EPA $83 Million to Expand US Air Quality Monitoring

Biden-Harris Administration announces nearly $83 million in

funding to expand air quality monitoring across the nation as

part of Investing in America agenda

Release February 16, 2024

BOSTON (Feb. 16, 2024) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the availability of $81 million in funding for eligible air agencies to expand and upgrade the nation's air quality monitoring networks as part of President Biden's Investing in America agenda. The investment, made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, will enhance and extend air monitoring in and near communities. The funding will support the work of eligible state, local, Tribal and territorial air agencies in addressing air pollution, including monitoring near fenceline communities, developing and refining air toxics monitoring methods, and ensuring cleaner air for all.

In addition, EPA is also making approximately $2 million in funding available to support state, local, territorial, and Tribal agencies in the deployment and operation of air quality sensors in low income and disadvantaged communities across the United States. This historic amount of funding for air quality sensors and air monitoring delivers on President Biden's Justice40 Initiative by helping to detect air pollution in communities that often bear the unequal health burden of legacy pollution, and better monitor and track pollution. Together, these investments will provide critical resources to ensure the sustainability of national air quality monitoring networks, helping protect human health and the environment and ensuring Americans are breathing cleaner air. "Reliable ambient air quality monitoring is a critical component of protecting human health and the environment from the harmful effects of air pollution," said Joseph Goffman, Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. "With these investments in America, EPA is making good on the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to making sure state, local, Tribal and territorial air agencies have the tools they need to implement effective pollution reduction strategies."

"Every person, every child, has a right to clean air, no matter where they live; and expanding and upgrading air monitoring systems is another step toward making that a reality," said EPA Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "These investments equip our state and tribal partners with much needed resources to know when levels of pollutants, like ozone or particle pollution,become unsafe for local communities. In addition to helping to maintain these networks, thisfunding can help establish new monitoring sites, especially in areas that are low-income or historically disadvantaged. The data provided by these networks is key to helping us make informed decisions about how to protect human health and the environment." State, local, Tribal and territorial agencies have primary responsibility for operating and maintaining ambient air monitoring sites, including monitors that measure ground-level ozone, particle pollution, and air toxics. They are also responsible for mitigating, regulating, and enforcing regulations on sources of air emissions. Additionally, air agencies are typically the primary points of contact for people and organizations with questions and concerns regarding air quality monitoring.

EPA encourages eligible entities to apply for funding as soon as possible and no later than April 8, 2024. Details about the application process are available on EPA's Air Quality and Air Quality Sensors Grants website.

Background

The funding EPA announced today is one piece of the overall Inflation Reduction Act approach to improving air monitoring across the country. This strategy to deliver cleaner air also includes the American Rescue Plan's Enhanced Air Monitoring for Communities grant competition, supplemented with Inflation Reduction Act funding, that EPA administered to help expand, improve, and modernize monitoring in more than 37 states. Combined with the diligent state, local, Tribal and territorial efforts and those of national air monitoring networks and community operated monitors, these funding streams will strengthen current air monitoring, deliver better data, and improve health outcomes across the nation.

Together, these programs are delivering on President Biden's Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.