EPA to award environmental justice grants

WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday 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 funding, established through the 2022 climate and health law signed by President Biden, marks the largest environmental justice grants the agency has offered. The projects are among the first from an expected $3 billion in block grants targeting underserved communities authorized under the new law.

The program will be overseen by EPA’s new office of environmental justice and external civil rights, which the agency’s administrator, Michael Regan, created last year. The office includes more than 200 staff members at EPA headquarters and in 10 regions.

“Since day one, President Biden pledged to prioritize environmental justice and equity for all, and EPA is at the heart of delivering on that mission,” Regan said.

The funding announced Tuesday “is a key step that will help build strong partnerships with communities across the country and move us closer to realizing a more just and equitable future for all,” Regan said.

Grant applications are due April 10, with projects expected to begin as soon as October, EPA said.

The EPA said it will provide $30 million in direct grants to community-based nonprofit organizations and partners, with $5 million reserved for small communitybased groups with five or fewer full-time employees.

The program also will provide $70 million in funding to states, local governments, and federally recognized Native American tribes.

The EPA awarded $53.4 million in grants in November to enhance air quality monitoring near chemical plants, refineries, and other industrial sites. The grants were funded by the climate law and a coronavirus relief plan approved by Congress in 2021.