ARP Enhanced Air Quality Monitoring for Communities - Competitive Grant
On November 3, 2022, EPA announced the selection of 132 air monitoring projects in 37 states to receive $53.4 million in funding to enhance air quality monitoring in communities across the United States with environmental and health outcome disparities stemming from pollution and the COVID-19 pandemic. With monies made available through the American Rescue Plan of 2021 (ARP) and Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), EPA is funding projects from community-based nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, and Tribal governments to conduct air monitoring in communities, particularly in communities that are underserved and historically marginalized.
Background on ARP Funding for Air Monitoring
In spring 2021, Congress passed the American Rescue Plan, providing EPA with a one-time supplemental appropriation of $100 million to address health outcome disparities from pollution and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The $50 million for air monitoring was divided into four components, of which $20M was allocated for a grant competition for community air pollution monitoring.
Grant Competition for Community Monitoring
On December 13, 2021, EPA announced the availability of $20 million in American Rescue Plan funding through competitive grants to enhance ambient air quality monitoring in and near underserved communities across the United States. The goal of this grant competition was to 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. This EPA funding was designated by Congress to address health outcome disparities from pollution and the COVID–19 pandemic.
EPA received more than 200 applications from community-based nonprofit organizations, Tribal governments, States, and local governments. All applications were rigorously reviewed and evaluated on several criteria including community involvement, environmental results, quality assurance, programmatic capability, budget, and overall project approach. The number of submissions EPA received far exceeded the ARP funding available.
Additional Funding through the Inflation Reduction Act
In August 2022, Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which provided additional funding to EPA for community air monitoring programs and grants. This allowed EPA to expand the initial intended $20M award and fund 77 additional projects, for a total of $53.4 million across 132 projects.
EPA intends to start the process of awarding grants by the end of 2022, and awardees will have three years to expend the funds.