This agreement provides funding to the cook county department of environment and sustainability to assist with maintenance of adequate monitoring programs for the prevention and control of air…

Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 awarded $241,000 to Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability on April 1, 2026, under the Surveys, Studies, Research, Investigations, Demonstrations, and Special Purpose Activities Relating to the Clean Air Act program (CFDA 66.034) to maintain and operate fine particulate matter monitors across Cook County, Illinois, and ensure compliance with National Ambient Air Quality Standards for PM2.5.

The recipient will conduct ambient air quality monitoring through the state network plan, perform quality assurance assessments including semi-annual flow rate audits and one-point flow rate verifications of PM2.5 monitors, submit quality-assured fine particulate matter data collected by regulatory monitors, and administer grant funding and reporting. The primary deliverable is accurate air quality data provided to the public. Short-term outcomes include increased knowledge regarding PM2.5 concentrations in ambient air; long-term outcomes, through execution of the state's implementation plan, encompass reduced fine particulate matter concentrations and compliance with PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards under the Clean Air Act. Direct beneficiaries are Cook County residents, who will experience decreased risk of adverse health effects.

Performance extends from April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2028. No sub-recipients are included in this award.

This agreement provides funding to the cook county department of environment and sustainability to assist with maintenance of adequate monitoring programs for the prevention and control of air pollution. This grant is provided to conduct ambient air quality monitoring of fine particulate matter to ensure compliance with primary and secondary national ambient air quality standards. Specifically, the recipient will maintain and operate monitors from the state network plan sited in cook county, illinois. Activities:the activities to be performed include conducting quality assurance assessments such as semi-annual flow rate audits and one point flow rate verification of PM2.5 monitors, submittal of quality assured fine particulate matter data collected by regulatory monitors, and administration of grant funding and reporting. Subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:the primary deliverable is accurate air quality data provided to the public. The anticipated short-term outcome for this project is an increase in the knowledge regarding the extent of PM2.5 in the ambient air. The long-term outcome, through the execution of the state's implementation plan, is reduced fine particulate matter concentrations and compliance with the PM2.5 naaqs as set forth in the clean air act. Direct beneficiaries of these activities are cook county residents who will have decreased risk of adverse health effects.