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Shelby County health department gives monthly update on EPA-funded air-monitoring station for South Memphis
Summary
The Shelby County Health Department reported progress installing an EPA-funded ambient air monitoring station in South Memphis, described construction milestones and a pending electrical hookup with Memphis Light, Gas & Water (MLGW). Officials expect meter relocation and final hookups to take about a month after the concrete pad cures.
The Shelby County Health Department provided a monthly status update on a planned ambient air-monitoring station in South Memphis funded with $411,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Casey Smith Alexander, deputy director of the health department, told the Hospitals & Health committee that the department received a $411,000 EPA award on Aug. 1, 2024, to establish a 24/7 real-time monitoring station that will report concentrations of carbon monoxide and ozone and expand monitoring in an area identified for environmental-justice concerns.
Her update listed recent steps: county code enforcement guidance, approval of station drawings, discussions with Memphis Light, Gas & Water to move a meter and extend power lines, installation of a concrete pad (poured Aug. 14) and submission of a new-construction code permit on Aug. 19. Alexander said the department is working continuously with MLGW to disconnect an existing trailer meter and connect a new meter box; an electrician will assess line extensions. She estimated a month for MLGW work after the concrete cures.
Commissioner Dr. Edmond Ford Jr., who requested monthly reporting, said the updates allow commissioners to report progress back to constituents. He asked for a narrative timeline to use at community meetings; Alexander agreed to provide a more detailed timeline for community outreach.
Commissioner Henry E. Brooks asked whether data from other county monitoring sites can be made public. Alexander said current county-operated sites measure criteria pollutants at five locations; ozone monitoring is seasonal and typically “will be basically closing up because it's not in season between October and March,” but other pollutant data are available. She cautioned that the county’s data are “rough data” that the EPA reviews quarterly; the EPA formally validates and assesses the data before it is considered final.
Brooks also asked whether independent monitoring is available to determine possible environmental impacts from industry in specific neighborhoods; Alexander said South Memphis lacks a dedicated monitor now, and the new station aims to address that gap. She said the health department had recently been approved to continue the program into the upcoming federal fiscal year, but long-term effects of EPA policy changes on the program remain to be seen.
The committee agreed to continue monthly status reports. The department committed to provide a written timeline and to return next month with updates on the meter relocation and electrical hookup.
