Jessica King, jessica.king@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, in a positive step toward clean air for all, EPA announced it will deliver $53 million in grants for air quality monitoring to 132 recipients in 37 states, including community organizations, nonprofit organizations, and tribal communities in order to better understand and address harmful air pollution across the United States.
These funds, provided through President Biden’s American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act, are targeted to improve several types of air quality monitoring and address a variety of pollutants such as particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide, as well as ethylene oxide and other air toxics from industrial facilities, including the oil and gas industry. The grants will provide long-overdue and valuable information to communities overburdened by pollution.
“Communities have been calling for improved air quality monitoring for decades, and we applaud President Biden and EPA Administrator Regan for not just listening but acting to deliver upon their promise of clean air for all,” said Pedro Cruz, Acting Director of Sierra Club's Healthy Communities campaign. “Our nation’s air monitoring network has been in decline, and without robust and consistent air quality monitoring, big polluters can act unchecked, skirt state and federal regulations, and harm nearby communities without consequences. By leveraging over $200 million in total funding for air monitoring through the Inflation Reduction Act, quickly releasing the strongest possible air quality standards and continuing to advance the Justice40 Initiative, EPA and the Biden Administration can make huge strides in cleaning up air quality around the country.”
“A lack of reliable air quality information benefits industrial polluters at the expense of the Black and Brown communities disproportionately located near sources of air pollution,” said Darryl Malek-Wiley, Senior Organizing Representative for Sierra Club in Louisiana. “This pollution adds to the cumulative impact of industry air pollution faced by Gulf Coast communities, like those in Cancer/Death Alley, Lake Charles, La., Houston, and Port Arthur, Texas who also bear the brunt of pollution from the fossil fuel industry and are on the forefront of extreme weather caused by the climate crisis. Today’s announcement is an encouraging investment in public health and environmental justice.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.