The Environmental Protection Agency announced it is awarding $100 million in competitive grants for projects that advance environmental justice in communities disproportionately affected by industrial pollution and other hazards. The EPA will offer the grants in two categories. The first will provide $30 million directly to community-based nonprofits through its Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Program. This program backs nonprofits, with $5 million going to small organizations with five or fewer full-time employees. The agency plans to fund about 50 awards of $500,000 and 30 awards of $150,000. The second grant category will give $70 million to state, local and tribal governments that work with nonprofits. The “government-to-government” money will support about 70 projects of up to $1 million each for a three-year period.
Under both programs, the EPA will be giving special consideration to the following focus areas:
Projects addressing climate change, disaster resiliency, and/or emergency preparedness;
Projects located in and/or benefitting rural areas; and
Projects conducting Health Impact Assessments (HIA).