. THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE COMMUNITIES IN GREATER PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, AS WELL AS GREATER LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA.