The Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District awarded STAinNC an $18,500 grant based upon our Grant Summary. There were serveral worthy local projects vying for funds and the committee saw the the importance of what we are about. We are honored to win this grant.

Congratulations to the members of our group who rallied together and worked hard to not only put the vision on paper – but to show up at the meeting and fight for it.

Below are excerpts from the grant proposal:

Summary:

Save the Air in Nevada County (STA in NC), is a California non-profit public benefit organization composed of parents, teachers, doctors and businesspeople concerned about the affects of diminished air quality and high ozone levels in Nevada County. It’s mission is “to promote and conduct sustainable practices that increase awareness, promote education and inspire action to improve Nevada County’s air quality by reducing ozone air pollution.” Partner Agencies include the Nevada County Superintendent of Schools, Nevada County First Five, NC Breathers, Parents for Clean Air, and the Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District.

Brief Project Description:

The Nevada County Ozone Monitoring and Education Project (NCOMEP) is a one-year project that builds a well-informed constituency of parents, teachers, doctors, community leaders and local officials to provide leadership in addressing western Nevada County’s non-attainment of federal ozone standards.

Utilizing a website; listserve; outreach meetings to city, county and state agencies; oversight of state regulatory agencies; presentations to community groups, NGOs, schools and parent organizations; and outreach to local and regional media, NCOMEP will successfully educate key constituencies about the health, economic and social affects of ozone non-attainment and how to successfully participate in solving this regional issue.

NCOMEP includes an education and outreach plan to parents of school-aged children to increase public and shared transportation opportunities for families in order to reduce vehicle miles traveled to and from local schools.

NCOMEP will leverage AB 2766 funds through community and business contributions to acquire an Ozone Monitoring Station (OMS) for the Penn Valley area and two portable ozone monitors for use at schools, community playgrounds and other gathering places.

Objectives of the Project:

The Nevada County Ozone Monitoring and Education Project (NCOMEP) builds a well-informed constituency of parents, teachers, doctors and local officials to provide leadership in addressing western Nevada County’s non-attainment of federal ozone standards.

Additionally, the project will reduce vehicle miles traveled by local families by conducting outreach and education to parents of school aged children and providing advocacy for increased public and shared transportation opportunities for families. Public education to parents of school-aged children will include a clear, logical explanation of how increased carpooling will result in direct financial savings for the family, and indirect environmental benefits to the community. This information will be compiled into a Carpool Guide that will be developed and distributed to all families at a minimum of five local schools that represent all grade levels. Additionally, families will be linked with online carpool databases to expedite and coordinate car pool efforts.

The Project will leverage AB 2766 funds through community and business contributions as well as grants to acquire an Ozone Monitoring Station for the Penn Valley area and a minimum of one portable ozone monitor for use at schools and community playgrounds. In order to work effectively to reduce air pollution, it is crucial that accurate and comprehensive data be gathered to understand the extent and nature of the problem. Currently, there are two monitors in western Nevada County (Litton and Blue Canyon). With just those data points, it is impossible to see how ozone is affecting the rest of the county; whether there are pockets of higher or lower concentration; how high it goes; how it dissipates. Data gathered by the additional monitors purchased by leveraging AB2766 funds will help us to better understand the true extent of ozone pollution in our county. This data will provide crucial information to inform the work and proposals of STA in NC. The project goals and objectives will be accomplished through a partnership between the Nevada County Superintendent of Schools office, Nevada County First Five, NC Breathers, and Save The Air in Nevada County (STA in NC).

How AB2766 funds will be used:

AB2766 Funds will be used for educational and promotional materials, direct and indirect costs associated with building constituencies of parents, teachers and local leaders, public meetings, and technical consulting to participate in the California SIP process.