Community Based Air

Monitoring Projects

1

Monitoring Projects

National Monitoring Steering Committee

July 20, 2012

Camden “Bucket Brigade”

Community Monitoring Study

2

Paulsboro High School

Paulsboro, New Jeresy

Mabel Holmes Middle School

Elizabeth, New Jersey

Previous Community Projects- Staten Island/New Jersey Urban Air Toxics Assessment Project

� 1987-1991-final report 1993

- Camden Waterfront Air Toxics Pilot Project

� Started fall 2002, final report 2005

- Urban Community Air Toxics Monitoring Project Paterson City, NJ (UCAMPP)

� Monitoring 2005-2006, final report 2010

- Additional Air Monitoring in Paterson Study (AAMPS)

� Monitoring 2009-2010, final report 2012

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• Need to be part of larger effort to address community issues

• One tool among other (Inventories,

What Did We Learn About Community Monitoring Projects?

• One tool among other (Inventories, Modeling, other monitoring)

• Regulatory uses may be limited

• Can be a positive means of engaging communities and collecting essential data

Community Monitoring Initiative

Challenges• No one solution fits all

• Engaging all stakeholders

• Resources

– Funding– Funding

– Staffing

– Community Resources

Community Monitoring Initiative

Challenges (cont.)• Using the results

– Transparency/Responsibility

– Achieving real benefits, not just data

What Needs to Happen to

Improve Chances of Success?

• Full engage communities in the process

• Evaluate past efforts (learn from our mistakes)

• Investigate available technologies

• Learn from other states and agencies

• Learn from academic partners

Next Steps for New Jersey?

• Look for opportunities

– Use grants to start getting answers

• Understand the limitations

– Build appropriate resources– Build appropriate resources

• Equipment

• Staff

• Institutionalize program

Upcoming Projects in New

JerseyJersey

Project 1

“Black Carbon Study”• Researchers will develop educational

module that can be used again and again

• Must be in “overburdened” communities

• NJDEP issued RFP through Treasury• NJDEP issued RFP through Treasury

• Proposals have been received and are being evaluated

Project 2Student Air Monitoring Project Lesson in Elizabeth (SAMPLE)

- NJDEP contracts with UMDNJ for technical support

• Work with Future City Inc. (FCI) of Elizabeth-

community group help implement project

• Recruit about 20-25 students

• ~ 1 day/month from Sept 2012- April 2013

• Teach air pollution and human health, diesel

sources in community

• Students will monitor for black carbon 2-3 days

• Near and far from roadways

• Present at FCI’s Environmental Day April 2013

Project 3

“Citizen Science”• NJDEP Identified 5 communities

– Emissions inventory

– NATA risk estimates

– Viable community group with infrastructure and staff

• Monitor for six months over 1-year period

– 24 hr. volatile organic compounds samples

– Same 1 in 6 day as other air toxics monitoring locations around state

– Compare annual average to other locations

– Estimate risk

– Help to put grab (or 1 hr.) samples taken by citizens into context and for QA/QC

Project 3

“Citizen Science” (cont.)• Citizens will take grab samples

– Citizens will determine where & when they want to take samples with appropriate QA/QC samples

– Possibly add passive badges for other pollutants

Goals for New Community

Monitoring Projects

- The NJDEP’s overall goal is to find the best way to address community concerns about air quality.

- Specific aims:� test different methods for community air

toxics monitoring

� to test viability of having citizens take air samples

� test different ways of implementing project(s)

� determine how to use data effectively