On March 1, 2023, EPA released grant program guidance for $250 million in planning grants under the IRA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program to states, metropolitan areas, Tribes and territories. The grants are phase 1 of the program and are for developing plans that include strategies for reducing pollution. More information can be found here.
Important dates for Phase 1:
States must submit notice of intent to apply by March 31, 2023 and grant applications by April 28, 2023
The 67 most populous metropolitan areas in the U.S. must submit notice of intent to apply by April 28, 2023 and grant applications by May 31, 2023.
Tribes and territories must submit grant applications by June 15, 2023.
Awards will be made in the summer of 2023.
Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming send letter to President Biden on Ozone
/in Letters /by westaradminOn April 23rd, 2024 the governors from Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming sent a letter to President Biden to raise concerns about attaining the 2015 8-hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard.
2024 Spring Business Meeting
/in Meetings, News /by westaradminWESTAR Comments – Large Municipal Waste Combustors
/in EPA Actions, Letters /by westaradminOn March 25, 2024, WESTAR submitted a comment letter to EPA on their proposed rule regarding large municipal waste combustors. WESTAR commented specifically in favor of the proposal to exclude air curtain incinerators from Title V requirements when they are used to burn wood waste, yard waste, and clean lumber and are not located at a major source or subject to title V for other reasons.
2023 Fall Business Meeting
/in Meetings, News /by westaradminWESTAR Comment Letter – Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles
/in Letters /by westaradminOn July 5, 2023, WESTAR submitted a comment letter to EPA on the proposed rule to reduce GHG and criteria pollutants from model year 2027 and later light-duty and medium-duty vehicles.
Worst Air Quality Day in North Dakota’s History
/in News /by westaradminIn mid-May 2023, a wave of smoke originating from wildfires in Alberta and British Columbia spread southward, reaching North Dakota. The influx of smoke led to an unprecedented decline in air quality within the state, surpassing any previous records. Check out ND’s air monitoring data from May 17, 2023.
HAQAST Utah meeting October 19-20
/in Meetings /by westaradminNASA Health and Air Quality Applied Sciences Team (HAQAST) will hold its next meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah October 19-20. HAQAST’s mission is to bring the power of NASA’s satellites and data products to bear on real-world issues of public health and air quality. The meeting features panels with brief, ten-minute presentations from scientists and stakeholders, and plenty of time for networking and discussion. You can get a sense for the sorts of topics and discussion by looking at the draft agenda, and recordings from previous meetings.
Travel stipends (up to $1,500) are available for eligible stakeholders, and meeting registration is free. Virtual participation is also an option. You can find out more about HAQAST Utah, including the registration form and the application for funding (which shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes to complete) and more here: https://haqast.org/haqast-utah/ If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the HAQAST outreach program manager, Jenny Bratburd (bratburd@wisc.edu).
WESTAR-WRAP Spring Business Meeting
/in Meetings /by westaradminWESTAR Comments on EPA’s PM NAAQS Proposal
/in Letters /by westaradminEPA releases grant guidance for planning grants under CPRG
/in EPA Actions /by westaradminOn March 1, 2023, EPA released grant program guidance for $250 million in planning grants under the IRA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program to states, metropolitan areas, Tribes and territories. The grants are phase 1 of the program and are for developing plans that include strategies for reducing pollution. More information can be found here.
Important dates for Phase 1:
States must submit notice of intent to apply by March 31, 2023 and grant applications by April 28, 2023
The 67 most populous metropolitan areas in the U.S. must submit notice of intent to apply by April 28, 2023 and grant applications by May 31, 2023.
Tribes and territories must submit grant applications by June 15, 2023.
Awards will be made in the summer of 2023.