The purpose of this competitively selected grant is to conduct ambient air monitoring of pollutants of greatest concern in communities with environmental and health outcome disparities stemming from…

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9 awarded a $500,000 Project Grant under the Surveys, Studies, Research, Investigations, Demonstrations, and Special Purpose Activities Relating to the Clean Air Act (CFDA 66.034) program to Comite Civico Del Valle, Inc. The grant funding will support the establishment of a regional air monitoring network in the Salton Sea Air Basin to screen for toxic metal hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). This will leverage Comite Civico Del Valle, Inc.'s existing particulate matter monitoring network to provide high time-resolution, low-cost monitoring of HAPs in underserved rural communities. Subawards will be provided to partner organizations for training, calibration, and analysis of the monitoring instruments deployed. Expected outcomes include increased awareness of HAPs exposures, greater access to emissions data, inclusion of mitigation planning, and reduced emissions and human exposures in the target regions.

Expected outcomes

Increased awareness of potential haps exposure and sources of emissions among community stakeholders, including residents, policy advocates, and regulators; increased access to information on haps emission levels; inclusion of haps mitigation planning in AB617 community air monitoring plans (camps) that track air pollution emissions; and reduction of haps emissions, concentrations, and human exposures in the imperial and eastern coachella valleys.