Project Grant 95312101

DESCRIPTION:THIS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT PROVIDES FUNDING UNDER THE 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 COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THIS PROJECT, COMMUNITY-DRIVEN IN ALL ASPECTS, WILL IDENTIFY AND IMPLEMENT AIR POLLUTION EXPOSURE AND RISK REDUCTION MEASURES BASED ON COMMUNITY RECOMMENDATIONS AND DATA FROM MULTI-POLLUTANT AIR SENSOR SUPERSITES IN THREE EJ COMMUNITIES. ACTIVITIES, OUTPUTS, AND OUTCOMES WILL INCLUDE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AND TRAINING; A COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP STEERING COMMITTEE GUIDING THE PROJECT; A TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP; COMMUNITY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT; AIR SENSOR AND OTHER DATA ANALYSES, INCREASED COMMUNITY AWARENESS OF AIR POLLUTION, AIR POLLUTION MONITORING AND MITIGATION, AND POLICY CHANGES. THIS INCLUDES DEPLOYMENT OF A HYPER-LOCAL NETWORK OF SENSORS, TRADITIONAL AIR MONITORING, AND OTHER MEASUREMENT AND FINGERPRINTING TECHNIQUES TO LINK MEASURED DATA TO SOURCES CONTRIBUTING TO HIGH EXPOSURES. 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 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 CREATE A STEERING COMMITTEE AND ESTABLISH COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS; CONDUCT SITE SELECTIONS AND DEPLOY AIR MONITORS IN 3 COMMUNITIES TO BUILD ON EXISTING AIR SENSOR NETWORKS; CONDUCT AIR DATA ANALYSIS; SOLICIT COMMUNITY INPUT TO IDENTIFY SPECIFIC SOURCES OR SOURCE CATEGORIES OF EXPOSURE AND IMPLEMENT REDUCTION STRATEGIES; CONDUCT CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ANALYSIS; AND, MAKE SITE VISITS AND INSPECTIONS.SUBRECIPIENT:SUBAWARD TO UMD FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT: (1) $70,000 X 2 STUDENTS/STAFF X 2 YEARS TO DEPLOY AND MANAGE THE AIR SENSORS, ANALYZE RESULTS, AND CONDUCT COMMUNITY OUTREACH, TRAINING, AND PARTNERSHIP BUILDING WITH THE 3 COMMUNITIES AS DESCRIBED IN THE BUDGET NARRATIVE;OUTCOMES:THE ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES INCLUDE CREATION OF A STEERING COMMITTEE, INCLUDING EJ COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES TO OVERSEE AND MAKING PROJECT DECISIONS; WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TRAININGS; COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN AIR SENSOR DEPLOYMENT, COLLECTION, AND MEASUREMENT; AIR SENSOR DATA ANALYSIS; INCREASED COMMUNITY AWARENESS OF AIR POLLUTION MONITORING AND POLICY CHANGES; AND, STRENGTHENED COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE THE IDENTIFICATION AND DOCUMENTATION OF AIR POLLUTION EXPOSURE RISKS IN EJ COMMUNITIES; INCREASED COMMUNITY AWARENESS OF AIR QUALITY POLLUTION, DISPARITIES, AND OPPORTUNITIES TO MITIGATE RISK; INCREASED ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND TOOLS VIA THE CUMULATIVE IMPACT ASSESSMENT TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AND REDUCE THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND HUMAN HEALTH RISKS; MITIGATION MEASURES FOR COMMUNITIES, STATE REGULATORS AND INDUSTRY TO REDUCE MOBILE, AREA SOURCE, AND/OR STATIONARY AIR POLLUTION SOURCES' EMISSIONS IN EJ COMMUNITIES; COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN TO HELP MITIGATE AIR POLLUTANT(S); CHANGES IN POLICIES REGARDING POLLUTION IN EJ COMMUNITIES; REDUCTION OF PROJECT'S AIR POLLUTANT EMISSIONS; AND, REDUCTION OF HUMAN EXPOSURE TO AIR POLLUTANT EMISSIONS. THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE COMMUNITY RESIDENTS OF: CHEVERLY, MD; CURTIS BAY, MD; AND TURNER STATION, MD. THE BENEFITS WILL BE REDUCED AIR POLLUTION IN EJ COMMUNITIES AND IMPROVED LOCAL ISSUES, E.G., TRUCK TRAFFIC ROUTES AND STREET SWEEPING.