News Releases from Region 05

EPA Announces a $500,000 Community-Scale Air Toxics Monitoring Grant to Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy

MICHIGAN (December 3, 2020) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the selection of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to receive a $500,000 Community-Scale Air Toxics Ambient Monitoring grant to help monitor and provide important information to communities on air toxics.

“Monitoring air quality is an essential step towards keeping people, and the environment healthy— an effort this Administration has prioritized, and the Agency has been proactive in,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator Kurt Thiede. “EPA is committed to protecting the human health and the environment of all Americans, no matter their zip code.”

“The grant will enable Michigan EGLE to conduct real-time monitoring of air toxics and ozone precursors at various industrial sites of importance to local communities in Detroit and other cities in Southeast Michigan,” said Mary Ann Dolehanty, Director of EGLE’s Air Quality Division.

EPA has selected EGLE for a $500,000 grant to conduct mobile monitoring to assess the contributions of certain industrial sources to concentrations of air toxics in the outdoor air in southeast Michigan. EGLE plans to assess the relative contributions of target sources to ambient concentrations of Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs), including ethylene oxide, chloroprene, benzene, 1,3-butadiene, and toxic metals, and distinguish their contributions to ambient exposure from other sources. Longer term outcomes include control strategies for HAP emission reductions, especially in Environmental Justice communities. Secondary benefits include supporting ozone attainment efforts. The University of Michigan will help to facilitate community involvement in the project.

Nationally, EPA announced the selection of 11 air toxics monitoring projects to receive $5 million in funding under the agency’s Community-Scale Air Toxics Ambient Monitoring grants program. EPA anticipates providing selected agencies funding for their work in fiscal years 2021 and 2022 using State and Tribal Assistance Grant (STAG) Funding.

Background

As EPA pursues its mission to protect human health and the environment, the agency periodically awards grants to help state, local and tribal air agencies conduct air quality monitoring projects to address localized air toxics issues. Air toxics, also known as HAPs, are linked to cancer or other serious health effects. Under the Clean Air Act, EPA currently regulates 187 listed air toxic pollutants.

To learn more about the Community-Scale Air Toxics Ambient Monitoring grants, visit: https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/amtic/community-scale-air-toxics-ambient-monitoring-csatam.