Fractracker Alliance

DESCRIPTION:THE PURPOSE OF THIS COMPETITIVELY SELECTED GRANT IS TO CONDUCT AMBIENT AIR MONITORING OF POLLUTANTS OF GREATEST CONCERN IN COMMUNITIES WITH ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH OUTCOME DISPARITIES STEMMING FROM POLLUTION AND THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO EXPAND AMBIENT AIR MONITORING IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN THE HEAVILY INDUSTRIALIZED OHIO RIVER VALLEY IN WEST VIRGINIA AND OHIO, WHERE HEALTH INDICES RANK AMONG THE WORST IN THE NATION. THIS PROJECT EXPANDS UPON AN ONGOING COMMUNITY-SCIENCE PROJECT LAUNCHED IN 2020 THAT USES LOW-COST MONITORS TO PROVIDE REAL-TIME DATA FOR A VARIETY OF POLLUTANTS ASSOCIATED WITH UNCONVENTIONAL OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT AND PETROCHEMICAL-RELATED INDUSTRIES THAT HAVE RAPIDLY PROLIFERATED IN THE REGION. COMMUNITY SCIENCE HAS VALIDATED RESIDENTS' CONCERNS, PROVIDED OPPORTUNITIES FOR INCREASED PARTICIPATION AND INVOLVEMENT, AND SUPPORTED ONGOING EFFORTS TO IMPROVE AIR QUALITY IN THE REGION. ACTIVITIES:THESE FUNDS WILL BE USED TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY AND LOCAL EFFORTS TO MONITOR THEIR OWN AIR QUALITY AND TO PROMOTE AIR QUALITY MONITORING PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN COMMUNITIES AND TRIBAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS THAT: LEVERAGE EXISTING AIR QUALITY EXPERTISE, EXPAND USE OF COMMUNITY MONITORING GROUPS AND OTHER APPROACHES THAT GIVE THE COMMUNITY A VOICE IN THE MONITORING OF THE AIR QUALITY, AND BUILD A FOUNDATION OF TRUSTING RELATIONSHIPS AND ENHANCED UNDERSTANDING FROM WHICH SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS TO COMMUNITY AIR POLLUTION PROBLEMS CAN BE FOUND. THE ACTIVITIES THAT THE APPLICANT WILL PERFORM INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: PURCHASING, PLACING, AND INSTALLING AIR MONITORS; MAPPING OF AIR POLLUTION SOURCES, AND MODELING OF DISPERSION AND BACK TRAJECTORY; EDUCATION OF RESIDENTS ON ACCESSING DATA; COMMUNICATING RESULTS AND VISUALS OF THE DATA IN MEETINGS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS, AND REGULATORY AGENCIES; AND CREATING WEBINARS ON PROJECT PROGRESS. SUBRECIPIENT:EHP WILL PROVIDE DATA ANALYSIS THROUGH AIRVIEW TO INTERPRET AND HELP COMMUNICATE INFORMATION COLLECTED BY THE AIR QUALITY MONITORS DEPLOYED. CREATE LAB WILL MAINTAIN MULTIPLE, PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE AIR POLLUTION DATA TRACKING WEBSITES AND SUPPORT CREATION OF DATA SUMMARY REPORTS. FRESHWATER ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT WILL PROVIDE LOCAL SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT, COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND COMMUNICATION SUPPORT INCLUDING LISTSERV AND SOCIAL MEDIA EXPOSURE, AND BUILD ALLIANCES AND COLLABORATIONS WITH STAKEHOLDERS INCLUDING REGULATORY AND GOVERNMENT BODIES. THE RECIPIENT INTENDS TO ISSUE SUBAWARD AGREEMENTS TO ITS PARTNERS IN COMPLIANCE WITH APPENDIX A OF EPA'S SUBAWARD POLICY.OUTCOMES:THE ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: REAL-TIME DATA TO INFORM RESIDENTS ABOUT ACTIONS TO MITIGATE POLLUTION EXPOSURE; AIR QUALITY DATA MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH MULTIPLE MEDIA PLATFORMS AS WELL AS TOWNHALL MEETINGS; QUARTERLY DISTRIBUTED NEWSLETTERS; AND SHARING OF RECORDED EVENTS SHARED IN NEWSLETTERS AND WEBSITES. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: ASSESSMENTS OF LOW-COST SENSOR THRESHOLD OUTPUT, PATHWAYS OF ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE, AND HEALTH IMPACTS; INCREASED COMMUNITY AWARENESS AND ENGAGEMENT ON AIR POLLUTION AND PERMITTING; COLLABORATION WITH STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS; AND MITIGATION ACTIONS FROM PARTIES RESPONSIBLE FOR AIR POLLUTION IN THE AREA. THE BENEFICIARIES ARE RESIDENTS OF THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY WHO LIVE IN A HEAVILY INDUSTRIALIZED AREA. THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY EXPAND INTO SIX COUNTIES AND TWO STATES, OHIO AND WEST VIRGINIA. THE COMMUNITIES THAT THE PROJECT WILL BE WORKING WITH INCLUDE STEUBENVILLE, JEFFERSON COUNTY, OHIO; SHADYSIDE, BELMONT COUNTY, OHIO; WELLSBURG, BROOKE COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA; FOLLANSBEE AND WEIRTON, BROOKE COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA; MOUNDSVILLE, MARSHALL COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA; AND WEIRTON, HANCOCK COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.

DESCRIPTION:THIS GRANT AGREEMENT PROVIDES FUNDING UNDER INFLATION REDUCTION ACT (IRA) TO CONDUCT AMBIENT AIR MONITORING OF POLLUTANTS OF GREATEST CONCERN IN COMMUNITIES WITH ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH OUTCOME DISPARITIES STEMMING FROM POLLUTION AND THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEPLOY AMBIENT AIR MONITORING EQUIPMENT TO BETTER ASSESS EMISSIONS FROM THE INCREASED SHALE GAS INDUSTRIAL BUILDOUT IN ROBINSON AND SMITH TOWNSHIPS, WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. PENNSYLVANIA'S NATURAL GAS OUTPUT HAS GROWN FORTY-FOLD SINCE 2010, FASTER THAN ANY STATE. THE RAPID EXPANSION OF THOSE OPERATIONS HAS CAUSED SERIOUS DISRUPTIONS FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES, PARTICULARLY RURAL COMMUNITIES IN WASHINGTON COUNTY. THE PROJECT WILL USE THE DATA FROM THE AIR MONITORS TO EDUCATE LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND REGULATORS ON THE NEED FOR A CUMULATIVE IMPACT ANALYSIS REQUIREMENT AS PART OF ALL PERMITTING PROCEDURES. ACTIVITIES:THE ACTIVITIES THAT THE APPLICANT WILL PERFORM INCLUDE MONITORING AIR QUALITY, TRAINING, AND SHARING OF DATA. THE APPLICANT PLANS TO USE THE EPA MONITORING TOOLBOX TO INSTALL MONITORS AS CLOSE TO THE RECOMMENDED LOCATIONS FROM THE TOOLBOX. THEY WILL CONDUCT BI-WEEKLY BENZENE, ETHYLBENZENE, TOLUENE, XYLENE SORBENT TUBE SAMPLING USING METHOD 325. THE APPLICANT WILL ALSO UTILIZE SPOD TO COLLECT SUMMA CANISTERS AND SEND TO EPA-CERTIFIED LAB FOR TO-15 ANALYSIS. THEY WILL USE THE GIS-320 OPTICAL GAS IMAGING CAMERA TO CAPTURE HAP DATA. THE TEAM WILL PROVIDE TRAINING TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON HOW TO INTERPRET DATA, THEY WILL ALSO SHARE ALL THE DATA ONLINE ON THE ROBINSON/SMITH AIRWATCH WEBSITE. THE ACTIVITIES WILL BE USED TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY TO MONITOR THEIR OWN AIR QUALITY AND TO PROMOTE AIR QUALITY MONITORING PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN COMMUNITIES, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS THAT: LEVERAGE EXISTING AIR QUALITY EXPERTISE, EXPAND USE OF COMMUNITY MONITORING GROUPS AND OTHER APPROACHES THAT GIVE THE COMMUNITY A VOICE IN THE MONITORING OF THE AIR QUALITY, AND BUILD A FOUNDATION OF TRUSTING RELATIONSHIPS AND ENHANCED UNDERSTANDING FROM WHICH SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS TO COMMUNITY AIR POLLUTION PROBLEMS CAN BE FOUND.SUBRECIPIENT:CREATE LAB WILL MAINTAIN MULTIPLE, PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE AIR POLLUTION DATA TRACKING WEBSITES, INCLUDING ROBINSON/SMITH AIRWATCH AND SUPPORT CREATION OF DATA SUMMARY REPORTS. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PROJECT (EHP) WILL PROVIDE DATA ANALYSIS THROUGH AIRVIEW TO INTERPRET AND HELP COMMUNICATE INFORMATION COLLECTED BY THE AIR QUALITY MONITORS DEPLOYED. ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY PROJECT (EIP) WILL PROVIDE AIR MONITORING USING EPA METHOD 325 AMBIENT SORBENT TUBES IN ROBINSON/SMITH TOWNSHIP COMMUNITIES, CARRYING OUT SAMPLING AT 12 LOCATIONS, ALONGSIDE EXISTING AIRVIZ TVOC MONITORS, PROVIDE DATA ANALYSIS AND FACILITATE COMMUNICATIONS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, PA DEP AND LOCAL OFFICIALS VIA WEBINARS AND FACT SHEETS. THE AIR MONITORING INTERN WILL BE HIRED BY EIP DURING THE PROJECT PERIOD BASED ON REQUIRED EXPERTISE. THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE PROJECT PARTNERS ARE CRUCIAL IN THE COMPLETION OF THIS PROJECT. EACH OF THE SUB AWARDEES ARE FIRMLY COMMITTED TO THE PROJECT. THE APPLICANT CALCULATED THE SUBAWARD AMOUNTS BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT EACH PARTNER GROUP WILL DEDICATE TO THE PROJECT. THE RECIPIENT INTENDS TO ISSUE SUBAWARD AGREEMENTS TO IT'S PARTNERS IN COMPLIANCE WITH APPENDIX A OF EPA'S SUBAWARD POLICY.OUTCOMES:THE ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: ONE YEAR OF METHOD 325 PASSIVE SAMPLING FOR BTEX; 15 SUMMA CANISTER REPORTS; GEOLOCATED OGI HAPS DATA THAT CAN THEN BE ANALYZED IN THERMOLAB SOFTWARE; FOUR NEW AIRVIZ TVOC MONITORS PURCHASED; QUARTERLY DATA SUMMARIES; AND ACCUMULATION OF RESIDENT REPORTS IN THE ROBISON/SMITH AIRWATCH WEBSITE. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE A GREATER ABILITY THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY TO ENGAGE IN PUBLIC COMMENT REGARDING LOCAL AIR PULLULATION, GREATER LITERACY THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY MONITORING AIR POLLUTION, AND GREATER BALA