EPA Awards $1.275M to Advance Resilience in Disadvantaged Communities
Publilshed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
BOSTON (Apr. 8, 2024) – EPA’s Southeast New England Program (SNEP) is announcing funding to improve climate resiliency in disadvantaged communities throughout Southeast New England. The SNEP Opportunity to Advance Resilience (SOAR) grant program is committed to investing at least $5 million in disadvantaged communities by 2027 with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In this first year of the program, EPA selected five grantees across Rhode Island and Southeast Massachusetts, representing $1.275M in direct investment in disadvantaged communities.
“It is incredible to see the positive impacts the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continues to produce for our communities and neighborhoods,” said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. “Reinvigorating our communities, especially those that have been disadvantaged for far too long, is a key component of EPA’s mission. With this additional funding for our awardees, we continue to work towards restoring ecosystems, replenishing watersheds and our natural lands, and strengthening communities and making them resilient to the volatile changes in climate we face every day.”
“I spearheaded the creation of SNEP to bring people together – across communities and state lines – to take a strategic, scientific-based approach to protecting and improving the health of the Bay and our entire coastal watershed,” said U.S. Senator Jack Reed.
“Thanks to our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, almost a million dollars in federal grants from Senator Reed’s Southeast New England Program are headed to Rhode Island to harden frontline communities against climate-related threats,” said U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. “These investments will help build climate resiliency in disadvantaged neighborhoods, mitigate flooding, and sustain the coastal areas that are so vital to Rhode Island’s economy and way of life.”
“Rhode Islanders across our state know all too well the devastating impacts of climate change on their lives and livelihoods, and we must treat this issue with the urgency it deserves,” said Representative Seth Magaziner (RI-02). “This starts with investing in climate solutions that will reduce flooding, ensure clean water, address climate vulnerabilities, and protect our most vulnerable residents.”
“These grant awards are a testament to the role of Rhode Island as a leader not only in recognizing the disproportionate climate risks facing our disadvantaged communities, but also as a leader in preparing for and mitigating those risks using methods that are innovative and sustainable.” said Congressman Gabe Amo. “I am grateful for the over $1.2 million in federal funds being provided by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Southeast New England Program network that will directly impact and improve the lives of Rhode Islanders. I look forward to the work ahead.”
The following projects were selected for funding via the 2023 SOAR Fund RFP:
MASSACHUSETTS AWARDS:
Engaging Environmental Justice Communities to Promote Urban Watershed Health and Equitable Access to Nature | $299,926 (Federal), $72,349 (Match)
Worcester, MA | Massachusetts Audubon Society
This project will conduct planning for green infrastructure interventions to reduce flooding predicted to continue to worsen due to climate change, which is a top priority for the City of Worcester as identified in its 2019 Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Plan, based on resident input and data analysis. In addition, building on this proposed work, Mass Audubon seeks to collaborate with community organizations, residents, and municipal departments to launch its Nature in the City initiative in Worcester. The aim of this statewide Mass Audubon program is to co-create city-wide approaches that surface shared concerns and develop a collective vision for green and open spaces with the common goal of increasing access to nature and promoting resident-identified needs, such as improving water quality, reducing flooding and heat islands, enhancing climate resilience, and restoring green spaces in urban settings.
RHODE ISLAND AWARDS:
Understanding Urban Flooding and Finding Community Solutions in Providence, RI | $300,000
City of Providence, RI
The City of Providence is committed to climate justice for frontline communities and plans to develop a community-informed study that models flood risk in disadvantaged communities and recommends proven mitigation strategies. This work will allow the City of Providence to effectively plan for community resilience and seek future funding to address urban flooding in the city’s most vulnerable neighborhoods. Under this project, the City will engage a contractor to 1) conduct an urban flooding mapping analysis of the disadvantaged communities most affected by recent flash flooding events; 2) collect and review recent studies on flooding and recommended mitigation strategies, including those on the Woonasquatucket River watershed, West River, and Pleasant Valley Parkway; 3) coordinate with community organizations to support a series of neighborhood meetings to understand the needs of residents in building a flood-resilient city; and 4) present a coordinated, prioritized approach to urban flood mitigation.
Climate & Change: Where Warren Meets the Water | $75,000
Warren, RI | East Bay Community Action Program *First-time applicant*
In response to rising sea levels that will inundate the Market Street neighborhood of Warren, RI, the Town of Warren has developed the “Market to Metacom” plan (funded previously by the SNEP Watershed Implementation Grants (SWIG) program) to relocate the neighborhood to higher ground. The Town and residents recognize the need for robust resident participation in this transformational process. This project supports outreach, communication, and engagement with residents; the development of a Safety and Climate Resilience Work Group; resident workshops addressing climate anxiety and residents’ experience with the ongoing changes; Community Health Worker support to access resources; and leadership development for residents who will participate in Town planning efforts and neighborhood organizations in a holistic approach that supports community resilience.
Rhode Island Advancing Resilience in Disadvantaged Communities | $300,000
East Providence, RI | Rhode Island Department of Health
The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) and the City of East Providence plan to re-designate Crescent Park Beach as a licensed swimmable beach for the residents of the Riverside neighborhood, the City, and the metropolitan region over a 3-year project period. After decades of work by several different levels of government and non-profit organizations, this project will see the return of public swimming to this beach after approximately a century of non-use due to water quality issues. RIDOH and the City of East Providence see this project as a significant environmental justice victory, and a way to celebrate the success of cleanup efforts in Narragansett Bay. The project will entail the construction of ADA compliant public restrooms at Crescent Park and the hiring of lifeguards at the beach to enable formal designation as a swimmable beach. These new restrooms will also benefit the community by enhancing the many public events held every year. The project offers several benefits to residents of Disadvantaged Communities and increases community and environmental resilience. The beach is easily accessible via the East Bay Bike Trail and public transit, making it a safe, family-friendly amenity available to residents region-wide. With the increase of harmful effects of climate change, this opportunity will allow for local residents to have a safe, outdoor recreational space to use during the summer months.
Westerly’s Resilient Riverfront Renewal | $300,000
Westerly, RI | Southern Rhode Island Conservation District
The Southern Rhode Island Conservation District plans to further implement the Resilient Riverfront Renewal project underway in Westerly, Rhode Island. Along the tidally influenced Pawcatuck River, in the business district of Main Street and surrounding disadvantaged communities, the project seeks to 1) improve the health of the watershed with nature-based solutions for stormwater quantity and quality; 2) promote safe community engagement with business services and the Pawcatuck River; 3) create long-term resiliency with assessment of vulnerabilities to sea level rise and climate change; and 4) engage disadvantaged community participants in workforce training and employment for the maintenance of nature-based solutions.
Background:
SNEP’s mission is to foster collaboration among regional partners across southeast New England’s coastal watersheds to protect and restore water quality, ecological health, and diverse habitats by sharing knowledge and resources, promoting innovative approaches, and leveraging economic and environmental investments to meet the needs of current and future generations.
More information about SNEP can be found here: https://www.epa.gov/snep
Read the full article at: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-awards-1275m-advance-resilience-disadvantaged-communities
