EPA highlights IRA funding for environmental justice projects in communities across Kentucky at press event
Publilshed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
ATLANTA (February 21, 2024) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) along with state and local elected officials hosted a press event promoting environmental justice projects across the Commonwealth of Kentucky that are funded by the Inflation Reduction Act.
The EPA announced $2,468,200 to fund 3 projects in Kentucky that advance environmental justice as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The projects, 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.
Thanks to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act—the largest climate investment in U.S. history—this funding is a part the largest investment ever announced under these two longstanding EPA programs. This is the first in a series of environmental justice grant announcements the agency will announce before the end of the year.
“Building collaborative partnerships with our stakeholders is vital to addressing local environmental and public health issues,” said Acting EPA Region 4 Administrator Jeanneane Gettle. “Environmental justice communities that have historically suffered from underinvestment will benefit greatly from these projects that promote clean air, water and climate resilience solutions, leading to healthy communities.”
“Thanks to Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act, we will have the resources necessary to bolster our climate change resiliency,” said Rep. Morgan McGarvey (KY-03). “These funds will help us address decades of underinvestment in my community, particularly in West Louisville, by building and fostering healthy neighborhoods. I’m proud to support President Biden’s environmental justice initiatives and will continue working at the federal level to advance health equity and justice across our country.”
“Louisville families deserve healthy, safe places to call home and the $1.5 million announced today by the EPA will help make that possible for those living in the Rubbertown and California neighborhoods,” said Mayor Craig Greenberg. “We are working to make our city a safer, stronger and healthier place, and thanks to the President, Rep. McGarvey and all our federal partners we are making progress on that goal. I am grateful to everyone who helped make this funding a reality for Louisville.”
“This is a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate and build on Louisville’s air quality progress, including the District’s own Strategic Toxic Air Reduction Program, and support important local environmental justice and health equity work,” said Rachael Hamilton, Director of Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District. “We are grateful to EPA and our partners and look forward to the work ahead
“The voice of the community has informed every aspect of creating Alberta O. Jones Park,” said Brooke Pardue, President and CEO of the nonprofit Parks Alliance of Louisville. “We’re grateful for federal initiatives like this that advance health equity and justice, giving people who’ve experienced the greatest environmental harm the opportunity to find solutions. People-Powered Parks will help us achieve that goal by establishing a community council to steward the park, hiring a park superintendent, and completing a Health Impact Assessment to engage residents in identifying ways the park can improve physical and mental health.”
“I’m thrilled to be part of the Community Council that will work together to steward this important new park,” said Eneitra Beattie, a Chef and Urban Farmer. “I’m honored to serve with the residents who have joined the council, including young people, artists, educators, entrepreneurs, parents, and older adults. We’re committed to bringing our unique skills and perspectives to use Alberta O. Jones Park as leverage to improve health and well-being in West Louisville
The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving (EJCPS) Program
EPA’s EJCPS program provides financial assistance to eligible organizations working to address local environmental or public health issues in their communities. The program builds upon President Biden’s Executive Orders 13985 and 14008, creating a designation of funds exclusively for small nonprofit organizations, which are defined as having 5 or fewer full-time employees, thus ensuring that grant resources reach organizations of lower capacity that historically struggle to receive federal funding. Eleven of the organizations selected for EJCPS this year are small nonprofit organizations, receiving over $1.6 million in total.
EPA’s EJCPS grant selection in Kentucky includes $472,700 for the Parks Alliance of Louisville — People-Powered Parks: Building a Healthy and Resilient West Louisville Neighborhood. This project will actively engage residents of Louisville’s California Neighborhood in the planning, programming, and stewardship of the new 20-acre Alberta O. Jones Park.
Environmental Justice Government-to-Government (EJG2G)
EPA’s EJG2G Program provides funding at the state, local, territorial, and Tribal level to support government activities in partnership with community-based organizations that lead to measurable environmental or public health impacts in communities disproportionately burdened by environmental harms. EPA EJG2G grant selections in Kentucky include the following:
Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government – $1,000,000 for Ambient Air Toxics and Health Action for the Rubbertown Area. The Ambient Air Toxics and Health Action for the Rubbertown Area project seeks to collect ambient air toxics data and identify potential health conditions/diseases that west Louisville residents may be experiencing or for which they are at higher risk based on past and current chemical exposures from ambient air pollution in certain zip codes.
City of Paducah – $995,500 for the Breathing Easier Project in the Southside Community of Paducah. The proposed project will have three primary components: capacity building and community engagement, reducing indoor toxins and air pollution, and improving community health for the eight neighborhoods of the Southside Community.
To learn more about environmental justice at EPA, visit: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice
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Read the full article at: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-highlights-ira-funding-environmental-justice-projects-communities-across-kentucky
