 |
In its effort to create a programmatic approach to developing and implementing better air monitoring technologies, the EPA wants to not only address the needs of developers, researchers, and scientists, but also the growing number of ordinary citizens using air monitoring devices in their communities. Although this group is most likely to use the least expensive and simplest technologies, they represent vast possibilities when considering how they might contribute to air monitoring databases and regulatory programs.
From the EPA’s point of view, there are two primary considerations:
1) How best to engage citizens in new technology pilot programs, and
2) How to respond to citizen concerns related to air monitoring data.
To address the first point, the EPA recognizes that no two communities are the same, so no “cookie cutter” approach will work. However, EPA’s findings provided the following conclusions:
- State and local air monitoring agencies represent a great interface to begin communications;
- Community-based programs should build trust so that citizens involved will remain engaged after training and provide a long-term, self-sustaining community resource;
- Partnerships with academia and local groups work well;
- Hands-on air pollution monitoring activities for students (both wearing sensors and building them from kits) make a big impact on the students and can encourage parental participation;
- Work is needed to understand how best to interpret collected data without causing concerns about involuntary exposures;
- Local libraries as community advocates can help overcome any “generational” lack of comfort with technology; and
- Data sharing software must be user friendly and customizable.
Join us on June 26 when you will learn the key federal VOC fugitive emission regulations focused on chemical and processing facilities and much more. Register Now.
On the second point, the EPA came to the following conclusions:
- Interpreting data from sensors, including health implications, is a new and complex area requiring immediate attention;
- Communications with concerned citizens should include the type of instrument used to collect the data and what can reasonably be expected from various technologies and data outputs;
- The EPA and other agencies need to consider how to take advantage of community measurements to help inform where more sophisticated monitoring may be a higher priority; and
- EPA regions and state and local monitoring agencies are concerned about how to respond to citizens reporting data from new sensor technologies when data quality information may not be known.
Join us on June 26 when our presenter, a seasoned environmental engineer who has helped companies develop and implement cost effective and compliant LDAR programs, will outline a successful process for evaluating existing LDAR programs, identifying potential gaps, and recommending solutions. Register Today.
As a result of these findings in both areas, the EPA developed recommendations to be undertaken by them or other more appropriate organizations as follows:
- Communities and citizens need to understand any health implications related to air monitoring data and exposures. This would require interpreting short-term measurements, developing simple language for exposure mitigation and behavior change, improving action/mitigation recommendations among federal agencies, and individualized recommendations based on personally collected data;
- Development of a citizen monitoring toolkit that should include a list of devices, sampling methodologies, general approaches to calibration/validation, measurement methodologies, data interpretation, and education and outreach;
- Drive citizen participation using social scientists to build trust and assist with communications;
- Address privacy issues related to personal participation through new and existing research on pollutants and health data coupled with developing new technologies to address privacy concerns;
- Create pilot programs designed to test and evaluate different Tier I and Tier II monitoring in communities;
- Identify “critical issues” related to widespread use of air monitoring such as how to consider nonregulatory data and communications strategies; and
- Use the air monitoring to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.
As with air monitoring technology development, community outreach activities have already begun, and the Office of Research and Development (ORD) is working on the citizen monitoring toolkit, as well as supporting the development of an informational guide for developers and users.