[Durham INC] epa-ej] EPA Opens $20 Million Grant Competition for Community Air Pollution Monitoring

[bonita green]

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Environmental-Justice <Environmental-Justice at epa.gov>
Date: Mon, Dec 13, 2021 at 3:33 PM
Subject: [epa-ej] EPA Opens $20 Million Grant Competition for Community Air
Pollution Monitoring
To: Environmental Justice information <epa-ej at lists.epa.gov>


***please do not reply to this email***



*EPA Opens $20 Million Grant Competition for Community Air Pollution
Monitoring*



Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the
availability of $20 million in competitive grants through the American
Rescue Plan (ARP) to enhance ambient air quality monitoring in communities
across the United States, especially in underserved and overburdened
communities that often lack access to adequate air quality information. EPA
will award funds to support community and local efforts to monitor air
quality and to promote air quality monitoring partnerships between
communities and Tribal, state, and local governments.  Community-based
nonprofit organizations, Tribes, states, and local governments may apply
for the grants.



“In my travel across the country, from Newark to Flint to the deep south,
community members have told me how important air quality monitoring is to
protecting their health. Through the American Rescue Plan, Congress and the
President entrusted EPA with critical funding to help those who are
hurting,” *said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan*. “This funding will
support communities that need better information about air quality in their
neighborhoods and reflects EPA’s commitment to deliver environmental
justice for our most vulnerable populations.”



The announcement follows Administrator Regan’s Journey to Justice Tour
through Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, where he met with residents and
advocates to hear firsthand how their communities have been affected by air
pollution and why improved air monitoring can help residents.

Under the ARP, Congress provided EPA with a one-time supplemental
appropriation of $100 million to address health outcome disparities from
pollution and the COVID-19 pandemic. Of that $100 million, $50 million has
been dedicated to environmental justice (EJ) initiatives that identify and
address disproportionate environmental or public health harms in
underserved communities, and $50 million is dedicated to address air
monitoring for the same issues.



Today’s announcement of the availability of $20 million for community
monitoring is part of that $50 million for monitoring. This is the largest
investment in community-based monitoring systems in EPA history. The
remaining $30 million will support state, Tribal or local air agencies for
enhanced monitoring of fine particles and five other air pollutants
regulated by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards under the Clean Air
Act; cover administrative costs; and invest in mobile monitoring labs or
air sensor loan programs to improve EPA's ability to support communities in
need of short-term monitoring and air quality information.



To be considered for funding under this Request for Applications (RFA),
grant applications must address ambient monitoring for at least one of the
following types of air pollution: criteria pollutants (particle pollution,
carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, or sulfur dioxide) and
their precursors or hazardous air pollutants, as defined by the Clean Air
Act.



The grants do not require matching funds from organizations that apply. The
grants will be focused on collecting information that addresses air
pollution problems identified by communities and effective partnerships.
This EPA grant competition to enhance ambient air monitoring in communities
with health outcome disparities from pollution and the COVID-19 pandemic
exemplifies the Biden Administration’s Justice40 commitment to charting a
new and better course that puts environmental and economic justice at the
center of all we do.



Through this grants program, EPA anticipates awarding a total of 50-70
grants or cooperative agreements.  Approximately $2 million of the total
amount will be awarded to Tribal governments under a Tribal government
set-aside, and approximately $2 million will be awarded to eligible
community-based organizations under a community-based organization
set-aside. EPA may increase or decrease the total funding or set-aside
amounts based on the quality of applications received and agency priorities.



The application period closes February 25, 2022, and EPA will be offering
an informational webinar about the RFA on January 11, 2022 from
1:00PM-2:00PM eastern.



More information is available at
https://www.epa.gov/grants/enhanced-air-quality-monitoring-communities OR
https://www.epa.gov/arp/enhanced-air-quality-monitoring-funding-under-arp



For up-to-date information about Environmental Justice funding
opportunities, events, and webinars, subscribe to EPA's Environmental
Justice listserv by sending a blank email to: join-epa-ej at lists.epa.gov.
Follow us on Twitter: @EPAEnvJustice <https://twitter.com/EPAEnvJustice>.


-- 
Bonita Green
Merrick-Moore Community Development Corporation
*merrickmoorecommunity at gmail.com <merrickmoorecommunity at gmail.com>*
954.632.2079 (mobile)
-- 
be a kind human
Bonita Green
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