Episode 16: Community Air Monitoring Networks

Perspectives on Sustainable Development

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One of the topics that I have been asked about most over the last few years from community members is how they can get their own community air monitoring. Many are concerned over possible contamination in their air, and want to see improvements. As we often say, their lived experiences are the ultimate screening tool. They know if there's a problem. There is a direct link between air contamination and health impacts, and objective tools like ambient air monitors can help inform policy choices which will ultimately equate to lower emissions.
My guests this episode, Eben Cross (Chief Science Office and Co-Founder, QuantAQ) and Darren Riley (Co-Founder and CEO, JustAir Solutions), are experts on this topic. I pose a role play to them where I am a concerned community member and they walk me through what's involved and why this is so important. My hope is that this sort of information may help communities in need apply for grant support to get these monitors in place. There is great potential for collaboration in this space.
Show Notes/Suggested Resources

• EPA
  • Webinar Series on Community Air Monitoring Fundamentals
• NIEHS
  • Partnerships for Environmental Public Health (PEPH) Webinar Series on Community Air Monitoring
• Bay Air Center
  Defining an Air Monitoring Objective by Asking the Right Questions – Worksheet
  • Designing a Community Scale Air Monitoring Project
  • Placement of Air Monitoring Devices
• There's also the Thriving Communities Grantmakers Subgrant program which will go live for most regions any day now (supposed to be Fall 2024). This program is designed to be lower-overhead, faster-turn to resources at the $75-350k/project funding level.
  Community Change Grant link to that unprecedented $2B program