Romania’s environment minister announces EUR 3.17 mln investments in new air quality monitoring stations

A total of 60 new monitoring stations will be added to the existing National Air Quality Monitoring Network (RNMCA), environment minister Costel Alexe announced on Tuesday, July 7. The investment in this project amounts to EUR 3.17 million, and most stations will be installed in Bucharest.

Once this project is implemented, the National Air Quality Monitoring Network will have a total of 208 stations, up from 148 at present.

The money for this project will come from the budget of the Administration of the Environmental Fund (EUR 2.17 million) and the EU through the Large Infrastructure Operational Programme (EUR 1 million).

“It is the biggest investment in air quality monitoring in the last ten years, since the National Air Quality Monitoring Network was put into operation,” Costel Alexe said.

He added that the tender for the extension of the Air Quality Monitoring Network would be launched by the end of this week.

A total of 27 new air quality monitoring stations will be installed in Bucharest: 12 will monitor the traffic pollution, another 12 will monitor air pollution from other sources, and three will monitor the air quality 24/7 and set a daily average.

New air quality monitoring stations will also be installed in 30 other cities across the country, such as Brasov, Iasi, Cluj-Napoca, Craiova, Curtea de Arges, Onesti, Miercurea Ciuc, Slatina, Campina, Bacau, Focsani, Tulcea, and Alba Iulia.

The Ministry of Environment will also develop and manage a network of 50 air quality measuring sensors, Costel Alexe announced. All these sensors will be installed in Bucharest.

“A mobile app for public information will complete our investment. People in this country need to know what air they breathe. We will develop the first mobile application in the country that will provide official data on air according to European methods, validated by the European Commission. The mobile app will take data from the National Air Quality Monitoring Network and give the user all the data about the air in the area where he currently is or where he wants to go,” minister Alexe also said.

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