BOSTON ( April 21, 2023) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making grants available for New England communities to support EPA's mission to reduce environmental risks, protect and improve human health and improve the quality of life, especially in communities that have been underserved and overburdened.
EPA New England's Healthy Communities Grant Program is a unique opportunity for community organizations to identify and reduce environmental risks, resulting in improved human health protection, better quality of life, advanced resilience, and preserved/restored ecosystems to address their local priorities in conjunction with EPA focus areas.
"Our Healthy Communities grants are a great way to empower local communities to bring environmental justice to their families," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "We look forward to working closely with local New England organizations to get on-the-ground solutions to challenges that have plagued overburdened and vulnerable communities."
EPA is accepting applications for projects that will benefit one or more New England communities until Friday, May 26, 2023, at 11:59 PM. EPA plans to award approximately 15 cooperative agreements.
Eligible projects under this program must be located in or directly under one or more of the four "target investment areas" (areas near ports that are being redeveloped to support offshore wind and related industries, geographic priority aeas or sectors in Northern & Southern New England, Environmental Justice areas of potential concern, and/or sensitive populations), and identify how the proposed project will achieve measurable environmental or public health results in one or more of the seven "target program areas" (capacity building on environmental and/or public health issues; clean, green and healthy Schools; energy efficiency; healthy indoor environments; healthy outdoor environments; pollution prevention; and/or Sustainable Materials Management).
Full descriptions of the target investment and target program areas can be found in the 2023 Healthy Communities Grant Program Request for Applications.
Eligible applicants include state and local governments, public nonprofit institutions or organizations, private nonprofit institutions or organizations, quasi-public nonprofit institutions or organizations, federally recognized Indian Tribal Governments, K-12 schools or school districts; and non-profit organizations, such as grassroots and community-based organizations. Funding will be considered for a college or university to support a project with substantial community or tribal involvement.
To help answer questions from prospective applicants, the Healthy Communities Grant Program will host three virtual information sessions before the proposals are due. The information sessions are being offered April 25, 27 and May 11 . These information sessions are optional, but RSVPs are required. The registration form can be found in the 2023 Request for Applications.
More information:
2023 New England Healthy Communities Grant Program Request for Applications
Background on EPA's New England Healthy Community Grants
from EPA News Releases https://ift.tt/lqEchKH