IPI wave building in Southern California while Pacific Northwest lags: analyst
If the Southern California inland point intermodal surge continues into the “danger zone,” then importers might do well to consider taking advantage of alternate routings in the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada, says analyst Larry Gross.
USDA Finalizes Voluntary “Product of USA” Label Claim to Enhance Consumer Protection
Phoenix, Ariz., March 11, 2024 – Today, at the National Farmers Union Annual Convention, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the finalization of a rule to align the voluntary “Product of USA” label claim with consumer understanding of what the claim means.
De Minimis Shipment worth over $11 million stopped by Louisville CBP
LOUISVILLE, Ky—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Port of Louisville seized a de minimis shipment containing 35 counterfeit designer watches. The items were deemed to be inauthentic by CBP’s Centers of Excellence and Expertise…
Freight interests clash with California regulator over emissions mandates
Marine terminals, truckers and warehouse operators say the state must be mindful of the large costs and ambitious deadlines it is imposing on the freight transportation sectors to reduce emissions.
EPA completes 17 miles of sewer line inspection and continues to sample drinking water lines impacted by Maui wildfires
Lahaina, Hawaii – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has completed inspecting the sanitary sewer lines in Lahaina, Hawai'i. EPA cleared debris, such as sediment, rocks, rags, and grease from the lines.
Once cleared, a robotic camera was used to assess conditions of the lines and identify any impacts from the fire. Video footage was shared with the county for review. This work will allow the County of Maui to prioritize emergency repairs of damage caused by the August 2023 wildfires, including repairs needed to protect the wastewater treatment plant from excess infiltration of water through damaged sewer pipes.
“Collaborative efforts in Lahaina continue as we determine the most efficient paths forward,” said Karl Banks, EPA’s Incident Commander for the Maui Wildfire Response. “EPA is privileged to uphold support to the County of Maui Department of Water Supply and Department of Environmental Management in concurrence with the Hawai'i Department of Health as we move forward in critical infrastructure inspection and mitigation. Our shared goal is to see the people of Lahaina return to their homes with safe and reliable water service as soon as possible.”
“The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is grateful for the support and assistance provided by the EPA in assessing the damage of our existing wastewater collection system in Lahaina. Due to DEM’s limited resources (shortage of personnel and specialized equipment), this monumental task would not have been completed in the expedited timeframe that it was, without EPA’s support and willingness to work with our Wastewater Reclamation Division,” said Shayne Agawa, Director of the Department of Environmental Management. “The completion of this critical task will allow the County to move forward in making the necessary repairs to restore wastewater service to Lahaina Town.”
EPA evaluated all 97,749 linear feet of lateral sanitary sewer lines in approximately one month. EPA cleaned and assessed all sewer lines which the camera rover could enter and collect data on. Sewer segments that were inaccessible, damaged, or obstructed were flagged for the county for additional assessment and work.
EPA successfully gathered data from 40% of these deferred segments, e.g. location of a line break, which will help the county prioritize future work. EPA is continuing to provide wastewater technical assistance to the county.
EPA also continues to provide technical assistance to the County of Maui Department of Water Supply by conducting drinking water sampling. These sampling efforts will inform the county of contamination from the wildfire in the drinking water lines. EPA is sampling the distribution system, with crews sampling from fire hydrants in areas affected by the wildfires.
EPA is sampling for water quality parameters commonly found in potable water systems after buildings burn. Over the coming weeks, EPA will coordinate with the County of Maui Department of Water Supply to conduct the next phase of sampling in drinking water lateral lines that bring water from the main line to the house or business. In the final phase, lines that are sampled and determined to be contaminated will be cut and capped so contamination does not enter the main line.
Photo 1: EPA worker opening a fire hydrant to take a sample.
Photo 2: EPA worker collecting sample.
###
Once cleared, a robotic camera was used to assess conditions of the lines and identify any impacts from the fire. Video footage was shared with the county for review. This work will allow the County of Maui to prioritize emergency repairs of damage caused by the August 2023 wildfires, including repairs needed to protect the wastewater treatment plant from excess infiltration of water through damaged sewer pipes.
“Collaborative efforts in Lahaina continue as we determine the most efficient paths forward,” said Karl Banks, EPA’s Incident Commander for the Maui Wildfire Response. “EPA is privileged to uphold support to the County of Maui Department of Water Supply and Department of Environmental Management in concurrence with the Hawai'i Department of Health as we move forward in critical infrastructure inspection and mitigation. Our shared goal is to see the people of Lahaina return to their homes with safe and reliable water service as soon as possible.”
“The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is grateful for the support and assistance provided by the EPA in assessing the damage of our existing wastewater collection system in Lahaina. Due to DEM’s limited resources (shortage of personnel and specialized equipment), this monumental task would not have been completed in the expedited timeframe that it was, without EPA’s support and willingness to work with our Wastewater Reclamation Division,” said Shayne Agawa, Director of the Department of Environmental Management. “The completion of this critical task will allow the County to move forward in making the necessary repairs to restore wastewater service to Lahaina Town.”
EPA evaluated all 97,749 linear feet of lateral sanitary sewer lines in approximately one month. EPA cleaned and assessed all sewer lines which the camera rover could enter and collect data on. Sewer segments that were inaccessible, damaged, or obstructed were flagged for the county for additional assessment and work.
EPA successfully gathered data from 40% of these deferred segments, e.g. location of a line break, which will help the county prioritize future work. EPA is continuing to provide wastewater technical assistance to the county.
EPA also continues to provide technical assistance to the County of Maui Department of Water Supply by conducting drinking water sampling. These sampling efforts will inform the county of contamination from the wildfire in the drinking water lines. EPA is sampling the distribution system, with crews sampling from fire hydrants in areas affected by the wildfires.
EPA is sampling for water quality parameters commonly found in potable water systems after buildings burn. Over the coming weeks, EPA will coordinate with the County of Maui Department of Water Supply to conduct the next phase of sampling in drinking water lateral lines that bring water from the main line to the house or business. In the final phase, lines that are sampled and determined to be contaminated will be cut and capped so contamination does not enter the main line.
Photo 1: EPA worker opening a fire hydrant to take a sample.
Photo 2: EPA worker collecting sample.
###
Statement by Administrator Regan on the President’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget
WASHINGTON – Today, March 11, 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration released the President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2025. Following historic progress made since the President took office—with nearly 15 million jobs created and inflation down two-thirds—the Budget protects and builds on this progress by lowering costs for working families, protecting and strengthening Social Security and Medicare, investing in America and the American people, and reducing the deficit by cracking down on fraud, cutting wasteful spending, and making the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share.
“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and the FY 2025 Budget for EPA deliver bold environmental actions and economic benefits for communities across the county,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The Budget announced today will advance the agency’s ongoing efforts to address our most critical environmental challenges, from combating climate change, to ensuring clean air, safe water, and healthy lands, to protecting communities from harmful chemicals. EPA’s work will benefit all Americans and we have made it a priority to ensure that a commitment to environmental justice is central to all of the agency’s efforts as we continue our work to help disadvantaged and overburdened areas become healthier, more resilient, communities.”
The Budget makes critical, targeted investments in the American people that will promote greater prosperity for decades to come. At EPA, the Budget will:
Advance Environmental Justice. The Budget bolsters the agency’s efforts to achieve environmental justice in communities across the Nation by investing nearly $1.5 billion in environmental justice-related programs. This investment supports the implementation of the President’s Justice40 commitment, which ensures at least 40 percent of the benefits of federal investments in climate and clean energy as well as infrastructure work reach disadvantaged communities, including rural and Tribal communities. These investments continue to support efforts to promote cleaner air and cleaner water, focusing on frontline communities.
Urgently Tackle Climate Change. The Budget prioritizes combatting climate change with the urgency that science demands. The Budget includes $2.9 billion in climate-related programs to support work reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, building resilience in the face of climate impacts including engaging with the global community, expanding upon the GHG Reporting Program and Sinks Inventory, and implementing provisions in the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act to continue phasing out the production and import of hydrofluorocarbons.
Invest in Clean Air. The FY 2025 Budget provides a total of $1.5 billion for the Office of Air and Radiation, an increase of $690 million since the beginning of the Administration, to continue the development of national programs, policies, and regulations that control indoor and outdoor air pollution and radiation exposure. This funding includes $423 million to assist EPA’s Tribal, state, and local partners in implementing their air quality management programs, an increase of $158 million from the current levels. Also included is $100 million for the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act Program, which funds grants and rebates to reduce harmful emissions from diesel engines, and $70 million for the Targeted Airshed Grants, which help reduce air pollution in the most polluted nonattainment areas. The Budget provides $186 million for the Federal Vehicle and Fuels Standards Certification Program, which develops analytical methods, regulations, and analysis to reduce GHG emissions from mobile sources.
Support the President’s Goal of Replacing All Lead Pipes. The Budget includes a total of $101 million for two EPA grant programs dedicated to remediating lead contamination in drinking water—the Reducing Lead in Drinking Water grant program and the Voluntary School and Child Care Lead Testing and Reduction Grant Program—an increase of $53 million over 2021 levels. This investment, along with other programs at EPA that can be used for lead projects, builds on the historic $15 billion in direct funding for lead pipe replacement through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and underscores the President’s commitment to ensuring access to safe drinking water and creating good-paying jobs in the process.
Invest in Critical Water Infrastructure. The Budget provides a total of $2.4 billion for the State Revolving Funds (SRFs) for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, an increase of more than $1 billion over the current levels. The SRFs provide states with resources to fund high priority projects that improve human health and environmental conditions. These funds, and other water infrastructure programs within EPA, like the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) credit program and the two $25 million grants programs focused on infrastructure resilience and sustainability, complement funding provided for water infrastructure in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Budget also includes $30 million for a new program that addresses gaps in resources to help improve the Federal response to water-related emergencies, such as the recent arsenic contamination of a public well in Coachella Valley, CA, and the drinking water access crisis in Jackson, MS.
Safeguard Against Dangerous Chemicals and Protecting Public Health and the Environment. EPA has a responsibility under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to ensure the safety of chemicals in or entering commerce and addressing any unreasonable risks to human health or the environment. The Budget invests nearly $132 million, an increase of $49 million above current levels to continue building core capacity and modernizing information technology and data software for the TSCA Program. The Budget also provides $208 million for Brownfields to support efforts to revitalize sites by awarding grants and providing technical assistance to Tribes, states, local communities, and other stakeholders to plan, inventory, assess, safely clean up, and reuse brownfields sites. Additionally, the Budget proposes approximately $170 million for EPA to continue addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) through actions highlighted in the agency’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap.
Continue to Build Back Capacity to Carry Out EPA’s Core Mission. The Budget adds more than 2,000 Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) relative to the 2023 Operating Budget, for a total of more than 17,000 FTEs. This continues to build back capacity for oversight of delegated programs, enforcement and compliance, land clean-up, grant deployment, public communication and engagement, and scientific research in support of all offices at EPA. These staffing investments will enable EPA to better serve the American people and protect public health and the environment.
Ensure Compliance with and Enforcement of the Nation’s Environmental Laws. The Budget provides $260 million for civil enforcement efforts, which includes funding to prevent the illegal importation and use of hydrofluorocarbons in the United States. The Budget also includes $172 million for compliance monitoring efforts, including funds to conduct inspections in underserved and overburdened communities and rebuilding the inspector corps, and $77 million for criminal enforcement efforts. The agency will implement the National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives to target these investments at the most serious environmental violations.
Support State and Tribal Partners. The Budget continues to request additional resources to directly support EPA’s Tribal, state, and local partners with an investment of $1.5 billion in categorical grants, an increase of $304 million. This includes a new $25 million program to develop and fund Direct Implementation Tribal Cooperative Agreements to advance equitable implementation of EPA authorities and directives in Indian Country, which will include a focus on increasing resilience to climate change impacts.
The Budget builds on the President’s record while achieving meaningful deficit reduction through measures that cut wasteful spending and ask the wealthy to pay their fair share.
Find more information on the President’s FY 2025 Budget and EPA’s Congressional Justification and Budget in Brief.
“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and the FY 2025 Budget for EPA deliver bold environmental actions and economic benefits for communities across the county,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The Budget announced today will advance the agency’s ongoing efforts to address our most critical environmental challenges, from combating climate change, to ensuring clean air, safe water, and healthy lands, to protecting communities from harmful chemicals. EPA’s work will benefit all Americans and we have made it a priority to ensure that a commitment to environmental justice is central to all of the agency’s efforts as we continue our work to help disadvantaged and overburdened areas become healthier, more resilient, communities.”
The Budget makes critical, targeted investments in the American people that will promote greater prosperity for decades to come. At EPA, the Budget will:
Advance Environmental Justice. The Budget bolsters the agency’s efforts to achieve environmental justice in communities across the Nation by investing nearly $1.5 billion in environmental justice-related programs. This investment supports the implementation of the President’s Justice40 commitment, which ensures at least 40 percent of the benefits of federal investments in climate and clean energy as well as infrastructure work reach disadvantaged communities, including rural and Tribal communities. These investments continue to support efforts to promote cleaner air and cleaner water, focusing on frontline communities.
Urgently Tackle Climate Change. The Budget prioritizes combatting climate change with the urgency that science demands. The Budget includes $2.9 billion in climate-related programs to support work reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, building resilience in the face of climate impacts including engaging with the global community, expanding upon the GHG Reporting Program and Sinks Inventory, and implementing provisions in the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act to continue phasing out the production and import of hydrofluorocarbons.
Invest in Clean Air. The FY 2025 Budget provides a total of $1.5 billion for the Office of Air and Radiation, an increase of $690 million since the beginning of the Administration, to continue the development of national programs, policies, and regulations that control indoor and outdoor air pollution and radiation exposure. This funding includes $423 million to assist EPA’s Tribal, state, and local partners in implementing their air quality management programs, an increase of $158 million from the current levels. Also included is $100 million for the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act Program, which funds grants and rebates to reduce harmful emissions from diesel engines, and $70 million for the Targeted Airshed Grants, which help reduce air pollution in the most polluted nonattainment areas. The Budget provides $186 million for the Federal Vehicle and Fuels Standards Certification Program, which develops analytical methods, regulations, and analysis to reduce GHG emissions from mobile sources.
Support the President’s Goal of Replacing All Lead Pipes. The Budget includes a total of $101 million for two EPA grant programs dedicated to remediating lead contamination in drinking water—the Reducing Lead in Drinking Water grant program and the Voluntary School and Child Care Lead Testing and Reduction Grant Program—an increase of $53 million over 2021 levels. This investment, along with other programs at EPA that can be used for lead projects, builds on the historic $15 billion in direct funding for lead pipe replacement through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and underscores the President’s commitment to ensuring access to safe drinking water and creating good-paying jobs in the process.
Invest in Critical Water Infrastructure. The Budget provides a total of $2.4 billion for the State Revolving Funds (SRFs) for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, an increase of more than $1 billion over the current levels. The SRFs provide states with resources to fund high priority projects that improve human health and environmental conditions. These funds, and other water infrastructure programs within EPA, like the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) credit program and the two $25 million grants programs focused on infrastructure resilience and sustainability, complement funding provided for water infrastructure in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Budget also includes $30 million for a new program that addresses gaps in resources to help improve the Federal response to water-related emergencies, such as the recent arsenic contamination of a public well in Coachella Valley, CA, and the drinking water access crisis in Jackson, MS.
Safeguard Against Dangerous Chemicals and Protecting Public Health and the Environment. EPA has a responsibility under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to ensure the safety of chemicals in or entering commerce and addressing any unreasonable risks to human health or the environment. The Budget invests nearly $132 million, an increase of $49 million above current levels to continue building core capacity and modernizing information technology and data software for the TSCA Program. The Budget also provides $208 million for Brownfields to support efforts to revitalize sites by awarding grants and providing technical assistance to Tribes, states, local communities, and other stakeholders to plan, inventory, assess, safely clean up, and reuse brownfields sites. Additionally, the Budget proposes approximately $170 million for EPA to continue addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) through actions highlighted in the agency’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap.
Continue to Build Back Capacity to Carry Out EPA’s Core Mission. The Budget adds more than 2,000 Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) relative to the 2023 Operating Budget, for a total of more than 17,000 FTEs. This continues to build back capacity for oversight of delegated programs, enforcement and compliance, land clean-up, grant deployment, public communication and engagement, and scientific research in support of all offices at EPA. These staffing investments will enable EPA to better serve the American people and protect public health and the environment.
Ensure Compliance with and Enforcement of the Nation’s Environmental Laws. The Budget provides $260 million for civil enforcement efforts, which includes funding to prevent the illegal importation and use of hydrofluorocarbons in the United States. The Budget also includes $172 million for compliance monitoring efforts, including funds to conduct inspections in underserved and overburdened communities and rebuilding the inspector corps, and $77 million for criminal enforcement efforts. The agency will implement the National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives to target these investments at the most serious environmental violations.
Support State and Tribal Partners. The Budget continues to request additional resources to directly support EPA’s Tribal, state, and local partners with an investment of $1.5 billion in categorical grants, an increase of $304 million. This includes a new $25 million program to develop and fund Direct Implementation Tribal Cooperative Agreements to advance equitable implementation of EPA authorities and directives in Indian Country, which will include a focus on increasing resilience to climate change impacts.
The Budget builds on the President’s record while achieving meaningful deficit reduction through measures that cut wasteful spending and ask the wealthy to pay their fair share.
Find more information on the President’s FY 2025 Budget and EPA’s Congressional Justification and Budget in Brief.
Biden-Harris Administration announces $94 million WIFIA loan to upgrade wastewater infrastructure in New Lenox, IL
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a $94 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan to the Village of New Lenox in northeastern Illinois. The community in New Lenox is growing and putting stress on the water infrastructure. EPA’s loan will help finance the construction of a modern wastewater system to meet the needs of over 33,000 community members.
Since 2018, EPA’s WIFIA program has announced nearly $20 billion in financing to support over $43 billion in water infrastructure projects that are strengthening drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure while creating over 140,000 jobs.
“Wastewater treatment is a critical infrastructure service that is essential for the health and wellbeing of communities and important local waterways. EPA's low-cost loans have a track record of success. They save communities millions of dollars and create jobs while improving water infrastructure to help communities like New Lenox thrive,” said EPA Acting Assistant Administrator for Water Bruno Pigott. “I’m proud that EPA is helping New Lenox increase their wastewater system’s capacity ensuring a dependable system for generations to come.”
The Village of New Lenox’s New Water Resource Recovery Facility Project will modernize the local wastewater infrastructure to ensure it has capacity to accommodate for its growing population and protect local waterways, like the Jackson Branch stream, from pollution. This funding will help pay for a new resource recovery facility, a new gravity sewer system, a pump station, and force main, which all work to move wastewater from one place to another. This will increase system resiliency, as the village is shifting from three outdated treatment plants to one modern plant. Through this project, New Lenox will reduce operations and maintenance costs and lower energy consumption by about 30%. As a result of this project, New Lenox plans to decommission the existing wastewater facilities, and use the land to create public parks and green space.
“The WIFIA loan program, and the great Staff that assists in the pursuit of the loan, have allowed the Village of New Lenox to reach the 'moon shot' of our strategic goals, rebuilding our entire sanitary system,” said Village Administrator Kurt Carroll.
WIFIA financing, combined with funding from the Illinois Water Pollution Control Loan Program, will allow the community to accelerate their replacement of aging infrastructure. The Village of New Lenox will save $22 million with EPA’s WIFIA loan while project construction and operation will create over 600 jobs.
Learn more about EPA’s WIFIA Program and water infrastructure investments under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Background
Established by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, the WIFIA program is a federal loan program administered by EPA. The WIFIA program aims to accelerate investment in the nation’s water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental credit assistance for regionally and nationally significant projects. The WIFIA program has an active pipeline of pending applications for projects that will result in billions of dollars in water infrastructure investment and thousands of jobs.
EPA made the seventh round of WIFIA financing available and is currently accepting letters of interest for WIFIA and SWIFIA loans. $6.5 billion is available through WIFIA, and $1 billion is available through SWIFIA, which is a loan program exclusively for State infrastructure financing authority borrowers. EPA is currently accepting letters of interest for WIFIA and SWIFIA loans. Learn more about submitting a letter of interest for a WIFIA loan.In addition to WIFIA loans, there are many federal funding resources available for communities and utilities to improve vital water and wastewater resources. President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a once-in-a-generation investment in our nation’s infrastructure and competitiveness. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides a historic $50 billion investment in upgrading critical water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure.
Since 2018, EPA’s WIFIA program has announced nearly $20 billion in financing to support over $43 billion in water infrastructure projects that are strengthening drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure while creating over 140,000 jobs.
“Wastewater treatment is a critical infrastructure service that is essential for the health and wellbeing of communities and important local waterways. EPA's low-cost loans have a track record of success. They save communities millions of dollars and create jobs while improving water infrastructure to help communities like New Lenox thrive,” said EPA Acting Assistant Administrator for Water Bruno Pigott. “I’m proud that EPA is helping New Lenox increase their wastewater system’s capacity ensuring a dependable system for generations to come.”
The Village of New Lenox’s New Water Resource Recovery Facility Project will modernize the local wastewater infrastructure to ensure it has capacity to accommodate for its growing population and protect local waterways, like the Jackson Branch stream, from pollution. This funding will help pay for a new resource recovery facility, a new gravity sewer system, a pump station, and force main, which all work to move wastewater from one place to another. This will increase system resiliency, as the village is shifting from three outdated treatment plants to one modern plant. Through this project, New Lenox will reduce operations and maintenance costs and lower energy consumption by about 30%. As a result of this project, New Lenox plans to decommission the existing wastewater facilities, and use the land to create public parks and green space.
“The WIFIA loan program, and the great Staff that assists in the pursuit of the loan, have allowed the Village of New Lenox to reach the 'moon shot' of our strategic goals, rebuilding our entire sanitary system,” said Village Administrator Kurt Carroll.
WIFIA financing, combined with funding from the Illinois Water Pollution Control Loan Program, will allow the community to accelerate their replacement of aging infrastructure. The Village of New Lenox will save $22 million with EPA’s WIFIA loan while project construction and operation will create over 600 jobs.
Learn more about EPA’s WIFIA Program and water infrastructure investments under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Background
Established by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, the WIFIA program is a federal loan program administered by EPA. The WIFIA program aims to accelerate investment in the nation’s water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental credit assistance for regionally and nationally significant projects. The WIFIA program has an active pipeline of pending applications for projects that will result in billions of dollars in water infrastructure investment and thousands of jobs.
EPA made the seventh round of WIFIA financing available and is currently accepting letters of interest for WIFIA and SWIFIA loans. $6.5 billion is available through WIFIA, and $1 billion is available through SWIFIA, which is a loan program exclusively for State infrastructure financing authority borrowers. EPA is currently accepting letters of interest for WIFIA and SWIFIA loans. Learn more about submitting a letter of interest for a WIFIA loan.In addition to WIFIA loans, there are many federal funding resources available for communities and utilities to improve vital water and wastewater resources. President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a once-in-a-generation investment in our nation’s infrastructure and competitiveness. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides a historic $50 billion investment in upgrading critical water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure.
45 states, large metro areas submit climate action plans under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act
WASHINGTON – Today, March 11, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a record 45 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and dozens of Metropolitan Statistical Areas have now developed climate action plans through investments made possible by President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The planning process is supported by EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program, which offers a unique opportunity to help state and local governments develop strategies to reduce harmful pollution and address environmental justice concerns, while building the infrastructure, industry, and competitive economy for a clean energy future. Together, over 96% of the U.S. population is covered by these plans.
The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program created under the Inflation Reduction Act — the largest climate investment in history — is enabling community-driven solutions to the climate crisis and helping accelerate America’s clean energy transition. The program is covered under President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
In 2023, under the first phase of the $5 billion program, EPA made a total of $250 million in grants available to 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, 80 MSAs, four territories, and over 200 Tribes and Tribal consortia to develop ambitious climate action plans that address greenhouse gas emissions across their communities and economies.
“The diversity of ideas and ambitious initiatives from all across the country reflect the seriousness that states and metropolitan areas are bringing to the work of cutting pollution, acting on climate change, and meeting their local objectives,” said Jennifer Macedonia, Deputy Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. “These climate action plans demonstrate substantial progress for states and local governments, in coordination with their communities, to chart their path forward — building healthy communities and competitive local economies where climate solutions can thrive.”
As part of the deliverables due under the initial $250 million planning phase of the program, grantees were provided resources to develop and submit Priority Climate Action Plans focused on high-priority, implementation-ready actions to reduce GHG emissions that were due for states and large metropolitan areas on March 1. Although Tribal and territory PCAPs are due April 1, EPA has already received 19 plans from Tribes.
Each grantee can align the measures selected for the PCAP with their jurisdiction’s unique priorities and interests while prioritizing measures that can benefit low-income and disadvantaged communities. For many states and metro areas, PCAPs are their first climate action plans. For others, the PCAPs build on existing climate action plans and work undertaken over many years.
In addition to addressing climate pollution, these grants can also support efforts to:
Help businesses capitalize on new opportunities, spur economic growth and create jobs by supporting new industries, and developing training programs to prepare workers.
Ensure communities, particularly low-income and disadvantaged communities, have a seat at the table, help define solutions, and benefit from their implementation.
Gain substantial public health co-benefits through the simultaneous reduction of criteria.
The submitted PCAPs lay the groundwork for the second phase of the CPRG program: $4.6 billion in competitive implementation grants that planning grant recipients and other eligible entities can use to fund GHG reduction measures contained within the PCAPs. PCAPs also help prepare states and metro areas for accessing a broader set of funding opportunities, including other programs under the Investing in America agenda.
All planning grant recipients will also develop Comprehensive Climate Action Plans (due in the second half of 2025 for most grantees), which will include a broader suite of GHG reduction measures from all key emitting sectors – electric power, transportation, commercial and residential buildings, industry, agriculture/natural and working lands, and waste and materials management. The comprehensive plans will also contain GHG emissions projections and reduction targets, air quality and health benefits information, and workforce planning assessments. EPA is committed to providing grant recipients with technical support, tools, and other resources throughout the planning process.
Together, the CPRG planning grants and competitive implementation funding will support the deployment of technologies to reduce GHG emissions and other harmful pollution across the country, facilitate the transition to a low-carbon economy, and advance environmental justice by prioritizing benefits to communities.
View the Priority Climate Action Plans from CPRG planning grantees
More information on the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants
CPRG Training, Tools and Technical Assistance
Sign up for notifications about the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program
The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program created under the Inflation Reduction Act — the largest climate investment in history — is enabling community-driven solutions to the climate crisis and helping accelerate America’s clean energy transition. The program is covered under President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
In 2023, under the first phase of the $5 billion program, EPA made a total of $250 million in grants available to 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, 80 MSAs, four territories, and over 200 Tribes and Tribal consortia to develop ambitious climate action plans that address greenhouse gas emissions across their communities and economies.
“The diversity of ideas and ambitious initiatives from all across the country reflect the seriousness that states and metropolitan areas are bringing to the work of cutting pollution, acting on climate change, and meeting their local objectives,” said Jennifer Macedonia, Deputy Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. “These climate action plans demonstrate substantial progress for states and local governments, in coordination with their communities, to chart their path forward — building healthy communities and competitive local economies where climate solutions can thrive.”
As part of the deliverables due under the initial $250 million planning phase of the program, grantees were provided resources to develop and submit Priority Climate Action Plans focused on high-priority, implementation-ready actions to reduce GHG emissions that were due for states and large metropolitan areas on March 1. Although Tribal and territory PCAPs are due April 1, EPA has already received 19 plans from Tribes.
Each grantee can align the measures selected for the PCAP with their jurisdiction’s unique priorities and interests while prioritizing measures that can benefit low-income and disadvantaged communities. For many states and metro areas, PCAPs are their first climate action plans. For others, the PCAPs build on existing climate action plans and work undertaken over many years.
In addition to addressing climate pollution, these grants can also support efforts to:
Help businesses capitalize on new opportunities, spur economic growth and create jobs by supporting new industries, and developing training programs to prepare workers.
Ensure communities, particularly low-income and disadvantaged communities, have a seat at the table, help define solutions, and benefit from their implementation.
Gain substantial public health co-benefits through the simultaneous reduction of criteria.
The submitted PCAPs lay the groundwork for the second phase of the CPRG program: $4.6 billion in competitive implementation grants that planning grant recipients and other eligible entities can use to fund GHG reduction measures contained within the PCAPs. PCAPs also help prepare states and metro areas for accessing a broader set of funding opportunities, including other programs under the Investing in America agenda.
All planning grant recipients will also develop Comprehensive Climate Action Plans (due in the second half of 2025 for most grantees), which will include a broader suite of GHG reduction measures from all key emitting sectors – electric power, transportation, commercial and residential buildings, industry, agriculture/natural and working lands, and waste and materials management. The comprehensive plans will also contain GHG emissions projections and reduction targets, air quality and health benefits information, and workforce planning assessments. EPA is committed to providing grant recipients with technical support, tools, and other resources throughout the planning process.
Together, the CPRG planning grants and competitive implementation funding will support the deployment of technologies to reduce GHG emissions and other harmful pollution across the country, facilitate the transition to a low-carbon economy, and advance environmental justice by prioritizing benefits to communities.
View the Priority Climate Action Plans from CPRG planning grantees
More information on the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants
CPRG Training, Tools and Technical Assistance
Sign up for notifications about the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program