Bill > S2476

This bill, the Environmental Justice Air Quality Monitoring Act of 2021, requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a pilot program to award competitive grants or contracts to state, local, and tribal air agencies, in partnership with local nonprofits or air quality data providers, to carry out hyperlocal air quality monitoring projects in environmental justice communities. These projects will monitor air quality at the block or 100-meter radius level, identify areas of persistent elevated air pollution, generate equity maps, and report the data to communities and air pollution managers. The bill prioritizes projects in areas with high rates of pollution-related illnesses, seeks to identify pollution sources, and promotes public access and community engagement. It also requires that a portion of the grant funding be used to provide local employment opportunities in the environmental justice communities. The bill authorizes $100 million annually for the EPA to carry out the pilot program from 2022 to 2027.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/2476/all-info