Project Grant 97T06201

DESCRIPTION:THIS AGREEMENT PROVIDES FUNDING UNDER THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT (IRA) TO BAY AREA AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT (BAAQMD). SPECIFICALLY, THE RECIPIENT WILL PURCHASE AND DEPLOY AIR QUALITY SENSORS TO EVALUATE THE INSTRUMENT PERFORMANCE AND VIABILITY IN OVERBURDENED COMMUNITIES, SUPPLYING THEM WITH REAL-TIME AIR QUALITY DATA. THIS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT PROVIDES FULL FEDERAL FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF $55,920.00. ACTIVITIES:THE ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED INCLUDE INSTRUMENT PROCUREMENT AND EVALUATION TO COMPARE A VARIETY OF SENSORS TO PM2.5 FEDERAL EQUIVILANCE METHODS (FEM) AND HIGH GRADE BLACK CARBON MONITORS. THE PROJECT WOULD INCLUDE THE PROCUREMENT AND EVALUATION OF FIVE (5) QUANTAQ MODULAIRTRADE;-PM, THREE (3) AIRGRADIENT OUTDOOR PM SENSORS, THREE (3) AETHLABS MICROAETHREG; MA350, THREE (3) METONE C-12 MONITORS. THE EVALUATION WOULD INCLUDE ACCEPTANCE TESTING AND COMPARISON WITH PM2.5 FEM AND HIGH-GRADE BLACK CARBON MONITORS. COMPARISONS WILL BE CONDUCTED BOTH IN A LABORATORY SETTING, AND AT AN AIR DISTRICT AIR MONITORING SITE. COMPARISONS WOULD BE USED TO UNDERSTAND INSTRUMENT PERFORMANCE (PRECISION AND BIAS) UNDER DIFFERENT CONDITIONS AND CONCENTRATION LEVELS. THE MAIN OBJECTIVE WOULD BE TO DEVELOP A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF INSTRUMENT PERFORMANCE AND VIABILITY OF USE FOR DEPLOYMENT IN OVERBURDENED COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE BAY AREA THAT EXPERIENCE DISPROPORTIONATE CUMULATIVE IMPACTS FROM AIR POLLUTION THAT ARE NOT WELL CHARACTERIZED BY THE AIR DISTRICT'S EXISTING MONITORING NETWORK OR EXISTING SENSOR NETWORKS. EVALUATION OF THE QUANTAQ AND AIRGRADIENT PM MONITORS AS WELL AS THE AETHLABS AND METONE PORTABLE AETHALOMETERS WILL ALLOW THE AIR DISTRICT TO INCREASE ITS CAPACITY AND READINESS TO DEPLOY SENSORS WITHIN COMMUNITIES THAT ARE DOMINATED BY SOURCES THAT ARE NOT WELL CHARACTERIZED BY CURRENT METHODS AND PROVIDE MEANINGFUL AND ACTIONABLE DATA TO COMMUNITY PARTNERS. THE PROJECT WOULD INCLUDE COLLABORATION AND COORDINATION WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS ON SOURCES OF CONCERN AND PROJECT DESIGN (INCLUDING A QAPP), DEPLOYMENT OF SENSORS IN THE COMMUNITY, ACCESS TO REAL-TIME DATA, PROCESS FOR ENSURING TRANSPARENT DATA PROCESSING, PERIODIC ASSESSMENT OF AIR MONITORING RESULTS, DATA INTERPRETATION, AND COMMUNICATION TO COMMUNITY PARTNERS. THE PROJECT WILL BUILD ON EXISTING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS THROUGH THOUGHTFUL COLLABORATION, TRANSPARENCY, AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING, INCREASE ACCESS TO REAL-TIME DATA, AND PROVIDE COMMUNITY-SPECIFIC AIR MONITORING DATA THAT CAN BE COMBINED WITH COMMUNITY LIVED EXPERIENCE TO INFORM POLICIES TO REDUCE EMISSIONS AND EXPOSURE FROM LOCAL SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTION. SUBRECIPIENT:NO SUBAWARDS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT.OUTCOMES:ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES: 1. TOTAL STAFF HOURS SPENT ON PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION (C1 AND C2). 2. NUMBER OF ROUTINE COORDINATION MEETINGS FOR PROJECT PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION (C2). 3. NUMBER OF AIR SENSORS DEPLOYED AND PURCHASED (C2). 4. TOTAL NUMBER OF DAYS OF AIR MONITORING DATA COLLECTED (C2). 5. COMPARISON OF PM2.5, PM10, BC AND BRC CONCENTRATIONS BETWEEN EVALUATED AIR SENSORS AND DISTRICT-DEPLOYED METHODS. EXPECTED PROJECT OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES: 1. PROCUREMENT - PURCHASE OF SENSORS CAPABLE OF REAL TIME PM2.5, PM10, BLACK CARBON AND BROWN CARBON ACCORDING TO EPA AND AIR DISTRICT PROCUREMENT AND BIDDING POLICIES AND REQUIREMENTS. 2. AIR SENSOR DEPLOYMENT -DEPLOY AIR SENSORS AND METEOROLOGICAL MEASUREMENTS NEAR SOURCES OF CONCERN OR IN COMMUNITY, AND AT THE AIR DISTRICT SITE ONE MILE AWAY FOR QA. 3. DATA COLLECTION AND SENSOR EVALUATION - ENSURE SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES ARE IN PLACE TO CAPTURE THE DATA NEEDED TO TRACK THE SELECTED PERFORMANCE METRICS. 4. EVALUATION OF TWO PM AIR SENSING OPTIONS AND TWO BLACK AND BROWN CARBON SENSING OPTIONS. 5. DEVELOPMENT OF STANDARD DEPLOYMENT AND OPERATING PROCEDURES. 6. BUILDING ON EXISTING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS THROUGH THOUGHTFUL COLLABORATION, TRANSPARENCY, AND KNOWLEDG