Hyperlocal Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Monitoring Underway in Communities Overburdened by Pollution
Aclima Mobile Mapping Technology, in Partnership with Google Public Sector, Deploying in First Four of 10 Total Communities - Bronx, Buffalo, Capital Region, and Manhattan
$1 Million Now Available for Capacity Building; Additional $2 Million Announced Today to Support Community-Led Air Monitoring
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the launch of the historic statewide air quality and greenhouse gas mobile monitoring initiative that is deploying in the first four of 10 disadvantaged communities, home to approximately five million New Yorkers—25 percent of the State's population—in areas overburdened by environmental pollution. Working in partnership with community-based organizations, the effort to map hyperlocal air pollution and greenhouse gases statewide at the community level is the largest ever undertaken by New York State. The initiative is using proven mobile mapping technology and professional analytics from Aclima, run exclusively on Google Cloud. Monitoring is underway in the Bronx, Buffalo/Niagara Falls, the Capital Region, and Manhattan, and six additional communities will start monitoring this fall. The initiative is bolstered by an estimated $3 million in State grant funding - $1 million is currently available for Community Air Monitoring Capacity Building Grants, and an additional $2 million in new funding will support community-led air monitoring to complement the State's efforts.
"As New York continues to forge a greener path ahead to make our state cleaner and healthier, we are also correcting decades of environmental injustices that have overburdened disadvantaged communities for far too long," Governor Hochul said. "As someone who grew up in the shadow of a steel plant that contributed to orange skies and a polluted Lake Erie, I know firsthand the urgency of our fight against air pollution and climate change. By launching this historic statewide air quality and greenhouse gas monitoring initiative we will develop strategies to address air quality issues in New York's most vulnerable communities, while contributing to the state's nation-leading climate goals."
Aclima's mobile monitoring fleet will collect hyperlocal data to drive solutions that reduce greenhouse gases and other harmful air pollutants to protect public health and will be critical to developing strategies to achieve the goals of New York's nation-leading Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. The 10 communities selected for monitoring in consultation with the Climate Justice Working Group were identified as having a disproportionate air pollution burden based on criteria developed by the CJWG, and include Buffalo/Niagara Falls, Capital Region, Bronx, Manhattan, Rochester, Syracuse, Mount Vernon/Yonkers, Brooklyn, Queens, and Hempstead. The boundaries for monitoring in each area were determined using community input and current understanding of pollution sources. In addition, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is partnering with community-based organizations and local officials in each area to evaluate the data obtained and identify and implement solutions to reduce harmful emissions.
Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner and Climate Action Council Co-Chair Basil Seggos said, "New York State is rapidly advancing this landmark initiative and increasing funding to support our community partners to launch this important work in neighborhoods long overburdened by environmental pollution. It speaks directly to Governor Hochul's successful leadership in addressing climate change and providing support and resources like today's $3 million for community-led initiatives that drives the improved health and well-being of all New Yorkers. Department of Environmental Conservation is eager to join New York's many climate and environmental justice leaders to develop data-driven solutions that benefit public health and will help meet our ambitious climate goals."
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO and Climate Action Council Co-Chair Doreen Harris said, "New York State Energy Research and Development Authority supports Department of Environmental Conservation's efforts to better understand the atmospheric pollution in underserved communities and the damaging impacts that it has had in those communities. Under Governor Hochul's leadership, New York is making air quality improvement a priority as part of the State's comprehensive work to combat climate change and create healthier communities for all New Yorkers."
Following the submission of a Request for Qualifications in October, New York State finalized an agreement to utilize Aclima's mobile sensing technology and software platform to obtain and analyze air quality measurements in disadvantaged communities, through the State's contract with Google Public Sector. Aclima's air monitoring data is being collected by mobile sensors on its fleet vehicles that measure air pollution on a block-by-block level during different times, days, and seasons. In total, the monitoring will provide an initial screening of community-level air quality sources for further evaluation. The results will inform the State's actions, in collaboration with our partners, to reduce emissions and help address health burdens and inequities in communities disproportionately impacted by air pollution.
Governor Kathy Hochul first announced the community air monitoring initiative during Climate Week. To ensure community participation in the process, Governor Hochul's 2022 State of the State Address directed Department of Environmental Conservation to increase funding previously announced for Community Air Monitoring Capacity Building Grants from $500,000 to $1 million. This funding is now available to support capacity building for eligible community-based organizations located in or serving the 10 identified communities. The capacity-building grant can be used for, but is not limited to, developing or strengthening existing programs focused on reducing exposure and improving public health in communities most impacted by air pollution, or supporting community engagement in the state's air monitoring program. This grant opportunity is supported by the State Environmental Protection Fund with dollars designated to environmental justice. Individual award amounts will range from $50,000 to $100,000. The Department of Environmental Conservation is accepting applications until September 14, 2022 at 3 p.m. through the New York State Grants Gateway.
The additional $2 million announced today, for a total of $3 million, will provide grants to improve the ability of community groups working on the ground in these areas to contribute to or bolster their own air quality monitoring efforts. This additional funding will also allow greater contributions in the identification and selection of carbon-free technology investments and other emission reduction strategies in their local neighborhoods. Award amounts for these new grant opportunities will vary, but will fund up to $100,000 for capacity-building projects to strengthen organizations through training, purchasing air monitoring equipment, sensor technology, community engagement and education, or consultant support, and up to $500,000 to support community-led air monitoring. More information about these grant opportunities will be announced soon.
In addition, Aclima announced that BlocPower, a New York-based climate tech startup that is rapidly greening American inner cities, is working with Aclima and its community and government partners to train and staff workforce trainees to operate Aclima's hyperlocal mobile environmental sensor network. Through the partnership, BlocPower will provide recruitment and workforce development support to Aclima, sourcing talent from impacted communities.
The program will identify hyperlocal information about air quality impacts in these overburdened areas and help the State identify mitigation activities, which may also support New York's goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 85 percent by 2050. This first-ever statewide mobile monitoring complements Department of Environmental Conservation's existing efforts to measure levels of outdoor air pollution at more than 50 sites across the State using continuous and/or manual instrumentation. Department of Environmental Conservation reports these measurements to EPA's Air Quality System (AQS) API. Department of Environmental Conservation also provides an Air Quality Index (AQI) forecast for some pollutants that can be harmful to human health and current air quality measurement data for New York State. In addition, community-based organizations in New York City have also conducted hyperlocal air quality monitoring to help inform residents and policymakers about specific emissions sources and other environmental or public health concerns.
New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Plan
New York State's nation-leading climate agenda is the most aggressive climate and clean energy initiative in the nation, calling for an orderly and just transition to clean energy that creates jobs and continues fostering a green economy as New York State recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Enshrined into law through the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, New York is on a path to achieve its mandated goal of a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and to reach economy wide carbon neutrality. It builds on New York's unprecedented investments to ramp-up clean energy including over $35 billion in 120 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce buildings emissions, $1.8 billion to scale up solar, more than $1 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and over $1.6 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. Combined, these investments are supporting nearly 158,000 jobs in New York's clean energy sector in 2020, a 2,100 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011 and a commitment to develop 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035. Under the Climate Act, New York will build on this progress and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent from 1990 levels by 2050, while ensuring that at least 35 percent with a goal of 40 percent of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities, and advance progress towards the state's 2025 energy efficiency target of reducing on-site energy consumption by 185 trillion BTUs of end-use energy savings.
About Aclima
Aclima is pioneering an entirely new way to diagnose the health of our air and track climate-changing pollution. Powered by their network of roving and stationary sensors, Aclima measures air pollution and greenhouse gases at unprecedented scales and with block-by-block resolution. Their professional analytics software, Aclima Pro, translates billions of scientific measurements into environmental intelligence for governments, companies, and communities. Their free app, air.health, maps address-level air and climate insights for the communities they serve. Aclima is a purpose-driven technology company catalyzing bold climate action that protects public health, reduces emissions, and delivers clean air for all.
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