EPA Region 7 Presents $1M Check to City of Waterloo, Iowa, After Selection for Brownfields Grant

LENEXA, KAN. (JUNE 28, 2024) – Today, at City Hall in Waterloo, Iowa, EPA Region 7 Brownfields and Land Revitalization Branch Supervisor Stanley Walker presented a $1 million ceremonial check to the City of Waterloo as a Brownfields Multipurpose Grant selectee.

EPA has selected the city to receive the grant through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grants program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. MAC Grant funds help transform once-polluted, vacant, and abandoned properties into community assets, while helping to create good jobs and spur economic revitalization in overburdened communities. 

The multipurpose grant funds will be used to conduct 10 Phase I and 10 Phase II environmental site assessments and community engagement activities. This funding will also be used to clean up the 1.8-acre Altstadt and Langlas Site, located at 54 Lane Street. Additional priority sites include the Former Rath Plant at 1508 Sycamore Street; a former food warehouse at 70-80 Sycamore Street; TechWorks out-lot near 360 Westfield Avenue; and Grand Crossing 3 lot near 50 West Mullan Avenue. 

"EPA Region 7 is proud to deliver these Brownfields funding resources to the City of Waterloo," said Walker. "The Brownfields program is truly a win-win for everyone involved, and we are proud of our communities’ efforts to provide a cleaner and healthier environment for all, while at the same time spurring local economic development." 

"We are so thankful to the Biden-Harris Administration and the EPA for their continuing support of revitalizing often neglected areas,” said Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart. “This investment will help create the kind of change that will have generational impacts in our community." 

This funding follows Waterloo's selection as a Brownfields Cleanup Grant selectee last year. In June 2023, McCollister stopped on the Brownfields Investing in America tour to present a $642,000 ceremonial check to Mayor Hart.

Background 

EPA’s Brownfields program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.7 billion in Brownfields Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. Prior to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program made approximately $60 million available each year. Thanks to the President’s historic investments in America through this law, EPA has increased that yearly investment by nearly 400%.

More than half of the funding available for this grant cycle (approximately $160 million) comes from the historic $1.5 billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This investment has also allowed the MAC grants’ maximum award amounts to increase significantly from $500,000 to a new maximum of $5 million per award.

EPA’s Brownfields program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. The Brownfields program strives to meet this commitment and advance environmental justice and equity considerations in all aspects of its work. Approximately 86% of the MAC and RLF Supplemental program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include disadvantaged communities. 

Learn more about EPA’s Brownfields program. 

# # # 

Learn more about EPA Region 7

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EPA Region 7 Presents Nearly $4.5M Check to City of Keokuk, Iowa, After Selection for Brownfields Grant

LENEXA, KAN. (JUNE 27, 2024) – Today, at City Hall in Keokuk, Iowa, EPA Region 7 Brownfields and Land Revitalization Branch Supervisor Stanley Walker presented a $4.48 million ceremonial check to the City of Keokuk as a Brownfields Cleanup Grant selectee.

EPA has selected the city to receive the grant through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grants program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. MAC Grant funds help transform once-polluted, vacant, and abandoned properties into community assets, while helping to create good jobs and spur economic revitalization in overburdened communities.

These grant funds will be used to clean up the Elkem-Carbide Site Auditor’s Parcel, located at 365 Carbide Lane. The 9.4-acre cleanup site was first used as a zinc smelter and lead alloying facility. By 1929, the site transitioned to the manufacturing of carbide, and later in the 1950s to the manufacturing of carbon products. All operations ceased in 2007 and the site has been vacant since then. It is contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals, inorganic materials, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Grant funds also will be used to conduct community engagement activities.   

"EPA Region 7 is proud to deliver these Brownfields funding resources to the City of Keokuk," Walker said. "The Brownfields program is truly a win-win for everyone involved, and we are proud of our communities’ efforts to provide a cleaner and healthier environment for all, while at the same time spurring local economic development." 

“The City of Keokuk is thrilled to announce that we have been awarded a Brownfields Grant,” said Keokuk Mayor Kathie Mahoney. “This grant is a testament to our commitment to revitalizing and rejuvenating our community while prioritizing environmental sustainability. We are grateful for the support and recognition from the Environmental Protection Agency’s $4.48 million Brownfields Cleanup Grant that will be funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. We are excited to embark on this journey of transforming contaminated sites into vibrant, safe spaces for our communities. This grant will enable us to not only address environmental challenges, but also create new opportunities for economic growth and community development. We look forward to the positive impact this project will have on our community and beyond.”

EPA has funded several rounds of assessments for the Elkem-Carbide Site. The City of Keokuk was a Brownfields Cleanup Grant selectee last year. In June 2023, McCollister stopped on the Brownfields Investing in America Tour to present a $2 million ceremonial check to Mayor Mahoney. In both 2010 and 2016, the city was selected for a $200,000 Brownfield Site Specific Assessment Grant.

Background  

EPA’s Brownfields program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.7 billion in Brownfields Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. Prior to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program made approximately $60 million available each year. Thanks to the President’s historic investments in America through this law, EPA has increased that yearly investment by nearly 400%.

More than half of the funding available for this grant cycle (approximately $160 million) comes from the historic $1.5 billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This investment has also allowed the MAC Grants’ maximum award amounts to increase significantly from $500,000 to a new maximum of $5 million per award.

EPA’s Brownfields program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. The Brownfields program strives to meet this commitment and advance environmental justice and equity considerations in all aspects of its work. Approximately 86% of the MAC and Revolving Loan Fund Supplemental program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include disadvantaged communities.

Learn more about EPA’s Brownfields program.

# # #

Learn more about EPA Region 7

Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook and Instagram

Follow us on X: @EPARegion7

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Carlisle Construction Materials to pay over $24,000 for stormwater permit violations

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that Carlisle Construction Materials, LLC paid a $24,780 penalty for Clean Water Act violations that occurred at its former facility in McMinnville, Oregon.

In December 2021, an EPA inspector found several violations of the company’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit including:

• failure to document an undisclosed stormwater discharge source in their Stormwater Pollution Control Plan
• failure to monitor, sample, and visually inspect undisclosed stormwater discharge source
• failure to reduce exposure of crumb rubber pile against stormwater.

“EPA is committed to enforcing the stormwater rules under the Clean Water Act to protect our treasured Pacific Northwest waterbodies,” said EPA Region 10 Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Director Ed Kowalski. “In this case, this enforcement action helped prevent thousands of pounds of pollution from entering the South Yamhill River.”

Due to excessive levels of dissolved oxygen, phosphorus, iron, and for high temperatures, the South Yamhill River is considered an impaired waterbody by EPA and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.  

The river is not meeting its Clean Water Act beneficial uses for fish and other aquatic life.

The Clean Water Act prohibits discharging pollutants from industrial sources into a water of the United States without a NPDES permit. Stormwater can pick up pollutants like chemicals, oils, and sediment from industrial facilities which are then carried into waterways and harm fish and other aquatic life.  The permit requires industrial sites to monitor, measure, and reduce stormwater pollution leaving their facilities.

Additional details can be found in the Expedited Settlement Agreement.

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EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan Addresses EPA Staff to Mark Historic Environmental Progress Under President Biden

WASHINGTON – Today, June 27, at an event convening all EPA staff across headquarters and its 10 regional offices, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael S. Regan delivered keynote remarks to mark historic progress achieved under President Biden’s leadership to address climate change, advance environmental justice, and highlight unprecedented investments in science and career staff expertise. Under the banner of “Bold Promises, Real Results,” Administrator Regan touted progress to advance the President’s clear vision and bold agenda set forth on Day One of his Administration.

Administrator Regan started by recounting the weight of the moment in early 2021, and the staff’s resolve to take on big challenges as the country was still grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic:

While the circumstances should have felt overwhelming… they weren’t… because I know who YOU are.

Team EPA is tenacious…resilient...and fearless…

The fight, the spirit, and the perseverance of our team is unparalleled…

Because together, there is absolutely nothing we can’t accomplish…

From day one, President Biden promised a bold and ambitious environmental agenda… and EPA was at the center.

Since then, thanks to the dedicated career workforce, EPA has made remarkable strides to protect human health and the environment in a way that ensures all people – especially those that have been historically overburdened by pollution and underserved by federal investments – are protected equally under the law. To ensure these communities were at the forefront of EPA decision-making, Administrator Regan launched the Journey to Justice in 2021:

For far too long, too many communities across our country have disproportionately suffered from a lack of investment and adequate access to critical public health protections.

President Biden is fighting with the sense of urgency that pollution and the climate crisis demands…and he’s rising to the occasion to right these longstanding wrongs. 

Buoyed by his clarity of vision and strong sense of purpose, we launched our Journey to Justice tour in 2021.

I wanted to meet people in their communities…

I wanted to hear directly from some of our nation’s most neglected and underserved communities…I wanted to see what they see.

And we didn’t just visit these communities to hear about their challenges…we sought to see and feel them firsthand so that our decisions were informed by real-life experiences.

Building on these insights, EPA established the first ever Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights in September 2022. This national program office, with over 200 staff and billions in new funding to invest in community solutions, elevates environmental justice to the highest levels of the federal government, ensuring dedicated efforts to address longstanding disparities for years to come.

This ambitious agenda to protect public health and the environment has been complemented and accelerated by President Biden’s unprecedented investments in America, which charged EPA with the deployment of more than $100 billion to ensure all communities have funding to address critical infrastructure, climate and environmental justice needs:

President Biden showed even more confidence in you by securing more than $100 billion dollars through historic legislation.

These billions of dollars in resources complement our traditional mission…spurring us to move further and faster than ever before while creating jobs, growing our economy and supercharging private investment in clean technologies.

Administrator Regan also spent time highlighting the role young people have played in this movement, from the advocates at the forefront of social change, to the emerging leaders who have joined EPA’s ranks to the members of the newly established National Environmental Youth Advisory Council:

History has shown us that young people have always played a central role in demanding social and political change.

From the young leaders who peacefully protested segregated lunch counters during the civil rights movement…

To the groups of students who fought to lower the national voting age from 21 to 18…

To the college students who organized national demonstrations that led to the very first earth day… 

To the brave young folks demanding climate action NOW…

Every generation has its own defining challenge…

And just like President Biden said, the challenge of our time is climate change.

I’m grateful for the young employees who’ve joined our ranks, as well as the members of EPA’s newly launched National Environmental Youth Advisory Council—because young people deserve a seat at the table… their leadership is crucial to our future.

These young leaders will bridge the gap between EPA and the communities they represent—ensuring that the environmental issues impacting communities across the country, are heard, and addressed.

The speech concluded with a call for continued momentum and agency growth, with over 5,000 new employees onboarded since 2021, and the role of EPA in keeping the nation safe for generations to come:

America needs a strong EPA.

An EPA that can respond to the communities shattered by catastrophic wildfires and hurricanes…

An EPA that partners with the advocates who have dedicated their lives to fighting for cleaner air, safer water, and healthier communities…

An EPA that empowers the parents who are working tirelessly to protect their children from PFAS and lead exposure…

And an EPA that invests in young leaders who are dedicating their lives to protecting our planet. 

Let me tell you what I know…

I know our future is bright, and the state of EPA is stronger than ever. 

I know we won’t let up until all communities have clean air to breathe and clean water to drink…

And, I couldn’t be prouder to lead this EPA… at this critical moment in time…under this President’s leadership.

EPA remains steadfast in our mission to deliver bold and effective solutions for environmental protection and public health. These accomplishments demonstrate our agency’s dedication to embedding environmental justice in all of our work and engaging the next generation in the fight against climate change.

Additional Background on Agency Accomplishments
Climate and Air Pollution Reduction (pdf)

Environmental Justice (pdf)

Scientific Integrity (pdf)

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EPA fines Gloucester, Mass. company for alleged violations of the Clean Air Act

BOSTON (June 25, 2024) – The Environmental Protection Agency has reached a settlement with a seafood processor in Gloucester, Massachusetts, resolving alleged violations of the General Duty Clause of Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act. The violations stem from the company's handling of anhydrous ammonia at its facility. NSDJ Real Estate, LLC, Gloucester Cold Storage, and NSD Seafood Inc. d/b/a Atlantic Fish and Seafood have agreed to pay a $25,000 penalty, finish addressing a final compliance action, and implement two Supplemental Environmental Projects ("SEPs"). The SEPs, which are estimated to cost $129,000, involve installing equipment that will eliminate a common source of ammonia leakage and donating ammonia emergency response equipment to the Gloucester Fire Department to support its chemical accident response capabilities.

"EPA's mission is rooted in safeguarding all communities from pollution, including chemical releases," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "This is even more critical with the changing climate and the increased vulnerabilities associated with facilities situated in populated or hurricane-prone areas."

Atlantic Fish uses two ammonia refrigeration systems to maintain the needed temperatures for the processing and storage of seafood products. Anhydrous ammonia is an efficient refrigerant with low global warming potential, but it must be handled with care because it is toxic and highly corrosive to the skin, eyes, and lungs.

The facility is in an urban setting alongside Gloucester's Inner Harbor in a large and densely populated residential area. It is near hundreds of homes, restaurants and other businesses, an elementary school, and houses of worship.

An EPA inspection revealed multiple deviations from the GDC requirements to design and maintain a safe facility, taking such steps as are necessary to prevent releases, and to minimize the consequences of accidental releases that do occur. EPA consults industry standards of care to determine what it means to violate these requirements, and Respondents deviated from many of these standards. Respondents have corrected most of the deficiencies identified by EPA.

Background

The goal of Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act is to prevent accidental releases of substances that can cause serious harm to the public and the environment from short-term exposures and to mitigate the severity of releases that do occur. Failure to comply with the section's General Duty Clause requirements to identify hazards, design and maintain a safe facility, and take steps to limit and mitigate the harm from accidental releases of extremely hazardous substances puts the local population and environment at risk.

More information:

EPA information on the General Duty Clause requirements of Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act: https://ift.tt/VoGAJm7.

EPA information on Compliance Assistance Tools and Resources for the Ammonia Refrigeration Sector (pdf) (161 KB): https://ift.tt/2mRjZ9b.

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EPA Region 7 Presents $3M Brownfields Check to East Central Intergovernmental Association in Iowa

LENEXA, KAN. (JUNE 26, 2024) – Today, at a brownfield site in Clinton, Iowa, EPA Region 7 Brownfields and Land Revitalization Branch Supervisor Stanley Walker presented a $3 million ceremonial check to the East Central Intergovernmental Association (ECIA) in Iowa to supplement their Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (RLF).

In addition to the $1.8 million in EPA funds already awarded to the organization, ECIA has been selected to receive this additional $3 million in funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law due to its high-performing RLF program.

Walker was joined by ECIA Brownfield Development Coordinator Dawn Danielson and Director of Special Programs Jennifer Walker, who accepted the award on behalf of ECIA. Clinton's Mayor Scott Maddasion and City Administrator Matt Brooke, and Iowa Department of Natural Resources' Solid Waste and Contaminated Sites Supervisor Mike Sullivan, also joined the event.

Funding from the ECIA Brownfields RLF has successfully led to three cleanup projects in Iowa that are either completed or in progress, including the cleanup at today’s event site. With this additional funding, ECIA will continue its momentum of providing loan assistance throughout eastern Iowa communities to assist in the cleanup of brownfield sites to make ready for reuse. Funds will be made available in Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Dubuque, and Jackson counties.

"EPA Region 7 is proud to deliver these Brownfields funding resources to our partners at ECIA," Walker said. "The Brownfields program is truly a win-win for everyone involved, and we are proud of our partners’ efforts to provide a cleaner and healthier environment for all, while at the same time spurring local economic development."

“East Central Intergovernmental Association is excited to continue its partnership with EPA,” Danielson said. “The EPA Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund provides ECIA with critical funding for remediation of brownfield sites in rural and disadvantaged communities throughout eastern Iowa. This new EPA Brownfields supplemental funding will replenish ECIA’s revolving loan fund, enabling ECIA to disburse and revolve funds for numerous brownfield cleanup projects throughout the ECIA five-county region. Thank you, President Biden and EPA, for their commitment and investment in eastern Iowa and for selecting ECIA as a 2024 Brownfields funding recipient.”

In June 2023, EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister stopped on the Brownfields Investing in America Tour to present a $2 million ceremonial check to ECIA. The organization was selected to receive two Brownfields grants last year: a $1 million Assessment Coalition Grant, and $1 million in RLF supplemental funding.

Brownfields RLF Grants

EPA’s Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grants program provides non-competitive, supplemental funding to successful and existing RLF Grant programs. RLF Grants provide funding for recipients to offer loans and subgrants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites, allowing communities to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by those sites.

Background

EPA’s Brownfields program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.7 billion in Brownfields Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. Prior to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program made approximately $60 million available each year. Thanks to the President’s historic investments in America through this law, EPA has increased that yearly investment by nearly 400%.

More than half of the funding available for this grant cycle (approximately $160 million) comes from the historic $1.5 billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This investment has also allowed the Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grants’ maximum award amounts to increase significantly from $500,000 to a new maximum of $5 million per award.

EPA’s Brownfields program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. The Brownfields program strives to meet this commitment and advance environmental justice and equity considerations in all aspects of its work. Approximately 86% of the MAC and RLF Supplemental program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include disadvantaged communities. 

Learn more about EPA’s Brownfields program.

# # #

Learn more about EPA Region 7

Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook and Instagram

Follow us on X: @EPARegion7

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Seattle & King County to expand wastewater treatment in new agreement with EPA, DOJ, Ecology

SEATTLE (June 26, 2024) – The U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Washington Department of Ecology announced today that they have reached an agreement in principle with King County and the City of Seattle that commits the local governments to significant expansion of the work they agreed to perform in 2013 to reduce discharges of untreated combined sewage and stormwater into Lake Washington, Lake Union, the Duwamish River, and Puget Sound.

In 2013, Ecology and EPA found that the city and county’s interconnected combined sewer system regularly violated the state and federal clean water laws by sending hundreds of millions of gallons of untreated or undertreated wastewater into local waterways each year, and allowing sewage to back up into homes in some low-lying communities such as the Duwamish Valley. At that time, both the city and county signed consent decrees with Ecology and the United States committing to major infrastructure investments to reduce the wastewater entering local waterways and people’s homes.

Citing increasing rainfall intensity and other impacts of climate change, supply-chain disruptions, and the increased costs of construction in the Seattle area, in 2019 the city and county requested modifications to the 2013 consent decrees to allow for more time to control combined sewer overflows. The new agreements extend the completion date for some of the projects from 2030 to 2037 and commit the city and county to significant increases in wastewater storage and treatment capacity.

The additional time also enables closer coordination between the city and county, projects to reduce stormwater volumes, and additional planning and design work to ensure that new wet-weather control facilities are more resilient to a changing climate. Generally, this means that these facilities will be capable of handling larger volumes of combined sewage that will result from changing rainfall patterns in the Seattle area.

The agreed-to modifications include significant improvements to major projects including:

• King County’s Mouth of the Duwamish Wet Weather Treatment Facility
  • The facility may now include outfalls owned by the City of Seattle.
  • Options include treatment of overflows (would increase treatment capacity by more than 25% to 190 million gallons per day), storage of overflows (would increase storage to 150 million gallons), or a combination of treatment and storage.
  • Original projected completion 2030, new projected completion 2034.
• West Duwamish/Terminal 115 CSO Control Project
  • This project will store nearly one million gallons more than originally planned.
  • Delays in completion related to construction in a contaminated site.
  • Original projected completion 2025, new projected completion 2029.
• Ship Canal Water Quality Project
  • The project will reduce combined-sewer discharges to the Lake Washington Ship Canal from six separate outfalls, reducing polluted discharges to the Ship Canal by an average of 84% per year.
  • EPA provided loans under the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act to the City of Seattle for $192.2 million and King County for $96.8 million for this project.
  • Delays in completion are related to Covid-19, supply chain issues, and unanticipated obstructions found during tunneling.
  • Original projected completion 2025, new projected completion 2027.
• Montlake and University
  • These storage projects may be combined or remain separate facilities. Overall, stored volumes of wastewater will increase from 7.87 million to 11 million gallons for Montlake and from 5.23 million to 16.1 million gallons for University. 
  • Original projected completion 2028, new projected completion 2037.

The agreement provides the city and county with a certain amount of flexibility to revise projects as long as they meet or exceed the original performance criteria.

“This agreement underscores what’s possible when all parties come together to advance shared values and goals,” said Casey Sixkiller, Regional Administrator for EPA’s Region 10 office in Seattle. "From improving water quality in Lake Washington, the Ship Canal and Puget Sound, protecting treaty resources, and making the region’s water infrastructure more climate resilient, this agreement is a win from every angle.” 

"Climate resilience is one of our greatest environmental priorities,” said Laura Watson, director of the Washington Department of Ecology. “We want to see improvements that are future-proofed for intensifying storms. By extending the overall timeframe for this work, it means the infrastructure can better protect water quality and vulnerable neighborhoods for a lot longer.”

Investments by Washington Department of Ecology and EPA

In December 2022, King County completed its Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station which can treat up to 70 million gallons per day of combined untreated sewage and stormwater that would have otherwise flowed directly into the Duwamish River and Puget Sound. The EPA provided King County with a $134.5 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan for this project.

Since 2015, Ecology has awarded low-interest loans from its Clean Water State Revolving Fund totaling $266.5 million to Seattle and $395.3 million to King County for combined sewer overflow control projects. 

In 2024, EPA also awarded a $194 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan to King County, the majority of which will go toward various clean-water investments at West Point Treatment Plant, which cleans wastewater and stormwater. This project makes several improvements at the wastewater treatment plant, including removing corroded pipes, upgrading raw sewage pumps, and implementing structural upgrades to the administrative building to protect against future seismic events. Ecology has also committed $24.4 million in loan funding for this suite of projects. 

What’s next

The new agreements must be approved by both the King County Council and the Seattle City Council. If the councils approve the modifications, they will be lodged with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington and made available for comment for 30 days. The parties could then seek approval of the modifications by the court.

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Connecticut property owner to pay penalty and perform lead abatement for violations of federal lead-based paint rules

DANBURY, CONN. (June 25, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently reached a settlement with a Connecticut property owner based in Danbury for alleged violations of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule (Disclosure Rule). As a result of the settlement, J. Da Silva Properties, LLC agreed to come into compliance with the Disclosure Rule, pay a penalty of $68,078, and perform two lead-based paint abatement Supplemental Environmental Projects estimated to cost a total of $44,453.

"It's unacceptable that a property owner would not inform their tenants of known lead-based paint hazards," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "This is especially important in Danbury, an area that's had more than its fair share of environmental pollution. It's encouraging to know that because of EPA's action, the residents and their children will be made safer through the company's lead abatement work and compliance with the Disclosure Rule in the future."

J. Da Silva Properties owns six residential apartment buildings totaling 39 units in Danbury, Connecticut. In January of 1997, Danbury's Department of Health and Housing (DHH) issued an abatement order to the company to perform lead testing and abatement at the Tower Pace buildings in Danbury. Based on the positive test results in the properties for lead-based paint, DHH issued a Notice of Violation. In August of 1999, J. Da Silva Properties submitted a Certificate of Compliance to DHH.

In August 2022, an EPA representative conducted an inspection to determine the company's compliance with the Disclosure Rule at its properties. Based on EPA's review of the information and documents obtained from J. Da Silva Properties, LLC, EPA identified violations of TSCA and the Disclosure Rule. In addition, at least one child under the age of six and children between the ages of six and 18 resided in three of the units.

EPA alleges that the company violated the Disclosure Rule in the following ways:

• failure to provide lessee with an EPA-approved Lead Hazard Information Pamphlet;
• failure to disclose the presence of known lead-based paint/hazards;
• failure to provide a Lead Warning Statement;
• failure to include a statement disclosing the presence of known lead-based paint and/or hazards; and
• failure to include a list of records/reports pertaining to lead-based paint or lead-based paint hazards at the property.

In addition to certifying compliance with the Disclosure Rule and paying a penalty, J. Da Silva Properties, LLC agreed to perform a lead-based paint abatement Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) at two properties. The SEP at the first property, located at Tower Place in Danbury, consists of removing, properly disposing, and replacing baseboards containing lead-based paint. The SEP at the second property, located at Keeler Street in Danbury, consists of removing, properly disposing, and replacing front entrance exterior doors, casings, and jambs containing lead-based paint. Both projects will be performed by a licensed lead abatement contractor and are located in an environmental justice area of concern.

This inspection was part of EPA New England's Connecticut Geographic Initiative for lead-based paint.

Background

Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule

The Disclosure Rulerequires sellers, landlords, and agents to provide potential buyers and renters of housing built before 1978 information about lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards in the residence prior to becoming obligated to buy or rent the housing and provides the opportunity for an independent lead inspection for buyers. Sellers, landlords, and agents are responsible for compliance.

Supplemental Environmental Projects

Most federal actions against businesses or individuals for failure to comply with the environmental laws are resolved through settlement agreements. As part of a settlement, an alleged violator may propose to undertake a project to provide tangible environmental or public health benefits to the affected community or environment, that is closely related to the violation being resolved, but goes beyond what is required under federal, state, or local laws. The voluntary agreement to perform an SEP is one factor that is considered in determining an appropriate settlement penalty. EPA supports the inclusion of SEPs in appropriate settlements.

More information:

Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule

Real Estate Disclosures for Lead Hazards

Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs)

Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

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Biden-Harris Administration announces $22.4 million to protect and restore Chesapeake Bay through Investing in America agenda

June 25, 2024

Contact Information

R3 Press (R3Press@epa.gov)

PHILADELPHIA (June 25, 2024) – Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $22.4 million in grants to 13 selectees, through the Innovative Nutrient & Sediment Reduction grant program as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The 13 grants will leverage $35.3 million in matching contributions to generate a total conservation impact of $57.7 million. This program is currently administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) through a grant from EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office. Over $12.4 million in funding for these awards comes from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, while the remaining $10 million comes from annual EPA appropriations.

Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction program 

The Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction (INSR) program aims to accelerate the implementation of water quality improvements, specifically through the collaborative and coordinated efforts of sustainable, regional-scale partnerships and networks of practitioners with a shared focus on water quality restoration and protection.  

Since 2006, the INSR Program has provided more than $200 million to over 250 projects that have reduced 36 million pounds of nitrogen, nine million pounds of phosphorus, and nearly 800,000 tons of sediment across the Chesapeake Bay watershed. 

“These grants reflect our continuing commitment to protect the Chesapeake Bay and preserve our nation’s environmental legacy for future generations,” said EPA Chesapeake Bay Program Office Director Martha Shimkin. “It is inspiring to be working with so many awardees who have long been committed to preserving, protecting, and enhancing the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed.”

“A healthy Chesapeake Bay is vital for Maryland’s economy, environment, and the well-being of our families,” said Senator Van Hollen. “With these resources from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, we continue to foster partnerships to reduce nutrient runoff into the Bay watershed. These efforts both improve the Bay’s water quality and preserve natural wildlife habitat while supporting Maryland farmers.”

“The Chesapeake Bay is at the heart of Maryland’s economy and culture. And as the nation’s longest estuary, its significance is felt throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond. Securing its health and vitality is in all our best interests,” said Senator Cardin. “Through community partnerships and government action, we have made considerable progress in Bay restoration, but there is much more we need to do. While our dead zone is shrinking, urban and suburban runoff into the Bay is increasing and oyster crops are still not even close to their historic levels. With this additional support from the Biden Administration, we can invest in more community-led restoration projects that build on our progress and continue to preserve and protect one of our region’s most important natural resources.” 

Below is a list of the selectees:

1. Chesapeake Conservancy, INC. – Accelerating Stream Delisting in Central Pennsylvania
2. Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley – Accelerating Clean Water and Conservation Outcomes in Shenandoah Valley (VA)
3. James River Association – Growing Riparian Partnerships to Improve Water Quality in the James River Watershed (VA)
4. Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District – Stream Corridor Restoration in the Upper Susquehanna Watershed (NY, PA)
5. Sustainable Chesapeake – Improving Manure and Nutrient Management in the Chesapeake Bay Region (MD, NY, VA, PA)
6. Friends of the Rappahannock – Advancing Climate-Smart Conservation Through Innovation and Collaboration (VA)
7. Conservation Foundation of Lancaster County – Reducing Runoff and Reaching New Leaders in Lancaster (PA)
8. Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake – Developing Community Partnerships for Green Infrastructure and Equity Enhancement (PA)
9. Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Inc. – Sustainable Dairy Partnerships and Corporate Investment in the Chesapeake Bay (MD, NY, PA, VA)
10. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources – Implementing Forestry Best Management Practices in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (PA)
11. Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Inc. – Increasing Riparian Forest Buffer Adoption Across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (MD, PA, VA, WV)
12. Trout Unlimited, Inc. – Improving Water Quality Through Riparian Restoration Practices (VA, WV)
13. The Mid-Atlantic 4R Nutrient Stewardship Association – Accelerating Water Quality Outcomes through Stronger Nutrient Stewardship Partnerships (DE, MD, PA)

For more information and a complete list of the 2024 Chesapeake Bay Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction grants recipients, please see: https://www.nfwf.org/sites/default/files/2024-06/nfwf-chesapeake-insr-20240531-gs.pdf

These awards reflect EPA’s commitment to the Chesapeake Bay Program and demonstrate its focus on strengthening partnerships to restore the health and productivity of the Chesapeake Bay. Funding for these programs will empower communities to implement local programs to restore the Chesapeake Bay’s water quality while advancing President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. 

Background:  

The Chesapeake Bay Program is a regional partnership made up of federal agencies, six states, local governments, academic institutions, and non-governmental organizations that lead and direct the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay and its 64,000-square-mile watershed. 

Visit the EPA’s website to learn more about its support for the Chesapeake Bay.  

Visit the EPA website to learn more about the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and available funding opportunities.  

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EPA awards over $8.8 million to reduce air pollution from wood heaters

BOSTON (June 25, 2024) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the award of an $8,804,000 grant under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) and its nationwide network of partner air agencies. This funding will support emissions testing and other activities aimed at reducing air pollution from wood heaters. EPA is committed to addressing air pollution and protecting public health through science-based initiatives and collaboration with local, state, and Tribal partners.

"Addressing air pollution is a top priority for EPA – science-based initiatives and strong collaboration with our local, state, and Tribal partners makes that possible. We know that wood stoves and heaters can be a good option for people, but inefficient ones can lead to bad indoor and outdoor pollution," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "This grant, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, will inform the selection of replacement devices eligible for funding for woodstove change-out programs, helping control air pollution and protecting our communities. Congratulations to NESCAUM – Keep up the good work!"

NESCAUM will conduct emissions testing on wood stoves to gather data that is independent of existing certification tests. The collected data will assist in the development of a ranked appliance performance list based on collected project emissions data. By providing reliable data on wood heater emissions, this project aims to improve air quality in affected communities, making it easier to purchase wood heating devices with the lowest emissions of air pollution and meet national air quality standards.

"Wood is an important resource for home heating in New England, but smoke from wood heaters can have serious health impacts in local communities, including increased risk of premature death," said NESCAUM Executive Director Paul Miller. "This grant will provide a stronger basis for the public and states in making decisions on home heating options that are more efficient and cleaner, a win for consumers and public health."

The data will help EPA determine Clean Air Act emissions limits in a future wood heater standard, which could lower wood heater emissions and improve air quality for areas across the country. Cleaner-burning wood stoves will reduce harmful emissions, benefiting public health and the environment, particularly in vulnerable and rural communities.

During the winter, many New Englanders seek to avoid high heating costs by turning to wood as a fuel. Unfortunately, many wood heaters are inefficient and emit more pollutants into the air than heating with oil, natural gas or electricity.  In 2020, approximately 11 million U.S. homes used woodstoves as a heat source. However, wood smoke can contain harmful gases that can cause health problems such as eye irritation, runny nose, bronchitis, and even worsening chronic heart and lung diseases. These fine particles can be particularly harmful to children, older adults, and people with heart or lung conditions.

Residential wood heating significantly contributes to air pollution, especially in rural areas and disadvantaged communities already overburdened by legacy emissions and other environmental issues. The smoke from wood stoves is a major factor in some rural areas of the country failing to meet federal air quality standards for particulate matter (PM2.5), which poses serious public health risks.

Background

Section 60105(d) of the Inflation Reduction Act provides funding "for testing and other agency activities to address emissions from wood heaters."

NESCAUM, a longtime leader in addressing wood heater emissions, provided public comment during EPA's public outreach on the Inflation Reduction Act. The organization submitted a plan to collaborate with state, local and Tribal air agencies in testing emissions from residential wood heating devices. NESCAUM has a history of forming coalitions and partnerships with states, local agencies, and Tribal nations around the country.

More information:

Air Grants and Funding
Burnwise
Indoor Air Quality and Wood Burning

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EPA Recommends that People in the Great Lakes Region Prepare Now to Avoid Potential Exposure this Summer to Wildfire Smoke

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is encouraging residents in the Great Lakes region to be prepared for wildfire smoke this summer. EPA advises everyone to stay informed about local air quality and put plans in place to reduce their exposure to wildfire smoke and protect their health. 

 “Although big wildfires may be hundreds-- if not thousands-- of miles away, recent years have taught us that we need to be ready for severe smoke in the Great Lakes region,” said EPA Regional Administrator Debra Shore. “Knowing what you can do to reduce smoke exposure helps families breathe easier and stay healthy.” 

Summer wildfires in the United State and Canada are becoming bigger and more frequent. Last summer, Canada experienced a record number of wildfires, producing smoke that caused unhealthy air quality and led to widespread health advisories across the Great Lakes region and the United States.

Everyone can take the following steps to safeguard themselves from smoke and air pollution during a wildfire: 

• If you do not have an air conditioner and it is too warm to stay indoors with closed windows, seek shelter with friends or relatives, or at a local public building with air conditioning such as a movie theater, mall, library, or local clean air shelter.
• Keep a supply of N95 or P100 respirators to wear if you go outside when air quality is unhealthy. Respirators can help prevent the inhalation of soot and fine particles in smoke.  
• Consider buying a portable air cleaner (avoid technologies that generate ozone) or make a DIY air cleaner.  
• Learn how to adjust your HVAC system or air conditioner to keep smoke out, and consider buying a high-efficiency (e.g., MERV-13) HVAC filter. 
• Replace filters according to manufacturer recommendations, typically every 60-90 days or earlier if they are heavily soiled. 
• Ensure children, older adults, pregnant people, and people with asthma or other lung or heart conditions have at least 5 days’ worth of medication and food on hand to avoid going outside.  
• People with asthma or other lung or heart conditions may consider developing a medical action plan in consultation with a healthcare provider along with an evacuation plan if heavy smoke persists for several days.  

EPA offers free resources for the public to monitor air quality conditions and forecasts in real time. The AirNow Fire and Smoke map provides information on fire locations, smoke plumes, near real-time air quality and protective actions to take. Air quality alerts can be accessed through EnviroFlash, the AirNow website , and the AirNow app. Check out your state’s air websites and social media accounts for detailed local information and forecasts.

Wildfire smoke can cause air quality to deteriorate rapidly and become unhealthy, especially for children, older adults, pregnant people, and people with heart or lung diseases. Wildfire smoke is a mix of gases and fine particulate matter that are released from burning wood and other organic materials.  Fine particulate matter from wildfire smoke is the greatest health concern because it can irritate the eyes and the respiratory system worsening worsen symptoms of chronic cardiovascular disease and respiratory diseases such as COPD and asthma.

Since poor air quality affects everyone, EPA encourages the public to modify outdoor activities and protect their air quality indoors too. Individuals and businesses can help by driving less, cutting energy usage and avoiding vehicle idling and outdoor fires this summer.  

More  tools and information are available on EPA’s website, Air Quality Alerts from EnviroFlash, AirNow and AirNow Fire and Smoke Map.

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United States Announces Settlement with Westchester County Drinking Water Provider and Three Municipalities for Violating Safe Drinking Water Act

WASHINGTON – Today, June 24, the Environmental Protection Agency, along with the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced a settlement with the Westchester Joint Water Works (WJWW), the town/village of Harrison, the village of Mamaroneck, and the town of Mamaroneck (collectively, the defendants) for violation of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) in 2019 due to the presence of contaminants that are known to threaten public health in the public water system in excess of the level set by EPA.  Thereafter, WJWW violated an EPA administrative order requiring the construction of a water filtration plant by specified deadlines.

“Everyone living in the United States deserves safe drinking water,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s agreement requires Westchester Joint Water Works to construct a new filtration system to prevent contaminated drinking water and to protect the quality of water for a water system that serves multiple communities, including at least one that has been overburdened by environmental impacts. Westchester residents should expect nothing less.”

“Today’s agreement kickstarts a path to ensuring a reliable and healthy source of water for 120,000 residents of Westchester County. The building of a much-needed water filtration plant will address the source of the Safe Drinking Water Act violations and will help secure the area’s long-term needs,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.

“Public water systems have the critical responsibility of ensuring that our communities have safe drinking water.  Thanks to today’s settlement, Westchester Joint Water Works will finally construct a long-delayed drinking water filtration facility to protect the Westchester County communities it serves,” said United States Attorney Damian Williams.

“WJWW will build a drinking water filtration plant that will ensure clean and safe drinking water for 120,000 people in Westchester County, immediately pay a $600,000 civil penalty to the federal government and implement a $900,000 Supplemental Environmental Project to improve source water quality through decreased stormwater discharge into the Rye Lake section of the Kensico Reservoir,” said EPA Region 2 Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia.  “We are happy to partner with the State of New York to address this long-standing violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act and protect public health.”

According to the complaint filed along with the consent decree, the defendants failed to ensure that the drinking water they supply to approximately 120,000 Westchester County residents complies with federal limits on potentially cancer-causing disinfection byproducts resulting from water treatment.  Specifically, the defendants own and/or operate a public water system. 

In 2019, WJWW violated the SDWA and its Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule because it supplied water exceeding legal limits for certain chemicals resulting from the disinfection process — specifically, five regulated haloacetic acids known as HAA5.  Epidemiological studies have supported a potential association between disinfection byproduct exposure and bladder cancer and suggested an association with colon and rectal cancers. Additionally, exposure to chlorinated drinking water or disinfection byproducts may cause adverse developmental or reproductive health effects. 

Although WJWW has taken certain short-term measures to mitigate risk to its consumers, defendants have failed to implement necessary corrective actions — including WJWW’s failure to construct and operate a filtration plant required by an EPA administrative order and the Surface Water Treatment Rule of the SDWA. 

The consent decree establishes various interim deadlines for the drinking water filtration plant construction project and requires WJWW to continue to implement measures to ensure the safety of its water supply until the filtration plant is operational. The consent decree also requires WJWW to pay a $600,000 civil penalty to the United States. In addition, WJWW agreed to spend at least $900,000 on a supplemental environmental project to modify an extended detention basin in the Rye Lake portion of the Kensico Reservoir and manage invasive species in the area.  This supplemental environmental project is expected to improve source water quality in the reservoir by decreasing natural organic material and turbidity. Compliance with the SDWA is not only a public health necessity but also a matter of environmental justice.  At least one of the municipalities relying on defendants’ drinking water is overburdened and underserved, facing disproportionate environmental impacts and other burdens.

Increasing compliance with Drinking Water Standards is part of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative for Fiscal Years 2024-2027. This initiative seeks to ensure that the approximately 50,000 regulated drinking water systems that provide water to residents year-round (referred to as Community Water Systems or CWSs) comply with the SDWA. In FY 2022, 18,282 CWSs had at least one SDWA violation, and 2,854 of those systems had a health-based violation. Many overburdened communities, including those in Indian country, often face challenges meeting their obligations under SDWA.

The State of New York is contemporaneously joining the lawsuit to assert its own claims under state law and a previously entered state court judgment requiring the construction and operation of a filtration plant. The consent decree resolves claims by New York to enforce a previous state judgment against WJWW for violating separate regulations requiring the implementation of filtration.  In addition to the construction of the filtration facility, the defendants will pay New York a $650,000 civil penalty and spend at least $6.8 million on two state water quality benefit projects.

The consent decree is subject to public comment and approval by the court. Notice of the proposed consent decree will be published in the Federal Register, and the public will have the opportunity to submit comments on the consent decree for a period of at least 30 days before the parties seek the court’s approval.

For more information about the settlement, please visit the Westchester Joint Water Works settlement page.

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TUESDAY: EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan Hosts Leaders from Canada and Mexico at Commission for Environmental Cooperation’s 31st Annual Council Session

Contact: EPA Region 4 Press Office - (404) 562-8400, region4press@epa.gov

WILMINGTON, N.C. — On Tuesday, June 25, EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan will join senior EPA leadership, including Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe, at the Commission for Environmental Cooperation’s (CEC) 31st annual Council Session and Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) Public Forum, held between June 24-26, 2024, in Wilmington, North Carolina. Under the theme “Strengthening Environmental Justice through Community Empowerment,” Administrator Regan will deliver remarks and participate in several key events, including a youth panel, environmental justice roundtable, and the official opening ceremony.

This year’s session brings together North America’s top environmental officials and the public to engage with environmental justice advocates, Indigenous and community leaders, experts, youth, activists and others. The 2024 session also marks the CEC’s 30th anniversary, providing an opportunity to reflect on three decades of regional environmental cooperation.

Events Involving EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan

Tuesday, June 25, 2024:

• 2:35 p.m. EDT - Youth Panel
  • EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan will provide welcoming remarks
  • Location: Convention Center, Ballroom ABC TAB 9
  • Attendees: Council representatives and delegations, Dr. Benjamin Chavis, Professor La’Meshia Whittington, CEC Executive Director and staff, JPAC Members, TEKEG Members, Youth representatives, GELP winners, and the public.

• 4:00 p.m. EDT - Experts Roundtable on Environmental Justice
  • EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan will provide opening remarks
  • Location: Convention Center, Ballroom ABC TAB 11
  • Attendees: Delegations, CEC Executive Director and staff, Dr. Benjamin Chavis, Kenneth Martin (EPA/OITA), Deborah McGregor (York University), Octavio Rosas Landa (UNAM/CONACYT), JPAC Members, TEKEG Members, Youth representatives, GELP winners, and the public.

• 6:15 p.m. EDT - Official Opening Ceremony of the Council Session
  • EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan will provide opening remarks
  • Attendees: Council Members and delegations, Mayor of Wilmington, CEC Secretariat Executive Director and staff, Youth panelists, GELP winners, JPAC members, TEKEG members, public, and registered press.

Register for the Conference (virtual or in-person) here.

For more information about this event, visit the CEC website.

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EPA to Award a Half Million Dollars to South Bronx Organization to Combat Impacts of Climate Change

NEW YORK (June 21, 2024) – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia and We Stay/Nos Quedamos joined other dignitaries at a rooftop community garden to mark the selection of the organization to be awarded a half million dollars to support a climate justice project. The grant is under the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement Program (EJ CPS) to advance a new climate resilience and emergency preparedness project in the South Bronx.

Through the project, entitled Climate Justice, Community Resilience, and Emergency Preparedness Curricula for South Bronx Youth and Adults, Nos Quedamos will give South Bronx community residents the skills needed to prepare for climate change and associated impacts such as flooding, blackouts, and the urban heat island effect. The grant will also support improvements to physical infrastructure in the form of hubs. These local climate resiliency hubs at three public sites will be equipped with solar panels, wireless charging stations, water catchment systems and more. They will serve as havens during emergency and climate-related events. Nos Quedamos’ project will bolster community knowledge to increase local climate leadership.

“As we combat extreme heat and other climate issues, EPA is happy to support organizations like Nos Quedamos leading the way towards sustainable, healthier communities,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “This grant, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act will help support climate resilience efforts in communities such as the South Bronx in a very real way.”

"We Stay/Nos Quedamos is excited to receive the EJ CPS grant from the EPA, through which we will be developing a novel environmental justice and housing justice curriculum for youth leaders in the Bronx, who are on the frontlines of climate justice and community resiliency work” said Nos Quedamos’ Basil Alsubee. “Our curriculum is produced through a joint collaboration with the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance and the City University of New York, bringing faculty, students, organizers, and youth community members at the table to discuss learning objectives and pedagogy. Our curriculum centers on field trips, movie screenings, board games, mapping activities on GIS, and other interactive skills-based and hyper-local place-based learning tools. The curriculum combines knowledge and practice in community organizing and community planning, gearing our youth to be change-makers, educators, and planners in their own communities."

“EPA’s EJ CPS program is vital to advancing environmental justice and helping organizations that provide assistance to communities impacted by climate change, pollution, and other environmental stressors,” said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. “I am thrilled to see We Stay/Nos Quedamos receive this $500,000 in federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act that will help boost climate resilience and emergency preparedness in the South Bronx. As the impacts of climate change continue to harm our communities, I will continue to fight for federal resources to support organizations working to advance environmental justice.”

“As we increasingly feel the effects of climate change, there is no nobler cause than working on the ground to prepare our communities for the ever-changing future,” said U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres (NY-15). “It is my honor to stand with Nos Quedamos and their critical work of fostering resilience. Congratulations to them on securing this transformative grant, which I know will be reinvested into the people of the South Bronx and make a real difference. I look forward to working with the EPA and other federal agencies to increase opportunities for grassroots environmental organizations in the South Bronx and beyond.” 

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said, “I applaud the Biden-Harris Administration, EPA Administrator Regan, and Regional Administrator Garcia for their continued commitment and investments to ensure the Bronx and other communities vulnerable to sources of pollution are able to improve vital physical infrastructure to increase resiliency in the wake of climate change impacts. This $500,000 federal investment complements the many actions Governor Hochul, DEC, and other public and private partners are advancing to help improve resiliency to extreme heat, flooding, and other climate impacts in environmental justice communities.”

EPA’s EJ CPS 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, thus ensuring that grant resources reach organizations that may have not applied for federal funding in the past.

We Stay/Nos Quedamos, along with four other New York city based community-based organizations were selected for EJ CPS grants late last year totaling close to $1.8 million in total. 

From the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, achieving environmental justice has been a top priority. 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. 

Learn more information on the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement Program.

Follow EPA Region 2 on X and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.

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EPA announces New England's winners of Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educator and the President's Environmental Youth Award

BOSTON (JUNE 20, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in partnership with the White House Council on Environmental Quality announced New England's 2024 recipients of the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE) and the President's Environmental Youth Award (PEYA).

"Environmental stewardship often begins in the classroom with young people and educators who tackle our planet's most pressing climate change and environmental justice challenges head on," said EPA New England Administrator David W. Cash. "This year's awardees from New Hampshire and Rhode Island showcase a passionate leader and dedicated students whose great work creates a promising future for us all."

The PIAEE award was established by the 1990 National Environmental Education Act and seeks to recognize, support, and bring public attention to the outstanding environmental projects performed by teachers who go beyond textbook instruction to incorporate methods and materials that utilize creative experiences and enrich student learning in K-12 education.

2024 PIAEE Award Winner: Tara Happy, Hollis Primary School
Hollis, New Hampshire

Mrs. Happy, one of nine award winners nationally, is an environmental science teacher at the Hollis Primary School in New Hampshire. She tailors each lesson based on the interests of her students, which fosters curiosity and promotes active engagement. After her students expressed an interest in slugs, for example, Mrs. Happy organized a "Slug Week" that highlighted slug art, slug stories, and slug-finding contests. During the week, not only were her students enjoying their learning experience, but they were also developing a deep respect for the species and their surrounding ecosystem.

Additionally, because Mrs. Happy's school is in a rural community—where many students have a connection to farming—she teaches students about the plant life cycle with gardening activities. At her school, Mrs. Happy also utilizes the outdoors for students with intensive needs—such as nonverbal communication, mobility challenges, and medical needs—and her activities are inclusive and engaging for everyone.

In 2018, Mrs. Happy started a classroom composting program which has composted more than 4,600 pounds of food scraps. A food waste diversion plan, also organized by Mrs. Happy, allowed the school to divert over 10,600 pounds of food waste from the cafeteria. Mrs. Happy's leadership extends beyond the classroom through her collaboration with other teachers to integrate environmental education into the curriculum. She has established herself as a respected leader in her school and the broader community.

The PEYA was established by the Environmental Education Act of 1970 and recognizes outstanding community-level environmental projects by K-12 youth that promote awareness of natural resources and encourage positive community involvement. Each year, PEYA honors a variety of local projects developed by students, school classes, summer camp attendees, and youth organizations that promote engagement in environmental stewardship and protection.

2024 PEYA Award Winner: The Barrington Environmental Establishment
By: Abigail Goblick, Siddharth Gupta, Mia He, and Emma Pautz
Award Category: Grade Level 6–12
Barrington, Rhode Island

The Barrington Environmental Establishment (BEE) is a student-led climate action organization founded by Emma, Abigail, Mia, and Siddharth. These high school students noticed that their coastal hometown of Barrington, Rhode Island, was impacted by the effects of climate change, such as increased flooding and extreme weather. They decided to take matters into their own hands to create the BEE and help their community become more environmentally conscious while fostering positive environmental change. The students publish a biweekly newsletter promoting environmental awareness and have organized several successful community projects.

As an example, the BEE set up a public composting drop-off site for the residents of Barrington, at which nearly 1581 pounds of compost was collected within the first 21 weeks. Additionally, by collaborating with an organization called"Tree-Plenish," the BEE sold 1033 tree saplings, offsetting 206 tons of carbon, in the past year. Community involvement is at the heart of the organization's goals and activities, and the BEE invites community members to participate in monthly environmental events as well as regular volunteer cleanup activities. In their pursuit of a greener future, the BEE uses youth-led activism to drive community-based environmental action.

Additional information:

From across the country, 9 educators received the 2024 Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators. Winning educators demonstrated leadership by integrating environmental education into multiple subjects and using topics such as climate change, environmental justice, water infrastructure, waste management, water quality, environmentally friendly agricultural practices, STEM education, and school gardens to teach about environmental sustainability. The winners also effectively demonstrated how they inspire members of their communities to participate in environmental education activities.

Additionally, 29 students who worked as a team or individually on 13 projects received the President's Environmental Youth Award. Their stewardship projects, conducted in 2023, demonstrate the students' commitment and success in advancing community garden efforts, addressing environmental justice concerns, reducing pollution, conserving water and energy, reducing food waste, and combating climate change while also effectively encouraging the involvement of people in their communities.

To read about the winning projects in detail, visit:

PEYA Winners: https://ift.tt/VnR8PBx.

PIAEE Winners: https://ift.tt/cAvmG4E.

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