Jessica King, jessica.king@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, in a historic step toward supporting healthier communities, EPA announced the availability of $100 million in environmental justice grants. These funds, made possible through the Inflation Reduction Act, mark the largest amount of environmental justice grants from EPA to date and are designed to support community-based and locally-led solutions to environmental and public health issues.
Approximately $30 million in funding is available directly to community-based nonprofit organizations–with a portion reserved for nonprofits with five or fewer full-time employees–through the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement Program. The remaining $70 million can be accessed through the Environmental Justice Government-to-Government Program and is available to states and territories, Tribes, and local governments acting in partnership with community-based organizations.
Today, EPA continued to build upon the Agency’s critical environmental justice efforts by releasing updated legal guidance to help address the full range of impacts from a variety of pollution and non-pollution sources, also known as cumulative impacts. Available now, EPA’s new Cumulative Impacts Addendum works alongside the Agency’s EJ Legal Tools guide to help accelerate EPA’s environmental justice efforts while providing guidance and clarity to states, Tribes, and the general public.
Applications are due April 10, and interested applicants can find more information and apply here.
In response, Sierra Club National Director of Policy, Advocacy, and Legal Leslie Fields released the following statement:
“To achieve the promise of the IRA and address longstanding impacts of environmental racism, it is critical historically overburdened communities can monitor and participate in the law’s funding opportunities. $100 million in funding is a historic step forward and the largest infusion of environmental justice grants we’ve seen from EPA to date. By supporting environmental and public health projects created and implemented by community-based organizations, these landmark grants can drive local solutions and spur lasting positive changes.
“Far too often, funding from laws like the IRA never actually reaches people and places that need it most. We’re pleased to see EPA Administrator Michael Regan acknowledge that reality, and we’re hopeful this historic investment will support locally-led projects in communities that have been overburdened by harmful pollution and underfunded by federal programs.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.