Biden-Harris Administration Selects Green & Healthy Homes Initiative to Receive $50,000,000 to Fund Environmental Justice Projects Across the Mid-Atlantic as Part of Investing in America Agenda
Today, as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the Biden-Harris Administration announced Green & Healthy Homes Initiative has been selected to serve as Regional Grantmaker that will receive $50,000,000 under EPA’s Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program that was created by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, the largest investment in climate action in history. This new grant program, which will make it easier for small community-based organizations to access federal environmental justice funding, responds to community feedback about the need to reduce barriers to federal funds and improve the efficiency of the awards process to ensure communities that have long faced underinvestment can access the benefits of the largest climate investment in history.
Communities will be able to apply to a Green & Healthy Homes Initiative for a subgrant to fund a range of different environmental project activities, including (but not limited to) small local clean ups, local emergency preparedness and disaster resiliency programs, environmental workforce development programs for local jobs reducing greenhouse gas emissions, fenceline air quality and asthma related projects, healthy homes programs, and projects addressing illegal dumping.
“For years, community advocates have been calling for federal support and resources to help address our country’s most pressing environmental justice concerns,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Thanks to President Biden and Vice President Harris’ leadership, we’re responding to these calls by removing barriers that have traditionally held communities and applicants back from accessing these historic investments in America. Together, in partnership with these Grantmakers, we are taking a giant step toward a future where every person in America has equal opportunity to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and live a healthy, productive life.”
“This program will invest tens of millions of dollars into underserved communities in the Mid-Atlantic Region, helping people that have typically been on the outside looking in. The projects that come out of this program will clean up communities, revitalize neighborhoods, and create a strong and vibrant workforce,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz.
The Green & Healthy Homes Initiative (GHHI) plans to use a strong participatory governance framework to build capacity in underserved areas. GHHI recognizes the need to reach diverse audiences using wide-ranging delivery methods and partners to leverage best practices in outreach and implementation. Moreover, GHHI will engage the community through a stakeholder advisory board, partnerships, and mechanisms for providing direct feedback to adapt frequently to the needs of communities, particularly those from disadvantaged or underserved areas.
“We are honored to be selected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to lead Region 3’s Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program. GHHI brings to this Program our deeply rooted commitment to and understanding of the value of building community-based capacity to address and reverse the effects of historic disinvestment in environmental justice communities,” said Ruth Ann Norton, President and CEO of GHHI. “We applaud the EPA for its thoughtful commitment to understanding the need for deep capacity building support. The work to address environmental justice issues reflects our own understanding as a nation that every American deserves the opportunity to live in healthy and climate resilient communities. The diverse partners joining with GHHI on this effort in EPA Region 3 include HBCUs, tribal nations, Latin American community groups, climate and racial equity organizations, children’s hospitals, and legal services networks, among many others. The EJ TCGM program provides an unprecedented opportunity to leverage the investments made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act to make tangible and transformative differences in communities throughout the country.”
“In Maryland, we are working at every level of government to take decisive action to address climate change and protect Black, Brown, Indigenous and other vulnerable communities that are disproportionately burdened by the impacts of climate change. These federal funds will provide targeted resources to communities that are most impacted by climate change but less equipped to adapt to it,” said Senator Ben Cardin. “The new program acknowledges that smaller, resource-strained community-based organizations have historically faced barriers in accessing federal environmental justice funding. This is a historic investment in community-based projects working towards environmental justice and supports a healthier, more equitable Maryland.”
“Through the Inflation Reduction Act, we took historic action to ensure that all communities can participate in the clean energy revolution, lower energy costs, and improve health outcomes. Green & Healthy Homes has already been a vital partner in advancing that work in Baltimore, and with this major investment, we know GHHI will make an even greater impact on our path to progress for environmental justice, energy savings, and economic opportunity,” said Senator Chris Van Hollen.
EPA Grantmakers will work in collaboration with EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights to issue subgrants to community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible organizations representing disadvantaged communities. As a Grantmaker, Green & Healthy Homes Initiative will design comprehensive application and submission processes, award environmental justice subgrants, implement tracking and reporting systems, and provide resources and support to communities. The subgrants are expected to become available by summer of 2024.
Grantmakers are expected to begin opening competitions and awarding subgrants by summer 2024. Community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible organizations seeking subgrant funding will be able to apply for subgrants through three concurrent tiers offered by the Grantmakers. Tier One will consist of grants for $150,000 for assessment, Tier Two will consist of grants for $250,000 for planning, and Tier Three will consist of grants for $350,000 for project development. In addition, $75,000 will be available for capacity-constrained community-based organizations through a noncompetitive process during Tier One. Each Grantmaker will design and implement a distribution program best suited for their region and communities.
The Grantmakers program is part of the Federal Interagency Thriving Communities Network and delivers on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Grantmakers will work in collaboration with the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs) to create a robust support network to assist eligible entities when applying.
Learn more about the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmakers.
Background
From day one of their administration, President Biden and Vice President Harris have made achieving environmental justice a top priority. In August 2022, 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 total to award grants and fund related technical assistance to benefit disadvantaged communities.
EPA has since launched and expanded innovative programs to provide more support than ever before to communities that unjustly bear the burdens of environmental harm and pollution. This includes the $177 million for the creation of 16 EJ TCTACs in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy to remove barriers to federal resources and help communities pursue funding opportunities like those made available through President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda.
EPA announced nearly $128 million to fund 186 projects across the country that advance environmental justice as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The organizations, which EPA has selected through its Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement and Environmental Justice Government-to-Government programs, will use the funds to ensure disadvantaged communities that have historically suffered from underinvestment have access to clean air and water and climate resilience solutions in alignment with the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative.
EPA also announced approximately $2 billion in funding available to support community-driven projects that deploy clean energy, strengthen climate resilience, and build capacity for communities to tackle environmental and climate justice challenges last month. The Community Change Grants are the single largest investment in environmental justice going directly to communities in history, and will advance collaborative efforts to achieve a healthier, safer, and more prosperous future for all.
Learn more about environmental justice at EPA.
For up-to-date information on when subgrants will be available, subscribe to the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights’ listserv by sending a blank email to: join-epa-ej@lists.epa.gov. Follow OEJECR on X (formerly Twitter): @EPAEnvJustice.
Communities will be able to apply to a Green & Healthy Homes Initiative for a subgrant to fund a range of different environmental project activities, including (but not limited to) small local clean ups, local emergency preparedness and disaster resiliency programs, environmental workforce development programs for local jobs reducing greenhouse gas emissions, fenceline air quality and asthma related projects, healthy homes programs, and projects addressing illegal dumping.
“For years, community advocates have been calling for federal support and resources to help address our country’s most pressing environmental justice concerns,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Thanks to President Biden and Vice President Harris’ leadership, we’re responding to these calls by removing barriers that have traditionally held communities and applicants back from accessing these historic investments in America. Together, in partnership with these Grantmakers, we are taking a giant step toward a future where every person in America has equal opportunity to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and live a healthy, productive life.”
“This program will invest tens of millions of dollars into underserved communities in the Mid-Atlantic Region, helping people that have typically been on the outside looking in. The projects that come out of this program will clean up communities, revitalize neighborhoods, and create a strong and vibrant workforce,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz.
The Green & Healthy Homes Initiative (GHHI) plans to use a strong participatory governance framework to build capacity in underserved areas. GHHI recognizes the need to reach diverse audiences using wide-ranging delivery methods and partners to leverage best practices in outreach and implementation. Moreover, GHHI will engage the community through a stakeholder advisory board, partnerships, and mechanisms for providing direct feedback to adapt frequently to the needs of communities, particularly those from disadvantaged or underserved areas.
“We are honored to be selected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to lead Region 3’s Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program. GHHI brings to this Program our deeply rooted commitment to and understanding of the value of building community-based capacity to address and reverse the effects of historic disinvestment in environmental justice communities,” said Ruth Ann Norton, President and CEO of GHHI. “We applaud the EPA for its thoughtful commitment to understanding the need for deep capacity building support. The work to address environmental justice issues reflects our own understanding as a nation that every American deserves the opportunity to live in healthy and climate resilient communities. The diverse partners joining with GHHI on this effort in EPA Region 3 include HBCUs, tribal nations, Latin American community groups, climate and racial equity organizations, children’s hospitals, and legal services networks, among many others. The EJ TCGM program provides an unprecedented opportunity to leverage the investments made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act to make tangible and transformative differences in communities throughout the country.”
“In Maryland, we are working at every level of government to take decisive action to address climate change and protect Black, Brown, Indigenous and other vulnerable communities that are disproportionately burdened by the impacts of climate change. These federal funds will provide targeted resources to communities that are most impacted by climate change but less equipped to adapt to it,” said Senator Ben Cardin. “The new program acknowledges that smaller, resource-strained community-based organizations have historically faced barriers in accessing federal environmental justice funding. This is a historic investment in community-based projects working towards environmental justice and supports a healthier, more equitable Maryland.”
“Through the Inflation Reduction Act, we took historic action to ensure that all communities can participate in the clean energy revolution, lower energy costs, and improve health outcomes. Green & Healthy Homes has already been a vital partner in advancing that work in Baltimore, and with this major investment, we know GHHI will make an even greater impact on our path to progress for environmental justice, energy savings, and economic opportunity,” said Senator Chris Van Hollen.
EPA Grantmakers will work in collaboration with EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights to issue subgrants to community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible organizations representing disadvantaged communities. As a Grantmaker, Green & Healthy Homes Initiative will design comprehensive application and submission processes, award environmental justice subgrants, implement tracking and reporting systems, and provide resources and support to communities. The subgrants are expected to become available by summer of 2024.
Grantmakers are expected to begin opening competitions and awarding subgrants by summer 2024. Community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible organizations seeking subgrant funding will be able to apply for subgrants through three concurrent tiers offered by the Grantmakers. Tier One will consist of grants for $150,000 for assessment, Tier Two will consist of grants for $250,000 for planning, and Tier Three will consist of grants for $350,000 for project development. In addition, $75,000 will be available for capacity-constrained community-based organizations through a noncompetitive process during Tier One. Each Grantmaker will design and implement a distribution program best suited for their region and communities.
The Grantmakers program is part of the Federal Interagency Thriving Communities Network and delivers on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Grantmakers will work in collaboration with the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs) to create a robust support network to assist eligible entities when applying.
Learn more about the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmakers.
Background
From day one of their administration, President Biden and Vice President Harris have made achieving environmental justice a top priority. In August 2022, 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 total to award grants and fund related technical assistance to benefit disadvantaged communities.
EPA has since launched and expanded innovative programs to provide more support than ever before to communities that unjustly bear the burdens of environmental harm and pollution. This includes the $177 million for the creation of 16 EJ TCTACs in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy to remove barriers to federal resources and help communities pursue funding opportunities like those made available through President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda.
EPA announced nearly $128 million to fund 186 projects across the country that advance environmental justice as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The organizations, which EPA has selected through its Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement and Environmental Justice Government-to-Government programs, will use the funds to ensure disadvantaged communities that have historically suffered from underinvestment have access to clean air and water and climate resilience solutions in alignment with the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative.
EPA also announced approximately $2 billion in funding available to support community-driven projects that deploy clean energy, strengthen climate resilience, and build capacity for communities to tackle environmental and climate justice challenges last month. The Community Change Grants are the single largest investment in environmental justice going directly to communities in history, and will advance collaborative efforts to achieve a healthier, safer, and more prosperous future for all.
Learn more about environmental justice at EPA.
For up-to-date information on when subgrants will be available, subscribe to the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights’ listserv by sending a blank email to: join-epa-ej@lists.epa.gov. Follow OEJECR on X (formerly Twitter): @EPAEnvJustice.
Biden-Harris Administration Selects Research Triangle Institute to Receive $100 million to Fund Environmental Justice Projects Across the Region 4 as Part of Investing in America Agenda
RALIEGH, NC (Dec. 20, 2023) – Today, as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the Biden-Harris Administration announced Research Triangle Institute has been selected to serve as Regional Grantmaker that will receive $100 million under EPA’s Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program that was created by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, the largest investment in climate action in history.
This new grant program, which will make it easier for small community-based organizations to access federal environmental justice funding, responds to community feedback about the need to reduce barriers to federal funds and improve the efficiency of the awards process to ensure communities that have long faced underinvestment can access the benefits of the largest climate investment in history.
Communities will be able to apply to Research Triangle Institute for a subgrant to fund a range of different environmental project activities, including (but not limited to) small local clean ups, local emergency preparedness and disaster resiliency programs, environmental workforce development programs for local jobs reducing greenhouse gas emissions, fenceline air quality and asthma related projects, healthy homes programs, and projects addressing illegal dumping.
President Biden is delivering the most ambitious environmental justice agenda in our nation’s history. Vice President Kamala Harris and EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan were joined by Dr. Robert Bullard, a Distinguished Professor of Urban Planning and Environmental Policy at Texas Southern University to announce the historic Grantmaker awards.
“For years, community advocates have been calling for federal support and resources to help address our country’s most pressing environmental justice concerns,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Thanks to President Biden and Vice President Harris’ leadership, we’re responding to these calls by removing barriers that have traditionally held communities and applicants back from accessing these historic investments in America. Together, in partnership with these Grantmakers, we are taking a giant step toward a future where every person in America has equal opportunity to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and live a healthy, productive life.”
“Historic funding made available through the Inflation Reduction Act, particularly for grants and technical assistance, helps EPA provide the greatest benefit to communities that need it most,” said Acting Region 4 Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle. “Through this program, EPA is reaffirming its commitment to reduce barriers to entry when applying for grant funding while increasing the efficiency of the awards process.
“Through transformative investments, the Biden Administration is prioritizing the American people by removing barriers and improving accessibility for historically underserved communities with environmental justice concerns,” said Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (NC-04). “This effort is a major step in environmental equity, and I am pleased that the Research Triangle Institute has been selected as a Regional and National Grantmaker to help improve and foster thriving communities throughout the country and bring visible and lasting changes for generations to come.”
“We are thrilled to lend RTI’s wealth of expertise to this important program that will help ensure that local organizations across the U.S., regardless of circumstance, can be active participants in defining how to best advance environmental justice in their communities,” said Daniela Pineda, Senior Director with the Transformative Research Unit for Equity (TRUE) and Director of the Thriving Communities Project at RTI International.
EPA Grantmakers will work in collaboration with EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights to issue subgrants to community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible organizations representing disadvantaged communities. As a Grantmaker, Research Triangle Institute will design comprehensive application and submission processes, award environmental justice subgrants, implement tracking and reporting systems, and provide resources and support to communities. The subgrants are expected to become available by summer of 2024.
Grantmakers are expected to begin opening competitions and awarding subgrants by summer 2024. Community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible organizations seeking subgrant funding will be able to apply for subgrants through three concurrent tiers offered by the Grantmakers. Tier One will consist of grants for $150,000 for assessment, Tier Two will consist of grants for $250,000 for planning, and Tier Three will consist of grants for $350,000 for project development. In addition, $75,000 will be available for capacity-constrained community-based organizations through a noncompetitive process under Tier One. Each Grantmaker will design and implement a distribution program best suited for their region and communities.
The Grantmakers program is part of the Federal Interagency Thriving Communities Network and delivers on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Grantmakers will work in collaboration with the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs) to create a robust support network to assist eligible entities when applying.
Learn more about the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmakers.
Background
From day one of their administration, President Biden and Vice President Harris have made achieving environmental justice a top priority. In August 2022, 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 total to award grants and fund related technical assistance to benefit disadvantaged communities.
EPA has since launched and expanded innovative programs to provide more support than ever before to communities that unjustly bear the burdens of environmental harm and pollution. This includes the $177 million for the creation of 16 EJ TCTACs in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy to remove barriers to federal resources and help communities pursue funding opportunities like those made available through President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda.
EPA announced nearly $128 million to fund 186 projects across the country that advance environmental justice as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The organizations, which EPA has selected through its Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement and Environmental Justice Government-to-Government programs, will use the funds to ensure disadvantaged communities that have historically suffered from underinvestment have access to clean air and water and climate resilience solutions in alignment with the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative.
EPA also announced approximately $2 billion in funding available to support community-driven projects that deploy clean energy, strengthen climate resilience, and build capacity for communities to tackle environmental and climate justice challenges last month. The Community Change Grants are the single largest investment in environmental justice going directly to communities in history, and will advance collaborative efforts to achieve a healthier, safer, and more prosperous future for all.
Learn more about environmental justice at EPA.
For up-to-date information on when subgrants will be available, subscribe to the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights’ listserv by sending a blank email to: join-epa-ej@lists.epa.gov. Follow OEJECR on X (formerly Twitter): @EPAEnvJustice.
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This new grant program, which will make it easier for small community-based organizations to access federal environmental justice funding, responds to community feedback about the need to reduce barriers to federal funds and improve the efficiency of the awards process to ensure communities that have long faced underinvestment can access the benefits of the largest climate investment in history.
Communities will be able to apply to Research Triangle Institute for a subgrant to fund a range of different environmental project activities, including (but not limited to) small local clean ups, local emergency preparedness and disaster resiliency programs, environmental workforce development programs for local jobs reducing greenhouse gas emissions, fenceline air quality and asthma related projects, healthy homes programs, and projects addressing illegal dumping.
President Biden is delivering the most ambitious environmental justice agenda in our nation’s history. Vice President Kamala Harris and EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan were joined by Dr. Robert Bullard, a Distinguished Professor of Urban Planning and Environmental Policy at Texas Southern University to announce the historic Grantmaker awards.
“For years, community advocates have been calling for federal support and resources to help address our country’s most pressing environmental justice concerns,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Thanks to President Biden and Vice President Harris’ leadership, we’re responding to these calls by removing barriers that have traditionally held communities and applicants back from accessing these historic investments in America. Together, in partnership with these Grantmakers, we are taking a giant step toward a future where every person in America has equal opportunity to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and live a healthy, productive life.”
“Historic funding made available through the Inflation Reduction Act, particularly for grants and technical assistance, helps EPA provide the greatest benefit to communities that need it most,” said Acting Region 4 Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle. “Through this program, EPA is reaffirming its commitment to reduce barriers to entry when applying for grant funding while increasing the efficiency of the awards process.
“Through transformative investments, the Biden Administration is prioritizing the American people by removing barriers and improving accessibility for historically underserved communities with environmental justice concerns,” said Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (NC-04). “This effort is a major step in environmental equity, and I am pleased that the Research Triangle Institute has been selected as a Regional and National Grantmaker to help improve and foster thriving communities throughout the country and bring visible and lasting changes for generations to come.”
“We are thrilled to lend RTI’s wealth of expertise to this important program that will help ensure that local organizations across the U.S., regardless of circumstance, can be active participants in defining how to best advance environmental justice in their communities,” said Daniela Pineda, Senior Director with the Transformative Research Unit for Equity (TRUE) and Director of the Thriving Communities Project at RTI International.
EPA Grantmakers will work in collaboration with EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights to issue subgrants to community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible organizations representing disadvantaged communities. As a Grantmaker, Research Triangle Institute will design comprehensive application and submission processes, award environmental justice subgrants, implement tracking and reporting systems, and provide resources and support to communities. The subgrants are expected to become available by summer of 2024.
Grantmakers are expected to begin opening competitions and awarding subgrants by summer 2024. Community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible organizations seeking subgrant funding will be able to apply for subgrants through three concurrent tiers offered by the Grantmakers. Tier One will consist of grants for $150,000 for assessment, Tier Two will consist of grants for $250,000 for planning, and Tier Three will consist of grants for $350,000 for project development. In addition, $75,000 will be available for capacity-constrained community-based organizations through a noncompetitive process under Tier One. Each Grantmaker will design and implement a distribution program best suited for their region and communities.
The Grantmakers program is part of the Federal Interagency Thriving Communities Network and delivers on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Grantmakers will work in collaboration with the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs) to create a robust support network to assist eligible entities when applying.
Learn more about the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmakers.
Background
From day one of their administration, President Biden and Vice President Harris have made achieving environmental justice a top priority. In August 2022, 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 total to award grants and fund related technical assistance to benefit disadvantaged communities.
EPA has since launched and expanded innovative programs to provide more support than ever before to communities that unjustly bear the burdens of environmental harm and pollution. This includes the $177 million for the creation of 16 EJ TCTACs in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy to remove barriers to federal resources and help communities pursue funding opportunities like those made available through President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda.
EPA announced nearly $128 million to fund 186 projects across the country that advance environmental justice as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The organizations, which EPA has selected through its Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement and Environmental Justice Government-to-Government programs, will use the funds to ensure disadvantaged communities that have historically suffered from underinvestment have access to clean air and water and climate resilience solutions in alignment with the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative.
EPA also announced approximately $2 billion in funding available to support community-driven projects that deploy clean energy, strengthen climate resilience, and build capacity for communities to tackle environmental and climate justice challenges last month. The Community Change Grants are the single largest investment in environmental justice going directly to communities in history, and will advance collaborative efforts to achieve a healthier, safer, and more prosperous future for all.
Learn more about environmental justice at EPA.
For up-to-date information on when subgrants will be available, subscribe to the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights’ listserv by sending a blank email to: join-epa-ej@lists.epa.gov. Follow OEJECR on X (formerly Twitter): @EPAEnvJustice.
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EPA completes reviews at four Conn. Superfund sites
BOSTON (Dec. 20, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has completed required comprehensive site cleanup reviews, or Five-Year reviews, of four National Priority List Sites (Superfund Sites) across Connecticut.
"Continuing to monitor Superfund sites after our primary cleanup work is completed ensures that site remedies are continuing to protect human health and the natural environment, and that communities who had been burdened by concerns of contamination can rest easier," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "By completing these reviews of the cleanups every five years, EPA can continue to keep communities in the know, and information up-to-date."
As required by law, EPA conducts reviews at Superfund sites after cleanup remedies have been implemented every five years. This comprehensive review of previous work helps ensure that EPA continues to evaluate the performance of cleanup efforts and determines whether any further action to protect human health or the environment is required.
The Superfund Sites in Connecticut, where EPA has completed Five-Year Reviews during the 2023 Fiscal Year, are listed below. The attached links provide access to each Superfund Site page, where you can find their Five-Year Review report(s). The Five-Year Review of each of these sites concluded that the remedies continue to effectively protect peoples' health and the environment and made recommendations for follow up actions where needed.
Completed Conn. Five Year Reviews in Fiscal Year 2023:
Barkhamsted-New Hartford Landfill, Barkhamsted, Connecticut
Beacon Heights Landfill, Beacon Falls, Connecticut
Yaworski Waste Lagoon, Canterbury, Connecticut
Laurel Park, Inc., Naugatuck Borough, Connecticut
Background
The Superfund program, a federal program established by Congress in 1980, investigates and cleans up the most complex, uncontrolled, or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country and endeavors to facilitate activities to return them to productive use.
Throughout the process of designing and constructing a cleanup at a hazardous waste site, EPA's primary goal is to protect public health and the environment. At many sites, EPA continues to ensure it remains true to EPA's mission, by requiring cleanup reviews every five years. It is important for EPA to regularly check on these sites to ensure the cleanup remedy is working properly. These reviews identify issues (if any) that may affect the protectiveness of the completed remedy and, if necessary, recommend action(s) necessary to address them.
There are many phases of the Superfund cleanup process including considering future use and redevelopment at sites and conducting post cleanup monitoring of sites.
More information:
For more information about EPA's Superfund program, visit www.epa.gov/superfund
"Continuing to monitor Superfund sites after our primary cleanup work is completed ensures that site remedies are continuing to protect human health and the natural environment, and that communities who had been burdened by concerns of contamination can rest easier," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "By completing these reviews of the cleanups every five years, EPA can continue to keep communities in the know, and information up-to-date."
As required by law, EPA conducts reviews at Superfund sites after cleanup remedies have been implemented every five years. This comprehensive review of previous work helps ensure that EPA continues to evaluate the performance of cleanup efforts and determines whether any further action to protect human health or the environment is required.
The Superfund Sites in Connecticut, where EPA has completed Five-Year Reviews during the 2023 Fiscal Year, are listed below. The attached links provide access to each Superfund Site page, where you can find their Five-Year Review report(s). The Five-Year Review of each of these sites concluded that the remedies continue to effectively protect peoples' health and the environment and made recommendations for follow up actions where needed.
Completed Conn. Five Year Reviews in Fiscal Year 2023:
Barkhamsted-New Hartford Landfill, Barkhamsted, Connecticut
Beacon Heights Landfill, Beacon Falls, Connecticut
Yaworski Waste Lagoon, Canterbury, Connecticut
Laurel Park, Inc., Naugatuck Borough, Connecticut
Background
The Superfund program, a federal program established by Congress in 1980, investigates and cleans up the most complex, uncontrolled, or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country and endeavors to facilitate activities to return them to productive use.
Throughout the process of designing and constructing a cleanup at a hazardous waste site, EPA's primary goal is to protect public health and the environment. At many sites, EPA continues to ensure it remains true to EPA's mission, by requiring cleanup reviews every five years. It is important for EPA to regularly check on these sites to ensure the cleanup remedy is working properly. These reviews identify issues (if any) that may affect the protectiveness of the completed remedy and, if necessary, recommend action(s) necessary to address them.
There are many phases of the Superfund cleanup process including considering future use and redevelopment at sites and conducting post cleanup monitoring of sites.
More information:
For more information about EPA's Superfund program, visit www.epa.gov/superfund
Biden-Harris Administration selects Health Resources in Action to receive $50,000,000 to fund environmental justice projects across New England as part of Investing in America agenda
BOSTON (Dec. 20, 2023) – Today, as part of President Biden's Investing in America agenda, the Biden-Harris Administration announced Health Resources in Action has been selected to serve as Regional Grantmaker that will receive $50,000,000 under EPA's Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program that was created by President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, the largest investment in climate action in history. This new grant program, which will make it easier for small community-based organizations to access federal environmental justice funding, responds to community feedback about the need to reduce barriers to federal funds and improve the efficiency of the awards process to ensure communities that have long faced underinvestment can access the benefits of the largest climate investment in history. Communities will be able to apply to Health Resources Action for a subgrant to fund a range of different environmental project activities, including (but not limited to) small local clean ups, local emergency preparedness and disaster resiliency programs, environmental workforce development programs for local jobs reducing greenhouse gas emissions, fenceline air quality and asthma related projects, healthy homes programs, and projects addressing illegal dumping.
President Biden is delivering the most ambitious environmental justice agenda in our nation's history. Vice President Kamala Harris and EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan were joined by Dr. Robert Bullard, a Distinguished Professor of Urban Planning and Environmental Policy at Texas Southern University to announce the historic Grantmaker awards.
"For years, community advocates have been calling for federal support and resources to help address our country's most pressing environmental justice concerns," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "Thanks to President Biden and Vice President Harris' leadership, we're responding to these calls by removing barriers that have traditionally held communities and applicants back from accessing these historic investments in America. Together, in partnership with these Grantmakers, we are taking a giant step toward a future where every person in America has equal opportunity to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and live a healthy, productive life."
"For too long, communities that have been historically overburdened by the stresses of environmental contaminants and pollution have lacked the funding and support to transform their neighborhoods into healthy and safe places to live and work. Now, thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration, we are bringing much-needed dollars to the communities that need them most," said EPA Regional Administrator David Cash. "We look forward to working with the Grantmakers to ensure that the benefits of this unprecedented climate and environmental justice investment reach communities across New England that most need it."
Health Resources in Action is joining with two core partners, Alternatives for Community and Environment and the New England Grassroots Environment Fund, to design and manage a comprehensive environmental justice grantmaking program to support community-based organizations, EJ organizations, nonprofit organizations, and other entities representing underserved, urban, rural, indigenous, remote, and capacity constrained communities in implementing projects to address local environmental and/or public health challenges in New England. Six environmental justice community-based organizations (referred to as "Anchor partners") will be engaged as collaborative pass-through partners and sub-awardees, to provide additional extensive outreach, via boots on the ground, and support prospective applicants within their respective states and tribal regions.
"Across the U.S. communities are facing disproportionate burdens of environmental injustices and climate disasters and are organizing to build healthier and more resilient communities. HRiA is thrilled to partner with Alternatives for Community and Environment and the New England Environmental Grassroots Fund to serve as "Grantmakers" for the EPA's Environmental Justice (EJ) Thriving Communities Program for New England. Together we aim to seed and build deeper capacity for a sustainable environmental justice movement to counter the historical disinvestment in organizations to address environmental hazards, climate resiliency, energy justice and build livable and healthy communities. Personally, I'm thrilled about the opportunity to advance HRiA's vision of healthy people thriving in equitable and just communities," said Steven Ridini, President + CEO, Health Resources in Action.
"The Alternatives for Community & Environment, Inc. (ACE) is ready to partner with Health Resource in Action and the Grassroots Fund to lead in outreach and engagement strategies across the Region while building relationships and connecting prospective applicants and awarded subgrantees to the TCTAC and Environmental Protection Network services," said Dwaign Tyndal, Executive Director, Alternatives for Community and Environment.
"The Grassroots Fund is ready to partner with HRiA and ACE to reduce traditional barriers communities have faced in applying for federal grants, and to co-create a process for making local environmental justice awards that honors the lived experiences of those most impacted," said Bart Westdijk, Co-Director New England Grassroots Environment Fund.
EPA Grantmakers will work in collaboration with EPA's Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights to issue subgrants to community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible organizations representing disadvantaged communities. As a Grantmaker, Health Resources in Action will design comprehensive application and submission processes, award environmental justice subgrants, implement tracking and reporting systems, and provide resources and support to communities. The subgrants are expected to become available by summer of 2024.
In addition, EPA has selected, the Institute for Sustainable Communities to receive $50,000,000 as a National Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaker to provide additional support, coordination, and oversight to the subgrantees, applicants, and the Regional Grantmakers across the eastern part of the country. Institute for Sustainable Communities is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1991 with a mission to create equitable solutions through collaborative partnerships that support communities disproportionately affected by the global climate crisis. In 2023, ISC was selected as a National Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (EJ TCTAC). For the Grantmaker program, they will leverage their expertise, experience, networks, and their five partners to provide equity-centered coordination services to the regional Grantmakers.
"ISC is thrilled to work with the Environmental Protection Agency to support its national Environmental Justice Grantmaking efforts along side our partners at the Emerald City Collaborative, Groundwork USA, the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, the Trust for Public Land, and the River Network. We welcome this opportunity to reduce the barriers communities face in applying for federal grants through a bottom up, community-centric approach, and recognize the important role of multi sectoral partnerships like the EJ TCGM program to mitigate cumulative impacts of the climate crisis in overburdened communities," said ISC President Rebecca Kaduru.
"For decades, the Institute for Sustainable Communities has been dedicated to improving the health of people and our environment by facilitating a long-term, equitable transition to a net-zero economy. I am delighted that this home-grown Vermont institute has been selected to become a 'Grantmaker' of EPA's Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program, which will enable the institute to assist environmental justice-driven organizations in their crucial efforts to combat climate change through sustainable, equitable practices," said Senator Welch.
Grantmakers are expected to begin opening competitions and awarding subgrants by summer 2024. Community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible organizations seeking subgrant funding will be able to apply for subgrants through three concurrent tiers offered by the Grantmakers. Tier One will consist of grants for $150,000 for assessment, Tier Two will consist of grants for $250,000 for planning, and Tier Three will consist of grants for $350,000 for project development. In addition, $75,000 will be available for capacity-constrained community-based organizations through a noncompetitive process under Tier One. Each Grantmaker will design and implement a distribution program best suited for their region and communities.
The Grantmakers program is part of the Federal Interagency Thriving Communities Network and delivers on the Biden-Harris Administration's Justice40 Initiative which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Grantmakers will work in collaboration with the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs) to create a robust support network to assist eligible entities when applying.
Learn more about the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmakers.
Background
From day one of their administration, President Biden and Vice President Harris have made achieving environmental justice a top priority. In August 2022, 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 total to award grants and fund related technical assistance to benefit disadvantaged communities.
EPA has since launched and expanded innovative programs to provide more support than ever before to communities that unjustly bear the burdens of environmental harm and pollution. This includes the $177 million for the creation of 16 EJ TCTACs in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy to remove barriers to federal resources and help communities pursue funding opportunities like those made available through President Biden's Investing in America Agenda.
EPA announced nearly $128 million to fund 186 projects across the country that advance environmental justice as part of President Biden's Investing in America agenda. The organizations, which EPA has selected through its Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement and Environmental Justice Government-to-Government programs, will use the funds to ensure disadvantaged communities that have historically suffered from underinvestment have access to clean air and water and climate resilience solutions in alignment with the Biden-Harris Administration's Justice40 Initiative.
EPA also announced approximately $2 billion in funding available to support community-driven projects that deploy clean energy, strengthen climate resilience, and build capacity for communities to tackle environmental and climate justice challenges last month. The Community Change Grants are the single largest investment in environmental justice going directly to communities in history, and will advance collaborative efforts to achieve a healthier, safer, and more prosperous future for all.
Learn more about environmental justice at EPA.
For up-to-date information on when subgrants will be available, subscribe to the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights' listserv by sending a blank email to: join-epa-ej@lists.epa.gov. Follow OEJECR on X (formerly Twitter): @EPAEnvJustice.
President Biden is delivering the most ambitious environmental justice agenda in our nation's history. Vice President Kamala Harris and EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan were joined by Dr. Robert Bullard, a Distinguished Professor of Urban Planning and Environmental Policy at Texas Southern University to announce the historic Grantmaker awards.
"For years, community advocates have been calling for federal support and resources to help address our country's most pressing environmental justice concerns," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "Thanks to President Biden and Vice President Harris' leadership, we're responding to these calls by removing barriers that have traditionally held communities and applicants back from accessing these historic investments in America. Together, in partnership with these Grantmakers, we are taking a giant step toward a future where every person in America has equal opportunity to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and live a healthy, productive life."
"For too long, communities that have been historically overburdened by the stresses of environmental contaminants and pollution have lacked the funding and support to transform their neighborhoods into healthy and safe places to live and work. Now, thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration, we are bringing much-needed dollars to the communities that need them most," said EPA Regional Administrator David Cash. "We look forward to working with the Grantmakers to ensure that the benefits of this unprecedented climate and environmental justice investment reach communities across New England that most need it."
Health Resources in Action is joining with two core partners, Alternatives for Community and Environment and the New England Grassroots Environment Fund, to design and manage a comprehensive environmental justice grantmaking program to support community-based organizations, EJ organizations, nonprofit organizations, and other entities representing underserved, urban, rural, indigenous, remote, and capacity constrained communities in implementing projects to address local environmental and/or public health challenges in New England. Six environmental justice community-based organizations (referred to as "Anchor partners") will be engaged as collaborative pass-through partners and sub-awardees, to provide additional extensive outreach, via boots on the ground, and support prospective applicants within their respective states and tribal regions.
"Across the U.S. communities are facing disproportionate burdens of environmental injustices and climate disasters and are organizing to build healthier and more resilient communities. HRiA is thrilled to partner with Alternatives for Community and Environment and the New England Environmental Grassroots Fund to serve as "Grantmakers" for the EPA's Environmental Justice (EJ) Thriving Communities Program for New England. Together we aim to seed and build deeper capacity for a sustainable environmental justice movement to counter the historical disinvestment in organizations to address environmental hazards, climate resiliency, energy justice and build livable and healthy communities. Personally, I'm thrilled about the opportunity to advance HRiA's vision of healthy people thriving in equitable and just communities," said Steven Ridini, President + CEO, Health Resources in Action.
"The Alternatives for Community & Environment, Inc. (ACE) is ready to partner with Health Resource in Action and the Grassroots Fund to lead in outreach and engagement strategies across the Region while building relationships and connecting prospective applicants and awarded subgrantees to the TCTAC and Environmental Protection Network services," said Dwaign Tyndal, Executive Director, Alternatives for Community and Environment.
"The Grassroots Fund is ready to partner with HRiA and ACE to reduce traditional barriers communities have faced in applying for federal grants, and to co-create a process for making local environmental justice awards that honors the lived experiences of those most impacted," said Bart Westdijk, Co-Director New England Grassroots Environment Fund.
EPA Grantmakers will work in collaboration with EPA's Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights to issue subgrants to community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible organizations representing disadvantaged communities. As a Grantmaker, Health Resources in Action will design comprehensive application and submission processes, award environmental justice subgrants, implement tracking and reporting systems, and provide resources and support to communities. The subgrants are expected to become available by summer of 2024.
In addition, EPA has selected, the Institute for Sustainable Communities to receive $50,000,000 as a National Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaker to provide additional support, coordination, and oversight to the subgrantees, applicants, and the Regional Grantmakers across the eastern part of the country. Institute for Sustainable Communities is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1991 with a mission to create equitable solutions through collaborative partnerships that support communities disproportionately affected by the global climate crisis. In 2023, ISC was selected as a National Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (EJ TCTAC). For the Grantmaker program, they will leverage their expertise, experience, networks, and their five partners to provide equity-centered coordination services to the regional Grantmakers.
"ISC is thrilled to work with the Environmental Protection Agency to support its national Environmental Justice Grantmaking efforts along side our partners at the Emerald City Collaborative, Groundwork USA, the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, the Trust for Public Land, and the River Network. We welcome this opportunity to reduce the barriers communities face in applying for federal grants through a bottom up, community-centric approach, and recognize the important role of multi sectoral partnerships like the EJ TCGM program to mitigate cumulative impacts of the climate crisis in overburdened communities," said ISC President Rebecca Kaduru.
"For decades, the Institute for Sustainable Communities has been dedicated to improving the health of people and our environment by facilitating a long-term, equitable transition to a net-zero economy. I am delighted that this home-grown Vermont institute has been selected to become a 'Grantmaker' of EPA's Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program, which will enable the institute to assist environmental justice-driven organizations in their crucial efforts to combat climate change through sustainable, equitable practices," said Senator Welch.
Grantmakers are expected to begin opening competitions and awarding subgrants by summer 2024. Community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible organizations seeking subgrant funding will be able to apply for subgrants through three concurrent tiers offered by the Grantmakers. Tier One will consist of grants for $150,000 for assessment, Tier Two will consist of grants for $250,000 for planning, and Tier Three will consist of grants for $350,000 for project development. In addition, $75,000 will be available for capacity-constrained community-based organizations through a noncompetitive process under Tier One. Each Grantmaker will design and implement a distribution program best suited for their region and communities.
The Grantmakers program is part of the Federal Interagency Thriving Communities Network and delivers on the Biden-Harris Administration's Justice40 Initiative which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Grantmakers will work in collaboration with the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs) to create a robust support network to assist eligible entities when applying.
Learn more about the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmakers.
Background
From day one of their administration, President Biden and Vice President Harris have made achieving environmental justice a top priority. In August 2022, 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 total to award grants and fund related technical assistance to benefit disadvantaged communities.
EPA has since launched and expanded innovative programs to provide more support than ever before to communities that unjustly bear the burdens of environmental harm and pollution. This includes the $177 million for the creation of 16 EJ TCTACs in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy to remove barriers to federal resources and help communities pursue funding opportunities like those made available through President Biden's Investing in America Agenda.
EPA announced nearly $128 million to fund 186 projects across the country that advance environmental justice as part of President Biden's Investing in America agenda. The organizations, which EPA has selected through its Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement and Environmental Justice Government-to-Government programs, will use the funds to ensure disadvantaged communities that have historically suffered from underinvestment have access to clean air and water and climate resilience solutions in alignment with the Biden-Harris Administration's Justice40 Initiative.
EPA also announced approximately $2 billion in funding available to support community-driven projects that deploy clean energy, strengthen climate resilience, and build capacity for communities to tackle environmental and climate justice challenges last month. The Community Change Grants are the single largest investment in environmental justice going directly to communities in history, and will advance collaborative efforts to achieve a healthier, safer, and more prosperous future for all.
Learn more about environmental justice at EPA.
For up-to-date information on when subgrants will be available, subscribe to the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights' listserv by sending a blank email to: join-epa-ej@lists.epa.gov. Follow OEJECR on X (formerly Twitter): @EPAEnvJustice.
EPA Announces $22 Million to Help Restore St. Louis River in Minnesota
CHICAGO (Dec. 20, 2023) – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the investment of $22,370,662 in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for its new partnership with Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and PotlatchDeltic to clean up contaminated sediment in the Thomson Reservoir on the St. Louis River in Carlton, Minnesota.
“Today’s funding marks a crucial step toward the delisting of the St. Louis River Area of Concern, and ultimately its restoration as a healthy ecosystem,” said EPA Great Lakes National Program Office Director Teresa Seidel. “Thanks to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, EPA is able to gain real ground on our longstanding commitment to environmental justice and clean water in Minnesota—and indeed throughout the Great Lakes Basin."
Cleanup at the 330-acre Thomson Reservoir will protect human health, wildlife and the environment from legacy contaminants left behind by historical activities. EPA, MPCA and PotlatchDeltic will work together under a Great Lakes Legacy Act voluntary partnership to apply a thin layer of activated carbon pellets over 225,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment. The activated carbon rapidly binds to contaminants in the sediment, preventing accumulation in bottom-dwelling organisms and safeguarding the aquatic food chain.
The project is part of the larger effort to restore and delist the St. Louis River as a Great Lakes Area of Concern (AOC). This is the seventh and final project agreement between MPCA and EPA to complete sediment remediation work in the St. Louis River AOC. Under the agreement, EPA is responsible for 62.5% of the total project cost of approximately $36 million. The other 37.5% will be funded by MPCA and PotlatchDeltic.
Today’s funding comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s $1 billion investment to accelerate cleanup and restoration of the Great Lakes. EPA is leveraging this funding with annual Great Lakes Restoration Initiative appropriations and funding from other sources for partnership projects to finish cleanups at 22 of the 25 remaining AOCs. Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding directly supports 11 of these cleanups including those in the St. Louis River AOC.
More information about the St. Louis River AOC is available on EPA’s webpage.
“Today’s funding marks a crucial step toward the delisting of the St. Louis River Area of Concern, and ultimately its restoration as a healthy ecosystem,” said EPA Great Lakes National Program Office Director Teresa Seidel. “Thanks to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, EPA is able to gain real ground on our longstanding commitment to environmental justice and clean water in Minnesota—and indeed throughout the Great Lakes Basin."
Cleanup at the 330-acre Thomson Reservoir will protect human health, wildlife and the environment from legacy contaminants left behind by historical activities. EPA, MPCA and PotlatchDeltic will work together under a Great Lakes Legacy Act voluntary partnership to apply a thin layer of activated carbon pellets over 225,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment. The activated carbon rapidly binds to contaminants in the sediment, preventing accumulation in bottom-dwelling organisms and safeguarding the aquatic food chain.
The project is part of the larger effort to restore and delist the St. Louis River as a Great Lakes Area of Concern (AOC). This is the seventh and final project agreement between MPCA and EPA to complete sediment remediation work in the St. Louis River AOC. Under the agreement, EPA is responsible for 62.5% of the total project cost of approximately $36 million. The other 37.5% will be funded by MPCA and PotlatchDeltic.
Today’s funding comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s $1 billion investment to accelerate cleanup and restoration of the Great Lakes. EPA is leveraging this funding with annual Great Lakes Restoration Initiative appropriations and funding from other sources for partnership projects to finish cleanups at 22 of the 25 remaining AOCs. Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding directly supports 11 of these cleanups including those in the St. Louis River AOC.
More information about the St. Louis River AOC is available on EPA’s webpage.
Biden-Harris Administration Selects Fordham University to Receive $50 Million to Fund Environmental Justice Projects Across EPA Region 2 as Part of Investing in America Agenda
NEW YORK – Today, as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the selection of Fordham University to serve as a Regional Grantmaker that will receive $50 Million under EPA’s Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program (EJ TCGM). This new grant program, while making it easier for small community-based organizations to access federal environmental justice funding, responds to community feedback on the need to reduce barriers to federal funds and improve the efficiency of the awards process to ensure communities that have long faced underinvestment can access the benefits of the largest climate investment in history. Communities will be able to apply to Fordham University for a subgrant to fund a range of different environmental project activities, including (but not limited to) small local clean ups, local emergency preparedness and disaster resiliency programs, environmental workforce development programs for local jobs reducing greenhouse gas emissions, air quality and asthma related projects, healthy homes programs, and projects addressing illegal dumping. EPA Region 2 covers New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and eight federally recognized Indian Nations.
“For years, community advocates have been calling for federal support and resources to help address our country’s most pressing environmental justice concerns,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Thanks to President Biden and Vice President Harris’ leadership, we’re responding to these calls by removing barriers that have traditionally held communities and applicants back from accessing these historic investments in America. Together, in partnership with these Grantmakers, we are taking a giant step toward a future where every person in America has equal opportunity to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and live a healthy, productive life.”
“As a Grantmaker, Fordham University will help the EPA advance our joint commitment to undo the past harms of environmental injustice,” said EPA Region 2 Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “This will be the start of a fruitful relationship that will build upon both EPA’s priority to addressing climate justice and Fordham’s promise of equity and environmental stewardship.
Fordham University will work with partners such as the New York Immigration Coalition, New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, ConPRmetidos, Community Foundation Virgin Islands and Business Initiative Corporation of New York, to implement an intersectional approach to place frontline environmental justice communities in positions of power through participatory community-led governance. As the regional Grantmaker, Fordham University will provide grants to community-based organizations, groups, and other institutions and groups who historically have not had the capacity to apply for and receive federal funding for climate projects.
"Fordham believes in the power of community-driven solutions to climate change to capture the insights and ingenuity of the people on the front lines of global warming. Fordham works to find the answers to the most urgent and complicated of problems, and it does so by centering human impact and environmental justice. Fordham is proud to launch the Flourishing in Community Grantmaker Initiative, building on 182 years of deep engagement with the Bronx and expanding our regional and global reach through New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands," said Fordham University President Tania Tetlow.
“We’re incredibly honored and energized for the work ahead with our statutory partners. It’s a collaborative effort and it’s a tremendous opportunity for us to employ Fordham’s infrastructure, award these sub-grants, and do this on-the-ground environmental work,” said Julie Gafney, Assistant Vice President for Strategic Mission Initiatives at Fordham University.
“Today’s announcement from EPA regarding grant money for grassroots environmental justice groups showcases exactly why I fought so hard for the Inflation Reduction Act,” said U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer. “This $600 million for 11 regional grantmakers, including $50 million for our own Fordham University, that is distributed to community-based non-profits fighting on the frontlines of climate change, is the kind of program that can help our disadvantaged communities truly flourish. I am proud of Fordham University and I’m so excited to see how the vibrant network of New York and Puerto Rican grassroots environmental justice organizations leverage this federal funding. I remain laser-focused on implementation of the IRA so that we can ensure it lives up to its transformative potential to clean our air and combat climate change.”
“EPA’s Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program is a vital new program that will advance environmental justice and help communities disproportionately impacted by climate change, pollution, and other environmental stressors,” said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. “I am thrilled to see that Fordham University has been selected as the Grantmaker for EPA Region 2, which will allow organizations in New York, other communities within the Region and Puerto Rico to apply for funds to support a range of different environmental project activities that will help the communities most in need. I am proud to have worked with and supported Fordham University to help secure its selection as a Grantmaker and look forward to seeing communities that have long faced underinvestment gain access to federal environmental justice funding.”
“As we face the monumental challenges of environmental justice, which disproportionately affect underserved communities like ours in the Bronx and our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, it is critical that the federal government take big steps and invest the proper resources to prepare us for the future. Today’s announcement from the EPA that Fordham will receive millions of dollars in federal funds demonstrates the historic nature of the Inflation Reduction Act and the importance of never stopping our work fighting for the Bronx. Without a clean and healthy environment to grow up in, our children will never be able to achieve the true promise of this great nation,” said U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres (NY-15).
EPA Grantmakers will work in collaboration with EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights to issue subgrants to community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible organizations representing disadvantaged communities. As a Grantmaker, Fordham University will design comprehensive application and submission processes, award environmental justice subgrants, implement tracking and reporting systems, and provide resources and support to communities. The subgrants are expected to become available by summer of 2024.
In addition, EPA has selected, the Institute for Sustainable Communities to receive $50 million as a National Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaker to provide additional support, coordination, and oversight to the subgrantees, applicants, and the Regional Grantmakers across the eastern part of the country. Institute for Sustainable Communities will provide equity-centered coordination services to regional Grantmakers. They will develop a Grantmaker website and host a visualization hub with public-facing grantmaking information, data tracking and other evaluation tools for regional Grantmakers.
Grantmakers are expected to begin opening competitions and awarding subgrants by summer 2024. Community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible organizations seeking subgrant funding will be able to apply for subgrants through three concurrent tiers offered by the Grantmakers. Tier One will consist of grants for $150,000 for assessment, Tier Two will consist of grants for $250,000 for planning, and Tier Three will consist of grants for $350,000 for project development. In addition, $75,000 will be available for capacity-constrained community-based organizations through a noncompetitive process under Tier One. Each Grantmaker will design and implement a distribution program best suited for their region and communities.
The Grantmakers program is part of the Federal Interagency Thriving Communities Network and delivers on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Grantmakers will work in collaboration with the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs) to create a robust support network to assist eligible entities when applying.
Learn more about the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmakers.
Background
From day one of their administration, President Biden and Vice President Harris have made achieving environmental justice a top priority. In August 2022, 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 total to award grants and fund related technical assistance to benefit disadvantaged communities.
EPA has since launched and expanded innovative programs such as using $177 million for the creation of 16 EJ TCTACs in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy to remove barriers to federal resources and help communities pursue funding opportunities like those made available through President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda.
EPA announced nearly $128 million to fund 186 projects across the country that advance environmental justice as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The organizations, which EPA has selected through its Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement and Environmental Justice Government-to-Government programs, will use the funds to ensure disadvantaged communities that have historically suffered from underinvestment have access to clean air and water and climate resilience solutions in alignment with the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative.
EPA also announced Community Change Grants which is approximately $2 billion in funding available to support community-driven projects that deploy clean energy, strengthen climate resilience, and build capacity for communities to tackle environmental and climate justice challenges last month.
Learn more about environmental justice at EPA.
For up-to-date information on when subgrants will be available, subscribe to the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights’ listserv by sending a blank email to: join-epa-ej@lists.epa.gov. Follow OEJECR on X (formerly Twitter): @EPAEnvJustice. Follow EPA Region 2 on X (formerly Twitter) and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.
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“For years, community advocates have been calling for federal support and resources to help address our country’s most pressing environmental justice concerns,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Thanks to President Biden and Vice President Harris’ leadership, we’re responding to these calls by removing barriers that have traditionally held communities and applicants back from accessing these historic investments in America. Together, in partnership with these Grantmakers, we are taking a giant step toward a future where every person in America has equal opportunity to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and live a healthy, productive life.”
“As a Grantmaker, Fordham University will help the EPA advance our joint commitment to undo the past harms of environmental injustice,” said EPA Region 2 Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “This will be the start of a fruitful relationship that will build upon both EPA’s priority to addressing climate justice and Fordham’s promise of equity and environmental stewardship.
Fordham University will work with partners such as the New York Immigration Coalition, New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, ConPRmetidos, Community Foundation Virgin Islands and Business Initiative Corporation of New York, to implement an intersectional approach to place frontline environmental justice communities in positions of power through participatory community-led governance. As the regional Grantmaker, Fordham University will provide grants to community-based organizations, groups, and other institutions and groups who historically have not had the capacity to apply for and receive federal funding for climate projects.
"Fordham believes in the power of community-driven solutions to climate change to capture the insights and ingenuity of the people on the front lines of global warming. Fordham works to find the answers to the most urgent and complicated of problems, and it does so by centering human impact and environmental justice. Fordham is proud to launch the Flourishing in Community Grantmaker Initiative, building on 182 years of deep engagement with the Bronx and expanding our regional and global reach through New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands," said Fordham University President Tania Tetlow.
“We’re incredibly honored and energized for the work ahead with our statutory partners. It’s a collaborative effort and it’s a tremendous opportunity for us to employ Fordham’s infrastructure, award these sub-grants, and do this on-the-ground environmental work,” said Julie Gafney, Assistant Vice President for Strategic Mission Initiatives at Fordham University.
“Today’s announcement from EPA regarding grant money for grassroots environmental justice groups showcases exactly why I fought so hard for the Inflation Reduction Act,” said U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer. “This $600 million for 11 regional grantmakers, including $50 million for our own Fordham University, that is distributed to community-based non-profits fighting on the frontlines of climate change, is the kind of program that can help our disadvantaged communities truly flourish. I am proud of Fordham University and I’m so excited to see how the vibrant network of New York and Puerto Rican grassroots environmental justice organizations leverage this federal funding. I remain laser-focused on implementation of the IRA so that we can ensure it lives up to its transformative potential to clean our air and combat climate change.”
“EPA’s Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program is a vital new program that will advance environmental justice and help communities disproportionately impacted by climate change, pollution, and other environmental stressors,” said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. “I am thrilled to see that Fordham University has been selected as the Grantmaker for EPA Region 2, which will allow organizations in New York, other communities within the Region and Puerto Rico to apply for funds to support a range of different environmental project activities that will help the communities most in need. I am proud to have worked with and supported Fordham University to help secure its selection as a Grantmaker and look forward to seeing communities that have long faced underinvestment gain access to federal environmental justice funding.”
“As we face the monumental challenges of environmental justice, which disproportionately affect underserved communities like ours in the Bronx and our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, it is critical that the federal government take big steps and invest the proper resources to prepare us for the future. Today’s announcement from the EPA that Fordham will receive millions of dollars in federal funds demonstrates the historic nature of the Inflation Reduction Act and the importance of never stopping our work fighting for the Bronx. Without a clean and healthy environment to grow up in, our children will never be able to achieve the true promise of this great nation,” said U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres (NY-15).
EPA Grantmakers will work in collaboration with EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights to issue subgrants to community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible organizations representing disadvantaged communities. As a Grantmaker, Fordham University will design comprehensive application and submission processes, award environmental justice subgrants, implement tracking and reporting systems, and provide resources and support to communities. The subgrants are expected to become available by summer of 2024.
In addition, EPA has selected, the Institute for Sustainable Communities to receive $50 million as a National Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaker to provide additional support, coordination, and oversight to the subgrantees, applicants, and the Regional Grantmakers across the eastern part of the country. Institute for Sustainable Communities will provide equity-centered coordination services to regional Grantmakers. They will develop a Grantmaker website and host a visualization hub with public-facing grantmaking information, data tracking and other evaluation tools for regional Grantmakers.
Grantmakers are expected to begin opening competitions and awarding subgrants by summer 2024. Community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible organizations seeking subgrant funding will be able to apply for subgrants through three concurrent tiers offered by the Grantmakers. Tier One will consist of grants for $150,000 for assessment, Tier Two will consist of grants for $250,000 for planning, and Tier Three will consist of grants for $350,000 for project development. In addition, $75,000 will be available for capacity-constrained community-based organizations through a noncompetitive process under Tier One. Each Grantmaker will design and implement a distribution program best suited for their region and communities.
The Grantmakers program is part of the Federal Interagency Thriving Communities Network and delivers on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Grantmakers will work in collaboration with the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs) to create a robust support network to assist eligible entities when applying.
Learn more about the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmakers.
Background
From day one of their administration, President Biden and Vice President Harris have made achieving environmental justice a top priority. In August 2022, 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 total to award grants and fund related technical assistance to benefit disadvantaged communities.
EPA has since launched and expanded innovative programs such as using $177 million for the creation of 16 EJ TCTACs in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy to remove barriers to federal resources and help communities pursue funding opportunities like those made available through President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda.
EPA announced nearly $128 million to fund 186 projects across the country that advance environmental justice as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The organizations, which EPA has selected through its Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement and Environmental Justice Government-to-Government programs, will use the funds to ensure disadvantaged communities that have historically suffered from underinvestment have access to clean air and water and climate resilience solutions in alignment with the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative.
EPA also announced Community Change Grants which is approximately $2 billion in funding available to support community-driven projects that deploy clean energy, strengthen climate resilience, and build capacity for communities to tackle environmental and climate justice challenges last month.
Learn more about environmental justice at EPA.
For up-to-date information on when subgrants will be available, subscribe to the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights’ listserv by sending a blank email to: join-epa-ej@lists.epa.gov. Follow OEJECR on X (formerly Twitter): @EPAEnvJustice. Follow EPA Region 2 on X (formerly Twitter) and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.
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Biden-Harris Administration Selects the Minneapolis Foundation to Receive $50 Million to Fund Environmental Justice Projects in the Midwest as Part of Investing in America Agenda
Today, as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the Minneapolis Foundation has been selected to serve as Regional Grantmaker that will receive $50 million under EPA’s Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program that was created by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, the largest investment in climate action in history. This new grant program, which will make it easier for small community-based organizations to access federal environmental justice funding, responds to community feedback about the need to reduce barriers to federal funds and improve the efficiency of the awards process to ensure communities that have long faced underinvestment can access the benefits of the largest climate investment in history. Communities will be able to apply to the Minneapolis Foundation for a subgrant to fund a range of different environmental project activities, including (but not limited to) small local cleanups, local emergency preparedness and disaster resiliency programs, environmental workforce development programs for local jobs reducing greenhouse gas emissions, fenceline air quality and asthma related projects, healthy homes programs, and projects addressing illegal dumping.
President Biden is delivering the most ambitious environmental justice agenda in our nation’s history. Vice President Kamala Harris and EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan were joined by Dr. Robert Bullard, a Distinguished Professor of Urban Planning and Environmental Policy at Texas Southern University to announce the historic Grantmaker awards.
“For years, community advocates have been calling for federal support and resources to help address our country’s most pressing environmental justice concerns,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Thanks to President Biden and Vice President Harris’ leadership, we’re responding to these calls by removing barriers that have traditionally held communities and applicants back from accessing these historic investments in America. Together, in partnership with these Grantmakers, we are taking a giant step toward a future where every person in America has equal opportunity to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and live a healthy, productive life.”
“Environmental justice organizations work on the ground in communities to protect human health and the environment. However, they often lack the resources that governments and companies might have,” said EPA Regional Administrator Debra Shore. “This new grant program will level the playing field to help organizations build capacity and expand their work in the communities they serve.”
“Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, we’re finally able to help close the gap so communities who have been disproportionately impacted by pollution will have the support they need to fight for a cleaner, healthier future. Local organizations like the Minneapolis Foundation have lacked the funding needed to accomplish this work and this changes that,” said Sen. Tina Smith. “This $50 million investment is a game-changer for environmental justice in Minnesota and will have a ripple effect across the state and the region, allowing the Minneapolis Foundation and its partners to distribute funds that fuel projects that will help build a cleaner future for us all.”
“Environmental justice communities have fought for generations to provide safe, healthy, and clean neighborhoods for their families. With this new support from the EPA, those on the frontline of environmental justice issues will have better access to funding that will make this vision a reality,” said Rep. Ilhan Omar. “I have long said that those who are closest to the problem should be closest to the solution -- and this community-grantmaking program is putting that idea into action. I look forward to working with the Minneapolis Foundation, the Midwest Environmental Justice Network, the RE-AMP Network, and NDN Collective to get much-needed resources into communities that have been left behind for far too long. Thank you to the Biden Administration and the EPA for funding a better future for my constituents!”
To implement this grant, the Minneapolis Foundation will partner with the Midwest Environmental Justice Network, the RE-AMP Network, and NDN Collective. These organizations have working relationships with Tribes, indigenous-led and grassroot organizations across EPA Region 5, which covers Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin and 35 tribal nations. They also share knowledge of what works best for environmental justice organizations in terms of capacity and a commitment to managing and implementing the grant program in a way that builds the capacity and strength of grassroots environmental justice organizations. The Minneapolis Foundation will begin accepting applications on a rolling basis in the summer 2024.
“This funding will strengthen the ability of communities throughout the Great Lakes region to think locally but act globally, delivering large-scale federal resources to scores of organizations and individuals who together are building the movement for climate justice,” said R.T. Rybak, President and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation.
“Our communities must be at the center of climate and environmental solutions,” said Eartha Borer-Bell, director of the Midwest Environmental Justice Network (MWEJN). “We are committed to creating a grantmaking process that is accountable to environmental justice communities and that will build the long-term capacity of grassroots organizations to address priority public health and environmental challenges.”
“We are honored to work with our partners on all aspects of this program, and to ensure that Tribes and Indigenous communities across rural, remote, and urban areas can use this funding to pursue and lead the environmental justice projects that matter to them,” said Nick Tilsen, president & CEO of NDN Collective.
“This project provides an unparalleled opportunity to bring resources and attention to environmental injustices in rural communities, which are too often overlooked,” said Melissa Gavin, CEO of RE-AMP. “RE-AMP is honored to join this partnership and lead the outreach to rural and remote environmental justice communities in our region.”
EPA Grantmakers will work in collaboration with EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights to issue subgrants to community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible organizations representing disadvantaged communities. As a Grantmaker, the Minneapolis Foundation will design comprehensive application and submission processes, award environmental justice subgrants, implement tracking and reporting systems, and provide resources and support to communities. The subgrants are expected to become available by summer 2024. In addition, EPA has selected the Research Triangle Institute to receive $50 million as a National Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaker to provide additional support, coordination, and oversight to the subgrantees, applicants, and the Regional Grantmakers across the central part of the country. Research Triangle Institute will partner with International City/County Management Association (ICMA), National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) and Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC). As a National Grantmaker, Research Triangle Institute and their partners will emphasize local community outreach to accelerate grant awards to communities most in need. As part of the program portfolio, they will ensure funding enables projects that support the goals and strategies of the EPA’s Strategic Plan and the broader Justice40 Initiative, such as clean and healthy air for all communities, clean and safe water for all communities, and safety of chemicals for people and the environment. Research Triangle Institute and their partners will also establish a culture of equity by using a community-engaged transformative governance model for grant review.
Grantmakers are expected to begin opening competitions and awarding subgrants by summer 2024. Community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible organizations seeking subgrant funding will be able to apply for subgrants through three concurrent tiers offered by the Grantmakers. Tier One will consist of grants for $150,000 for assessment, Tier Two will consist of grants for $250,000 for planning, and Tier Three will consist of grants for $350,000 for project development. In addition, $75,000 will be available for capacity-constrained community-based organizations through a noncompetitive process under Tier One. Each Grantmaker will design and implement a distribution program best suited for their region and communities.
The Grantmakers program is part of the Federal Interagency Thriving Communities Network and delivers on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Grantmakers will work in collaboration with the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs) to create a robust support network to assist eligible entities when applying.
Learn more about the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmakers.
Background
From day one of their administration, President Biden and Vice President Harris have made achieving environmental justice a top priority. In August 2022, 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 total to award grants and fund related technical assistance to benefit disadvantaged communities.
EPA has since launched and expanded innovative programs to provide more support than ever before to communities that unjustly bear the burdens of environmental harm and pollution. This includes the $177 million for the creation of 16 EJ TCTACs in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy to remove barriers to federal resources and help communities pursue funding opportunities like those made available through President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda.
EPA announced nearly $128 million to fund 186 projects across the country that advance environmental justice as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The organizations, which EPA has selected through its Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement and Environmental Justice Government-to-Government programs, will use the funds to ensure disadvantaged communities that have historically suffered from underinvestment have access to clean air and water and climate resilience solutions in alignment with the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative.
EPA also announced approximately $2 billion in funding available to support community-driven projects that deploy clean energy, strengthen climate resilience, and build capacity for communities to tackle environmental and climate justice challenges last month. The Community Change Grants are the single largest investment in environmental justice going directly to communities in history, and will advance collaborative efforts to achieve a healthier, safer, and more prosperous future for all.
Learn more about environmental justice at EPA.
For up-to-date information on when subgrants will be available, subscribe to the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights’ listserv by sending a blank email to: join-epa-ej@lists.epa.gov. Follow OEJECR on X (formerly Twitter): @EPAEnvJustice.
President Biden is delivering the most ambitious environmental justice agenda in our nation’s history. Vice President Kamala Harris and EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan were joined by Dr. Robert Bullard, a Distinguished Professor of Urban Planning and Environmental Policy at Texas Southern University to announce the historic Grantmaker awards.
“For years, community advocates have been calling for federal support and resources to help address our country’s most pressing environmental justice concerns,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Thanks to President Biden and Vice President Harris’ leadership, we’re responding to these calls by removing barriers that have traditionally held communities and applicants back from accessing these historic investments in America. Together, in partnership with these Grantmakers, we are taking a giant step toward a future where every person in America has equal opportunity to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and live a healthy, productive life.”
“Environmental justice organizations work on the ground in communities to protect human health and the environment. However, they often lack the resources that governments and companies might have,” said EPA Regional Administrator Debra Shore. “This new grant program will level the playing field to help organizations build capacity and expand their work in the communities they serve.”
“Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, we’re finally able to help close the gap so communities who have been disproportionately impacted by pollution will have the support they need to fight for a cleaner, healthier future. Local organizations like the Minneapolis Foundation have lacked the funding needed to accomplish this work and this changes that,” said Sen. Tina Smith. “This $50 million investment is a game-changer for environmental justice in Minnesota and will have a ripple effect across the state and the region, allowing the Minneapolis Foundation and its partners to distribute funds that fuel projects that will help build a cleaner future for us all.”
“Environmental justice communities have fought for generations to provide safe, healthy, and clean neighborhoods for their families. With this new support from the EPA, those on the frontline of environmental justice issues will have better access to funding that will make this vision a reality,” said Rep. Ilhan Omar. “I have long said that those who are closest to the problem should be closest to the solution -- and this community-grantmaking program is putting that idea into action. I look forward to working with the Minneapolis Foundation, the Midwest Environmental Justice Network, the RE-AMP Network, and NDN Collective to get much-needed resources into communities that have been left behind for far too long. Thank you to the Biden Administration and the EPA for funding a better future for my constituents!”
To implement this grant, the Minneapolis Foundation will partner with the Midwest Environmental Justice Network, the RE-AMP Network, and NDN Collective. These organizations have working relationships with Tribes, indigenous-led and grassroot organizations across EPA Region 5, which covers Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin and 35 tribal nations. They also share knowledge of what works best for environmental justice organizations in terms of capacity and a commitment to managing and implementing the grant program in a way that builds the capacity and strength of grassroots environmental justice organizations. The Minneapolis Foundation will begin accepting applications on a rolling basis in the summer 2024.
“This funding will strengthen the ability of communities throughout the Great Lakes region to think locally but act globally, delivering large-scale federal resources to scores of organizations and individuals who together are building the movement for climate justice,” said R.T. Rybak, President and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation.
“Our communities must be at the center of climate and environmental solutions,” said Eartha Borer-Bell, director of the Midwest Environmental Justice Network (MWEJN). “We are committed to creating a grantmaking process that is accountable to environmental justice communities and that will build the long-term capacity of grassroots organizations to address priority public health and environmental challenges.”
“We are honored to work with our partners on all aspects of this program, and to ensure that Tribes and Indigenous communities across rural, remote, and urban areas can use this funding to pursue and lead the environmental justice projects that matter to them,” said Nick Tilsen, president & CEO of NDN Collective.
“This project provides an unparalleled opportunity to bring resources and attention to environmental injustices in rural communities, which are too often overlooked,” said Melissa Gavin, CEO of RE-AMP. “RE-AMP is honored to join this partnership and lead the outreach to rural and remote environmental justice communities in our region.”
EPA Grantmakers will work in collaboration with EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights to issue subgrants to community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible organizations representing disadvantaged communities. As a Grantmaker, the Minneapolis Foundation will design comprehensive application and submission processes, award environmental justice subgrants, implement tracking and reporting systems, and provide resources and support to communities. The subgrants are expected to become available by summer 2024. In addition, EPA has selected the Research Triangle Institute to receive $50 million as a National Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaker to provide additional support, coordination, and oversight to the subgrantees, applicants, and the Regional Grantmakers across the central part of the country. Research Triangle Institute will partner with International City/County Management Association (ICMA), National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) and Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC). As a National Grantmaker, Research Triangle Institute and their partners will emphasize local community outreach to accelerate grant awards to communities most in need. As part of the program portfolio, they will ensure funding enables projects that support the goals and strategies of the EPA’s Strategic Plan and the broader Justice40 Initiative, such as clean and healthy air for all communities, clean and safe water for all communities, and safety of chemicals for people and the environment. Research Triangle Institute and their partners will also establish a culture of equity by using a community-engaged transformative governance model for grant review.
Grantmakers are expected to begin opening competitions and awarding subgrants by summer 2024. Community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible organizations seeking subgrant funding will be able to apply for subgrants through three concurrent tiers offered by the Grantmakers. Tier One will consist of grants for $150,000 for assessment, Tier Two will consist of grants for $250,000 for planning, and Tier Three will consist of grants for $350,000 for project development. In addition, $75,000 will be available for capacity-constrained community-based organizations through a noncompetitive process under Tier One. Each Grantmaker will design and implement a distribution program best suited for their region and communities.
The Grantmakers program is part of the Federal Interagency Thriving Communities Network and delivers on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Grantmakers will work in collaboration with the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs) to create a robust support network to assist eligible entities when applying.
Learn more about the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmakers.
Background
From day one of their administration, President Biden and Vice President Harris have made achieving environmental justice a top priority. In August 2022, 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 total to award grants and fund related technical assistance to benefit disadvantaged communities.
EPA has since launched and expanded innovative programs to provide more support than ever before to communities that unjustly bear the burdens of environmental harm and pollution. This includes the $177 million for the creation of 16 EJ TCTACs in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy to remove barriers to federal resources and help communities pursue funding opportunities like those made available through President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda.
EPA announced nearly $128 million to fund 186 projects across the country that advance environmental justice as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The organizations, which EPA has selected through its Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement and Environmental Justice Government-to-Government programs, will use the funds to ensure disadvantaged communities that have historically suffered from underinvestment have access to clean air and water and climate resilience solutions in alignment with the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative.
EPA also announced approximately $2 billion in funding available to support community-driven projects that deploy clean energy, strengthen climate resilience, and build capacity for communities to tackle environmental and climate justice challenges last month. The Community Change Grants are the single largest investment in environmental justice going directly to communities in history, and will advance collaborative efforts to achieve a healthier, safer, and more prosperous future for all.
Learn more about environmental justice at EPA.
For up-to-date information on when subgrants will be available, subscribe to the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights’ listserv by sending a blank email to: join-epa-ej@lists.epa.gov. Follow OEJECR on X (formerly Twitter): @EPAEnvJustice.
Biden-Harris Administration selects Denver-based JSI Research and Training Institute to receive $50M to fund Environmental Justice projects as part of Investing in America Agenda
DENVER (Dec. 20, 2023) – Today, as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the Biden-Harris Administration announced JSI Research and Training Institute, Inc. (JSI) of Denver, Colorado, has been selected to receive $50 million under EPA’s Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program created by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate action investment in history. JSI will use these funds to serve as a Grantmaker for project applicants across EPA Region 8, which includes Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming and 28 Tribal Nations.
This new grant program, which will make it easier for small community-based organizations to access federal environmental justice funding, responds to community feedback about the need to reduce barriers to federal funds. Specifically, the program will improve the efficiency of the awards process to ensure communities that have long faced underinvestment can access the benefits of the largest climate investment in history. Communities will be able to apply to JSI for a subgrant to fund a range of different environmental project activities, including small local clean ups; local emergency preparedness and disaster resiliency programs; environmental workforce development programs for local jobs reducing greenhouse gas emissions; fence-line air quality and asthma related projects; healthy homes programs; and projects addressing illegal dumping.
“This Grantmakers funding will create much-needed opportunities for Environmental Justice communities and leaders to receive federal grants s for locally-developed projects that focus on improving the environment, public health and quality of life,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “EPA looks forward to collaborating with JSI to deliver resources and support in the communities that need them most.”
“Access to clean water and clean air is a fundamental human right,” said U.S. Senator Michael Bennet. “This investment will help remove barriers to obtaining federal funds for small community-based organizations in parts of Colorado that have long been disproportionately affected by poor water and air quality. It is important to ensure those communities receive the resources they need.”
“Our Inflation Reduction Act gives us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to address climate change for the communities that are facing it head-on,” said U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper. “Today’s investment will catalyze locally-led solutions for climate resilience in Colorado and other Western states.”
“Today’s announcement represents a transformative step in our fight for environmental justice,” said U.S. Representative Diana DeGette. “Thanks to the Biden Administration, these investments will help ensure communities across the Mountain West have cleaner air and water – improving public health across the region. I’m proud that Denver will continue to be a leader in this fight. As we address the climate crisis and the harmful pollution fueling it, we’re working together to ensure a healthier, more equitable future for all.”
EPA Grantmakers will work in collaboration with EPA to issue subgrants to community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible organizations representing disadvantaged communities. As a Grantmaker, JSI will design comprehensive application and submission processes, award environmental justice subgrants, implement tracking and reporting systems and provide resources and support to communities.
JSI’s team will focus on environmental, public health and quality of life improvements in the most overburdened, vulnerable and underserved communities by co-designing an equitable and inclusive grantmaking application and scoring process. The Institute will reach out to communities across EPA Region 8, reducing burdens on subgrantees and engaging in monitoring, evaluation and reporting that ensures the integrity, compliance and impact of the program. JSI has more than 30 years as an environmental health training and technical assistance provider and grant manager. The subgrants are expected to become available by summer of 2024.
JSI’s partners include:
The Montana Watershed Coordination Council (Helena, Montana)
The Oglala Lakota Cultural & Economic Revitalization Initiative (Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota)
Dakota Resource Council (Bismarck, North Dakota)
The Wyoming Outdoor Council (Lander, Wyoming)
The Community Health Association of Mountains/Plains States (Denver, Colorado)
Equitable funding Advisory/Training Partner Community-Centric Fundraising (Seattle, Washington)
Grantmakers are expected to begin opening competitions and awarding subgrants by summer 2024. Community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible organizations seeking subgrant funding will be able to apply for subgrants through three concurrent tiers offered by the Grantmakers. Tier One will consist of grants for $150,000 for assessment, Tier Two will consist of grants for $250,000 for planning, and Tier Three will consist of grants for $350,000 for project development. In addition, $75,000 will be available for capacity-constrained community-based organizations through a noncompetitive process under Tier One. Each Grantmaker will design and implement a distribution program best suited for their region and communities.
The Grantmakers program is part of the Federal Interagency Thriving Communities Network and delivers on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Grantmakers will work in collaboration with the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs) to create a robust support network to assist eligible entities when applying.
Learn more about the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmakers.
Background
From day one of their administration, President Biden and Vice President Harris have made achieving environmental justice a top priority. In August 2022, 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 total to award grants and fund related technical assistance to benefit disadvantaged communities.
EPA has since launched and expanded innovative programs to provide more support than ever before to communities that unjustly bear the burdens of environmental harm and pollution. This investment includes the $177 million for the creation of 16 EJ TCTACs in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy to remove barriers to federal resources and help communities pursue funding opportunities like those made available through President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda.
EPA announced nearly $128 million to fund 186 projects across the country that advance environmental justice as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The organizations, which EPA has selected through its Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement and Environmental Justice Government-to-Government programs, will use the funds to ensure disadvantaged communities that have historically suffered from underinvestment have access to clean air and water and climate resilience solutions in alignment with the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative.
Last month, EPA also announced approximately $2 billion in funding available to support community-driven projects that deploy clean energy, strengthen climate resilience and build capacity for communities to tackle environmental and climate justice challenges. The Community Change Grants are the single largest investment in environmental justice going directly to communities in history, and will advance collaborative efforts to achieve a healthier, safer and more prosperous future for all.
Learn more about environmental justice at EPA.
For up-to-date information on when subgrants will be available, subscribe to the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights’ listserv by sending a blank email to: join-epa-ej@lists.epa.gov. Follow OEJECR on X (formerly Twitter): @EPAEnvJustice.
This new grant program, which will make it easier for small community-based organizations to access federal environmental justice funding, responds to community feedback about the need to reduce barriers to federal funds. Specifically, the program will improve the efficiency of the awards process to ensure communities that have long faced underinvestment can access the benefits of the largest climate investment in history. Communities will be able to apply to JSI for a subgrant to fund a range of different environmental project activities, including small local clean ups; local emergency preparedness and disaster resiliency programs; environmental workforce development programs for local jobs reducing greenhouse gas emissions; fence-line air quality and asthma related projects; healthy homes programs; and projects addressing illegal dumping.
“This Grantmakers funding will create much-needed opportunities for Environmental Justice communities and leaders to receive federal grants s for locally-developed projects that focus on improving the environment, public health and quality of life,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “EPA looks forward to collaborating with JSI to deliver resources and support in the communities that need them most.”
“Access to clean water and clean air is a fundamental human right,” said U.S. Senator Michael Bennet. “This investment will help remove barriers to obtaining federal funds for small community-based organizations in parts of Colorado that have long been disproportionately affected by poor water and air quality. It is important to ensure those communities receive the resources they need.”
“Our Inflation Reduction Act gives us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to address climate change for the communities that are facing it head-on,” said U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper. “Today’s investment will catalyze locally-led solutions for climate resilience in Colorado and other Western states.”
“Today’s announcement represents a transformative step in our fight for environmental justice,” said U.S. Representative Diana DeGette. “Thanks to the Biden Administration, these investments will help ensure communities across the Mountain West have cleaner air and water – improving public health across the region. I’m proud that Denver will continue to be a leader in this fight. As we address the climate crisis and the harmful pollution fueling it, we’re working together to ensure a healthier, more equitable future for all.”
EPA Grantmakers will work in collaboration with EPA to issue subgrants to community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible organizations representing disadvantaged communities. As a Grantmaker, JSI will design comprehensive application and submission processes, award environmental justice subgrants, implement tracking and reporting systems and provide resources and support to communities.
JSI’s team will focus on environmental, public health and quality of life improvements in the most overburdened, vulnerable and underserved communities by co-designing an equitable and inclusive grantmaking application and scoring process. The Institute will reach out to communities across EPA Region 8, reducing burdens on subgrantees and engaging in monitoring, evaluation and reporting that ensures the integrity, compliance and impact of the program. JSI has more than 30 years as an environmental health training and technical assistance provider and grant manager. The subgrants are expected to become available by summer of 2024.
JSI’s partners include:
The Montana Watershed Coordination Council (Helena, Montana)
The Oglala Lakota Cultural & Economic Revitalization Initiative (Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota)
Dakota Resource Council (Bismarck, North Dakota)
The Wyoming Outdoor Council (Lander, Wyoming)
The Community Health Association of Mountains/Plains States (Denver, Colorado)
Equitable funding Advisory/Training Partner Community-Centric Fundraising (Seattle, Washington)
Grantmakers are expected to begin opening competitions and awarding subgrants by summer 2024. Community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible organizations seeking subgrant funding will be able to apply for subgrants through three concurrent tiers offered by the Grantmakers. Tier One will consist of grants for $150,000 for assessment, Tier Two will consist of grants for $250,000 for planning, and Tier Three will consist of grants for $350,000 for project development. In addition, $75,000 will be available for capacity-constrained community-based organizations through a noncompetitive process under Tier One. Each Grantmaker will design and implement a distribution program best suited for their region and communities.
The Grantmakers program is part of the Federal Interagency Thriving Communities Network and delivers on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Grantmakers will work in collaboration with the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs) to create a robust support network to assist eligible entities when applying.
Learn more about the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmakers.
Background
From day one of their administration, President Biden and Vice President Harris have made achieving environmental justice a top priority. In August 2022, 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 total to award grants and fund related technical assistance to benefit disadvantaged communities.
EPA has since launched and expanded innovative programs to provide more support than ever before to communities that unjustly bear the burdens of environmental harm and pollution. This investment includes the $177 million for the creation of 16 EJ TCTACs in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy to remove barriers to federal resources and help communities pursue funding opportunities like those made available through President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda.
EPA announced nearly $128 million to fund 186 projects across the country that advance environmental justice as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The organizations, which EPA has selected through its Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement and Environmental Justice Government-to-Government programs, will use the funds to ensure disadvantaged communities that have historically suffered from underinvestment have access to clean air and water and climate resilience solutions in alignment with the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative.
Last month, EPA also announced approximately $2 billion in funding available to support community-driven projects that deploy clean energy, strengthen climate resilience and build capacity for communities to tackle environmental and climate justice challenges. The Community Change Grants are the single largest investment in environmental justice going directly to communities in history, and will advance collaborative efforts to achieve a healthier, safer and more prosperous future for all.
Learn more about environmental justice at EPA.
For up-to-date information on when subgrants will be available, subscribe to the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights’ listserv by sending a blank email to: join-epa-ej@lists.epa.gov. Follow OEJECR on X (formerly Twitter): @EPAEnvJustice.