DALLAS, TEXAS (March 4, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded the Fort Sill Apache Tribe with a $66,360 grant to conduct air sensor monitoring for particulate matter (PM), a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets that can cause serious health concerns once inhaled. With this grant funding, the Fort Sill Apache Tribe will be able to develop air monitoring strategies to combat harmful emissions found in the surrounding area.
The Tribe will purchase three Purple Air PM2.5 monitoring sensors to monitor for hazardous emissions such as particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds on Tribal property. The Tribe can use data from these stations to create air monitoring strategies and improve air quality.
The grant will also fund outreach and education to improve residents’ understanding of outdoor and indoor air quality by working with local and national environmental groups who will offer new and innovate ways to conduct air monitoring. The overall outcome of this project is to ensure the Fort Sill Apache Tribe are maintaining ambient air monitoring sites/stations for their residents while addressing hazardous air pollutants within the territory.
The Fort Sill Apache Tribe spans several Southwest Oklahoma counties including Caddo, Comanche, and Grady Counties. Since 2007, the Tribe has worked with EPA to establish an environmental office to combat illegal dumping, provide more recycling opportunities, and to educate the public on local environmental issues.
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