THE BEAST UNLEASHED: The BREDL Environmental Air Sampling Trailer has been delivered to our first location and will be deployed to other sites in the Southeast over the next three years.
Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL) has officially launched our community air monitoring project featuring the B.E.A.S.T. utility trailer equipped with high-end air monitoring equipment. B.E.A.S.T is the acronym for BREDL Environmental Air Sampling Trailer.
The Environmental Protection Agency EPA awarded a grant to BREDL on July 30, 2023, for the CARE-4-Air (C4A) project. The grant funded a mobile air monitoring trailer that will be taken to communities throughout the Southeast that are concerned about air pollution in their neighborhoods. Kathy Andrews, BREDL Executive Director: “This is a great opportunity to provide air pollution data to the general public and target areas where protection is needed due to bad air quality. We’re grateful to the EPA for providing us funding for this important project.”
BREDL’s contractor Wilbur Technical Services outfitted the trailer with monitors for: Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Nitrogen oxides, and Particulate Matter (PM). These pollutants can impact human health and the environment. The B.E.A.S.T. is also equipped with a weather station. Data from the monitors will be obtained online and subjected to EPA approved quality assurance and quality control checks. BREDL will provide the results of the air sampling and meet with impacted communities. We will employ various educational tools—for example Infographics and fact sheets— to inform the public about air sources in their neighborhoods, and to encourage engagement on environmental
issues that they are concerned about.
The $432,854 project includes $365,368 provided by the EPA grant and $67,486 in a BREDL cost-share commitment. We appreciate this opportunity provided by EPA’s “Enhanced air quality monitoring for communities” grant.
“We are excited to be able to provide, at least for a few months, state of the art air monitoring for underserved communities. Communities that don’t have access to nearby government agency air monitoring,” said Mark Barker, Project Operations Manager.
We are hopeful that all BREDL chapters dealing with air quality problems will consider taking advantage of this remarkable opportunity. If you are interested in having the B.E.A.S.T. deployed to your area, please contact Mark Barker at mebarker@cox.net.
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The League Line: Summer 2022
Cover: Seeking protection for our local communities is something that we must continue to pursue by Charles Utley- BREDL sending representative to Germany for peace delegation by Jenn Galler
- Director’s Report: Citizens’ responsibility when it comes to pollution by Kathy Andrews
- EPA takes action on PFAS by Therese Vick
- Disenfranchisement and its impact on environmental justice by Jason Torian
- Solar panels in parking lots by Ann Rogers
- BREDL welcomes Jan Haagensen as Development Director
