Direct Awards for ARP Enhanced Air Quality Monitoring
EPA distributed nearly $22.5 million of ARP funds to state, Tribal and local air agencies for enhanced monitoring of PM2.5 and five other air pollutants regulated by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards under the Clean Air Act.
- Approximately 33% of the $22.5 million is being used for upgrading or supplementing manual PM2.5 samplers with continuous PM2.5 analyzers across the national network, providing more frequent and higher-time resolution measurements of PM2.5 concentrations.
- State, Tribal, and local air agencies are using the direct award grant funds to voluntarily establish 33 new monitoring sites in and near underserved communities or rural areas.
- The remaining direct award funds are being used by state, Tribal, and local air agencies to upgrade aging monitoring equipment at existing monitoring stations across the national ambient air network.
View the List of Direct Awards
Direct Awards for Ambient Air Monitoring
The Clean Air Act authorizes EPA to award non-competitive direct awards to state, local, and tribal air pollution control agencies to implement programs for the prevention and control of air pollution or implementation of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. A key component of implementing these programs is the operation and maintenance of the regulatory ambient air monitoring network. The American Rescue Plan provided much needed additional funding to upgrade and expand key components of the ambient air monitoring network. Consistent with the Clean Air Act, these funds were awarded non-competitively to state, local, and tribal air agencies to carry out this effort.