EPA Education Grant - Air Quality Copyright 2014
City of Dubuque Consent Items # 4.
ITEM TITLE: EPA Education Grant - Air Quality
SUMMARY: Sustainable Community Coordinator Cori Burbach is transmitting
information on the University of Iowa's application for the EPA
Environmental Education program.
SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: Suggested Disposition: Receive and File
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
❑ EPA Education Grant-Air Quality-MVM Memo City Manager Memo
❑ cover memo Staff Memo
❑ grant application Supporting Documentation
THE CITY OF Dubuque
UBE I
erica .i
Masterpiece on the Mississippi 2007-2012-2013
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: University of Iowa EPA Environmental Education Grant Application
DATE: March 11, 2015
Sustainable Community Coordinator Cori Burbach is transmitting information on the
University of Iowa's application for the EPA Environmental Education program. While
the University of Iowa is the primary applicant, the City would be a subgrantee, and the
work would occur in Dubuque if the grant is awarded.
The EPA Environmental Education grant program was created to help educational
institutions and communities educate the public about the causes and effects of
environmental impacts.
The grant requires that 25% of the total funding amo unt requested, which is $91,000,
be issued to partner organizations in the form of subgrants. As proposed, the City
would be one of the subgrantees and would receive $5,000. No cash match is required;
however, 5% of Public Health Specialist Mary Rose Corrigan's and Sustainable
Community Coordinator Cori Burbach's time, valued at $7,677, is part of the required
match.
No action is requested as the University of Iowa is the applicant for this grant.
Z � ' k�4 S4.znt,-
Mic ael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager
Cori Burbach, Sustainable Community Coordinator
THE CITY OF Dubuque
UBE I
erica .i
Masterpiece on the Mississippi 2007-2012-2013
TO: Michael Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Cori Burbach, Sustainable Community Coordinator
SUBJECT: University of Iowa EPA Environmental Education Grant Application
DATE: March 10, 2015
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this memo is to submit to the City Council the University of Iowa's
application to the EPA Environmental Education program. While the University of Iowa
is the primary applicant, the City would be a subgrantee, and the work would occur in
Dubuque if the grant is awarded.
BACKGROUND
In 2014, the City, Greater Dubuque Development Corporation, and East Central
Intergovernmental Association approached Dr. Charles Stanier in the UI Engineering
Department regarding potential assistance in Dubuque's air quality planning efforts.
Though a grant proposal similar to this 2015 application was unsuccessful, we have
stayed in contact with Dr. Stanier for technical advice as we've developed our PM
Advance document and learned more about air quality in Dubuque.
The EPA Environmental Education grant program was created to help educational
institutions and communities educate the public about the causes and effects of
environmental impacts. Since the applicant must be an educational institution or non-
profit, the City approached Dr. Stanier about a UI application that would focus on
Dubuque's air quality education goals.
DISCUSSION
The CLEAR4 Project (CLEan Air in the River Valley through Environmental Education,
Technology, Partnerships and PM Advance) was submitted by the UI with the goals of
(1) facilitating air quality improvement and supporting the PM Advance program through
increased awareness, knowledge, decision-making skills and commitments to actions
by local stakeholders; (2) infusing low-cost air quality sensors into environmental
education; and (3) documenting outcomes through proven evaluation strategies and
disseminating successful environmental education practices.
Led by UI engineering and education staff, the City and other local partners would
develop and conduct educational activities that raise awareness of the causes of poor
air quality and engage targeted audiences in identifying local actions that could improve
air quality. Targeted audiences would include K-12 and college students, businesses,
elected officials, and the general public. Activities would include the creation of a
variety of workshops, public education events, online materials, and exhibits at existing
community events such as the annual STEM festival. As part of the grant, low-cost air
quality sensors would be purchased. A curriculum would be developed by UI staff, who
would teach local professors, teachers and other interested individuals how to use the
sensors to measure the impact on air quality of localized events, such as vehicle idling.
The grant requires that 25% of the total funding amount requested, which is $91 ,000, be
issued to partner organizations in the form of subgrants. As proposed, the City would
be one of the subgrantees and would receive $5,000. No cash match is required.
However, 5% of Public Health Specialist Mary Rose Corrigan's and my own time,
valued at $7,677, is part of the required match.
REQUESTED ACTION
No action is requested as the UI is the applicant for this grant. This memo is provided
for your information.
cc: Mary Rose Corrigan, Public Health Specialist
2
The CLEAR4 Project: CLEan Air in the River Valley through Environmental Education,
Technology, Partnerships, and PM Advance
Section 3. Work Plan
A. Project Summary
A-1. Organization and Partnerships. The University of Iowa, in collaboration with local partners, will
conduct environmental education (EE) resulting in improvement of air quality in the Upper Mississippi
River Valley community of Dubuque Iowa. The project team includes the City of Dubuque, the East
Central Intergovernmental Association,the Greater Dubuque Development Corporation,and the University
of Iowa. The project will be led by principal investigator Charles Stanier, Associate Professor of Chemical
and Biochemical Engineering and expert in Midwestern air pollution. The affected area has a population
of over 97,000 people. The EE will mainly occur in EPA Region 7 (Iowa), but will also include parts of
EPA Region 5 (Wisconsin and Illinois). Air quality improvement has been prioritized in Dubuque's
Community Health Needs Assessment and the area's sustainability plan, called the Sustainable Dubuque
Vision. Neither the applicants nor The University of Iowa are currently receiving funding (or have
previously received funding)for the proposed project from the EPA's EE Grant Program.
A-2. Summary. We propose a coordinated set of EE activities running from August 2015 —July 2017
around the theme of fine particulate matter(PMzs)pollution and air quality in the upper Mississippi River
Valley. The communities of the affected area are implementing a comprehensive "EPA PM Advance"
(PMA) Path Forward plan to improve air quality, maintain compliance with the Clean Air Act, and
minimize episodes of impaired air quality. Specific goals and objectives of the EE are to (1)facilitate air
quality improvement and support the PMA program through increased awareness, knowledge, decision-
making skills,and commitments to action by local stakeholders; (2) infuse low-cost air quality sensors into
EE; and (3) document outcomes through proven evaluation strategies and disseminate successful EE
practices.
CLEAR4 is built on a unified and evidence-based educational program. The EE activities of this proposal
are unified by the following six practices: (1) they are centered in the EPA EE continuum
(awareness 4knowledge4critical thinking->decision making4action4stewardship), with education
tailored based on what is necessary to inform effective air quality action; (2)EE utilizes existing programs
where possible to maximize efficiency; (3) active learning rather than passive learning will be used
throughout the EE program with the aid of dialogue-based pedagogy and the use of real-time air pollution
sensors in training and outreach; (4) EE participants will generate action plans; (5) follow-up will be
conducted for evaluation of EE effectiveness as well as to promote plan implementation; and (6) local
broadcast,print,and online media will be coordinated with the EE to maximize impact and link stakeholder
groups with one another. CLEAR4 is supported by a detailed logic model connecting the EE activities
(project outputs) with cleaner air, improved health, and environmental stewardship (project outcomes)
through the EPA EE continuum.
Signature EE activities of CLEAR4 include workshops for air quality stakeholders of Dubuque,use of real-
time low-cost portable PMZ.5 monitors for real-time visualization and hands-on experimentation, and
voluntary air quality certification programs for schools and businesses. While past experience has shown
that EE must be customized for different stakeholders (e.g., local businesses vs. local government vs. K-
12, etc.), unification of the EE will occur through the collaboration of all project partners and use of a
project website which will highlight the action plans of participants and stakeholder groups and link the
CLEAR4 EE to ongoing programs such as Sustainable Dubuque and the Air Quality PM Advance program.
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Traffic will be directed to the project website by including it as a central component of CLEAR4 activities
and communications.
Short term(1-2 yr) and medium term outcomes will be evaluated through longitudinal surveys and through
pre- and post- surveys designed in consultation with educational assessment experts. Some of the most
important planned outcomes are: (a)voluntary reduction of air pollutant emissions during episodes of bad
air quality; (b) increased awareness of air quality improvements due to reduced air pollution by transport
and industry sectors; (c) increased knowledge regarding air pollution, its sources, and its effects in a wide
range of EE participants; (d) reduced exposure to PM2s from combustion sources such as idling vehicles
and lawn care equipment; and (e) increased decision making and planning capacity with respect to air
quality in local government,business development, and industrial sectors.
This application focuses on the EPA educational priority of community projects: addressing environmental
stewardship and the EPA environmental priority of air quali . The proposed activities clearly constitute
EE in that participants will develop scientifically-sound skills and have access to data to enable informed
decision-making regarding air quality in the region. The project team is staffed by experienced public
health practitioners, educational experts, air quality engineers, and sustainability experts.
A-3. Implementation/Delivery Method. The delivery method is through workshops and classroom
instruction supported by online materials. Some EE will also occur by organizations (e.g. schools and
businesses) conducting self-evaluations, working with real-time sensors, and implementing action plans
based on CLEAR4 models. Hand-held PM sensors will also be deployed in each EE activity, allowing
teams of participants to design, conduct, and compare air quality sampling results taken real-time in
Dubuque. The hands-on approach is modeled on the Habitmap Kids Making Sense program, but will use
sensors customized for EE use by the Stanier air quality lab at the University of Iowa. All EE activities
will focus on active learning through dialogue,' and the formation of concrete action plans.
A-4.Audience. We anticipate directly reaching 600 participants in the workshop-and classroom-based EE.
Through a variety of events, the demographics of this audience will be divided between adult, K-12, and
college students. Demographics of the participants will reflect the demographics of the eastern Iowa
communities, with special attention paid to at-risk populations, such as those who might have higher rates
of air quality-related illness such as asthma. Through strong partnerships with local media and a varied
online and social media presence,the entire community will be indirectly reached. Partners will also utilize
opportunities such as the annual Growing Sustainable Communities Conference to share their replicable
model with attendees representing over 100 communities from 20 states.
A-5. Costs. The proposal is for $91,000 in federal funds over a two year period.
B. Project Description
B-1 "What" — Goals and educational and environmental priorities. This application primarily
addresses the educational priority of community projects: addressing environmental stewardship in a local
informal educational context Secondarily, it addresses the EE capacity building and human health and the
environment priorities of EPA. Finally, the application addresses the improving air quality environmental
priority. The specific aims of the proposed EE are:
1. Facilitate air quality improvement and support the PMA program through increased awareness,
knowledge, decision-making skills, and commitments to action by local stakeholders;
2. Infuse low-cost air quality sensors into EE; and
3. Document outcomes through proven evaluation strategies and disseminate successful EE practices.
2
While leaders of various stakeholder groups in the affected communities know air quality is important,they
often have severe misconceptions about the causes and possible remediation. The proposed EE projects
address this issue.
B-2 "Why" — Demonstration of need. Air pollution by particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns
(PM2.5)is an important issue in the river communities of eastern Iowa and Western Illinois(Figure 1). All
parts of the affected area(areas not blue in Figure 1)have unhealthy air during some portions of the year,
and the affected community has taken steps not only to stay in compliance with the Clean Air Act, but to
improve air quality. Reduced air quality from particulate pollution was identified as a priority in a recent
Dubuque County Community Health Needs Assessment and Health Improvement Plan(CHNA-HIP).' The
CHNA-HIP further identified lack of air quality expertise as a priority to be addressed. The American Lung
Association classifies particle pollution with
grades of "C" to "F" in areas close to 40
Dubuque (there is not a Lung Association
grade specifically for Dubuque).'
Recommendations to the Governor ander 30
legislature highlight the importance of EE as MinneeporsGreen Bay�+
a strategy to reduce PM2.5 levels.5 V20 �
B-3 "How" — Specific Actions. Table 1 Dubuque o - _ bo
lays out the five proposed activities. When Chicago
ZL
accomplished, these will meet the goals of ; 10
the project described above. Many of the
activities build on existing sustainability
efforts in the Dubuque area. Other activities 0
are new, including the collection of online Figure 1. Map of episodic PM2.5 concentrations in winter
resources, and the PM Advance program. in the upper Midwest, showing regional pollution
(Al) Growing Sustainable Communities throughout a 600 miles wide area centered on southern
Conference. This annual two day Wisconsin. Localized hotspots exist in urban areas on the
shores of the Great Lakes (e.g. Chicago, Milwaukee) and
conference attracts over 500 regional and in the urban areas of the Mississippi River (e.g.
national participants in government, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Dubuque-Potosi, Quad Cities,
business, design, and community Muscatine, St. Louis).2
organizations. Several enhancements to the
conference are proposed to feature air quality EE and CLEAR4 goals. A workshop "Air Quality in the
Upper Midwest—Causes and Implications" will be developed collaboratively by University of Iowa, City
of Dubuque, and ECIA personnel teaching the causes and effects of particulate matter pollution in the
region. The workshop will be highly tailored to suit regional needs, this is possible given the PI's
experience with Midwestern air pollution,' and workshop-based adult education.' An exhibit booth on
CLEAR4, Midwestern Air Quality, and PMA will be debuted at the conference. CLEAR4 EE at the
conference will prominently use low-cost real-time sensors (Cl) as an active learning tool and basis for
participant dialogue. As with all EE activities (Al-A5), personal and organizational action plans,
evaluation, media integration, and integration with the project website will be conducted —see text for
crosscutting activities. The most important outcome of the CLEAR4 EE at this conference will be enhanced
knowledge and critical thinking skills concerning regional air quality — concentrations, source sector
contributions, typical and peak Air Quality Index(AQI)levels, and solutions.
Table 1. Mapping of CLEAR4 activities to the proposal specific aims.
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Objective 4 o
v
Environmental Education Activities m Q
Al. Growing Sustainable Communities Conference—Feature Air • p •
Quality(C, P, U, L)
A2. PM Advance programs—training workshops for civic and • • O
educational leaders(C, K, U, L,A)
A3. Petal Project for Sustainable Businesses—Train Mentors on Air • • p
Quality Issues and Implement VMT Reductions(C, L)
A4. Green Vision Schools Project—Develop/Implement Air Quality • • p
and Climate Certification Programs(L, S, K,A)
A5. Outreach and Demonstrations of Low-Cost Sensors by CLEAR4 • • p
Staff and by CLEAR4-Trained Air Quality Ambassadors. (C, S, K,
P,A)
JJ Cross-Cutting Enabling Activities JJ
(Cl) Low-cost portable PM2.5 sensor for use in educational settings and p • •
for check-out by community groups, local government, and K-12
and college participants (C, S,K, U,L) _
(C2) Online and media dissemination,website capturing EE activities, O O •
links to relevant local/national programs including EPA
MyEnvironment, and participant action plans(all audiences)
(C3)Evaluation—CLEAR4 participant recruitment,publicity, and
O O •
management of institutional review board policies,pre-and post-
survey evaluation. (all audiences)
• symbols denote that the activity is a key contributor to the aim in question
o symbols denote that the activity is a supporting contributor to the aim in question
Audiences are indicated by letters:C—civic, business&community leaders;S—K-12 students;K—K-12 teachers
and administrators; U—secondary college/university teachers and students;P —general public;L—local
government staff. Bold typeface indicates primary audience(s).
(A2)PM Advance(PMA) workshops. The PMA program' is a voluntary program to help communities
stay in compliance with the provisions of the Clean Air Act. In partnership with the Iowa Department of
Natural Resources,we will conduct two educational workshops that enable stakeholder group leaders (e.g.
Petal Project and Green Vision Schools leaders, point-source polluters, business community members,
environmental advocates, and college educators) to take actions in support of Dubuque's PMA program.
The University of Iowa will lead these workshops, and conduct pre- and post-assessment of participant
knowledge regarding PM. Learning will feature low-cost air quality sensors as tools to explore, map out,
and understand concentrations. Participants will learn to use environmental information tools relevant to
their specific needs. Participants will actively discuss advantages and barriers of voluntary PM controls as
a method of dialogue-based learning. They will also develop personal or organizational action plans in the
workshop. PMA information will be further carried into the community through presentations conducted
by ECIA, city staff, and voluntary Air Quality Ambassadors. These Air Quality Ambassadors will receive
additional customized one-on-one training by University of Iowa staff to improve their knowledge and
skills for wider dissemination to local organizations (e.g., business groups, neighborhood associations,
professional groups, churches, service organizations).
The most important outcomes from the PMA workshops will be(a)increased knowledge, critical thinking
skills,and decision making capabilities concerning AQI information,sources of PMZ.s relevant to Dubuque,
and air quality information sources; (b) the development of personalized action plans for improving air
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quality and managing health risks due to air pollution, particularly during episodes of high AQI; and (c)
familiarity with real-time air quality measurements. Furthermore, we anticipate based on our logic model
that the PMA workshop participants will gain improved skills at linking infrastructure improvements (e.g.,
large transport and industrial projects) with air quality. Subsequent workshops and EE activities will be
improved based on feedback from early EE events, such as the Growing Sustainable Communities
Conference and the first PMA workshop.
(A3)Petal Project for Sustainable Business. The Petal Project is a regional green business certification
program designed to encourage organizations in the Dubuque area to adopt more environmentally friendly
business practices. A centerpiece of the Petal Project is the development of employee engagement and/or
incentives to reduce employee vehicle miles traveled (VMT). With CLEAR4, an abbreviated version of
the PMA workshop will be disseminated to Petal Project participants, with a focus on building basic air
quality literacy(source, effects, air quality index, etc.)within these participating organizations. The Petal
Project participating businesses will then develop specific voluntary action plans that will improve air
quality and/or manage how management and workers deal with episodes of impaired air quality.
Commitments and increases in knowledge will be captured through online surveys. Low-cost sensors as
an educational tool will be made available to the Petal Project businesses on a voluntary basis.
This expansion of the Petal Project fits well into the structure of the existing successful program. Currently,
30 businesses in the Dubuque area are participating in the Petal Project, with 15 certified (certification
requires completing criteria in areas of staff education, energy conservation, pollution prevention, waste
reduction, and water conservation) . These organizations span across a range of sectors including retail,
education, non-profit, manufacturing, finance, printing, and medical. Together these companies employ
over 4,000 people.
The key outcomes from including CLEAR4 EE in the Petal Project will be(a) decreased single occupancy
vehicle use; (b) increased dissemination of AQI values and air quality alerts; and (c)voluntary actions to
reduce PM2.5 by businesses and employees during periods of impaired air quality.
(A4) Green Vision Schools Project. This is a voluntary environmental certification program open to
schools in the project area.' Annually, participating schools must work toward a progress patch. Existing
patches include conservation, green building, watershed awareness, energy, and litter prevention. Under
the grant, an additional progress patch will be developed: air quality. Activities at the schools under the
program will include topic-specific content training(e.g. what is air pollution and what role does a school
play),and self-evaluation by school staff and principal,custodian(s),interested teachers,staff,and students.
Participant-designed experiments with low-cost real time pollution sensors will be a key portion of the air
quality patch; we anticipate this will teach the impact of local sources (cooking, school bus and single
occupancy vehicle idling, local roads) very effectively, and the critical relationship to air quality and
childhood asthma.10 The certification patches also include external evaluation by University of Iowa and
City of Dubuque CLEAR4 experts. The purpose of the external evaluation will be to link schools with
information needed to answer questions that come up during the completion of the progress patch, and to
help identify concrete actions that improve air pollution-related outcomes.
Key outcomes from activity A4 will be (a) reduced exposures to air pollutants through identification and
avoidance or control of air pollution hotspots such as vehicle idling locations; (b) increased dissemination
and understanding of AQI values and air episode alerts; and (c) exposure of many K-12 students and
teachers to active real-time air quality sensors.
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(A5)Additional Outreach. Existing science,technology,engineering and math(STEM)and sustainability
focused events,including the Dubuque STEM Festival will have a CLEAR4 booth,table or demonstration.
At these events, CLEAR4 will be publicized, outreach materials will be distributed, basic information on
air quality such as how to access and interpret AQI information will be shared,and air quality concepts will
be illustrated using the low-cost sensors. The STEM festival will feature the accomplishments ofthe Green
Vision Schools Program at the K-12 iEXPLORE NE Iowa Family STEM Festival held every April.
(Cl)Low-cost real-time PM,., Monitors. EE activities will be enlivened and made active using low-cost
real-time sensors. We propose using 10 Dylos low-
cost sensors and one medium cost TSI Dustrak using
these sensors in three configurations. The first
configuration will be during workshops. Based on the
model of the Habitmap Kids Making Sense program
(personal communication, Tim Dye, Sonoma
Technologies), participants will break up into teams,
and each team will first design, and then carry out a
sampling plan that addresses and air quality question
such as"How much worse is the air quality near a bus
terminal versus a city park?" After these battery-
powered sensors are walked through their sampling
plans, the classroom training reconvenes, data is
displayed on large projected screens and laptops, and
discussion of results can commence. Real-time
readings will allow discrimination of individual
sources. The sensors will be customized and tested for
EE use by the Starter air quality lab at the University
of Iowa.
The second configuration of the low-cost sensors
would be as a demonstration piece at outreach events
(A5). The third configuration would be as an
experimental package that could be checked out by
area University teachers and K-12 teachers for
incorporation into environmental- and sensor-focused
STEM education. Our first usage in this configuration
will be through the University of Dubuque Figure 2. (Top) weather-proof air quality
environmental science curriculum. University of monitor proposed for CLEAR4 EE; (Bottom)
Iowa CLEAR4 members would help customize lesson low-cost Dylos particle counter.
plans, software, and hardware for each group. In the
third configuration, calibration curves with the Federal Reference Monitor (an approved concentration
sensor for evaluating Clean Air Act compliance)in Potosi,WI would be conducted.
(C2 & C3) Table 1 includes two cross-cutting activities that do not themselves constitute EE, but rather
enable the activities Al-A5 to be much more effective. These are a media/website plan (C2) and an
evaluation program (0). The media/website plan is described here while the evaluation plan is described
in section C. A website with the following functions will be created for CLEAR4: (i)publicize CLEAR4
events;(ii)provide CLEAR4 EE resources; (iii)document CLEAR4 events through a blog and video/photo
archive; (iv) link to key air quality websites (AQI, EPA, State); and (v) host an online survey/evaluation
tool for CLEAR4 participants (see section C below).
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The project outputs described in Table 1 and in the preceding paragraphs will, in part,be implemented with
local partners who will receive grants of$5,000 or less, as specified in the RFP. The award recipients that
we have selected as our partners for CLEAR4 include the City of Dubuque ($5,000), the Dubuque
Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency ($5,000, manager of the Green Visions Schools program), Green
Dubuque ($5,000, local grass-roots non-profit), ECIA (manager of the Petal Project), and the Greater
Dubuque Development Corporation($2,750).
B-4"Who' —Description of target audience and recruitment plan. A strength of the proposal plan is that
by tapping into existing EE programs,recruitment concerns are minimized.Participant groups are indicated
by the letter codes in Table 1. They will be recruited using existing member and email lists held by the
CLEAR4 team members and partners. The participants will be divided between adult, K-12, and college
students. Demographics of the participants will reflect the demographics of the eastern Iowa communities,
with special attention paid to at-risk populations, such as those who might have higher rates of air quality-
related illness such as asthma. Through strong partnerships with local media and a varied online and social
media presence, the entire community will be indirectly reached. We anticipate reaching 600 participants
in the workshop- and classroom-based EE.
B-5 Educational framework. In order to achieve the aims of the proposal and have a real impact on
stewardship behaviors, (1) partners will need to distribute information to the intended audiences and (2)
participants will need to generate air quality strategies customized to their situations and needs. To ensure
effective learning, the CLEAR4 EE will incorporate evidence-based learning strategies. Participants will
be actively involved with content so that it is embedded within their own conceptual framework." As part
of this strategy, dialogue about air pollution, its sources, and methods of eliminating it will be used to
actively engage participants.'
C Project Evaluation. CLEAR4 will use a combination of evaluation tools to document achievement of
project outcomes, effectiveness of EE activities (project outputs), and permit mid-course corrections
(formative evaluation) for repeated EE activities such as Al-A4. Evaluation strategy and design of
evaluation materials will consider MEERA12 recommendations and lessons learned from pervious public
health surveys conducted in Dubuque. The evaluation plan and materials will be reviewed prior to use by
the University of Iowa Center for Evaluation and Assessment(CEA)to maximize efficacy and align surveys
with best practices." The CEA provides third-party evaluation, assessment, and other research services to
a broad range of clients working in multiple programmatic areas. The CEA has successfully completed
more than 100 evaluations for various clients and sponsors and contributed evaluation designs to teams
securing a total of more than $50 million in external funding. At any time, the CEA has more than a dozen
projects in progress. Evaluations that involve human subjects will be cleared and monitored by the
University of Iowa Institutional Review Board where appropriate.
Our evaluation strategy utilizes four types of evaluation tools,planned and grounded in assessing the short
term outcomes in our logic model.14 First, online surveys will be used to monitor general community
awareness,knowledge,and plans of action. Examples of topics to be assessed in the online surveys include:
perception of air quality, awareness of air quality resources, and knowledge of sources and effects of air
pollution. Survey questions will be written to assess where each participant is in an air quality EE
continuum(e.g.,awareness 4 knowledge 4 critical thinking 4 decision making 4 action 4 stewardship).
A detailed logic model (an abbreviated version is found in the appendices) linking actions in specific air
quality categories (e.g., outdoor PM, low-cost real-time sensors, air quality and disease, indoor air quality,
transportation and air quality, schools and air quality, fires, etc.) to their components along the EE
continuum will assist survey design.
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Second, documentation of impact on the environment will be achieved through measured environmental
concentrations at nearby EPA monitors and through the low- and medium-cost CLEAR4 sensors. Third,
quarterly teleconferences of all the CLEAR4 partner organizations will be held to ensure coordination and
early identification of barriers to success. These teleconferences will be supported by online surveys that
include open-ended questions (e.g., ideas for improvement) and quantitative measures of progress towards
outcomes and milestone dates. Since this project involves new partnerships, this type of formative
evaluation can help to maintain timelines and ensure efficient coordination among groups.15 Fourth,for the
critical PMA workshops and Green Vision Schools program,pre-assessment of awareness,knowledge,and
plans of action will be conducted. This will be supplemented by periodic reevaluation(i.e.post-assessment)
of awareness,knowledge, plans of action, and action plan impact.
Medium-term and long-term evaluation will be achieved by linking CLEAR4 to long-term efforts by local
and regional organizations such as the City of Dubuque, Dubuque County Department of Public Health,
and Sustainable Dubuque. CLEAR4 will establish knowledge and critical thinking skills regarding air
quality in these groups. Furthermore, CLEAR4 will provide templates for future evaluation,baseline data
regarding awareness and knowledge, a detailed logic model, and stakeholder actions plans. Outcomes of
CLEAR4 overlap with outcomes of Sustainable Dubuque and the Community Health Needs Assessment;
therefore,medium-term and long-term evaluation of many CLEAR4 outcomes will occur as through these
broad-based community initiatives.
References
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Portsmouth,NH,2009.
2.Stanier,C.;Singh,A.;Adamski,W.,et al.,Overview of the LADCO Winter Nitrate Study:Hourly Ammonia,Nitric Acid and PM2.5
Composition at an Urban and Rural Site Pair During PM2.5 Episodes in the U.S.Great Lakes Region.Atmos.Chem.Phys.2012,12,
11037-11056.
3.Dubuque County Public Health Department Dubuque County Community Health Needs Assessment and Health Improvement
Plan for2011-2016;2011.
4.American Lung Association State of the Air.http://www.stateoftheair.org/(accessed January 18,2014).
5.Iowa Department of Natural Resources Implementing the PM2.5 Ambient Air Quality Standard in the State of Iowa:Report to
the Governor and General Assembly 2011.
6.(a)Stanier,C.;Carmichael,G.R.;Bender,A.,et al.Understanding Episodes of High Airborne Particulate Matter in Iowa;Center
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Wisconsin (LADCO Winter Nitrate Study) and Georgia (SEARCH Network) During Jan-Mar 2009, Lake Michigan Air Directors
Consortium:October 2010,2010;(c)Spak,S.;Baek,J.;Carlson,J.,et al.Episodic Air Pollution in Wisconsin(LADCO Winter Nitrate
Study)and Georgia(SEARCH Network)During Jan-mar 2009. Phase ll Report. Three Dimensional Modeling and Process Analysis,
Lake Michigan Air Directors Consortium:Rosemont,IL,2012; (d) Kim,Y.1.;Spak,S.N.;Carmichael,G.R.,et al.,Modeled aerosol
nitrate formation pathways during wintertime in the Great Lakes region of North America.J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos. 2014, 119
(21),12420-12445.
7.Yarker,M.Teacher Challenges,Perceptions,and Use of Science Models in Middle School Classrooms about Climate,Weather,
and Energy.University of Iowa,Iowa City,2013.
8.USEPA PM Advance. http://www.epa.gov/ozoneadvance/basicPM.html(accessed January 20,2014).
9.Dubuque Metropolitan Solid Waste Agency DMASWA Education Office Green Vision Education Program.
http://www.dmaswa.org/services_education.cfm(accessed January 10,2014).
10. Lee,J.Y.;Lee,S.B.; Bae,G.N.,A review of the association between air pollutant exposure and allergic diseases in children.
Atmos.Pollut.Res.2014,5(4),616-629.
11. Posner,G.1.;Strike, K.A.; Hewson, P.W.,et al.,Accommodation of a scientific conception:Toward a theory of conceptual
change.Science Education 1982,66(2),211-227.
12. Zint, M. MEERA, My Environmental Education Evaluation Resource Assistant. httP:Hmeera.snre.umich.edu/ (accessed
January 10).
13. Yarbrough,D.B.;Shulha,L.M.;Hopson,R.K.,et al.,The program evaluation standards:A guidefor evaluators and evaluation
users.3rd ed.;Sage:Thousand Oaks,CA,2011.
14. National Institutes of Health,Principles of Community Engagement,2nd Edition.2011.
15. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Partnerships for Environmental Public Health Evaluation Metrics
Manual.2012.
8
Section 4. Budget and Non-Federal Match
This is a two year project,with funds divided between project years one and two as indicated below.
(Note: The University of Iowa uses a system-to-system Grants.gov submission system and the figures
entered in section A of the SF424A budget forth self-populate from the figures entered into section B.)
University of Iowa Budget
Year 1 Total Year 2 total Total
Monthl EPA Non- EPA Non-EPA EPA Non- Total
y Rate Funds EPA Funds Funds Funds EPA Project
Funds Funds Cost
A.Salaries and Wages
Stanier $11,442 $2,874 $5,721 $2,946 $5,893 $5,820 $11,614 $17,434
Web content expert $5,547 $2,773 $- $2,856 $- $5,629 $- $5,629
Grad Students $2,329 $1,165 $- $1,200 $- $2,365 $- $2,365
Undergraduate $2,080 $1,565 $- $1,607 $- $3,172 $- $3,172
Student
B. Fringe Benefits _
Stanier $840 $1,671 $840 $1,679 $1,680 $3,350 $5,030
Web content expert $989 $- $1,020 $- $2,009 $- $2,009
Grad Students $143 $- $194 $- $337 $- $337
Undergraduate $144 $- $148 $- $292 $- $292
Student
Domestic Travel $3,998 $- $2,130 $- $6,128 $- $6,128
Supplies $8,350 $- $1,562 $- $9,912 $- $9,912
Contractual:City of $- $7,677 $- $- $- $7,677 $7,677
Dubuque
Contractual:$5K $22,750 $- $- $- $22,750 $- $22,750
Subawards
Modified Total Direct $45,591 $7,392 $14,503 $7,572 $60,094 $14,963 $75,058
cost
Facilities and $23,292 $3,779 $7,614 $3,975 $30,906 $7,754 $38,660
Administration
Total Cost $68,883 $18,848 $22,117 $11,547 $91,000 $30,394 $121,394
Salaries
PI Dr. Charles Stanier will devote one half month total EPA funded time on this project for project
coordination and implementation. He will organize and collaborate all of the internal and external partners,
supervise the students, and have primary responsibility for ensuring the project goals are achieved. The
Stanier lab will also test the low-cost real-time pollution monitors in their University of Iowa lab before use
in environmental education activities, and design and test the handouts, slides, and other materials needed
to successful deploy the sensors. Dr. Stanier's projected salary in year one is $11,442/month in year one
based on an anticipated annual raise of 3%. (The University oflowa's cost-sharing commitment for this
project includes one month additional time for Dr. Stanier's participation on this project as detailed in the
cost share letter following this budget justification. The cost sharing includes his salary,fringe benefits,
and associated indirect costs.)
A web content expert with IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering will help to develop a website and
associated content for this project This person will spend a total of one month total EPA funded time on
this project and her salary is anticipated to be $5,547/month in year one based on an anticipated annual
raise of 3%.
An engineering graduate student with IIHR-Hydroscience&Engineering will work on this project for
one total EPA funded months (20 hours/week)for project implementation. This student will specifically
participate in implementation of the following EE activities: Al,A2,Cl,C2, and C3. The graduate student
rate will be $2,329/month in year one.
An engineering undergraduate student or students will work on this project for a total of about 260
hours over the course of his project at$12/hour. This student will specifically participate in implementation
of the following EE activities: Al, A2, Cl, C2, and C3.
All personnel salaries are projected to increase 3%in project year two over project year one.
Fringe Benefits
Fringe benefits rates, listed in the detailed budget table, are negotiated with DHHS auditor. For further
breakdown of fringe benefits rates, see The University of Iowa website
at www.uiowa.edu/—fusfm/AGMTCURR.Pdf
Travel
Travel represents at least 24 trips for the University of Iowa core project personnel to travel between
Iowa City and Dubuque over the project duration for project implementation and participation. Each round
trip is projected to cost$95 for transportation and $25 for meals ($2,880 total).
We anticipate three University of Iowa personnel staying overnight at the Sustainable Communities
Conference during each year. This amounts to $83/night for lodging for six nights (over two years), and
$31/day for meals for 12 days ($870).
In order to successfully disseminate results, we will attend and present our results, including best
practices for use of low-cost real-time sensors in EE, at one regional conference (PI and one other
participant) and one national conference (one participant). We have budgeted $1248 for travel for
dissemination at regional and national STEM, environmental, and/or educational meetings. Travel grants
available from organizations sponsoring the meetings and from the University of Iowa will be used to
leverage EPA funds and maximize the cost-effectiveness of dissemination. We will select the best meetings
for dissemination based on further research during the award period, but example meetings for
dissemination include the Iowa Governor's Conference on Public Health,the American Geophysical Union
meeting,the Annual meeting of National Association for Research in Science Teaching, or the regional and
national Air and Waste Management Conferences.
Supplies and incidental expenses
The supplies budget includes all printing and photocopying expenses for all EE events ($1000),online,
print, and radio recruiting/ outreach ($1200), graphic design charges ($400), construction of an exhibit
highlighting CLEAR4 ($800), CLEAR4 EE outreach items ($400), and supplies for testing low-cost real-
time Dylos sensors ($500), and miscellaneous supplies ($605). Also includes working box lunch for PMA
workshops ($2000). Five of the ten Dylos low-cost real-time monitors ($289 each,
http://www.dylosproducts.com/deproairqumo.html, total of$1445)will be purchased under the University
of Iowa supplies budget The DustTrak instrument is not included in the budget, as it will be acquired on
loan from the University of Iowa NIH-funded Environmental Modeling and Exposure Assessment facility
(http://cph.uiowa.edu/ehsre/facilities/emeafhttnl).
This budget also includes $1,562 in project year two for publication of project outcomes and evaluation
information in peer-reviewed profession journals. Peer-reviewed publication is necessary to effectively
disseminate results. The peer-review afforded by publication in high quality journals helps to validate the
work, and also helps to make it known to a wider circle of environmental and educational experts.
Publication in archival journals also documents in citable form the outputs and outcomes of the grant. This
cost includes required fees by the joumal(s) and professional rendering of manuscript figures.
The City of Dubuque
The City of Dubuque is a collaborating partner on this project in the implementation of the core project
activities. The City of Dubuque provides additional cost-sharing for this project as demonstrated in the
partnership letter of commitment. This cost sharing includes staff time for City of Dubuque employees as
follows: Sustainability Coordinator Cori Burbach (about 100 hours); Public Health Specialist Mary Rose
Corrigan(100 hours). The value of this cost-shared staff time is $7,677.
Subawards
The University of Iowa will award all of the required community grants ranging up to $5,000 each.
The total of these subawards will be $22,750 as required by the RFP. Partners have been identified for
conducting CLEAR4 EE.
1. City of Dubuque. $5,000. The City will partner with the UI to plan, recruit for, implement, and analyze
EE events. The Public Health Specialist and Sustainable Community Coordinator will be key to these
efforts, and will serve as liaisons to community partners. Five of the ten Dylos low-cost real-time monitors
($289 each, http://www.dylosproducts.com/deproairqumo.html) will be purchased using this $5,000
subaward.
2.ECIA. $5000.ECIA's role in this application will be integrating air quality into the Petal Project program,
as detailed in the application.
3.Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency. $5,000. This organization manages the Green Vision
Schools program. The agency will assist in development of new Air Quality patch and implementation of
air quality programming in K-12 schools.
4. Green Dubuque. $5,000. Green Dubuque is a local non-profit committed to addressing global
environmental challenges in the Dubuque area with grassroots advocacy,collaborative actions,and science-
based resources which support transparency, accountability and citizen empowerment. Green Dubuque
holds strong connections throughout the environmental community,and partnered with the City of Dubuque
to complete the 50%by 2030 GHG reduction plan. Green Dubuque will utilize funds to promote and recruit
for CLEAR4 EE. Air Quality Ambassadors trained through CLEAR4 EE will organize and participate in
Green Dubuque community education events, including incorporating air quality into the monthly Green
Drinks event, and informal opportunity for residents to learn about sustainability themes and opportunities
to take action.
5. Greater Dubuque Development Corporation. $2,750. The Greater Dubuque Development Corporation
will play a key role in increasing understanding and capacity in local businesses and empowering them to
make changes that decrease PM 2.5 emissions. GDDC will partner with the City,ECIA, IDNR and others
to promote participation in the expanded Petal Project(with enhanced air quality EE),host business events
and incorporate air quality issues into the Growing Sustainable Communities Conference.
Indirect
University of Iowa F&A rates (51.0%for FY15 and 52.5%for FY16) are approved by the DHHS
auditor and are calculated using the Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) as its base.
I COL-SUE OF ENGINEERING
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March 2, 2015
To Whom it May Concern
The Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering (CBE), the University of Iowa
agrees to provide cost-sharing for Dr Charles Stonier s EPA proposal titled CLEan Airin the
River Valley through Technology, Partnerships, Environmental Education, and PM Advance"
If the project is funded CBE will cover one month total of Dr Stonier s academic year salary,
fringe benefits, and associated indirect costs to work on this project The cost sharing details
include
Year Year TOTAL
Stand Sala is $5721 $5,631 $11b1J
Stand r Fringe Be nefits $10]1 $10]9 $3350
Mo tlitietl Told I Dl red COA $7392 $7572 1d96d
F&A (51%for FY15and 525%for
FY1fi) $3]]9 $3975 $]]5d
Told I COA Sharm $11171 $11547 $22711
Thus, the total cost share provided by CBE is $22,720.
Yours truly,
C. act , &r,
Sharon K Tinker Process Safety Professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
Department Executive Officer, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
Codirector, Photopolymerization Center(NSE IUCRC)
Section 5. Appendices
5-A. Timeline
The table below contains a timeline of the activities described in the proposal. Since the design of
the project is to build on existing environmental education venues (which have fixed dates), if the
award is delayed, shifts to the schedule will be required. The project team has discussed these
potential schedule shifts (for example, the initial workshop trainings being in the spring rather than
the fall) and feels they will require minor adjustment to the schedule and possible shifting of the
budgeted expenses between year 1 and year 2, but not to the project aims or outcomes.
Date Event
after award Pre-award IRB application
notification but
before contract
finalization
PROJECT YEAR 1
7/1/2015 Start of project
7-9/2015 Evaluation (survey)finalization, review by Center for Educational
Assessment, and finalization of IRB approvals. Work with partners to
assemble email database of recipients of the online survey.
Recruitment of participants to fall 2015 Sustainable Communities
Conference.
7-10/2015 Design of curriculum and EE for the Sustainable Communities
Conference
10/2015 Online survey assessing knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors prior to
EE activities
10/7-10/8, 2015 Growing Sustainable Communities Conference, including air quality
workshop, as well as pre- and post-workshop assessment
8/2015 —2/2016 Design and construction of online website
9/2015-11/2015 Formative assessment to strengthen partnership implementation
Spring 2016 STEM Festival.
2/2016—8/2016 Public health intern at City of Dubuque
3/2016 First PM Advance training workshop
PROJECT YEAR 2
Summer 2016 Design of Petal Project air quality enhancements; design of air quality
and climate Green Vision Schools Project patches
7/2016 2" PM Advance workshop
9/2016—6/2017 Rollout of Petal Project air quality enhancements; Rollout of air quality
and climate Green Vision Schools Project patches
9/2016 Growing Sustainable Communities Conference
1/2017—6/2017 Writing and submit publications
3/2016—5/2017 Outcome assessment
6/30/2017 Assumed end of project
5-13. Logic Model
The CLEAR4 Project: CLEan Air in the River Valley through Technology,Partnerships, Environmental Education, and PM Advance
Aim 1: Facilitate air quality improvement and support the PMA program through increased awareness,knowledge, decision-making skills, and
commitments to action by local stakeholders.
Aim 2: Infuse low-cost air quality sensors into EE.
Aim 3: Document outcomes through proven evaluation strategies and disseminate successful EE practices.
Outcomes
Outputs Short-term 1-2 ears Medium-term Long-term
Growing Sustainable Communities Increased public access to air quality Improved air quality literacy. Use of Improved air quality in the area,
Conference-feature air quality information, enhanced knowledge and low-cost real-time monitors by area lower haze and PM2.5 exposures,
critical thinking skills concerning stakeholders. Broader support of lower disease burden for air quality
regional air quality—(i.e., causes of voluntary PMA program. related ailments;lower peak haze and
poor air quality,possible remediation PM2.5 levels
strategies, concentrations, source
sector contributions, typical and peak
Air Quality Index(AQI) levels);
knowledge about PMA program,
participation in PMA workshops,
Petal Project, and Green Vision
Schools program
PM(Particulate Matter)Advance Increased public access to air quality Decreased emissions of air pollutants Lower disease burden for air quality
(PMA)Programs-training information, enhanced knowledge and due to voluntary action plans, related ailments;Decreased severity
workshops for civic leaders, critical thinking skills concerning Successful implementation of PMA, of public concern around air pollution
educational leaders, and business local and regional air quality—(i.e., Improved air quality in the area, measured by a Dubuque county
leaders causes of poor air quality,possible lower haze and PM2.5 exposures, Community Health Needs
remediation strategies, Lower peak haze and PM2.5 levels. Assessment and Health Improvement
concentrations, source sector Plan(CHNA-HIP)
contributions, typical and peakAir
Quality Index (AQI) levels);improved
understanding of local air quality
through use of low-cost real-time
monitors in hands-on training,
participation in Petal Project,and
Green Vision Schools program.
PM(Particulate Matter)Advance Critical thinking skills to create see above see above
(PMA)Programs continued effective actions for specific
stakeholder groups (e.g. vehicle use
reduction;episodic controls;limits on
fires;support of community initiatives
or ordinances),Community leaders
craft and implement plans for
pollution reductions in the affected
communities.
Petal Project for Sustainable Improved understanding and decision Implementation of business-specific Air quality improvements(see
Businesses-train mentors on air making regarding link between air action plans with a focus on decreased above). Sustainability continues as a
quality issues and implement VMT quality and vehicles, with emissions from vehicles and small competitive advantage for the
reductions and other business-specific appreciation of engine types, idling engines, as well as decreased single Dubuque region.
actions impact, and diesel filters. occupancy vehicle use.
AQ and vehicles.
Creation of a network of Air Quality
Ambassadors who promote air quality
management information through
company and organization
newsletters,policies, and peer-to-peer
contacts
Green Vision Schools Project- Exposure of K-12 students,teachers, Improved air quality literacy, Improved air quality and lower health
develop/implement air quality and and administers to air quality issues, Implementation of school-specific burden(see above).
climate certification programs Improved understanding of impact of action plans for emissions reduction,
schools on air quality(through energy energy savings, and acting on air
use, vehicle use, lawn care practices, quality alerts. Reduced idling, esp.
vehicle idling, etc.). Schools will near people and kids. Assessment of
undergo self-and external- concentrations hot spots at schools
assessments regarding PM2.5 and such as vehicle idling locations.
climate. Realization of the potential
for schools to disseminate and act on
air quality alerts. Improved
understanding of local air quality
through use of low-cost real-time
monitors in hands-on training,
participation in Petal Project,and
Green Vision Schools program.
Dubuque STEM Festival-feature air Increased public access to air quality see outcomes related to the Green see outcomes related to the Green
quality information, improved understanding Visions School Project Visions School Project
of local air quality through use of
low-cost real-time monitors in hands-
on training,participation in Petal
Project, and Green Vision Schools
program.
Use of low-cost real-time particle Improved learning and engagement in Enables many of the outputs listed above, and therefore shares medium and
monitors for training(10 Dylos low- PMA workshops, Sustainable long term outcomes.
cost sensors and one medium cost T SI Communities Conference, Green
Dustrak using these sensors in three Vision Schools Program, community Diffusion of low-cost real-time monitors as a training method through website,
configurations) education events, etc. media coverage,journal articles, community events and conference
Learning about particles and sensors presentations.
through use of real-time sensors in
local K-12 and University of
Dubuque Environmental Science
Program. Learning about localized
hotspots for pollution and local
sources.
Media and website for integrating Enabling of many of the outputs listed Enables many of the outputs listed above, and therefore shares medium and
across activities,recruiting, above. long term outcomes.
dissemination, and assessment
Assessment will allow formative
assessment of early trainings and
improvement of outputs that are
offered multiple times throughout
CLEAR4.
*Target conferences include the Iowa Governor's Conference on Public Health, the American Geophysical Union meeting, the Annual meeting of
National Association for Research in Science Teaching, or the regional and national Air and Waste Management Conferences.
SC. Programmatic capability and past performance
The University of Iowa manages hundreds of federal grants/agreements each year. Examples of
other funded assistance agreements specific to the proposal personal and to proposal partners are
described within and throughout this section.
Charles Stonier has an active research program in modeling and data analysis OfPMss, with afocus
on the causes and solutions to PMse pollution in the Midwestern United States. Dr. Stonier is also
active in environmental education,having served on two Science Education Ph.D. thesis committees,
created/delivered a professional development course at the University of Iowa in 2011, and taught a
two hour workshop to middle school teachers in 2012 on the role of models in scientific practice
(summer 2012). The largest of these efforts was the creation of the 2011 professional development
entitled"Inquiry approaches to Climate,Weather, and Energy in the 6-9 Classroom." The wohkshop
attracted 21 participants, included a web-based post-workshop meeting, and included detailed in
class follow-up by a Science Education Ph.D. student and publication of outcomes in her thesis. He
has authored or coauthored over 3 dozen talks on air quality and climate in the Midwest, including
several talks to non-specialist and public audiences, and talks specifically on understanding and
controlling PMse in Eastern Iowa Dr. Stonier was the lead science trainer to the Iowa Department
of Natural Resources PMse Implementation Workgroup, which submitted recommendations to the
governor in 2011. Stonier has authored or coauthored eight reports or journal articles on Midwestern
PMze. The Stonier group recently monitored an emergency landfill fire for air quality risks in Iowa
City and operates two monitoring stations in the upper Midwest. The Stonier group graduate
students are familiar with public education, and specialize in bringing hands-on real-time
instrumentation to education participants.
Climate,Weather, and Energy Wohkshop Participants, 2011.
The Stonier research group recently completed an NSF-funded field campaign in Bondville, Illinois.
The project has led to one published peer-reviewed journal article with additional articles in
preparation. The Stonier research group also recently completed second current federally funded
project supported by the EPA ( $900,000 over 5 years, 2009-2014). The project was entitled
Applying Data Assimilation and Adjoint Sensitivity to Epidemiological and Policy Studies of
Airborne and it brought together epidemiologists and air quality modelers in an effort to better
understand health effects of particulate matter. A number of non-federally supported projects have
been recently completed, including three dealing directly with Iowa and Midwestern Air Quality. Dr.
Stanier has (as a member of the Science Team) one pending federally supported project under the
EPA Air Climate and Energy Program —it is a multi-institution center focused on the interactions of
climate and air quality in the central U.S. Dr. Stanier, as PI, has been able to successfully manage
these federal agreements by recruiting personnel, managing project budget, completing project
reports, designing and performing research, and disseminating research results. Particular attention
has been paid to broader impact activities such as scholarly and public lectures, service on local, state
and national boards, and participation in teacher trainings. The RFP requests specific information on
the completion of project reports. Project reports have been completed on time, or in cases of a
missed interim project report date, with prior notification and agreement of the project officer.
Cori Burbach has been the Sustainable Community Coordinator for the City of Dubuque, Iowa
since 2009. Prior to taking this position, she served as the International City Managers Association
Local Government Management Fellow for Dubuque and Lancaster, Wisconsin. As the Sustainable
Community Coordinator, Cori is responsible for implementation of the community's Sustainability
Strategic Plan, public education and engagement, local business support, grant application and
administration, and analysis and implementation of sustainable practices for City departments. She
manages the Sustainable Dubuque Community Grants program and is the City's liaison for Smarter
Sustainable Dubuque, the partnership with 113M Watson Research Center. Cori received her BA in
Public Administration from the University of Northern Iowa in 2005 and her Masters in Public
Administration from the University of Delaware in 2007.
The City is qualified to complete the EPA grant program based on experience both in grant
administration and sustainability programming. The City also has a successful history of partnering
with local businesses, individuals, and non-profits to meet the needs of its residents. The City will
utilize resources and staff from a diverse set of partners to successfully implement and manage the
CLEAR4 project.
The City has a history of educational campaigns related to sustainability, but has placed particular
emphasis on this mission since the City Council identified becoming a more sustainable city as a
priority in 2006. The City of Dubuque has been recognized by several organizations for its efforts.
Most recently, the City was recognized as one of 16 White House Climate Action Champions, in
large part due to its 50%by 2030 Community Climate Action &Resilience Plan, which the City and
grant application partner Green Dubuque created, integrating community engagement into the
process.
The City also has significant experience in financial management, public outreach, and grant
administration in a variety of areas including sustainability. Every year, we manage and complete
reporting as necessary on a variety of state and federal grants. In 2009, the City of Dubuque was
awarded grant funds of $38,000 for the Generation Green public education campaign through the
EPA Education program. The campaign included informational seminars, homeowner and small
business energy efficiency toolkits, programming for public access television, special events, a
variety of age-appropriate promotional materials, community roundtable discussions and educational
activities. These educated the community regarding diverse, sustainable approaches for energy
efficiency and environmental sustainability.
Chandra Ravada supervises, coordinates, and directs the Transportation and Planning Department
of the East Central Intergovernmental Association (ECIA). In this role, he has experience managing
staff, and in preparing, monitoring, and managing budgets with federal, state and local funding. He
performs professional transit and transportation planning work for the agency. Ravada adds to the
project team's experience in administering federal grants. Ravada has been instrumental in
incorporating sustainability principles into the region's transportation plans, and is a proponent of the
PM Advance program. He will assist with nearly all of the proposed EE activities, and will mentor
ECIA staff in the expansion of the Petal project to include air quality education and outcomes.
Ravada, in conjunction with the City of Dubuque, has recent and active federal funding, described
below.
The ECIA Transportation department, through DMATS and the Regional Planning Affiliation 8
(RPA) regularly manages federal programs through the Iowa DOT and Federal Highway
Administration. The Transportation department organizes and oversees the long range planning and
development of the multimodal transportation system. According to the locally set priorities, the
MPO develops the Transportation Improvement Program for the investment of Federal transportation
dollars. The MPO Planning Process has been a requirement of receiving federal funds for
transportation improvements for all urbanized areas with population in excess of 50,000 since 1962.
The staff has over 15 years of experience in organizing and overseeing the long range planning
administering federal grants within the region. ECIA staff has the following experience in
administering the grants in the past four years.
• FFY 2010 TIGER 1: $5.2 Million for Complete Street project, Historic Millwork District,
Dubuque
• FFY 2011 State of Good Repair: $2.3 Million for replacement of Jule Transit Bus fleet
• FFY 2011 Clean Fuels: $1.2 Million for replacement of Jule Transit Bus Fleet
• FFY 2012 Sate of Good Repair: $8.0 million for design & construction of Intermodal
Transportation Center
The RFP requests specific information on the completion of project reports. Reports have been
completed on time, or in cases of missed project report dates, with prior notification and agreement
of the project officer.
ECIA has been the lead organization on the PM Advance (PMA) program, and the development of
the specific implementation plan of voluntary activities to improve air quality (the PM Advance Path
Forward).
Mary Rose Corrigan has her BSN and her MSN in nursing education. She has worked for the City
of Dubuque Health Services Department since 1985 and in her current position managing the Health
Services Department as Public Health Specialist since 1989. She has been involved in the delivery of
many public health programs and services, along with initiating many new programs and policies,
including, the Crescent Community Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), the
City's childhood lead poisoning prevention program (funded by HUD since 1996) and most recently,
the Green and Healthy Homes Program. Mary Rose works with local, state and federal partners on
public health policy and programs, including health promotion and disease prevention, environmental
health and community emergency preparedness education and planning, conducting periodic
community health needs assessments, and completing state and federally funded grant programs. She
serves on several community based organization boards and partners with many community-based
organizations to assure delivery of public health services.
Valerie Moody. Ms. Moody is a member of the University of Iowa Center for Evaluation and
Assessment(CEA), which has agreed to consult with the CLEAR4 team in reviewing the assessment
strategy and assessment materials (e.g. surveys) before they go live for CLEAR4. Ms. Moody
completed an MS degree in Educational Measurement and Statistics in University of Iowa College of
Education and has been working in program evaluation for nearly 3 years. She has extensive
experience in the evaluation of a National Institute for Health funded program for which her
knowledge of evaluation design, metric identification, and report writing will provide strong support
for the meta-evaluation for CLEAR4.
Donald B. Yarbrough. Dr. Yarbrough is the director of the University of Iowa Center for
Evaluation and Assessment(CEA), which has agreed to consult with the CLEAR4 team in reviewing
the assessment strategy and assessment materials (e.g. surveys)before they go live for CLEAR4. Dr.
Yarbrough is currently Professor of Educational Statistics and Measurement with over 30 years'
experience in educational psychology and assessment. He has mentored 24 Ph.D. recipients and 1
postdoctoral researcher in educational psychology and educational statistics and measurement. He is
the lead evaluator for the Institute for Clinical and Translational Science at the University of Iowa
and has collaborated on the development of national and international standards for program
evaluation. Dr. Yarbrough has experience in evaluation of science, technology, engineering and
math (STEM) curriculum technology projects incorporating the psychology of learning and the
theoretical basis for determining impacts on student learning.
Dr. Charles O. Stanier
Associate Professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
University of Iowa
Iowa City,IA 52242 Phone: 319-335-1399,Email: charles-stanier@uiowa.edu
OVERVIEW
Charles Stanier is a faculty member of the Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Department at the University of
Iowa, and a member of its Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research, and the IIHR Hydroscience and
Engineering Research Center. Dr. Stanier is active in research,graduate and undergraduate education,K-12 teacher
professional development, and public outreach. He works on both aerosol and gas-phase problems in carbon cycle
science and air pollution using process models, 3 dimensional chemistry-transport models, and measurements. His
research group maintains the NOAA West Branch Iowa tall tower CO2 observatory, and has done a number of
aerosol and particulate matter sampling projects in the Upper Midwest. Principal or co-author of 40 publications,
Hirsch Index 22,total citations: 2322. https://scholar.google.com/citations?user—CKRhPGIAAAAJ&hl—en
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University(2003)
M.S.,Environmental Engineering, Johns Hopkins University(1998)
B.S., Chemical Engineering,Princeton University(1994)
HONORS/AWARDS/LICENSES(SELECT LIST)
1998 Professional Engineering License(Maryland)
2001 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
2002 Teresa Heinz Scholars for Environmental Research
2006 Sheldon K. Friedlander Award of the American Association for Aerosol Research
2007 Walter R. Rosenblith New Investigator Award of the Health Effects Institute
2008 National Science Foundation CAREER Award
Publications(out of total of 40)that are recent and/or most relevant to the proposal
• Yoo Jung Kim, S.N. Spak, G.R. Carmichael,N.Riemer, C.O. Stanier. Modeled aerosol nitrate formation
pathways during wintertime in the Great Lakes region of North America. J. Geophvs. Res. Atmos. Vol 119
(21),pp. 12,420-12,445,2014.
• Ashish Singh, S.N. Spak,E.A. Stone, J.Downard,R. Bullard,M. Pooley,P.A. Kostle,M.W. Mainprize,
M.D. Wichman,T. Peters,D. Beardsley, C. Stanier. Uncontrolled combustion of shredded tires in a landfill
-Part 2:Population Exposure,Public Health Response, and an Air Quality Index for Urban Fires. Atmos.
Environ. Vol. 104,pp. 273-283,doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2015.01.002,2015.
• Meng Gao, S.K. Guttikunda, G.R. Carmichael, Y.Wang,Z. Liu, C.O. Stanier. Health Impacts and
Economic Loss Assessment of the 2013 Severe Haze Event in Beijing. Science of the Total Environment.
Vol 511,pp. 553-561,doi 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.01.005,2015.
• A.E. Andrews, J.D. Kofler,M.E. Trudeau, et al. CO2, CO and CH4 Measurements from the NOAA Earth
System Research Laboratory's Tall Tower Greenhouse Gas Observing Network: Instrunentation,
Uncertainty Analysis and Recommendations for Future High-Accuracy Greenhouse Gas Monitoring
Efforts. Atmos. Meas. Tech. Vol. 7,pp. 647-687,2014.
• Yucuis,RA, Stanier, CO, and Hornbuckle,KC. Cyclic Siloxanes in Air,Including Identification of High
Levels in Chicago and Distinct Diurnal Variation. Chemosphere Vol. 92:8,pp. 905-10. doi:
10.1016/j.chemosphere.2013.02.051,2013.
• Stanier, CO, Singh,A,Adamski,W, et al. Overview of the LADCO Winter Nitrate Study:Hourly
Ammonia,Nitric Acid and PM2.5 Composition at an Urban and Rural Site Pair During PM2.5 Episodes in
the U.S. Great Lakes Region.Atmos. Phys. Chem. Vol. 12,pp. 1-12. doi:10.5194/acp-12-1-2012,2012.
• Spak, S.,Back, J., Carlson, J., Carmichael, G. R.,Kim, Y. J.,Riemer,N., Stanier, C. Episodic Air Pollution
in Wisconsin(LADCO Winter Nitrate Study)and Georgia(SEARCH Network)During Jan-Mar 2009.
Phase II Report. Three Dimensional Modeling and Process Analysis. Phase II Report for the Lake
Michigan Air Directors Consortium (LADCO). January 2012. Rosemont,IL.
• Bender,A., Carmichael, G.,Beranek-Collins,A.,Brown,M.,Holloway, T., Jamroensan,A.,Lee, S.-R.,
Marrapu,P.,Pettibone,A., Sousan, S., Spak, S., Stanier, C. Understanding Episodes of High Airborne
Particulate Matter in Iowa[a report commissioned by the Bi-State State Regional Commission],Feb,2009.
Dubuque City Manager's office
THE crrY OF City Hair
DLTB E NI#m nw CM So Wes ,IA Street
5200
Dubuque,IA 52001-0805
Office(563)589-4110
Fax(563)5894149
Masterpiece onthe Mississippi ym.y�,,.,a„ =(563)690-66]8
ctymgr@calyofdabuqueorg
www.cityofrWbuque.org
February 27, 2015
To Whom It May Concern:
It is my pleasure to offer this letter of commitment in support of the University of Iowa's
CLEAR4 project— CLEan Air in the River Valley through Environmental Education,
Technology, Partnerships and PM Advance.
In 2008, the Dubuque City Council adopted a holistic Sustainable Dubuque vision that
strives to create a viable, livable and equitable community by pursuing economic
prosperity, environmental integrity, and social/cultural vibrancy. The vision includes
twelve sustainability principles, including Healthy Air: "Dubuque is a community that
values fresh air, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and minimized health risks."
Over the last two years, the City Council has recognized air quality as a priority during
their annual goal-setting process. The City is a partner in the Dubuque Air Quality Task
Force, a collaboration of partners working to increase understanding of the causes of
poor air quality and implement solutions to improve the air quality of the region and the
health of our residents.
In 2014, the City and Dubuque Metropolitan Area Transportation study submitted a Path
Forward document to the EPA PM Advance program, our proactive plan to address air
quality in the tri-state area. The plan focuses on improving understanding of PM 2.5
pollutants and decreasing point and non-point sources of pollution. The City has
developed the CLEAR4 proposal in partnership with Dr. Charles Stanier and the
University of Iowa, and its goals parallel the goals set out in our Path Forward.
The City will specifically contribute to the implementation of the CLEAR4 project in the
following ways:
• The Public Health Specialist and Sustainable Community Coordinator will
collaborate with University of Iowa staff and local partners to plan, implement,
and analyze public education events, serving as primary liaisons for the local
community. In-kind match provided by the City includes 5% of these two
individual's time at a value of $7,677.
• The City is co-host of the annual Growing Sustainable Communities Conference,
a two-day educational opportunity for municipal professionals, elected leaders,
Service People Ivtemty keryovsibility Ipno.iov Te—ok
business leaders, and engaged citizens who have a common interest in
sustainability. As part of this project, we will incorporate air quality expertise into
the conference, inviting regional experts to engage in trainings while also using
our work and lessons learned from the PM Advance program and this grant as a
model for other communities pursuing similar endeavors.
• Air Quality Workshops & Education. The City will assist the University of Iowa in
developing detailed agendas, recruiting participants, and conducting training
events and workshops. Space for workshops will be provided by the City of
Dubuque.
• Project Website & Community Outreach. The City of Dubuque will host
information about the air quality program on the City of Dubuque's
(www.citvofdubuque.org and Sustainable Dubuque's
(www.sustainabled ubug ue.org) websites and social media. We will share
community-specific data as well as national content and resources, such as the
EPA's MyEnvironment program.
• Evaluation. The City of Dubuque has extensive experience in working with
community health partners, in garnering feedback from stakeholders, and in
qualitative and quantitative assessment (e.g. Dubuque County Community
Health Needs Assessment). We will work closely with the University of Iowa in
the design, recruitment and delivery stages of the formative and outcome
evaluations concerning the project.
The City of Dubuque looks forward to partnering with the University of Iowa on this EPA
Education grant opportunity.
Sincerely,
� Q
Mi ael C. Van Milligert
City Manager
MCVM:cb
Service People Integrity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork
Green N4�1"
February 26, 2015
To Whom It May Concern:
Green Dubuque is pleased to support the University of Iowa's application for an EPA Environmental
Education Local Grant. If awarded this grant, the project called CLEAR4 (CLEan Air in the River Valley
through Environmental Education, Technology, Partnerships, and PM Advance) has the potential to help
move forward our community-led efforts to ensure healthy air quality for all the citizens of the Dubuque
area.
Since its formation in 2007, Green Dubuque has provided grassroots support for local sustainability in
the Dubuque region, leading an initiative on climate action called "50% by 2030," as well as initiatives
related to air and water quality, social equity, transportation and mobility, food systems, and
sustainable materials management. We are a group of local citizens with a vision fora healthy,
prosperous and resilient Dubuque that is part of a healthy, prosperous and resilient world.
Green Dubuque will specifically contribute to the planning and execution of the CLEAR4 project in the
following ways:
• We will collaborate with the University of Iowa staff and local partners to plan, implement, and
analyze public education events, serving as a resource of expertise in air quality and having a
strong connection to the local community.
• We will provide opportunities to engage the local community through a monthly event that we
host called Green Drinks as well as lend our expertise at other events such as the annual
Growing Sustainable Communities Conference and other workshops that are conducted.
• We will communicate information and learnings through our website (www.Rreendubuaue.org),
social media, and to our e-mail list subscribers that we find important and relevant from the
CLEAR4 project.
• We will lend our expertise to the qualitative and quantitative assessment and work with the
University of Iowa in the design, recruitment and delivery stages of the formative and outcome
evaluations concerning the project.
Green Dubuque looks forward to working with the University of Iowa and its partners on this EPA
Education grant opportunity. We are particularly interested in this grant project being a successful step
in a long-term strategy to provide the citizens of Dubuque with the highest quality air monitoring data
available with the goal of confidence in healthy air forall citizens of Dubuque.
Sincerely,
Green Dubuque Board of Directors
Michelle Balek, Eric Coffman,Theothoros Giannakouros, Carrie Lohrmann, and Paul Schultz
Greater
Dubuque
DEVELOPMENT CORP.
March 4, 2015 Schmid Innovation Center
900 Jackson St.,Suite 109
Dubuque,IA,5z001
www.greaterdubuque.org
Dr. Charles Stanier
University of Iowa
Department of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering
4122 Seamans Center
Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1527
Dear Dr. Charles Stanier:
Greater Dubuque Development Corporation looks forward to supporting the University of Iowa in the CLEAR4
project-CLEan Air in the River Valley through Environmental Education,Technology, Partnerships, and PM
Advance.
Greater Dubuque Development Corporation strives to create the best possible business environment for the
growth of existing businesses and for the location of new businesses to the region. Clean air and high quality of life
are viewed as competitive advantages by our organization, and we fully support efforts to maintain or improve air
quality through environmental education and related efforts such as the Petal Project,energy efficiency measures,
and the PM Advance Program.
Greater Dubuque Development Corporation is prepared to play a key role in increasing understanding and capacity
in local businesses and empowering them to make changes that decrease PM 2.5 emissions and improve air quality
in the Dubuque area.
Sincerely
IY��G 4 '
Rick Dickinson
President & CEO
Opportunity meets
• • ■ - ■ • • •
• �• • • •• • • • ��•
if
March 04, 2015
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
,t
ECIA --
To Whom It May Concern:
The Dubuque Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (DMATS) the Metropolitan Planning
Organization for the Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin tri state region is very active in air quality. In
2014, the City of Dubuque and DMATS submitted a Path Forward document to the EPA PM
Advance program. Our proactive plan will address air quality in the tri-state area. The plan focuses
on improving understanding of PM 2.5 pollutants and decreasing point and non-point sources of
pollution. The City has developed the CLEAR4 proposal in partnership with Dr. Charles Stanier and
the University of Iowa, and its goals parallel the goals set out in our Path Forward.
DMATS is supportive of the University of Iowa's CLEAR4 project—CLEan Air in the River Valley
through Environmental Education, Technology, Partnerships and PM Advance.
I
DMATS looks forward to partnering with the University of Iowa on this EPA Education grant
opportunity.
Sincerely,
Z��A? A(IJ
Kelley Hutton Deutmeyer
Executive Director
Dubuque Metropolitan Area Transportation Study I Eastern Iowa Development Corporation
Eastern Iowa Regional Utility Services System I Eastern Iowa Regional Housing Authority I ECIA Business Growth, Inc.
Region 1 Employment and Training I ECIA Regional Planning Affiliation I Region 8 Regional Transit Authority
7600 Commerce Park, Dubuque, IA 52002 1 www.ecia.org I ecia@ecio.org
563.556.4166 1 Iowa only: 800.942.4648 1 Relay Iowa 800.735.2943 1 f: 563.556.0348