I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8551 
To improve air quality management and the safety of communities using 
the best available monitoring technology and data. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 28, 2022 
Mr. MCEACHIN (for himself, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Ms. 
CASTOR of Florida, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. GRIJALVA, and Ms. 
JAYAPAL) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To improve air quality management and the safety of com-
munities using the best available monitoring technology 
and data. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Technology Assess-
ment for Air Quality Management Act of 2022’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
(1) the Environmental Protection Agency can 
further strengthen air quality planning and manage-
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ment by consistently gathering information on local 
air quality monitoring systems across the United 
States; 
(2) newer air sensor technologies create the 
possibility for enhanced, community-scale air pollu-
tion data; 
(3) despite national progress in reducing air 
pollution, more than 40 percent of people in the 
United States live in places with unhealthy levels of 
ozone or particle pollution; 
(4) people of color, Indigenous people, and low- 
income communities bear disproportionately higher 
exposures and health burdens due to air pollution; 
(5) air quality can vary up to 800 percent from 
block to block within a single neighborhood; and 
(6) existing methods that are prescribed for 
basin-wide air quality monitoring are cost-prohibitive 
for monitoring community-scale air quality. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency. 
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(2) AIR POLLUTANT.—The term ‘‘air pollutant’’ 
has the meaning given such term in section 302(g) 
of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7602(g)). 
(3) AREA SOURCE.—The term ‘‘area source’’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 112(a) of 
the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7412(a)). 
(4) ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.—The term ‘‘en-
vironmental justice’’ means the fair treatment and 
meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of 
race, color, culture, national origin, or income, in the 
development, implementation, and enforcement of 
environmental laws (including regulations) and poli-
cies to ensure that each person enjoys— 
(A) the same degree of protection from en-
vironmental and health hazards; and 
(B) equal access to any Federal agency ac-
tion relating to the development, implementa-
tion, and enforcement of environmental laws 
(including regulations) and policies for the pur-
pose of having a healthy environment in which 
to live, learn, work, and recreate. 
(5) ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE
COMMUNITY.— 
The term ‘‘environmental justice community’’ means 
a community with significant representation of com-
munities of color, low-income communities, or Tribal 
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and Indigenous communities, that experiences, or is 
at risk of experiencing, higher or more adverse 
human health or environmental effects, as compared 
to other communities. 
(6) HYBRID
METHOD.—The term ‘‘hybrid 
method’’ means a method for monitoring air pollut-
ants that combines information from multiple 
sources, including monitors at ground level, mod-
eling, and satellites, to aid in calculating the ex-
pected number of exceedances per year and the de-
sign values for air pollutants for purposes of deter-
mining compliance or non-compliance with the na-
tional ambient air quality standards for those pollut-
ants. 
(7) HYPERLOCAL
AIR
QUALITY
MONITORING 
SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘hyperlocal air quality moni-
toring system’’ means a system of monitoring air 
pollutants that— 
(A) yields frequently repeated, ongoing 
measurements of air pollutants at a geographic 
scale that is— 
(i) as small as practicable to identify 
communities; and 
(ii) not larger than that of a census 
tract; and 
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(B) identifies hotspots of persistent ele-
vated levels of air pollutants localized to, and 
caused by the characteristics of, a specific geo-
graphic location. 
(8) HYPERLOCAL DATA.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘hyperlocal 
data’’ means the data returned by a hyperlocal 
air quality monitoring system. 
(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘hyperlocal 
data’’ may include data on— 
(i) the health impacts of air pollution; 
and 
(ii) sources of air pollutants. 
(9) INDIRECT
SOURCE.—The term ‘‘indirect 
source’’ has the meaning given the term in section 
110(a)(5)(C) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 
7410(a)(5)(C)). 
(10) 
MAJOR
SOURCE.—The 
term 
‘‘major 
source’’ has the meaning given the term in section 
501 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7661). 
(11) REFERENCE
METHOD.—The term ‘‘ref-
erence method’’ has the meaning given such term in 
section 50.1 of title 40, Code of Federal Regula-
tions, as in effect on the date of enactment of this 
Act. 
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(12) RELEVANT COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS.— 
The term ‘‘relevant committees of Congress’’ 
means— 
(A) the Committee on Environment and 
Public Works of the Senate; and 
(B) the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce of the House of Representatives. 
SEC. 4. COMPENDIUM OF AIR QUALITY MONITORING TECH-
NOLOGIES AND USES OF AIR QUALITY IN-
SIGHTS. 
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Administrator 
shall update the Air Sensor Toolbox of the Environmental 
Protection Agency or an equivalent online, publicly avail-
able compendium— 
(1) to describe all types of common air quality 
monitor technologies, which may include— 
(A) Federal Reference Method or Federal 
Equivalent Method monitors; 
(B) mobile monitoring platforms; 
(C) low-cost stationary monitors; 
(D) satellite sensors and surface monitors; 
(E) fenceline monitoring instruments; 
(F) high-resolution cameras; and 
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(G) other technologies, as determined to be 
appropriate by the Administrator; 
(2) to describe the uses of the data associated 
with the types of common air quality monitor tech-
nologies described under paragraph (1); 
(3) to update and describe the advantages of 
monitoring technologies with respect to different air 
quality management applications, which may in-
clude— 
(A) the costs and ease of purchase, instal-
lation, operation, and maintenance of monitors; 
(B) air pollutant or air pollutants mon-
itored; 
(C) spatial resolution; 
(D) temporal resolution; 
(E) frequency of data collection by mon-
itors; 
(F) data quality and data processing 
needs; and 
(G) compatibility, accessibility, and ease of 
use of a type of monitor with online databases; 
(4) to describe— 
(A) potential incongruities between air 
quality monitor measurements from reference 
methods and hybrid methods; and 
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(B) relevant insights from data returned 
from hybrid methods, despite the potential in-
congruities described in subparagraph (A); 
(5) to describe the availability of, and how to 
access, data on— 
(A) the location and nature of likely 
sources of air pollution, including major 
sources, area sources, and indirect sources; and 
(B) potential health impacts that may re-
sult from air pollution exposure; 
(6) to connect and integrate the Air Sensor 
Toolbox 
or 
equivalent 
compendium 
with 
the 
EJSCREEN mapping tool of the Environmental 
Protection Agency, the Environmental Information 
Exchange Network, and other relevant Federal, 
State, and local environmental justice mapping and 
screening tools— 
(A) to inform communities and local air 
agencies of local air pollution concerns; and 
(B) to help communities understand and 
describe— 
(i) the multiple and cumulative expo-
sures identified in environmental human 
health analyses under section 3–301(b) of 
Executive Order 12898 (42 U.S.C. 4321 
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note; relating to Federal actions to address 
environmental justice in minority popu-
lations and low-income populations); and 
(ii) any exclusion from participation 
in, denial of and the benefits of, or dis-
crimination under programs and activities 
receiving Federal financial assistance on 
the ground of race, color, or national ori-
gin, as prohibited under section 601 of the 
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 
2000d); and 
(7) to describe how to integrate air quality 
monitoring technologies and data across spatial and 
temporal scales to improve quantitative use of low- 
cost sensors, satellite sensors, and other tech-
nologies. 
SEC. 5. AIR QUALITY TECHNOLOGY WORKING GROUP. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Adminis-
trator shall establish an Air Quality Technology 
Working Group (referred to in this section as the 
‘‘Working Group’’). 
(2) MEMBERSHIP.—The Working Group shall 
consist of 30 members, including— 
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(A) 1 representative from each Regional 
Office of the Environmental Protection Agency; 
(B) not less than 1 representative with a 
demonstrated record of experience with device 
installation, operation, maintenance, and cali-
bration of different air quality monitoring ap-
proaches; 
(C) not less than 3 representatives with 
demonstrated records of experience in data 
science as it pertains to using measurements 
from monitoring technologies to develop air 
quality insights for environmental justice and 
associated air quality monitoring applications; 
(D) not less than 3 representatives of envi-
ronmental justice community-based organiza-
tions, coalitions, networks, or alliances with ex-
perience in using new technologies to assess and 
address air pollution in the communities of 
those environmental justice community-based 
organizations, coalitions, networks, or alliances; 
(E) not less than 1 representative with a 
demonstrated record of experience in outreach 
and engagement with environmental justice 
communities; 
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(F) not less than 1 representative from the 
national headquarters of the Environmental 
Protection Agency; 
(G) not less than 1 representative from a 
State air agency; 
(H) not less than 1 representative from a 
local air agency; 
(I) not less than 1 representative from a 
Tribal air agency; 
(J) not less than 2 representatives who— 
(i) are— 
(I) from public health depart-
ments; or 
(II) public health scientists; and 
(ii) have a demonstrated record of ex-
perience with translating information col-
lected from monitoring technologies into 
health insights for environmental justice 
applications and air quality management; 
and 
(K) not less than 1 representative from the 
air quality technology industry. 
(b) MONITORING SYSTEM TEMPLATE.—Not later 
than 1 year after the date on which the Working Group 
is established under subsection (a)(1), the Working Group 
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shall develop and submit to the relevant committees of 
Congress a report that includes— 
(1) templates for integrated air quality moni-
toring systems ranging in cost estimates, population 
sizes of communities served, atmospheric dispersion 
dynamics of air pollutants, and other relevant pa-
rameters, as determined to be appropriate by the 
Working Group, that provide a holistic under-
standing of local air pollutant measurements across 
time, which may incorporate— 
(A) 1 or more in-situ monitors; 
(B) 1 or more satellite sensors; 
(C) computer modeling; 
(D) multipollutant monitoring options; 
(E) single pollutant monitoring options; 
and 
(F) data collection, interpretation, and re-
porting to relevant Federal, State, local, and 
Tribal air agencies; 
(2) a description of the costs and capacity 
needs associated with the integrated air quality mon-
itoring systems described under paragraph (1), in-
cluding— 
(A) costs of purchase, operation, mainte-
nance, and calibration of monitor technologies; 
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(B) workforce needs; 
(C) data infrastructure needs; and 
(D) any other needs, as determined to be 
appropriate by the Administrator; and 
(3) technology modernization targets for up-
grades to integrated air quality monitoring stations. 
(c) HYPERLOCAL MONITORING SUPPORT.—Not later 
than 360 days after the date on which the Working Group 
is established under subsection (a)(1), the Working Group 
shall develop and submit to Congress a report that in-
cludes— 
(1) recommendations for how the Administrator 
can consider data returned from hybrid methods in 
designations pursuant to section 107 of the Clean 
Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7407); and 
(2) recommendations for dedicated staffing at 
the Environmental Protection Agency to robustly 
support communities interested in hyperlocal data, 
for example, assistance with grant applications, co- 
location of low-cost monitors with Federal reference 
monitors, and data analysis. 
SEC. 6. NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE INVENTORY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 
of the United States, in coordination with the Environ-
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(b) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit 
to the relevant committees of Congress a report that in-
cludes— 
(1) a description of the study carried out under 
subsection (a); 
(2) a description of the results of that study; 
(3) a map of high-priority areas for air quality 
monitor deployment, based on factors such as prox-
imity to or effects on environmental justice commu-
nities, discrepancies between monitor readings and 
satellite or low-cost sensor readings, proliferation of 
air pollution sources, and the lack of existing Fed-
eral Reference Method or Federal Equivalent Meth-
od monitors; and 
(4) recommendations for legislative and regu-
latory action that would facilitate more effective and 
targeted air quality management across scales, 
which may include— 
(A) monitor placement; 
(B) monitor accuracy; 
(C) integration of monitor, modeling, and 
satellite technologies; 
(D) 
Federal 
Equivalent 
Methods 
for 
hyperlocal monitoring; 
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(E) information gathering and sharing; 
and 
(F) maintenance and regular upgrades to 
monitors and data infrastructure. 
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Admin-
istrator $11,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 
2027 for the purposes of— 
(1) carrying out this Act; and 
(2) funding 8 new full-time equivalent positions 
to assist the Administrator in carrying out this Act. 
SEC. 8. SAVINGS CLAUSE. 
Nothing in this Act shall be construed as altering, 
limiting, revising, or weakening existing Federal law to 
protect public health or welfare from air pollution. 
Æ 
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