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The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) issued a June 16th news release stating that it has awarded $1,137,068 to the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment – Division of Environmental Quality (“DEQ”) to support its air monitoring programs.

The grant is being provided to monitor air quality for fine particulate matter, which is also described as particle pollution or soot.

Various methods and techniques are used to determine the quantity of a given pollutant in the ambient air and/or the amount of emissions generated by its source. Sampling air conditions is an important part of the process for determining whether an area is and/or will remain in compliance with the relevant Clean Air Act National Ambient Air Quality Standards. DEQ operates a number of sampling stations to monitor the various Air Quality Control Regions’ compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

EPA states that the grant will monitor PM 2.5 (i.e, fine particulate matter). The federal agency describes PM 2.5 as consisting of:

. . . solid and liquid particles no larger than 2.5 microns in diameter.

A copy of the news release can be downloaded here.