summary
Introduced
07/29/2020
07/29/2020
In Committee
07/29/2020
07/29/2020
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
12/31/2020
12/31/2020
Introduced Session
116th Congress
Bill Summary
Requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement policies, programs, and regulations related to air quality monitoring. Specifically, the EPA must implement a program using specified methods and technologies to administer or conduct the best available form of fenceline monitoring (i.e., monitoring of ambient air concentration using technology at a site's property line) of specified stationary sources of hazardous air pollutants. The stationary sources to be monitored must include the 25 high-priority facilities named in the EPA Inspector General report (#20-N-0128) from March 31, 2020, and at least another 25 major sources or synthetic area sources. Among other requirements, the EPA must also determine whether whether to add fenceline monitoring for any additional stationary sources, complete an evaluation and promulgate a determination on whether any existing emission factors must be updated to better reflect or account for the results of fenceline monitoring data collected under the established program, promulgate regulations establishing emission standards for specified source categories, require an additional 80 National Core multi-pollutant monitoring stations, and deploy at least 1,000 air quality sensors to monitor specified pollutants in census tracts or counties with per capita death rates from COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) that are at least 10% higher than the national average. Finally, the Department of Health and Human Services and the EPA must carry out a Centers of Excellence on Environmental Health Disparities Research grant program to establish and support at least 10 research centers.
AI Summary
This bill, the Public Health Air Quality Act of 2020, aims to expand air quality monitoring and access to air quality information for communities affected by air pollution. The key provisions are:
1. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must implement a program to conduct fenceline monitoring of 50 high-priority stationary sources of hazardous air pollutants, including ethylene oxide, chloroprene, benzene, 1,3-butadiene, and formaldehyde. The EPA must publish the monitoring results online for at least 5 years.
2. The EPA must promulgate regulations requiring continuous emissions and fenceline monitoring for source categories that include the 50 high-priority sources, as well as other major sources of certain hazardous air pollutants. The regulations must establish corrective action levels at the fenceline for the top hazardous pollutants.
3. The EPA must deploy an additional 80 NCore multi-pollutant monitoring stations, with at least 40 sited in vulnerable communities based on factors like health conditions, poverty, and COVID-19 death rates.
4. The EPA must deploy at least 1,000 low-cost air quality sensors in communities with COVID-19 death rates 10% higher than the national average, to measure ozone, PM2.5, or sulfur dioxide.
5. The Department of Health and Human Services and EPA must establish a grant program to support at least 10 Centers of Excellence on Environmental Health Disparities Research.
Committee Categories
Business and Industry
Sponsors (8)
Lisa Blunt Rochester (D)*,
Nanette Barragán (D),
Debra Haaland (D),
Pramila Jayapal (D),
Donald McEachin (D),
Eleanor Holmes Norton (D),
Bobby Rush (D),
Lauren Underwood (D),
Last Action
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. (on 07/29/2020)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/7822/all-info |
| BillText | https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/hr7822/BILLS-116hr7822ih.pdf |
| Bill | https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/hr7822/BILLS-116hr7822ih.pdf.pdf |
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