Biden-Harris Administration signs $50 Million Agreement with National Wild Turkey Federation for Innovative, Long-Term National Master Stewardship Agreement
WASHINGTON Oct. 28, 2022 – Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) have signed a landmark 20-year national master stewardship agreement.
Colorado to receive $411,440 through EPA’s Pollution Prevention Grant program
DENVER – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) with $411,440 in Pollution Prevention (P2) grants to support state programs as they work with businesses to prevent or reduce pollution and reduce costs. CDPHE is one of thirty-two (32) recipients of $9 million in P2 grants announced by the EPA earlier this month.
“EPA’s support of Colorado’s exemplary Pollution Prevention partnerships continue to help businesses develop and implement strategies to reduce toxic pollution, waste production, water and energy use, and the use of raw materials, while also lowering business costs” said EPA Region 8’s Acting Director of Land Chemicals and Redevelopment Division, Nancy Morlock. “This funding will also help the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment develop and share best practices through several different pathways focusing efforts on environmental justice concerns in underserved communities.”
CDPHE’s P2 grant will be used to:
Identify, develop, document, and share P2 best practices through the Colorado Green Business Network (CGBN) technical assistance and recognition program. Through this program, businesses throughout the state of Colorado can receive free on‐site and off‐site technical assistance in operational efficiency, as well as recognition to incentivize continual improvement in operational sustainability.
Support community based P2 efforts amongst state and local technical assistance providers (TAPs), in addition to providing resources to enable the foundation of new TAPs across the state. The CGBN will focus efforts throughout its activities on environmental justice (EJ) concerns in underserved communities and on climate change impacts and GHG emissions reductions. Click here to learn more about CGBN.
Support five P2 internship projects for Colorado State University graduate fellows, focusing on the Food and Beverage Manufacturing and Processing sector.
The grants announced this month are in addition to $12 million in P2 grants that were announced in September and made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s historic $100 million program investment in EPA’s P2 program.
The P2 grants also deliver on the President’s Justice40 initiative, which aims to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, clean water, and other investments to disadvantaged communities. EPA anticipates the majority of grants will successfully direct at least 40% of their environmental and human health benefits onto disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution.
The United States produces billions of pounds of pollution each year and spends billions of dollars per year controlling this pollution. Preventing pollution at the source, also known as P2 or source reduction, rather than managing waste after it is produced is an important part of advancing a sustainable economic and environmental infrastructure. P2 can lessen exposure to toxic chemicals, conserve natural resources, and reduce financial costs for businesses, particularly costs associated with waste management, disposal and cleanup. These practices are essential for protecting health, improving environmental conditions in and around disadvantaged communities, and preserving natural resources like wetlands, groundwater sources, and other critical ecosystems.
A full list of the entities selected to receive funding can be found here.
Read more about P2 and the P2 Grant Programs.
“EPA’s support of Colorado’s exemplary Pollution Prevention partnerships continue to help businesses develop and implement strategies to reduce toxic pollution, waste production, water and energy use, and the use of raw materials, while also lowering business costs” said EPA Region 8’s Acting Director of Land Chemicals and Redevelopment Division, Nancy Morlock. “This funding will also help the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment develop and share best practices through several different pathways focusing efforts on environmental justice concerns in underserved communities.”
CDPHE’s P2 grant will be used to:
Identify, develop, document, and share P2 best practices through the Colorado Green Business Network (CGBN) technical assistance and recognition program. Through this program, businesses throughout the state of Colorado can receive free on‐site and off‐site technical assistance in operational efficiency, as well as recognition to incentivize continual improvement in operational sustainability.
Support community based P2 efforts amongst state and local technical assistance providers (TAPs), in addition to providing resources to enable the foundation of new TAPs across the state. The CGBN will focus efforts throughout its activities on environmental justice (EJ) concerns in underserved communities and on climate change impacts and GHG emissions reductions. Click here to learn more about CGBN.
Support five P2 internship projects for Colorado State University graduate fellows, focusing on the Food and Beverage Manufacturing and Processing sector.
The grants announced this month are in addition to $12 million in P2 grants that were announced in September and made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s historic $100 million program investment in EPA’s P2 program.
The P2 grants also deliver on the President’s Justice40 initiative, which aims to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, clean water, and other investments to disadvantaged communities. EPA anticipates the majority of grants will successfully direct at least 40% of their environmental and human health benefits onto disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution.
The United States produces billions of pounds of pollution each year and spends billions of dollars per year controlling this pollution. Preventing pollution at the source, also known as P2 or source reduction, rather than managing waste after it is produced is an important part of advancing a sustainable economic and environmental infrastructure. P2 can lessen exposure to toxic chemicals, conserve natural resources, and reduce financial costs for businesses, particularly costs associated with waste management, disposal and cleanup. These practices are essential for protecting health, improving environmental conditions in and around disadvantaged communities, and preserving natural resources like wetlands, groundwater sources, and other critical ecosystems.
A full list of the entities selected to receive funding can be found here.
Read more about P2 and the P2 Grant Programs.
EPA Unveils Historic National Lead Strategy in Omaha, Nebraska
LENEXA, KAN. (OCT. 28, 2022) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled its historic National Lead Strategy before a cooperative agreement renewal ceremony with the Douglas County Health Department today in Omaha, Nebraska.
Omaha was once home to a large lead smelter and lead battery recycling plant that are estimated to have released over 400 million pounds (200,000 tons) of lead particles into the environment, with much of that ending up in residential areas.
The National Lead Strategy reflects the Agency’s commitment to protecting children from harmful exposures to lead, while reducing disproportionate impacts of lead exposure on high-risk communities. EPA will continue to work to protect people from lead through the historic investments from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to clean lead-contaminated soil at Superfund sites and replace drinking water lead pipes and service lines.
“The release of EPA’s National Lead Strategy’s during National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week is more than a symbolic gesture. It is a reflection of the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to substantially reducing childhood lead exposure,” said Office of Land and Emergency Management Deputy Assistant Administrator Carlton Waterhouse. “With this strategy, we seek to not only reduce lead exposure in children, but also to eliminate the historic racial and socioeconomic disparities in blood lead levels and promote environmental justice with actions that will improve the lives of our nation’s residents that live in disproportionally impacted communities.”
Map of the Omaha Lead Superfund Site
Omaha was chosen as the location to announce EPA’s National Lead Strategy as historic smelting operations there resulted in the largest residential lead Superfund site in the United States.
Following the announcement of the National Lead Strategy, EPA Region 7 held a ceremony to recognize the seven-year, $12.7 million renewal of the Agency’s cooperative agreement with the Douglas County Health Department (DCHD), with $1.8 million awarded annually.
The agreement renewal will provide funding for the county’s free blood lead screening services for children 7 years old and under, as well as pregnant and nursing women, residing within the Omaha Lead Superfund Site. The renewal D will also provide funding for indoor lead dust screening, as well as education and outreach to medical professionals within the site boundary.
“Renewing our cooperative agreement with the Douglas County Health Department is an essential step to ensuring residents within the site boundary continue to have access to free blood lead screening,” said EPA Region 7 Deputy Administrator Ed Chu. “I encourage parents and caregivers of children to sign up for testing, as children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of lead poisoning.”
"Omaha is home to the country's largest residential lead Superfund site. We are honored to work alongside the EPA to serve those in our community who are impacted by lead contamination,” said Douglas County Health Director Dr. Lindsay Huse. “Lead exposure is a serious and preventable cause of cognitive harm to many children, and this collaborative agreement with our federal partners means that we can build upon the great work that has already been done in our community and reach even more potentially impacted families, giving every child the best start possible to lead happy and healthy lives.”
EPA and the city of Omaha also have a cooperative agreement in place for the cleanup of the Omaha Lead Superfund Site.
Background
The Omaha Lead Superfund Site, consisting of approximately 27 square miles of property within the metro area of Omaha. Soils across a broad swath of the city were contaminated with lead over more than a century, primarily from the operation of a major lead smelter situated along the west bank of the Missouri River, which sent particulate lead aloft from its smokestacks and deposited it on the landscape. Other sources of lead contamination at the site included a former paint manufacturer, former lead battery plant, and the decay of lead-based paint from homes and other structures.
EPA and the city of Omaha have completed residential soil sampling at over 40,000 properties and residential soil remediation at over 13,000 properties within the site. Today, only 165 residential properties remain to be sampled and 594 properties still need soil remediation.
Read the Lead Strategy.
Learn more about the Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan.
Learn more about Douglas County’s Lead Poisoning Prevention Program.
Learn more about the Omaha Lead Superfund Site.
# # #
Learn more about EPA Region 7
View all Region 7 news releases
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter: @EPARegion7
Omaha was once home to a large lead smelter and lead battery recycling plant that are estimated to have released over 400 million pounds (200,000 tons) of lead particles into the environment, with much of that ending up in residential areas.
The National Lead Strategy reflects the Agency’s commitment to protecting children from harmful exposures to lead, while reducing disproportionate impacts of lead exposure on high-risk communities. EPA will continue to work to protect people from lead through the historic investments from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to clean lead-contaminated soil at Superfund sites and replace drinking water lead pipes and service lines.
“The release of EPA’s National Lead Strategy’s during National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week is more than a symbolic gesture. It is a reflection of the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to substantially reducing childhood lead exposure,” said Office of Land and Emergency Management Deputy Assistant Administrator Carlton Waterhouse. “With this strategy, we seek to not only reduce lead exposure in children, but also to eliminate the historic racial and socioeconomic disparities in blood lead levels and promote environmental justice with actions that will improve the lives of our nation’s residents that live in disproportionally impacted communities.”
Map of the Omaha Lead Superfund Site
Omaha was chosen as the location to announce EPA’s National Lead Strategy as historic smelting operations there resulted in the largest residential lead Superfund site in the United States.
Following the announcement of the National Lead Strategy, EPA Region 7 held a ceremony to recognize the seven-year, $12.7 million renewal of the Agency’s cooperative agreement with the Douglas County Health Department (DCHD), with $1.8 million awarded annually.
The agreement renewal will provide funding for the county’s free blood lead screening services for children 7 years old and under, as well as pregnant and nursing women, residing within the Omaha Lead Superfund Site. The renewal D will also provide funding for indoor lead dust screening, as well as education and outreach to medical professionals within the site boundary.
“Renewing our cooperative agreement with the Douglas County Health Department is an essential step to ensuring residents within the site boundary continue to have access to free blood lead screening,” said EPA Region 7 Deputy Administrator Ed Chu. “I encourage parents and caregivers of children to sign up for testing, as children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of lead poisoning.”
"Omaha is home to the country's largest residential lead Superfund site. We are honored to work alongside the EPA to serve those in our community who are impacted by lead contamination,” said Douglas County Health Director Dr. Lindsay Huse. “Lead exposure is a serious and preventable cause of cognitive harm to many children, and this collaborative agreement with our federal partners means that we can build upon the great work that has already been done in our community and reach even more potentially impacted families, giving every child the best start possible to lead happy and healthy lives.”
EPA and the city of Omaha also have a cooperative agreement in place for the cleanup of the Omaha Lead Superfund Site.
Background
The Omaha Lead Superfund Site, consisting of approximately 27 square miles of property within the metro area of Omaha. Soils across a broad swath of the city were contaminated with lead over more than a century, primarily from the operation of a major lead smelter situated along the west bank of the Missouri River, which sent particulate lead aloft from its smokestacks and deposited it on the landscape. Other sources of lead contamination at the site included a former paint manufacturer, former lead battery plant, and the decay of lead-based paint from homes and other structures.
EPA and the city of Omaha have completed residential soil sampling at over 40,000 properties and residential soil remediation at over 13,000 properties within the site. Today, only 165 residential properties remain to be sampled and 594 properties still need soil remediation.
Read the Lead Strategy.
Learn more about the Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan.
Learn more about Douglas County’s Lead Poisoning Prevention Program.
Learn more about the Omaha Lead Superfund Site.
# # #
Learn more about EPA Region 7
View all Region 7 news releases
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter: @EPARegion7
EPA Awards Nearly $750,000 in Funding to Research PFAS Exposure Pathways
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $748,180 in research grant funding to three institutions for research to improve our understanding of how people are exposed to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in several communities throughout the country.
“Recognizing that exposure to PFAS is a public health and environmental issue facing communities across the United States, and consistent with EPA’s Strategic Roadmap for PFAS, the EPA is investing in scientific research to increase understanding of PFAS exposures,” said Chris Frey, Assistant Administrator of EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “The research announced today will answer critical questions regarding the contribution of PFAS exposures at home to PFAS found in the body and will produce science that can help inform and focus decisions to protect human health.”
PFAS are a large group of chemicals that are used in many consumer products and industrial and manufacturing applications and are commonly known as ‘forever chemicals’ since they take so long to break down. Due to their widespread use and environmental persistence, most people in the United States have been exposed to PFAS. There is evidence that continued exposure above specific levels to certain PFAS may lead to adverse health effects. More data is needed to measure the nature and levels of PFAS in homes and food to understand pathways for human exposure and risk mitigation.
The research grants announced today will help us better understand the sources and pathways related to people’s exposures to PFAS chemicals.
The following institutions are receiving awards:
Silent Spring Institute, Newton, Mass., to measure PFAS in air and dust in homes, and evaluate associations between potential residential sources and PFAS occurrence at home. This research will enhance understanding of the contribution of residential pathways to PFAS exposures and improve the interpretation of PFAS biomonitoring data.
Duke University, Durham, N.C., to determine how different sources of PFAS exposure, including PFAS in drinking water and in homes, contribute to levels measured in blood. This study will address key questions on the most relevant PFAS exposure pathways for the general U.S. population.
Emory University, Atlanta, Ga., to develop a standardized, validated, scientific protocol to measure levels of a targeted set of PFAS in the home. Data collected from home samples will be compared to data collected from PFAS in blood to help identify residential sources of PFAS measured in people’s blood.
Learn more about the research grant recipients.
Learn more about EPA research grants.
“Recognizing that exposure to PFAS is a public health and environmental issue facing communities across the United States, and consistent with EPA’s Strategic Roadmap for PFAS, the EPA is investing in scientific research to increase understanding of PFAS exposures,” said Chris Frey, Assistant Administrator of EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “The research announced today will answer critical questions regarding the contribution of PFAS exposures at home to PFAS found in the body and will produce science that can help inform and focus decisions to protect human health.”
PFAS are a large group of chemicals that are used in many consumer products and industrial and manufacturing applications and are commonly known as ‘forever chemicals’ since they take so long to break down. Due to their widespread use and environmental persistence, most people in the United States have been exposed to PFAS. There is evidence that continued exposure above specific levels to certain PFAS may lead to adverse health effects. More data is needed to measure the nature and levels of PFAS in homes and food to understand pathways for human exposure and risk mitigation.
The research grants announced today will help us better understand the sources and pathways related to people’s exposures to PFAS chemicals.
The following institutions are receiving awards:
Silent Spring Institute, Newton, Mass., to measure PFAS in air and dust in homes, and evaluate associations between potential residential sources and PFAS occurrence at home. This research will enhance understanding of the contribution of residential pathways to PFAS exposures and improve the interpretation of PFAS biomonitoring data.
Duke University, Durham, N.C., to determine how different sources of PFAS exposure, including PFAS in drinking water and in homes, contribute to levels measured in blood. This study will address key questions on the most relevant PFAS exposure pathways for the general U.S. population.
Emory University, Atlanta, Ga., to develop a standardized, validated, scientific protocol to measure levels of a targeted set of PFAS in the home. Data collected from home samples will be compared to data collected from PFAS in blood to help identify residential sources of PFAS measured in people’s blood.
Learn more about the research grant recipients.
Learn more about EPA research grants.
EPA Enforcement Actions Help Protect Health of Vulnerable Communities from Lead Paint Hazards
WASHINGTON - As part of National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) highlighted several federal enforcement actions completed from October 2021 through September 2022, as well as future planned investigations. These actions ensure that renovation contractors, landlords and realtors comply with rules that protect the public from exposure to lead from lead paint. By bringing companies into compliance with these rules, EPA protects future customers and their families.
Lead-contaminated dust from chipped or peeling lead-based paint in homes built prior to 1978 presents one of the most common causes of elevated blood lead levels in children. Infants and children are especially vulnerable to lead paint exposure because their growing bodies absorb more lead than adults do, and their brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead.
“Because lead-based paint is the most common source of elevated blood lead levels in U.S. children, EPA is taking action against those who violate federal lead-based paint regulations and ensuring the public understands the danger of this hazard,” said Larry Starfield, EPA’s Acting Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “The enforcement actions EPA took this past year send a clear message that EPA is committed to enforcing regulations designed to protect the public from lead-based paint exposure.”
Reduction of childhood lead exposures is a high priority for EPA. These enforcement actions reflect the agency’s continuing commitment to implementing the Federal Lead Strategy and EPA’s Lead Strategy and result in reducing or eliminating lead exposures, particularly to children.
Regulations under the federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act (LHRA) apply to most pre-1978 dwellings and child-occupied facilities such as pre-schools and child-care centers. TSCA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (RRP) and Lead-based Paint Activities Rule require contractor certification and lead-safe work practices. LHRA’s Section 1018 Lead Disclosure Rule requires disclosure of information about lead-based paint before the sale or lease of most housing built before 1978. By ensuring compliance with federal lead-based paint requirements, EPA addresses a major source of lead exposure that occurs in communities across the nation.
The cases below involve alleged noncompliance with at least one of these lead paint requirements. These cases highlight the range of the Agency’s work, including:
criminal prosecution in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ),
a focus on geographic areas that suffer from disproportionate levels of lead exposure, and
bringing civil administrative actions against renovators with a far-reaching influence on the compliance landscape locally, regionally or nationwide.
By ensuring compliance with federal lead paint requirements, EPA strives to address major sources of lead exposure that occur throughout the nation and particularly in areas of environmental justice concern. In addition to EPA’s actions, the Agency supports states, tribes, and territories on the implementation and enforcement of the EPA-authorized lead-based paint programs.
Although the federal government banned residential use of lead-based paint in 1978, it persists in millions of older homes, sometimes under layers of new paint. Lead exposure, particularly at higher doses, continues to pose a significant health and safety threat to children, preventing them from reaching their fullest potential for their health, intellect, and future development. Even small amounts of lead dust can cause harm to children living in the home.
Case Highlights:
Two Chicks and a Hammer, Inc. of HGTV’s “Good Bones” Settle to Resolve Alleged Renovation, Violations
Warner Bros. Discovery Network’s “Maine Cabin Masters” Renovator Agrees to Include Lead Paint Compliance Information in Upcoming Episodes as Part of Settlement
GB Group, Inc. Settles to Resolve Alleged Renovation Violations
Property Management Firm Settles Alleged Lead Renovation and Asbestos Violations
Property Manager Sentenced for Failure to Properly Notify Tenants about Lead Hazards
Owner of Maryland Lead Inspection Company Sentenced
To see additional highlights of FY2022 enforcement actions involving lead, see EPA’s 2022 Lead Enforcement Bulletin.
Members of the public can help protect our environment by identifying and reporting environmental violations. Learn more about reporting environmental violations.
Lead-contaminated dust from chipped or peeling lead-based paint in homes built prior to 1978 presents one of the most common causes of elevated blood lead levels in children. Infants and children are especially vulnerable to lead paint exposure because their growing bodies absorb more lead than adults do, and their brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead.
“Because lead-based paint is the most common source of elevated blood lead levels in U.S. children, EPA is taking action against those who violate federal lead-based paint regulations and ensuring the public understands the danger of this hazard,” said Larry Starfield, EPA’s Acting Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “The enforcement actions EPA took this past year send a clear message that EPA is committed to enforcing regulations designed to protect the public from lead-based paint exposure.”
Reduction of childhood lead exposures is a high priority for EPA. These enforcement actions reflect the agency’s continuing commitment to implementing the Federal Lead Strategy and EPA’s Lead Strategy and result in reducing or eliminating lead exposures, particularly to children.
Regulations under the federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act (LHRA) apply to most pre-1978 dwellings and child-occupied facilities such as pre-schools and child-care centers. TSCA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (RRP) and Lead-based Paint Activities Rule require contractor certification and lead-safe work practices. LHRA’s Section 1018 Lead Disclosure Rule requires disclosure of information about lead-based paint before the sale or lease of most housing built before 1978. By ensuring compliance with federal lead-based paint requirements, EPA addresses a major source of lead exposure that occurs in communities across the nation.
The cases below involve alleged noncompliance with at least one of these lead paint requirements. These cases highlight the range of the Agency’s work, including:
criminal prosecution in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ),
a focus on geographic areas that suffer from disproportionate levels of lead exposure, and
bringing civil administrative actions against renovators with a far-reaching influence on the compliance landscape locally, regionally or nationwide.
By ensuring compliance with federal lead paint requirements, EPA strives to address major sources of lead exposure that occur throughout the nation and particularly in areas of environmental justice concern. In addition to EPA’s actions, the Agency supports states, tribes, and territories on the implementation and enforcement of the EPA-authorized lead-based paint programs.
Although the federal government banned residential use of lead-based paint in 1978, it persists in millions of older homes, sometimes under layers of new paint. Lead exposure, particularly at higher doses, continues to pose a significant health and safety threat to children, preventing them from reaching their fullest potential for their health, intellect, and future development. Even small amounts of lead dust can cause harm to children living in the home.
Case Highlights:
Two Chicks and a Hammer, Inc. of HGTV’s “Good Bones” Settle to Resolve Alleged Renovation, Violations
Warner Bros. Discovery Network’s “Maine Cabin Masters” Renovator Agrees to Include Lead Paint Compliance Information in Upcoming Episodes as Part of Settlement
GB Group, Inc. Settles to Resolve Alleged Renovation Violations
Property Management Firm Settles Alleged Lead Renovation and Asbestos Violations
Property Manager Sentenced for Failure to Properly Notify Tenants about Lead Hazards
Owner of Maryland Lead Inspection Company Sentenced
To see additional highlights of FY2022 enforcement actions involving lead, see EPA’s 2022 Lead Enforcement Bulletin.
Members of the public can help protect our environment by identifying and reporting environmental violations. Learn more about reporting environmental violations.
EAPA Action: Notice of Determination as to Evasion in EAPA Case 7607 – Wooden Cabinets and Vanities and Components Thereof
WASHINGTON—On February 23, 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a determination against Splendid Trading Co. (also doing business as NGY Group (Chino) Inc.) (collectively, Splendid Trading) and Superior Granite and Marble by Vivaldi…
USDA Opens Registration for the 2023 Agricultural Outlook Forum
WASHINGTON, Oct. 27, 2022 – The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that registration is now open for the 99th annual Agricultural Outlook Forum (AOF), USDA’s largest and premier annual event. The two-day event will be held in-person at the Crystal City Gateway Marriott on February 23-24, 2023, and all sessions will be livestreamed on a virtual platform.
Biden-Harris Administration Expands Rural Partners Network to North Carolina
ELM CITY, N.C., Oct. 27, 2022 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the expansion of the Rural Partners Network (RPN) to several communities in North Carolina. RPN is an all-of-government program that partners with rural people to access resources and funding to create local jobs, build infrastructure and support long-term economic stability on their own terms.