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EPA Region 7 Presents $500K Brownfields Check to Schuyler Community Development in Nebraska

LENEXA, KAN. (JULY 24, 2024) – Today at a brownfield site in Schuyler, Nebraska, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister presented a $500,000 ceremonial check to Schuyler Community Development as an EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant selectee.

EPA selected the organization to receive the grant through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grants program. 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. 

"EPA Region 7 is proud to deliver these Brownfields funding resources to the Schuyler community. Our rural communities face unique challenges in addressing brownfields, and many lack the resources to tackle the redevelopment of brownfields on their own," McCollister said. "With this grant, Schuyler Community Development can take another step toward turning blight into might." 

This is the first time Schuyler Community Development has been selected for funding through the EPA Brownfields MAC Grants program. The target area for this grant is the Downtown Historic District of Schuyler. Priority sites include a former hotel, municipal power plant, and grain elevator.

“With the help of the City of Schuyler and stakeholders, including the Schuyler Area Chamber of Commerce, Center for Rural Affairs, CHI Health-Schuyler, and local business in Schuyler's Downtown Historic District, SCD greatly appreciates the opportunity to utilize EPA Brownfields funding to help assess and revitalize our historic downtown and other areas of town that have lacked sufficient resources in the past,” said Schuyler Community Development Economic Development Coordinator Brian Bywater. “Revitalization and redevelopment of the Downtown Historic District and the broader community through a strategic Brownfield Program will bring investment, jobs, beautification and, most importantly, a greater opportunity for Schuyler's residents.” 

Grant funds will be used to conduct multiple Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments. This funding will also be used to identify and prioritize additional sites; develop four cleanup plans; conduct three visioning sessions; prepare three site reuse assessments and one revitalization plan; and perform community engagement activities.

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.

To see the list of the fiscal year 2024 MAC applicants selected for funding, visit EPA’s webpage.

Learn more about EPA’s Brownfields program.

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Biden-Harris Administration Takes Latest Action Under Toxic Substances Control Act to Protect Public from Exposure to Harmful Chemicals

WASHINGTON – Today, July 24, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed to designate five chemicals as High-Priority Substances for risk evaluation under the nation’s chemical safety law, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). If EPA finalizes these designations as proposed, the agency would immediately move forward with the risk evaluation process. This step is consistent with a commitment from the Biden-Harris Administration to understand and address environmental and toxic exposures to ensure that every community has access to clean air and water, supports the Cancer Moonshot’s mission to end cancer as we know it, and bolsters the Administration’s efforts to make progress on delivering environmental justice and tackling plastic pollution.

The five chemical substances EPA is proposing to designate as High-Priority Substances are:

Vinyl Chloride (CASRN 75-01-4),
Acetaldehyde (CASRN 75-07-0),
Acrylonitrile (CASRN 107-13-1),
Benzenamine (CASRN 62-53-3), and
4,4’-methylene bis(2-chloroaniline) (MBOCA) (CASRN 101-14-4).
“The Biden-Harris Administration continues to make significant progress in protecting workers and communities from exposure to harmful chemicals as we implement the 2016 TSCA amendments that strengthened EPA’s authority on chemical safety, ” said Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff. “Studying the safety of these harmful chemicals – all five of which have been linked to cancer and are used to make plastic – would help lead to critical public health and environmental protections in communities across the country and would ensure that the public has access to more data on these chemicals sooner.”

Chemicals Proposed as High-Priority Substances for Risk Evaluation

All five chemicals were selected from the 2014 TSCA Work Plan, which is a list of chemicals identified by EPA for further assessment based on their hazards and potential for exposure. In proposing these five chemical substances as High-Priority Substances for risk evaluation, EPA had to consider the chemicals’ conditions of use and production volume or changes in conditions of use and production volume over time, impacts to potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations including children and workers, and the chemicals’ potential hazards and exposures. EPA also considered more specific criteria such as the chemicals' bioaccumulation and environmental persistence and whether the chemical is stored near significant sources of drinking water. 

Vinyl chloride is used primarily in the manufacturing and processing of plastic materials such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), plastic resins, and other chemicals. Many of these materials are used for pipes and insulating materials. This chemical was also involved in the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Vinyl chloride is a known human carcinogen and can cause liver, brain, and lung cancer in exposed workers. Short-term exposure to vinyl chloride can also result in other health effects such as dizziness, nausea, and eye and skin irritation. Vinyl chloride exposure can also damage genetic material in cells, which can lead to numerous adverse health effects. In the 1970s, the White House Council on Environmental Quality and EPA officials raised serious concerns about the health impacts of vinyl chloride as an example when the Nixon Administration asked Congress to write a law to ensure chemicals were made and used safely, which led to passage of the “original” TSCA in 1976.

Acetaldehyde is used primarily in the manufacturing and processing of adhesives, petrochemicals, plastic and other chemicals, as well as intermediates for products such as packaging and construction materials. Acetaldehyde is a probable human carcinogen. Specifically, animal studies have shown that exposure to acetaldehyde can result in the formation of nasal and laryngeal tumors. Short-term exposure can also result in health effects such as irritation of the respiratory system and reduced heart function. Data further shows that acetaldehyde exposure can damage genetic material in cells, potentially leading to numerous adverse health effects. 

Acrylonitrile is used primarily in the manufacturing and processing of plastic materials, paints, petrochemicals, and other chemicals. Acrylonitrile is a probable human carcinogen and can cause lung and brain cancer in exposed workers. Short-term exposure to acrylonitrile can also result in health effects such as eye, skin, and respiratory irritation. Long-term exposure can result in reproductive effects such as reduced sperm count and developmental effects such as slowed fetal growth.

Benzenamine is used in the manufacturing and processing of dyes and pigments, petrochemicals, plastics, resins, and other chemicals. Benzenamine is a probable human carcinogen and can cause bladder tumors and pancreatic cancer in workers. Long-term exposure to benzenamine can result in a range of adverse health effects such as difficulty in breathing, tumor growth in the spleen, and possible reductions in fetal viability.

MBOCA is used in the manufacturing and processing of rubbers, plastics, resins, and other chemicals. MBOCA is a probable human carcinogen. Specifically, animal studies have shown that exposure to MBOCA can cause liver and urinary bladder cancer. Short-term exposure to MBOCA can result in eye and skin irritation. Data further demonstrates that MBOCA exposure can damage genetic material in cells, potentially leading to numerous adverse health effects.

Prioritization Process and Improvements

Prioritization is the first step under EPA’s authority to regulate existing chemicals currently on the market and in use. EPA’s proposed designations are not themselves a finding of risk. If EPA finalizes these designations, the agency will initiate risk evaluations for these chemicals to determine whether they present an unreasonable risk to human health or the environment under the TSCA conditions of use (the way the chemical is made and used), which the agency is required to complete within 3-3.5 years. If at the end of the risk evaluation process EPA determines that a chemical presents an unreasonable risk to health or the environment, the agency must begin the risk management process to take action to eliminate these unreasonable risks.

EPA began the process of prioritizing these five chemicals in December 2023 and also announced that it expects to initiate prioritization on five chemicals every year, which will create a sustainable and effective pace for risk evaluations. Over the past year, EPA has continued to improve the prioritization process by investing in cutting-edge software to review more information earlier in prioritization. EPA has also implemented improvements to its systematic review approaches as recommended by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) by incorporating additional data sources such as assessments published by other government agencies to identify potential hazards and exposures, clarifying terminology to increase transparency in the systematic review process, and presenting interactive literature inventory trees and evidence maps to better depict data sources containing potentially relevant information.

EPA has conducted a preliminary screening and technical review of large data sets to more efficiently identify relevant information for prioritization and risk evaluation and can easily flag information that may be useful to retrieve later in the risk evaluation process. As a result, EPA now has a head start on risk evaluations. At this proposed designation stage, EPA has a much fuller understanding of how these chemicals behave in the environment and their potential hazards and exposures than it had at this point in the process in the previous prioritization cycle conducted in 2019. That has also enabled EPA to make considerably more information available to the public a year earlier than occurred for the first 30 chemicals designated for risk evaluation under TSCA. The public will be able to see which studies and what information EPA considered in its screening review for proposed designation and submit any additional information they would like EPA to consider via public comment.

EPA will accept public comments on the proposed designations for 90 days after publication via docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2023-0601 at the Regulations.gov page.  Upon publication of the Federal Register notice, supporting documents will also be available in the docket. 

Learn more about the prioritization process under TSCA.

House approves bill authorizing harbor projects in Baltimore, Oakland

The passage of the Water Resources Development Act in the House of Representatives brings Congress one step closer to authorizing major navigational projects at the two ports.

House approves bill authorizing harbor projects in Baltimore, Oakland

The passage of the Water Resources Development Act in the House of Representatives brings Congress one step closer to authorizing major navigational projects at the two ports.

Biden-Harris Administration Advances Early Wildfire Detection by Expanding Use of Satellites as Part of Investing in America agenda

WASHINGTON, July 23, 2024 — The Biden-Harris administration today announced it is taking additional steps to safeguard western communities in the face of increasingly dangerous and intense wildland fires by building advanced wildfire detection capabilities using satellite technology. The Department of the Interior and U.S.

North Carolina and three other Atlantic states to benefit from $421,238,074 Biden-Harris Administration investment for community-driven solutions to cut climate pollution

RALEIGH, N.C. (July 23, 2024) - As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that the Atlantic Conservation Coalition – made up of representatives from North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Maryland – has been selected to receive a $421,238,074 Climate Pollution Reduction Grant to implement community-driven solutions that tackle the climate crisis, reduce air pollution, advance environmental justice and accelerate America’s clean energy transition.

The proposed project of the Atlantic Conservation Commission, consisting of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, the South Carolina Office of Resilience, the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, will focus on the protection and restoration of coastal, peatland, and forest lands across the four member states.

“President Biden believes in the power of community-driven solutions to fight climate change, protect public health, and grow our economy. Thanks to his leadership, the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program will deliver unprecedented resources to states, local governments, and Tribes to fund the solutions that work best in their communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Selected recipients have put forward ambitious plans to advance sustainable agriculture, deploy clean industrial technologies, cut emissions and energy costs in homes and commercial buildings, and provide cost- and energy-efficient heating and cooling to communities, creating economic and workforce development opportunities along the way.”

“The Southeastern United States are being particularly impacted by the effects of climate change, and the projects of the selectees in our region represent significant opportunities to address these impacts at the local and regional level,” said acting EPA Regional Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle. “Increasing the availability of renewable energy sources like solar, reducing the effects of urban heat island effects on our cities, and restoring and maintaining coastal and forest resources will help fight the effects of climate change while boosting the local economies and promoting job growth in our region.”

“I’m incredibly excited to see an historic $421 million coming to North Carolina to combat the climate crisis and protect our rich environmental heritage through the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program,” said U.S. Representative Deborah Ross (NC-02). “I supported our state’s application for this grant and fought to pass the Inflation Reduction Act to deliver transformative investments that will improve air and water quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and preserve our environment for generations to come. I’m proud to support this bold initiative and will continue working to create a better, more sustainable future for all North Carolinians.”

“This is a big deal for North Carolina. I’m very glad the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Coalition has received a $421,238,074 Climate Pollution Reduction Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,” said U.S. Representative Wiley Nickel (NC-13). “This federal funding from the Biden Administration will go a long way in promoting a healthy environment, supporting economic growth, and protecting quality of life for North Carolinians.”

“Meaningful action is necessary to combat the growing challenges posed by the climate crisis,” said U.S. Representative Kathy Manning (NC-06). “That’s why I’m proud to announce millions in federal funding to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution in North Carolina. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act I helped pass, North Carolina is helping to lead the fight against climate change.”

EPA made its selections through a rigorous grants competition that was designed to be fair and impartial. The Agency reviewed nearly 300 applications that were submitted by entities from across the country and requested a total of nearly $33 billion in funding. 

The 25 selected applications – from states, a Tribe, local governments, and coalitions of these entities – will receive federal funding to implement local and regional solutions. Many of these projects can be expanded and provide examples that other states, local governments, Tribes, and even businesses can replicate in their work to tackle the climate crisis.

Together, these selected projects will implement ambitious climate pollution reduction measures designed by states, Tribes and local governments that will achieve significant cumulative GHG reductions by 2030 and beyond. When estimates provided by all selected applicants are combined, the proposed projects would reduce greenhouse gas pollution by as much as 971 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050, roughly the emissions from 5 million average homes’ energy use each year for over 25 years.

EPA expects to announce up to an additional $300 million in selections under the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program for Tribes, Tribal consortia, and territories later this summer.

State, Tribal, and local action is vital to deliver on the President’s commitment to reduce climate pollution by over 50% by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions no later than 2050. The innovative measures contained in the selected applications, developed with input from local communities, are expected to achieve substantial public health benefits such as reducing exposure to extreme heat, improving air quality, reducing energy burden for lower income Americans, improving climate resilience, and providing workforce and economic development opportunities, particularly in low-income and disadvantaged communities.

The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants advance President Biden’s historic Justice40 Initiative, which aims to ensure 40% of the overall benefits of certain climate, clean energy, and other federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. 

The grants will fund projects supporting the deployment of technologies and programs to reduce greenhouse gases and other harmful pollution across the country and build the infrastructure, housing, industry, and competitive economy needed for a clean energy future. These grants will also help businesses capitalize on new opportunities, spur economic growth and job creation in new and growing industries, and support development of training programs to prepare workers. EPA expects to award the funds later this year, once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.

Many of the proposed projects contained in the selected applications announced today, as well as the $250 million in planning grant funding that EPA is providing under the CPRG program for development of Climate Action Plans by state, local, and Tribal governments across the country, will complement the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic federal actions and national climate strategies across sectors. Those include: the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization, the Administration’s efforts to achieve 100% clean electricity by 2035 and make zero emissions construction common practice by 2030, the Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap, the U.S. Buildings Decarbonization Blueprint, the Administration’s climate-smart agriculture efforts and Nature Based Solutions Roadmap, the U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan, the National Climate Resilience Framework, and more.

Learn more about the selected applications

Learn more about the CPRG program



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South Carolina to benefit from $429,977,255 Biden-Harris Administration investment for community-driven solutions to cut climate pollution

COLUMBIA, S.C. (July 23, 2024) - As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that the South Carolina Central Midlands Council of Governments has been selected to receive a $8,739,181 Climate Pollution Reduction Grant to implement community-driven solutions that tackle the climate crisis, reduce air pollution, advance environmental justice, and accelerate America’s clean energy transition. In addition, a coalition application led by the Atlantic Conservation Commission, of which the South Carolina Office of Resilience is a member, has been selected to receive $421,238,074 for projects that would protect and restore coastal, peatland and forest lands in South Carolina and the adjoining states of North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland.

The Central Midlands Council of Governments’ proposed project will create a Smart Surfaces + Solar Fund that will provide matching funding for local government projects to install solar power at public buildings and wastewater treatment plants, as well as to promote green infrastructure, urban forestry, and cool pavement pilot projects to reduce urban heat island effects in the region.

“President Biden believes in the power of community-driven solutions to fight climate change, protect public health, and grow our economy. Thanks to his leadership, the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program will deliver unprecedented resources to states, local governments, and Tribes to fund the solutions that work best in their communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Selected recipients have put forward ambitious plans to advance sustainable agriculture, deploy clean industrial technologies, cut emissions and energy costs in homes and commercial buildings, and provide cost- and energy-efficient heating and cooling to communities, creating economic and workforce development opportunities along the way.”

“The Southeastern United States are being particularly impacted by the effects of climate change, and the projects of the selectees in our region represent significant opportunities to address these impacts at the local and regional level,” said acting EPA Regional Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle. “Increasing the availability of renewable energy sources like solar, reducing the effects of urban heat island effects on our cities, and restoring and maintaining coastal and forest resources will help fight the effects of climate change while boosting the local economies and promoting job growth in our region.”

EPA made its selections through a rigorous grants competition that was designed to be fair and impartial. The Agency reviewed nearly 300 applications that were submitted by entities from across the country and requested a total of nearly $33 billion in funding.  

The 25 selected applications – from states, a Tribe, local governments, and coalitions of these entities – will receive federal funding to implement local and regional solutions. Many of these projects can be expanded and provide examples that other states, local governments, Tribes, and even businesses can replicate in their work to tackle the climate crisis.

Together, these selected projects will implement ambitious climate pollution reduction measures designed by states, Tribes and local governments that will achieve significant cumulative GHG reductions by 2030 and beyond. When estimates provided by all selected applicants are combined, the proposed projects would reduce greenhouse gas pollution by as much as 971 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050, roughly the emissions from 5 million average homes’ energy use each year for over 25 years.

EPA expects to announce up to an additional $300 million in selections under the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program for Tribes, Tribal consortia, and territories later this summer.

State, Tribal, and local action is vital to deliver on the President’s commitment to reduce climate pollution by over 50% by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions no later than 2050. The innovative measures contained in the selected applications, developed with input from local communities, are expected to achieve substantial public health benefits such as reducing exposure to extreme heat, improving air quality, reducing energy burden for lower income Americans, improving climate resilience, and providing workforce and economic development opportunities, particularly in low-income and disadvantaged communities.

The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants advance President Biden’s historic Justice40 Initiative, which aims to ensure 40% of the overall benefits of certain climate, clean energy, and other federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.  

The grants will fund projects supporting the deployment of technologies and programs to reduce greenhouse gases and other harmful pollution across the country and build the infrastructure, housing, industry, and competitive economy needed for a clean energy future. These grants will also help businesses capitalize on new opportunities, spur economic growth and job creation in new and growing industries, and support development of training programs to prepare workers. EPA expects to award the funds later this year, once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.

Many of the proposed projects contained in the selected applications announced today, as well as the $250 million in planning grant funding that EPA is providing under the CPRG program for development of Climate Action Plans by state, local, and Tribal governments across the country, will complement the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic federal actions and national climate strategies across sectors. Those include: the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization, the Administration’s efforts to achieve 100% clean electricity by 2035 and make zero emissions construction common practice by 2030, the Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap, the U.S. Buildings Decarbonization Blueprint, the Administration’s climate-smart agriculture efforts and Nature Based Solutions Roadmap, the U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan, the National Climate Resilience Framework, and more.

Learn more about the selected applications

Learn more about the CPRG program



###

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $47 Million for the City of Austin to Develop Community-Driven Solutions to Cut Climate Pollution Across Texas

DALLAS, TEXAS (July 23, 2024) – As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the City of Austin will receive $47,854, 062 from the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant to implement community-driven solutions that tackle the climate crisis, reduce air pollution, advance environmental justice, and accelerate America’s clean energy transition.

The selected application led by the City of Austin will assist in expanding transit service and develop consolidated information resources for residents. This selected application will benefit low income and disadvantaged communities, across five counties in anticipation of the construction of a multimodal transportation network, including a light rail system. The selected application is a coalition partnership amongst the City of Austin, the Capital Area Council of Governments, Cap Area Rural Transpiration Service, CapMetro, and the Texas Department of Transportation.

“President Biden believes in the power of community-driven solutions to fight climate change, protect public health, and grow our economy. Thanks to his leadership, the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program will deliver unprecedented resources to states, local governments, and Tribes to fund the solutions that work best in their communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Selected recipients have put forward ambitious plans to advance sustainable agriculture, deploy clean industrial technologies, cut emissions and energy costs in homes and commercial buildings, and provide cost- and energy-efficient heating and cooling to communities, creating economic and workforce development opportunities along the way.”

“As the climate crisis continues, EPA funding from the Inflation Reduction Act is going directly to communities that feel the most impact so they can implement the solutions they know will lead to significant pollution reduction,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “This Climate Pollution Reduction Grant will help the City of Austin implement projects that will build climate resilience in the community while reducing climate pollution.”

“As we combat the climate crisis, this federal funding will help Austin lead the region in protecting our planet and creating a cleaner, greener society. I am pleased to work with the City of Austin, EPA, and all local partners to continue advancing these important efforts to lower our emissions and conserve water," said Rep. Doggett (TX-37).

“Alongside the Biden Administration, we are going to deliver clean air and truly reliable public transportation for the heart of Texas,” said Rep. Greg Casar (TX-35). “This EPA grant will help our families with public transportation throughout Central Texas, while reducing pollution and emissions.”

"The Austin region is on the brink of an exciting and positive new era of mobility with the infusion of billions of dollars into transportation projects. But transformational change will bring some disruption along the way," said Austin Mayor Kirk Watson. "Working with our regional coalition of transportation agencies, we plan to use this grant to make our transition a little easier and more pleasant for our residents with timely traveler information while also promoting adoption of transit, carpooling, and active transportation, leading to long-lasting impacts on congestion and achieving our mobility and pollution reduction goals," said Mayor Kirk Watson.

EPA made its selections through a rigorous grants competition that was designed to be fair and impartial. The Agency reviewed nearly 300 applications that were submitted by entities from across the country and requested a total of nearly $33 billion in funding.  

The 25 selected applications – from states, a Tribe, local governments, and coalitions of these entities – will receive federal funding to implement local and regional solutions. Many of these projects can be expanded and provide examples that other states, local governments, Tribes, and even businesses can replicate in their work to tackle the climate crisis.

Together, these selected projects will implement ambitious climate pollution reduction measures designed by states, Tribes and local governments that will achieve significant cumulative GHG reductions by 2030 and beyond. When estimates provided by all selected applicants are combined, the proposed projects would reduce greenhouse gas pollution by as much as 971 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050, roughly the emissions from 5 million average homes’ energy use each year for over 25 years.

EPA expects to announce up to an additional $300 million in selections under the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program for Tribes, Tribal consortia, and territories later this summer.

State, Tribal, and local action is vital to deliver on the President’s commitment to reduce climate pollution by over 50% by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions no later than 2050. The innovative measures contained in the selected applications, developed with input from local communities, are expected to achieve substantial public health benefits such as reducing exposure to extreme heat, improving air quality, reducing energy burden for lower income Americans, improving climate resilience, and providing workforce and economic development opportunities, particularly in low-income and disadvantaged communities.

The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants advance President Biden’s historic Justice40 Initiative, which aims to ensure 40% of the overall benefits of certain climate, clean energy, and other federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.  

The grants will fund projects supporting the deployment of technologies and programs to reduce greenhouse gases and other harmful pollution across the country and build the infrastructure, housing, industry, and competitive economy needed for a clean energy future. These grants will also help businesses capitalize on new opportunities, spur economic growth and job creation in new and growing industries, and support development of training programs to prepare workers. EPA expects to award the funds later this year, once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.

Many of the proposed projects contained in the selected applications announced today, as well as the $250 million in planning grant funding that EPA is providing under the CPRG program for development of Climate Action Plans by state, local, and Tribal governments across the country, will complement the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic federal actions and national climate strategies across sectors. Those include: the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization, the Administration’s efforts to achieve 100% clean electricity by 2035 and make zero emissions construction common practice by 2030, the Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap, the U.S. Buildings Decarbonization Blueprint, the Administration’s climate-smart agriculture efforts and Nature Based Solutions Roadmap, the U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan, the National Climate Resilience Framework, and more.

Learn more about the selected applications

Learn more about the CPRG program

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