Lawyer Sanders says EPA giving $643,112 grant to measure air toxics and organic chemicals found in city of Houston's polluted air.

U.S. EPA awarded the city of Houston, Texas $643,112 for measurement and analysis of volatile organic compound (VOC) air toxics emissions in the Houston Ship Channel area using DIAL (Differential Absorption LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)) technology. Houston’s sampling efforts are expected to take place from January to April 2009, with a final project report expected in June 2009.

This technology uses laser light in conjunction with the unique chemical properties of ambient air pollutants to identify and quantify specific VOC concentrations through large air masses with a working range of over one kilometer. DIAL can identify and measure multiple air contaminants in a single air sample event. Scientists will need everything they can get to deal with Houston’s polluted air.

EPA previously awarded a $500,000 grant to Houston for a mobile ambient air monitoring laboratory to measure air toxics.