A number hand-held monitors for particulate matter and volatile Organic compounds (VOC's) were available at the fair for community members to try out. Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Dara O'Rourke and graduate student Philip Sheehy were on hand to demonstrate and explain the monitors, which they had identified as potentially powerful tools for fenceline communities and purchased with a grant from MIT. Brief descriptions of the monitors diplayed at the fair are available here.

Also on display were the Buckets, currently used by communities throughout Louisiana and around the world to get 3-minute "snapshots" of the levels of VOC's and sulfur compounds in their air. Denny Larson of the Texas SEED Coalition's Refinery Reform Campaign and Anne Rolfes of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, organizers who work extensively with the buckets, explained their use to attendees.

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality was on hand with a collection of Summa canisters and flow controllers to explain the state's air toxics monitoring program. Representatives of Region 6 of the US EPA also attended, bringing information on passive monitoring for air toxics and a PM2.5 monitor.

Orion Refining's Bob Gross (left) with REPSS' Richard Littrell.

Other exhibitors included the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, Shell Chemical Norco, and REPSS Incorporated. California-based Communities for a Better Environment provided displays on state-of-the-art fenceline monitoring technology.

Following the monitoring fair, representatives from each of these groups joined with residents of Louisiana fenceline communities (Alsen, Chalmette, New Sarpy, and Norco) to discuss the current state of air quality monitoring in Louisiana. Participants also discussed how better data about air quality in the state might be achieved.

Hundreds of volunteer hours went into making the Monitoring Fair and Roundtable possible. Many thanks to all those who helped!