Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $2.5 million to fund three projects in Michigan that advance environmental justice as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The cities of Ann Arbor and Flint and the non-profit One Love Global, which EPA has selected through its Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement and Environmental Justice Government-to-Government programs, will use the funds to ensure disadvantaged communities that have historically suffered from underinvestment have access to clean air and water and climate resilience solutions in alignment with the Biden-Harris administration’s Justice40 Initiative.
Thanks to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act—the largest climate investment in U.S. history—this funding is a part the largest investment ever announced under these two longstanding EPA programs. This is the first in a series of environmental justice grant announcements the agency will announce before the end of the year.
“No President has invested more in environmental justice than President Biden, and under his leadership we’re removing longstanding barriers and meaningfully collaborating with communities to build a healthier future for all,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Together, these community-driven projects will improve the health, equity, and resilience of communities while setting a blueprint for local solutions that can be applied across the nation.”
“Today’s historic announcement is one part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to ensuring all Americans have equal access to clean and safe communities," said EPA Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore. "Thanks to these transformative investments, EPA is empowering overburdened communities to address environmental or public health issues in their communities.”
“For far too long, marginalized communities across Michigan and the United States have been disproportionately impacted by environmental and public health policy,” said Sen. Gary Peters. “Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, which I helped pass into law, residents of Ann Arbor, Flint and Detroit will receive the resources they need to ensure their communities are equitably protected from environmental hazards.”
“For too long, older, industrial communities like Flint have disproportionately been affected by pollution and lack of clean drinking water,” said Rep. Dan Kildee. “In Congress, I am proud to have secured new federal funding to fight climate change and ensure clean air and drinking water for all Michiganders, regardless of their zip code.”
“Michigan is leading the nation in taking strong action to combat the climate crisis,” said Rep. Debbie Dingell. “I’m proud of Ann Arbor’s commitment to environmental justice and prioritizing historically underrepresented communities as we transition to a clean energy future. I look forward to continuing to work closely with Mayors Taylor and Brown, Supervisor Hathaway, and all county and township leadership, along with the many different groups, nonprofits, the University of Michigan, and all the other organizations committed to this effort.”
"It's incredibly uplifting to see One Love Global receive close to $500,000 for their important work right here in Michigan's 13th District,” said Rep. Shri Thanedar. “This grant will directly benefit our Black and Brown youth, giving them the tools to advance water equity and public health. I'm proud to represent a community that champions such crucial initiatives, and I'll continue to support and amplify efforts that bring positive change to our district."
The grants announced today deliver on President Biden’s commitment to advance equity and justice throughout the United States. The two grant programs directly advance the President’s Justice40 initiative to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving (EJCPS) Program
EPA’s EJCPS program provides financial assistance to eligible organizations working to address local environmental or public health issues in their communities. The program builds upon President Biden’s Executive Orders 13985 and 14008, creating a designation of funds exclusively for small nonprofit organizations, which are defined as having 5 or fewer full-time employees, thus ensuring that grant resources reach organizations of lower capacity that historically struggle to receive federal funding. Eleven of the organizations selected for EJCPS this year are small nonprofit organizations, receiving over $1.6 million in total.
In Michigan, One Love Global has been selected to receive $500,000 for their project “Building Power among Black and Brown Youth for Water and Public Health Equity in Detroit.”
Environmental Justice Government-to-Government (EJG2G)
EPA’s EJG2G program provides funding at the state, local, territorial, and Tribal level to support government activities in partnership with community-based organizations that lead to measurable environmental or public health impacts in communities disproportionately burdened by environmental harms.
In Michigan, the city of Ann Arbor has been selected to receive $1 million to create a regional climate resilience network.
The city of Flint has been selected to receive $1 million to create a community engagement process for the Flint Climate Change and Resiliency Plan.
Additional Background:
From day one of his administration, President Biden has made achieving environmental justice a top priority. And in August 2022, Congress passed, and President Biden signed, the Inflation Reduction Act into law, creating the largest investment in environmental and climate justice in U.S. history. EPA received $3 billion in appropriations to provide grants and technical assistance for activities advancing environmental and climate justice.
Under the Inflation Reduction Act, EPA has launched and expanded innovative programs to provide more support than ever before to communities that unjustly bear the burdens of environmental harm and pollution. This includes the $177 million for the creation of 16 Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs) to remove barriers to federal resources and help communities pursue funding opportunities like those made available through President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda. EPA has also launched and will award funds through the $550 million Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program before the end of 2023.
To learn more about environmental justice at EPA, visit our website.
from EPA News Releases https://ift.tt/Sh40RF7