Community-Based Air Quality Monitoring Framework

Introduction

This framework was developed to help air monitoring project leaders develop community-based air quality monitoring projects in collaboration with local partners, including organizations working in neighborhoods or areas overburdened by air pollution. Community-Based Air Quality Monitoring (CBAQM) presents an opportunity to advance environmental justice goals by helping to identify and prioritize communities where pollution reduction and investments are most needed.

This framework is intended to serve as a compendium of information and resources for any stage of CBAQM project development, from conception to implementation. Recognizing that no two projects are alike, just as no two communities share the same exact needs, wherever possible this framework provides a variety of resources so users can select the ones that meet their specific needs. 

In the navigation bar on the left side of the screen, users will find links to sections devoted to each of the crucial issues that must be addressed in every successful community-based air monitoring project. These sections, which reflect best practices GCC has identified, provide resources that can help organize, plan, and implement a community-based air quality monitoring project from inception to delivery of results. The six numbered sections cover the following topics:

1. Establishing the roles and responsibilities of each of the organizations collaborating on the project.
2. Developing the detailed plans for the project, including agreeing on the purpose for the monitoring, selecting and siting equipment, and deciding how the data will be used and shared.
3. Staffing the project, including identifying personnel roles that need to be filled.
4. Estimating costs and managing the project budget.
5. Implementing the project, including planning for operating needs and maintenance.
6. Assessing options and choosing among potential uses and follow up actions based on the data produced by the monitoring project. 

Users can use the navigation panel to go directly to any section of the framework at any time. Please note that sections 2 and 5 include subsections with additional detail about specific aspects related to those topics. 

To help ensure that air monitoring projects go smoothly and achieve all of their intended goals, it is recommended that project participants become familiar with all of the topics covered by this framework before initiating a project. Nevertheless, this framework is designed to help project participants work through challenges during any stage of project development or implementation.

The resources provided through this framework include guidelines and documents from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Bay Air Center, South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), California Air Resources Board, Metropolitan Alliance of Connected Communities, and TD Environmental Services (TD Enviro).