CNHI: 10 Indiana air-quality monitors to get upgrades thanks to federal dollars
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Democratic Party, the organization that advocates for the future of Indiana and its families, today celebrated the brighter tomorrow the American Rescue Plan is delivering for the Hoosier State. This time, the Rescue Plan will upgrade ten air pollution monitors that will be used to provide 24-7 particle analysis for the state government. This new system could help the state determine the severity of the state’s abysmal national rankings in air quality and overall quality-of-life.
Democrats like Congressmen André Carson and Frank Mrvan delivered this critical investment for the State of Indiana.
Unfortunately, every single Congressional Republican said “NO” to these projects. It’s another example of the Indiana Republican Party putting their extremist agenda before a kitchen-table issue important to Hoosiers. The GOP’s opposition further demonstrates how they have no plan for Indiana’s future – just abiding by national partisanship.
Here’s a look at the impact Democrats’ American Rescue Plan will have on the Hoosier State:
CNHI: 10 Indiana air-quality monitors to get upgrades thanks to federal dollars
Every state wants to add more air-pollution monitors to ensure residents aren’t breathing harmful chemicals like lead or carbon monoxide, according to Angela Tin, a former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency air-quality specialist of 25 years.
But in Indiana, the number of monitoring locations has decreased significantly since 2008, when the EPA started requiring states to submit their ambient air monitoring network plans for federal review.
Fourteen years ago, Indiana had 90 monitoring locations that checked for 180 pollution parameters. This year, there are only 73 locations inspecting fewer than 150 parameters. That number will reduce to 71 sites next year.
“It’s always a funding issue,” said Tin, who today serves as the American Lung Association’s national senior director of clean air initiatives.
Next year, an influx of American Rescue Plan dollars will let the Indiana Department of Environmental Management upgrade 10 monitors to 24-7 air-quality monitoring sites. Those 10 currently only provide data every few days.
The new monitors will deliver a better picture of the fine particulate matter in the air, which is important when determining pollution sources and links between observed health effects, according to IDEM’s monitoring plan.
###
