Bill > HF4739

This bill establishes a Community Air Monitoring System Pilot Grant Program in the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). The program aims to measure air pollution levels at multiple locations within environmental justice areas in Minneapolis, using a variety of air monitoring technologies. Eligible applicants are partnerships between a nonprofit organization located in the targeted environmental justice area and an entity experienced in deploying and operating air monitoring systems. The grants can be used for planning, purchasing and installing air monitoring devices, training personnel, and developing data and mapping systems. The MPCA must approve the air monitoring technologies used and prioritize projects in areas with high rates of air pollution-related illnesses, those that promote public access to data, and those that conduct community outreach. Grantees must submit a report to the MPCA describing the project's findings and results, and the MPCA must report to the legislature on the program's outcomes. The bill also appropriates $ in fiscal year 2023 from the general fund to the MPCA for the pilot grant program.