U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will host an environmental justice caucus, a component of the National Brownfields Training Conference, on August 7 from 5 – 7 p.m. at Huntington Place Convention Center’s Portside Ballroom (room 206), located at 1 Washington Blvd., in Detroit. The caucus will be a forum for people and organizations involved in environmental justice to come together, share ideas, build relationships, and communicate directly with EPA.

“We want to hear from the people who have been on the front lines of environmental justice issues for so long,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore. “Together, we can work on projects such as revitalizing brownfields sites to create healthy, thriving communities.”

The caucus is open to the public and free of charge. Advance registration is recommended due to limited seating capacity. The caucus will be held the evening before the National Brownfields Training Conference, which is also being held at Huntington Place Convention Center.

The brownfields conference is August 8-11 and provides a platform for participants to learn about the latest technologies and strategies for cleaning up and reusing contaminated properties, as well as opportunities to connect with peers and potential partners.

Brownfields are abandoned or underutilized properties stigmatized by past commercial or industrial uses. These are an ongoing challenge for communities of every size. EPA’s Brownfields program works collaboratively with federal, state, tribal, local, and private partners to return these sites to productive use. Addressing brownfields advances environmental and human health protection while stimulating economic development and job creation. 

Brownfields and environmental justice go hand in hand. Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to environmental laws, regulations, and policies. 

To register for the environmental justice caucus, click here.

To register or find more information on the National Brownfields Training Conference, click here.

LENEXA, KAN. (JULY 18, 2023) – The West Lake Community Advisory Group (CAG) will host a meeting today, July 18, to discuss the Design Investigation Report at the West Lake Landfill Superfund Site. A representative from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be present to hear community concerns and answer questions about the site and its cleanup.

The meeting is presented in coordination with community partners Just Moms STL, Missouri Coalition for the Environment (MCE), and iFM Community Medicine Clinics.

The site’s Technical Assistance Services for Communities (TASC) advisor will lead the meeting, which will include a presentation discussing current activities at the site. The community is invited to meet with the TASC advisor to share their concerns and ask questions.

This meeting follows a December 2022 CAG meeting where EPA provided the community with results from the site’s stormwater sampling data and updates on the Operable Unit 1 Design investigation, after field work was completed in September 2022. EPA Region 7 has been continually engaged in remedial efforts of the West Lake Landfill Superfund Site since 1989.

Tuesday, July 18, 2023
6 to 8 p.m.
  
Bridgeton Recreation Center
4201 Fee Fee Road
Bridgeton, MO 63044

For more information on the meeting, please contact the site’s Remedial Project Manager, Chris Jump, at jump.chris@epa.gov or 913-551-7141. To learn more about the West Lake Landfill Superfund Site, visit EPA’s Site Profile page.

# # #

Learn more about EPA Region 7

View all Region 7 news releases

Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook

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DALLAS, TEXAS – (July 18th, 2023) As the hurricane season kicks off, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reminds facility operators of preventing, minimizing, and reporting chemical releases during hazardous weather events. Facility operators are obligated to maintain safety, minimize releases that do occur, and report chemical releases or oil spills and discharges in a timely manner, as required under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act and/or the emergency planning provisions of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act and/or the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan.

“As the climate crisis increases the number and intensity of storms, communities living near industrial facilities on the Gulf Coast rely on the owners and operators to prepare for chemical releases, spills and other incidents that could occur during severe weather,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “EPA and our state partners perform large-scale field exercises and post response personnel along the Gulf Coast during hurricane season, and expect regulated facilities to prepare as much as possible to keep their workers and nearby communities safe before, during and after significant weather events.”

The EPA is working with the states of Texas and Louisiana to ensure Gulf Coast communities are prepared for hazardous weather before, during, and after a storm. The EPA reminds facility owners in Texas and Louisiana coastal regions to do their part and be prepared to secure their operations in the event of hurricanes or other weather events.

Unlike some natural disasters, hurricanes and tropical storms are predictable and usually allow facilities to prepare for potential impacts. The EPA reminds facility owners and operators of some basic steps to prepare for hazardous weather:

• Review procedures for shutting down processes and securing facilities appropriately—especially hazardous chemical storage—or otherwise implement appropriate safe operating procedures.
• Review updated state-federal guidelines for flooding preparedness, available here.
• Assure all employees are familiar with requirements and procedures to contact the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802 in case a spill or release occurs.
• Review local response contacts, including Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) and State Emergency Response Commissions (SERCs). A list of these contacts by state is available here.

Prevention and reporting requirements for facilities are available on our webpage. In the event of a hazardous weather incident, please visit our Natural Disasters webpage  for updated emergency information.

Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, Twitter, or visit our homepage.

BOSTON (July 18, 2023) – New England state air quality forecasters are predicting elevated concentrations of fine particle air pollution due to wildfires in Quebec and Northern Ontario. The primary concern is high concentrations of fine particle air pollution that is unhealthy, especially for sensitive groups such as people with respiratory disease, the elderly, or people with compromised health.

Areas that are forecasted to exceed the Federal air quality standard for 24-hour particle pollution level concentrations are:

Connecticut (Northwest corner), Maine (Southwest Coast, Western Interior, Western Mountain, and Northern areas), Massachusetts (Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester counties), New Hampshire, and Vermont

EPA encourages people to check their Air Quality Index (AQI) throughout the day to be aware of their local air quality at (https://www3.epa.gov/region1/airquality/aqi.html). Hazy skies, reduced visibility, and the odor of burning wood is likely as the smoke plumes are transported over the region. During the times that significant smoke is in your area, it is recommended that people with pre-existing medical conditions remain indoors with windows closed while circulating indoor air with a fan or air conditioner. For more tips, see https://www.airnow.gov/wildfires/when-smoke-is-in-the-air/.

Exposure to elevated fine particle pollution levels can affect both your lungs and heart which may cause breathing problems and aggravate asthma and other pre-existing lung diseases. When particulate matter levels are elevated, people should refrain from strenuous outdoor activity, especially sensitive populations such as children and adults with respiratory problems.

Everyone can take steps to keep air emissions down during air quality advisory days. Even during periods of wildfire smoke, reducing your activities that cause air emissions can help decrease pollution. Combining or skipping car trips, using public transportation, and mowing your lawn after 5:00 pm can all have a positive impact on our air quality. Due to impacts from climate change, these kinds of air quality events may increase in frequency. Communities already vulnerable and overburdened will also be impacted by these kinds of events.

Stay up to date on current air quality and forecasts near you through the AirNow app, available for free on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. You also can use the app to check the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map. EPA and the U.S. Forest Service developed the map to give the public information on fire locations, smoke plumes, near real-time air quality and actions to take to protect your health -- all in one place. The map is available at https://fire.airnow.gov, or by tapping the Smoke icon in the AirNow app. It includes data from hundreds of air quality monitors provided by state and local air quality agencies, along with crowd-sourced data from air quality sensors.

More information and Resources:

Real-time ozone data and air quality forecasts New England Air Quality Index 

National real-time air quality data (free iPhone and Android apps) AirNow

Air Quality Alerts EnviroFlash

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposal that will better protect workers from exposure to carbon tetrachloride (CTC), a chemical known to cause serious health risks such as liver toxicity and cancer. This proposal, if finalized, would protect people from these risks by minimizing exposures to workers and communities, while banning uses that have already ceased. The proposal announced today is the fourth proposed risk management rule under the amended Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), demonstrating significant implementation progress as the agency, under the Biden-Harris Administration, works to ensure these hazardous chemicals, including CTC, are being used safely and all communities are protected.

"The science is clear. Exposure to carbon tetrachloride is dangerous and we have a responsibility to protect the public from the risks it poses,” said Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff. “Today's proposal is an important first step to ensuring carbon tetrachloride can be used safely by workers and that surrounding communities are protected.”

CTC is a solvent used in commercial settings as a raw material for producing other chemicals like hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) used in refrigerants, aerosol propellants, foam-blowing agents, chlorinated compounds and agricultural products. Requirements under the Montreal Protocol and the Clean Air Act led to a phaseout of CTC production in the United States in 1996 for most domestic uses that did not involve manufacturing of other chemicals, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the use of CTC in consumer products in 1970.

In its 2020 risk evaluation, EPA determined that CTC presents an unreasonable risk to health, including liver toxicity and cancer from chronic inhalation and dermal exposures, largely to workers and occupational non-users (workers nearby but not in direct contact with this chemical). EPA also identified potential risks to fenceline communities (population in close proximity to source of pollution) from CTC in its 2022 fenceline screening analysis for the ambient air pathway.

If finalized, this rule would require a workplace chemical protection program with strict controls that include inhalation exposure limits and dermal protections for the manufacturing (including import) of CTC, processing, and other industrial or commercial uses which account for essentially the entire domestic production volume of CTC. The workplace chemical protection program would cover uses related to the phasedown of climate pollutants under the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act, the production of chlorine and caustic soda, the manufacture of agricultural products, and repackaging for use as a laboratory chemical, recycling and disposal.

EPA is also proposing workplace controls that would require the use of a fume hood and dermal personal protective equipment for laboratory uses and would establish downstream notification and recordkeeping requirements. Additionally, the proposed rule would prohibit uses of CTC that the Agency determined have already ceased. 

The proposed controls, if finalized, will also advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to environmental justice by reducing exposures to fenceline communities. For example, the proposed rule includes a requirement for owners and operators to attest that engineering controls selected to comply with the rule do not increase emissions of CTC to ambient air outside of the facility. EPA is also seeking comments on additional steps that can be taken, including requiring fenceline monitoring.

EPA encourages members of the public to read and comment on all aspects of the proposed rule. EPA will accept public comments on the proposed rule for CTC for 45 days following publication in the Federal Register via docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0592 at www.regulations.gov.

EPA will also host a public webinar targeted to employers and workers, but useful for anyone looking for an overview of the proposed regulatory action to discuss the proposed program. The date, time and registration information will be announced soon.

Learn more about today’s proposal.

WASHINGTON (14 de julio de 2023) – Hoy, la Agencia de Protección Ambiental de Estados Unidos (EPA, por sus siglas en inglés) lanzó dos Avisos de Oportunidad de Financiamiento (NOFO, por sus siglas en inglés) por $20 mil millones en dos competencias de subvenciones conforme al histórico Fondo de Reducción de Gases de Efecto Invernadero de $27 mil millones, un programa de la Ley de Reducción de la Inflación que es central para la Agenda de Invertir en Estados Unidos del presidente Biden y los objetivos de justicia ambiental. En conjunto, estas oportunidades competitivas de subvenciones movilizarán capital privado en proyectos de tecnología limpia para crear empleos bien remunerados y reducir los costos de energía para las familias estadounidenses, especialmente en comunidades de bajos ingresos y desventajadas, reduciendo a la vez la contaminación dañina para proteger la salud de las personas y abordar la crisis climática. El administrador de la EPA, Michael S. Regan, se unirá hoy a la vicepresidenta Kamala Harris para anunciar las dos competencias de subvenciones junto con el senador Tom Carper (DE), el senador Ed Markey (MA), el senador Chris Van Hollen (MD), el congresista Frank Pallone (NJ-06) y el congresista David Trone (MD-06) en un evento en la Universidad Estatal de Coppin en Baltimore, Maryland, donde recibirán una sesión informativa de los líderes climáticos locales y pronunciarán comentarios.

“El Presidente y yo establecimos metas ambiciosas para reducir nuestras emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero a la mitad para 2030 y alcanzar emisiones netas cero para 2050; las inversiones anunciadas hoy mueven a nuestra nación hacia el logro de estas metas y un futuro más limpio y saludable para las generaciones venideras”, comentó la vicepresidenta Kamala Harris. “Los estudiantes, propietarios de pequeñas empresas y líderes comunitarios con ideas innovadoras para reducir nuestras emisiones y acelerar nuestra transición a la energía limpia ahora verán que sus proyectos se convierten en realidad, generando al mismo tiempo empleos bien remunerados y una economía de energía limpia que funciona para todos”.

“Las comunidades situadas en la primera línea de la crisis climática serán las primeras en recibir los beneficios de las inversiones históricas del presidente Biden en la economía limpia”, señaló el administrador de la EPA, Michael S. Regan. “El Fondo de Reducción de Gases de Efecto Invernadero estimulará la inversión privada en proyectos de tecnología limpia y ampliará las oportunidades económicas para las comunidades que se han quedado atrás, para las familias que desean menores costos de energía y para los trabajadores que necesitan empleos bien remunerados. De esto se trata la agenda Invertir en Estados Unidos del presidente Biden”.

“Ha pasado más de una década desde que se llevó al papel por primera vez la idea de crear un banco climático nacional. Hoy, esa idea se está convirtiendo en realidad. Con el lanzamiento del Fondo de Reducción de Gases de Efecto Invernadero, estamos desplegando herramientas poderosas para ayudarnos a abordar el cambio climático a través de nuevas soluciones innovadoras creando así empleos y estimulando el crecimiento de nuestra economía. Estos fondos servirán como un multiplicador de fuerza para la inversión privada en proyectos de energía limpia a fin de reducir las emisiones y promover la justicia ambiental en comunidades desatendidas en todo el país. Esta es una victoria para los trabajadores, nuestra economía y nuestra lucha para enfrentar la crisis climática”, agregó el senador Chris Van Hollen (MD).

“Hoy, las comunidades de todo el país están recibiendo luz verde para una nueva era histórica de financiamiento ecológico”, señaló el senador Edward J. Markey (MA), presidente del Subcomité de Medio Ambiente y Obras Públicas del Senado sobre Aire Limpio, Clima y Seguridad Nuclear. “Como patrocinador principal de la Ley Nacional del Banco Climático, estoy encantado de celebrar el arduo trabajo del administrador Regan y la administración Biden-Harris y anunciar el inicio de una red nacional de financiamiento limpio, financiada por las inversiones históricas de la Ley de Reducción de la Inflación. Desde proyectos de tránsito limpio hasta de vivienda saludable, los solicitantes de este programa aportarán proyectos que cambian la vida en cuanto a justicia ambiental y en las comunidades de primera línea en todo el país, cumpliendo así la promesa de un futuro habitable para todos”.

“El Fondo de Reducción de Gases de Efecto Invernadero es un programa histórico que nos ayudará a atacar la crisis climática de frente”, comentó la congresista Debbie Dingell (MI-06). “El anuncio de estas competencias de subvenciones restantes es fundamental para distribuir rápidamente estas inversiones a proyectos significativos y comunidades con necesidades más urgentes, acercándonos a una economía equitativa de energía limpia. Aplaudo este anuncio y espero continuar trabajando con la EPA, mis colegas en el Congreso y todos nuestros socios para crear empleos bien remunerados, disminuir los costos de energía y reducir nuestras emisiones de carbono con estas inversiones”.

“La Ley de Reducción de la Inflación es habilitada por el gobierno, pero dirigida por el sector privado. El Fondo de Reducción de Gases de Efecto Invernadero garantizará que las empresas, organizaciones sin fines de lucro y prestamistas comunitarios puedan difundir los beneficios de la Ley de Reducción de la Inflación a las comunidades desatendidas", indicó John Podesta, asesor principal del Presidente para la Innovación e Implementación de Energía Limpia. “El anuncio de hoy realizado por la EPA marca un gran hito en la misión del presidente Biden de expandir la energía limpia para todos los estadounidenses”.

El Fondo Nacional de Inversión Limpia de $14 mil millones proporcionará subvenciones para apoyar a dos o tres instituciones nacionales de financiamiento limpio, permitiéndoles asociarse con el sector privado para proporcionar financiamiento accesible y asequible para decenas de miles de proyectos de tecnología limpia en todo el país. Estas organizaciones nacionales sin fines de lucro permitirán a individuos, familias, organizaciones sin fines de lucro, gobiernos, pequeñas empresas y otros acceder al capital que necesitan para implementar un conjunto diverso de proyectos de tecnología limpia en sus hogares, negocios y comunidades, lo que reducirá la contaminación al tiempo que creará empleos, acelerará el progreso hacia la seguridad energética y reducirá los costos de energía. Y al movilizar cantidades significativas de capital privado, estas organizaciones nacionales sin fines de lucro asegurarán que cada dólar de fondos públicos genere varias veces más en inversión privada. Al menos el 40% de los fondos del Fondo Nacional de Inversión Limpia se dedicarán a comunidades de bajos ingresos y desventajadas, incluidas aquellas que son comunidades rurales, comunidades tribales, comunidades con preocupaciones de justicia ambiental, comunidades energéticas y condados con pobreza persistente.

El Acelerador de Inversión en Comunidades Limpias de $6 mil millones proporcionará subvenciones para apoyar a organizaciones sin fines de lucro con dos a siete centros, lo que les permitirá proporcionar fondos y asistencia técnica a prestamistas comunitarios públicos, semipúblicos, sin fines de lucro y sin fines de lucro que trabajan en comunidades de bajos ingresos y desventajadas, apoyando el objetivo de que cada comunidad del país tenga acceso al capital que necesita para implementar proyectos de tecnología limpia. Estos centros sin fines de lucro permitirán a cientos de prestamistas comunitarios, como instituciones financieras de desarrollo comunitario (incluidas las CDFI indígenas), cooperativas de crédito, bancos verdes, agencias de financiamiento de vivienda e instituciones depositarias minoritarias, financiar proyectos de tecnología limpia en comunidades de bajos ingresos y desventajadas, movilizando también capital privado y desarrollando la capacidad duradera de los prestamistas comunitarios para financiar estos proyectos en los próximos años. El 100% de los fondos del Acelerador de Inversión en Comunidades Limpias se dedicará a comunidades de bajos ingresos y desventajadas.

“Al financiar una red nacional de instituciones financieras sin fines de lucro que entregarán capital a decenas de miles de proyectos de tecnología limpia en comunidades locales de todo el país, el Fondo de Reducción de Gases de Efecto Invernadero transformará las economías locales y nos ayudará a cumplir nuestros objetivos climáticos”, explicó el asesor principal y director interino del Fondo de Reducción de Gases de Efecto Invernadero, Jahi Wise. “Las inversiones como esta ampliarán las oportunidades para las comunidades que con demasiada frecuencia han sido excluidas y dejadas atrás”.

El anuncio de hoy se basa en la competencia Solar para Todos de $7 mil millones que el administrador Regan de la EPA lanzó el 28 de junio de 2023 con el senador Bernie Sanders en un evento en Vermont. Esa competencia, también conforme al Fondo de Reducción de Gases de Efecto Invernadero de la Ley de Reducción de la Inflación, ampliará el número de comunidades de bajos ingresos y desventajadas preparadas para la inversión solar residencial. A través de Solar para Todos, la EPA otorgará hasta 60 subvenciones a estados, territorios, gobiernos tribales, municipios y organizaciones sin fines de lucro elegibles para crear y expandir programas solares de bajos ingresos que brinden asistencia financiera y técnica, como el desarrollo de la fuerza laboral, para permitir que las comunidades de bajos ingresos y desventajadas implementen y se vean favorecidas con la energía solar residencial. Los anuncios de hoy, que culminan la gira Invertir en Estados Unidos del Presidente, marcan los dos anuncios restantes de NOFO para este programa histórico.

Juntas, estas tres competencias conforme al Fondo de Reducción de Gases de Efecto Invernadero ayudarán a cumplir los objetivos climáticos del Presidente de reducir las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero entre un 50 y un 52 por ciento por debajo de los niveles de 2005 en 2030, y lograr emisiones netas cero a más tardar en 2050. También ayudan a promover el compromiso del Presidente con la justicia ambiental y la Iniciativa Justice40, que establece la meta de que el 40% de los beneficios generales de ciertas inversiones federales en clima, energía limpia y otras áreas fluyan a comunidades desventajadas que se hallan marginadas, desatendidas y sobrecargadas por la contaminación, con al menos $18.6 mil millones de los $27 mil millones del Fondo de Reducción de Gases de Efecto Invernadero dedicado a comunidades de bajos ingresos y desventajadas.

Esta inversión fue posible gracias a la agenda Investir en Estados Unidos del presidente Biden, que está haciendo crecer la economía estadounidense desde el medio hacia afuera y de abajo hacia arriba, desde la reconstrucción de la infraestructura de nuestra nación, hasta impulsar más de $500 mil millones en inversiones en manufactura y energía limpia del sector privado en los Estados Unidos, hasta crear empleos bien remunerados y construir una economía de energía limpia que combatirá el cambio climático y hará que nuestras comunidades sean más resilientes.

Elegibilidad e Información para solicitudes del Fondo Nacional de Inversión Limpia

La fecha límite para postular en esta competencia de subvenciones es el 12 de octubre de 2023. La EPA tiene la intención de otorgar dos o tres adjudicaciones en esta competencia. Los solicitantes deben ser organizaciones sin fines de lucro elegibles según se define en la Sección 134(c)(1) de la Ley de Aire Limpio y como se explica con más detalle en el NOFO. Las coaliciones, dirigidas por una organización sin fines de lucro elegible, también son elegibles para postularse a esta competencia. Se pueden encontrar detalles adicionales sobre la elegibilidad en la Sección III del NOFO.

La EPA ha publicado el NOFO para esta competencia de subvenciones en grants.gov.

Elegibilidad e Información para solicitudes del Acelerador de Inversiones para Comunidades Limpias

La fecha límite para postular en esta competencia de subvenciones es el 12 de octubre de 2023. La EPA tiene la intención de otorgar de dos a siete adjudicaciones en esta competencia. Los solicitantes deben ser organizaciones sin fines de lucro elegibles como se define en la Sección 134(c)(1) de la Ley de Aire Limpio y como se explica con más detalle en el NOFO. Las coaliciones, dirigidas por una organización sin fines de lucro elegible, también son elegibles para postular en esta competencia. Se pueden encontrar detalles adicionales sobre la elegibilidad en la Sección III del NOFO.

La EPA ha publicado el NOFO para esta competencia de subvenciones en grants.gov.

Seminarios web informativos

La EPA organizará al menos un seminario web informativo público para cada competencia a fin de entregar información sobre las competencias de subvenciones y los procesos de solicitud. Los detalles y los enlaces para inscribirse en cada uno están a continuación. Los seminarios web serán grabados y publicados en la página web de GGRF de la EPA.

• Seminario web del Fondo Nacional de Inversión Limpia: 26 de julio de 2023, 3:00pm – 5:00pm hora local del Este (Inscríbase aquí).
• Seminario web del Acelerador de Inversiones para Comunidades Limpias: 27 de julio de 2023, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00pm Hora local del Este (Inscríbase aquí).

Las herramientas y recursos para posibles solicitantes, incluida la información del seminario web y las plantillas útiles, se pueden encontrar en la página web de GGRF de la EPA.

Esto es lo que se dice sobre el Fondo de Reducción de Gases de Efecto Invernadero:

“La Administración, junto con los demócratas del Senado, están marcando el comienzo de la revolución de la energía limpia”, comentó el líder de la mayoría del Senado, Charles E. Schumer (NY). “Durante décadas, las comunidades de bajos ingresos y desventajadas se han visto desproporcionadamente afectadas por el cambio climático y los desastres ambientales. Ahora, estamos combinando los dólares públicos con la inversión privada, pensando en estas poblaciones, para crear empleos sindicales bien remunerados, librar a las comunidades de la contaminación y reducir el costo de la energía. Los estadounidenses ya están sintiendo los efectos de la transformadora Ley de Reducción de la Inflación. Y el anuncio del Fondo Nacional de Inversión Limpia y el Acelerador de Inversión en Comunidades Limpias acelerará especialmente la transición de nuestro país a la energía verde”.

“La Ley de Reducción de la Inflación demuestra que podemos abordar la crisis climática y promover la justicia ambiental reduciendo al mismo tiempo los costos de energía y creando empleos bien remunerados en todo nuestro país”, indicó el senador Tom Carper (DE), presidente del Comité de Medio Ambiente y Obras Públicas del Senado. “Al redactar el Fondo de Reducción de Gases de Efecto Invernadero con el senador Markey y nuestros colegas, queríamos asegurarnos de que estas inversiones sin precedentes en energía limpia beneficiarían a las comunidades a menudo pasadas por alto con la mayor necesidad. Estoy encantado de que la administración Biden-Harris esté trabajando rápidamente para implementar responsablemente este programa que ayudará a hacer realidad la energía limpia para más millones de estadounidenses”.

“Trabajando con el presidente Biden, los demócratas de la Cámara de Representantes aprobaron la Ley de Reducción de la Inflación el año pasado para asestar un golpe drástico contra la crisis climática, poner a nuestro planeta en una trayectoria sostenible hacia adelante y defender una economía de energía limpia”, dijo el líder de la minoría de la Cámara Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08). “Fue la mayor inversión climática federal en la historia de la nación. Agradezco al presidente Biden, a la vicepresidenta Harris y al administrador de la EPA Regan por esta inversión histórica de $20 mil millones para ayudar a avanzar en la tecnología limpia en todos los Estados Unidos".

“La semana pasada fue la semana más calurosa en la historia registrada. Luché para promulgar este Fondo de Reducción de Gases de Efecto Invernadero, el primero de su tipo, porque la crisis climática está aquí, y necesitamos usar todas las herramientas en nuestra caja de herramientas para equipar a nuestras comunidades con los recursos que necesitan para combatirla. Afortunadamente, el anuncio de hoy es un gran salto adelante en la dirección correcta”, dijo el congresista Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), miembro de alto rango del Comité de Energía y Comercio de la Cámara de Representantes. “Estas nuevas competencias de financiamiento tienen el poder de transformar nuestra nación mediante el despliegue de energía limpia desarrollada dentro del país, reduciendo la peligrosa contaminación climática, creando nuevos empleos de clase media y asegurando que ninguna comunidad se quede atrás. Estoy complacido con la rapidez con que la EPA está poniendo en marcha este programa crucial y espero con interés la ayuda tan necesaria que brindará a los estadounidenses en todo el país".

Antecedentes adicionales

La Ley de Reducción de la Inflación del Presidente autorizó a la EPA a crear e implementar el Fondo de Reducción de Gases de Efecto Invernadero, una inversión histórica de $27 mil millones para combatir la crisis climática mediante la movilización de financiamiento y capital privado para proyectos de reducción de gases de efecto invernadero y contaminación del aire en comunidades de todo el país. Juntos, el Fondo Nacional de Inversión Limpia del Fondo de Reducción de Gases de Efecto Invernadero, el Acelerador de Inversión en Comunidades Limpias y las competencias de Solar para Todos financiarán el despliegue de tecnología limpia a nivel nacional, financiarán el despliegue de tecnología limpia en comunidades de bajos ingresos y desventajadas y, al mismo tiempo, desarrollarán la capacidad de los prestamistas comunitarios que sirven a esas comunidades, y estimularán la adopción de energía solar distribuida limpia que reduzca las facturas de energía para millones de estadounidenses en comunidades de bajos ingresos y desventajadas. Cada una de estas competencias promueve la Iniciativa Justice40 del presidente Biden ampliando a la vez las oportunidades de empleo bien remunerado en las industrias nacionales.

NEW YORK - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing an opportunity for public input on changes to the cleanup plan to address contaminated soil and debris at the Woodbrook Road Dump Superfund site in South Plainfield, New Jersey. EPA has prepared a document called an Explanation of Significant Differences to summarize the changes and the reasons for them.

The proposed changes that are being announced today document that the estimated cost of the selected cleanup rose from $45.4 million in 2018 to $70 million in 2023 due in part to inflation and increased construction costs. In addition, in 2021, New Jersey created the Peter J. Barnes III Wildlife Preserve which includes the Woodbrook Road Dump Site.

A 30-day public comment period for the proposed Explanation of Significant Differences begins July 14, 2023. EPA will host a public meeting at the South Plainfield Township Courtroom on July 27, 2023, at 6:30 pm to explain the cleanup proposal.

“EPA values community input and involvement as we work to clean up Superfund sites,” said Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “This site is part of a large conservation area in South Plainfield, but it has been polluted by household and industrial waste for decades. After careful re-evaluation, EPA has made a few updates to the original remedy, which the public can review and comment on.”

In 2020, EPA reviewed the selected cleanup plan for the site. The results of EPA’s review, carried out in coordination with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, are presented in the proposed Explanation of Significant Differences. The review confirmed that the 2013 selected cleanup plan remains the best option.

EPA’s cleanup plan for the site was originally documented in a 2013 Record of Decision and modified in a 2018 Explanation of Significant Differences. The cleanup plan includes:

• Removing an estimated 4,000 cubic yards of soil and debris that contains capacitors, capacitor parts and PCB-contaminated soil and debris with PCB concentrations greater than 100 parts per million (ppm) to an approved off-site disposal facility.
• Removing an estimated 143,000 cubic yards of soil and debris that contains PCBs at concentrations greater than 1.1 ppm to an approved off-site disposal facility.

Written comments on the proposed Explanation of Significant Differences may be mailed or emailed to Diane Salkie Sharkey, Remedial Project Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 290 Broadway – 18th Floor, New York, NY 10007, Email: salkie.diane@epa.gov.

For additional background and to see all of the changes in the proposed Explanation of Significant Differences, visit the Woodbrook Road Dump Superfund site profile page.

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.

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Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched two Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) for $20 billion across two grant competitions under the historic $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, an Inflation Reduction Act program central to President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda and environmental justice goals. Together, these competitive grant opportunities will mobilize private capital into clean technology projects to create good-paying jobs and lower energy costs for American families, especially in low-income and disadvantaged communities, while cutting harmful pollution to protect people’s health and tackle the climate crisis. EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan will join Vice President Kamala Harris today to announce the two grant competitions along with Senator Tom Carper (DE), Senator Ed Markey (MA), Senator Chris Van Hollen (MD), Congressman Frank Pallone (NJ-06), and Congressman David Trone (MD-06) at an event at Coppin State University in Baltimore, Maryland, where they will receive a briefing from local climate leaders and deliver remarks.

“The President and I set ambitious goals to cut our greenhouse gas emissions by half by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050—the investments announced today move our nation towards achieving these goals and a cleaner, healthier future for generations to come,” said Vice President Kamala Harris. “Students, small business owners and community leaders with innovative ideas to reduce our emissions and accelerate our clean energy transition will now see their projects become reality, all while creating good-paying jobs and a clean energy economy that works for all.”

“Communities on the front lines of the climate crisis will be the first to reap the benefits of President Biden’s historic investments in the clean economy,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund will spur private investment into clean technology projects and expand economic opportunity for communities that have been left behind, for families that want lower energy costs, and for workers who need good-paying jobs. This is what President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is all about.” 

“It’s been over a decade since we first put the idea of creating a national climate bank on paper. Today, that idea is becoming a reality. With the launch of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, we are deploying powerful tools to help us address climate change through innovative new solutions while creating jobs and growing our economy. These funds will serve as a force multiplier for private investment in clean energy projects to cut emissions and promote environmental justice in underserved communities across the country. This is a win for workers, our economy, and our fight to confront the climate crisis,” said Senator Chris Van Hollen (MD).

“Today, communities around the country are getting a green light for a new historic era of green financing,” said Senator Edward J. Markey (MA), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Safety. “As the lead sponsor of the National Climate Bank Act, I am thrilled to celebrate the hard work of Administrator Regan and the Biden-Harris administration and herald the start of a national clean financing network, funded by the landmark investments of the Inflation Reduction Act. From clean transit to healthy housing, applicants to this program will bring life-changing projects to environmental justice and frontline communities around the country, delivering on the promise of a livable future for all.”

“The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund is a historic program that will help us attack the climate crisis head on,” said Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06). “The announcement of these remaining grant competitions is critical to swiftly distributing these investments to meaningful projects and communities in most urgent need, moving us closer to an equitable clean-energy economy. I applaud this announcement and look forward to continuing to work with the EPA, my colleagues in Congress, and all our partners to create good paying jobs, bring down energy costs, and reduce our carbon emissions with these investments.”

“The Inflation Reduction Act is government-enabled, but private sector-led. The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund will ensure that businesses, nonprofits, and community lenders can spread the benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act to underserved communities,” said John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation. “Today’s announcement from the EPA marks a big milestone in President Biden’s mission to expand clean energy for all Americans.”

The $14 billion National Clean Investment Fund will provide grants to support two-to-three national clean financing institutions, enabling them to partner with the private sector to provide accessible, affordable financing for tens of thousands of clean technology projects nationwide. These national nonprofits will enable individuals, families, nonprofits, governments, small businesses, and others to access the capital they need to deploy a diverse suite of clean technology projects in their homes, businesses, and communities, which will reduce pollution while creating jobs, accelerating progress toward energy security, and lowering energy costs. And by mobilizing significant amounts of private capital, these national nonprofits will ensure that every dollar of public funds generates several times more in private investment. At least 40% of the funds from the National Clean Investment Fund will be dedicated to low-income and disadvantaged communities, including those that are rural communities, Tribal communities, communities with environmental justice concerns, energy communities, and persistent poverty counties.

The $6 billion Clean Communities Investment Accelerator will provide grants to support two-to-seven hub nonprofit organizations, enabling them to provide funding and technical assistance to public, quasi-public, not-for-profit, and non-profit community lenders working in low-income and disadvantaged communities—supporting the goal that every community in the country has access to the capital they need to deploy clean technology projects. These hub nonprofits will enable hundreds of community lenders—such as community development financial institutions (including Native CDFIs), credit unions, green banks, housing finance agencies, and minority depository institutions—to finance clean technology projects in low-income and disadvantaged communities while also mobilizing private capital and building the enduring capacity of community lenders to finance these projects for years to come. 100% of the funds from the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator will be dedicated to low-income and disadvantaged communities.

"By funding a national network of non-profit financing institutions that will deliver capital to tens of thousands of clean technology projects in local communities across the country, the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund will transform local economies and help us meet our climate goals,” said Senior Advisor and Acting Director of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Jahi Wise. “Investments like this one will expand opportunities for the communities that have too often been left out and left behind.”

Today’s announcement builds on the $7 billion Solar for All competition EPA Administrator Regan launched on June 28, 2023 with Senator Bernie Sanders at an event in Vermont. That competition, also under the Inflation Reduction Act’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, will expand the number of low-income and disadvantaged communities primed for residential solar investment. Through Solar for All, EPA will award up to 60 grants to states, territories, Tribal governments, municipalities, and eligible nonprofits to create and expand low-income solar programs that provide financial and technical assistance, such as workforce development, to enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from residential solar. The announcements today—culminating the President’s Investing in America tour—mark the remaining two NOFO announcements for this historic program.

Together, these three competitions under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund will help meet the President’s climate goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 50-52 percent below 2005 levels in 2030—and achieving net zero emissions by no later than 2050. They also help advance the President’s commitment to environmental justice and the Justice40 Initiative, which sets the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments in climate, clean energy, and other areas flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution–with at least $18.6 billion of the $27 billion across the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund dedicated to low-income and disadvantaged communities.

This investment was made possible by President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, which is growing the American economy from the middle out and the bottom up – from rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, to driving over $500 billion in private sector manufacturing and clean energy investments in the United States, to creating good-paying jobs and building a clean-energy economy that will combat climate change and make our communities more resilient.

National Clean Investment Fund Eligibility and Application Information
The deadline to apply to this grant competition is October 12, 2023. EPA intends to make two-to-three awards under this competition. Applicants must be eligible nonprofits as defined in Section 134(c)(1) of the Clean Air Act and as further explained in the NOFO. Coalitions, led by an eligible nonprofit, are also eligible to apply to this competition. Additional details on eligibility can be found in Section III of the NOFO.

EPA has published the NOFO for this grant competition on grants.gov.

Clean Communities Investment Accelerator Eligibility and Application Information
The deadline to apply to this grant competition is October 12, 2023. EPA intends to make two-to-seven awards under this competition. Applicants must be eligible nonprofits as defined in Section 134(c)(1) of the Clean Air Act and as further explained in the NOFO. Coalitions, led by an eligible nonprofit, are also eligible to apply to this competition. Additional details on eligibility can be found in Section III of the NOFO.

EPA has published the NOFO for this grant competition on grants.gov.

Informational Webinars
EPA will host at least one public informational webinar for each competition to provide information on the grant competitions and the application processes. The details and registration links for each are below. The webinars will be recorded and posted on EPA’s GGRF webpage.

• National Clean Investment Fund webinar: July 26, 2023, 3:00pm – 5:00pm ET (Register Here).
• Clean Communities Investment Accelerator webinar: July 27, 2023, 11:00am – 1:00pm ET (Register Here).

Tools and resources for prospective applicants, including webinar information and helpful templates, can be found on EPA’s GGRF webpage.

Here’s what they are saying about the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund:
“The Administration – along with Senate Democrats – is ushering in the clean energy revolution,” said Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (NY). “For decades – low-income and disadvantaged communities have been disproportionally affected by climate change and environmental disasters. Now, we are pairing public dollars with private investment – with these populations in mind – to create good-paying union jobs, rid communities of pollution, and lower the cost of energy. Americans are already feeling the effects of the transformative Inflation Reduction Act. And the announcement of the National Clean Investment Fund and Clean Communities Investment Accelerator will only accelerate our country’s transition to green energy.”

“The Inflation Reduction Act is proof that we can address the climate crisis and advance environmental justice while lowering energy costs and creating good-paying jobs across our country,” said Senator Tom Carper (DE), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “When drafting the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund with Senator Markey and our colleagues, we wanted to ensure that these unprecedented clean energy investments would benefit often overlooked communities with the greatest need. I am thrilled that the Biden-Harris administration is working quickly to responsibly implement this program that will help make clean energy a reality for millions of additional Americans.”

“Working with President Biden, House Democrats passed the Inflation Reduction Act last year to strike a dramatic blow against the climate crisis, set our planet on a sustainable trajectory forward and stand up a clean energy economy,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08). “It was the largest federal climate investment in the history of the nation. I thank President Biden, Vice President Harris and EPA Administrator Regan for this historic $20 billion investment to help advance clean technology across America.”

“Last week was the hottest week in recorded history. I fought to enact this first-of-its-kind Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund because the climate crisis is here, and we need to use every tool in our toolbox to equip our communities with the resources they need to combat it. Thankfully, today’s announcement is a huge leap forward in the right direction,” said Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “These new funding competitions have the power to transform our nation by deploying homegrown clean energy, slashing dangerous climate pollution, creating new, middle-class jobs, and ensuring no community is left behind. I’m pleased with how quickly EPA is getting this critical program off the ground and I look forward to the much-needed help it will deliver to Americans across the country.”

Additional Background
The President’s Inflation Reduction Act authorized the EPA to create and implement the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, a historic $27 billion investment to combat the climate crisis by mobilizing financing and private capital for greenhouse gas- and air pollution-reducing projects in communities across the country. Together, the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund’s National Clean Investment Fund, the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator, and the Solar for All competitions will finance clean technology deployment nationally, finance clean technology deployment in low-income and disadvantaged communities while simultaneously building the capacity of community lenders that serve those communities, and spur adoption of clean distributed solar energy that lowers energy bills for millions of Americans in low-income and disadvantaged communities. Each of these competitions advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative while expanding good-paying job opportunities in domestic industries.

WASHINGTON (July 14, 2023) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched two Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) for $20 billion across two grant competitions under the historic $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, an Inflation Reduction Act program central to President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda and environmental justice goals. Together, these competitive grant opportunities will mobilize private capital into clean technology projects to create good-paying jobs and lower energy costs for American families, especially in low-income and disadvantaged communities, while cutting harmful pollution to protect people’s health and tackle the climate crisis. EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan will join Vice President Kamala Harris today to announce the two grant competitions along with Senator Tom Carper (DE), Senator Ed Markey (MA), Senator Chris Van Hollen (MD), Congressman Frank Pallone (NJ-06), and Congressman David Trone (MD-06) at an event at Coppin State University in Baltimore, Maryland, where they will receive a briefing from local climate leaders and deliver remarks.

“The President and I set ambitious goals to cut our greenhouse gas emissions by half by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050—the investments announced today move our nation towards achieving these goals and a cleaner, healthier future for generations to come,” said Vice President Kamala Harris. “Students, small business owners and community leaders with innovative ideas to reduce our emissions and accelerate our clean energy transition will now see their projects become reality, all while creating good-paying jobs and a clean energy economy that works for all.”

“Communities on the front lines of the climate crisis will be the first to reap the benefits of President Biden’s historic investments in the clean economy,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund will spur private investment into clean technology projects and expand economic opportunity for communities that have been left behind, for families that want lower energy costs, and for workers who need good-paying jobs. This is what President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is all about.” 

“It’s been over a decade since we first put the idea of creating a national climate bank on paper. Today, that idea is becoming a reality. With the launch of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, we are deploying powerful tools to help us address climate change through innovative new solutions while creating jobs and growing our economy. These funds will serve as a force multiplier for private investment in clean energy projects to cut emissions and promote environmental justice in underserved communities across the country. This is a win for workers, our economy, and our fight to confront the climate crisis,” said Senator Chris Van Hollen (MD).

“Today, communities around the country are getting a green light for a new historic era of green financing,” said Senator Edward J. Markey (MA), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Safety. “As the lead sponsor of the National Climate Bank Act, I am thrilled to celebrate the hard work of Administrator Regan and the Biden-Harris administration and herald the start of a national clean financing network, funded by the landmark investments of the Inflation Reduction Act. From clean transit to healthy housing, applicants to this program will bring life-changing projects to environmental justice and frontline communities around the country, delivering on the promise of a livable future for all.”

“The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund is a historic program that will help us attack the climate crisis head on,” said Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06). “The announcement of these remaining grant competitions is critical to swiftly distributing these investments to meaningful projects and communities in most urgent need, moving us closer to an equitable clean-energy economy. I applaud this announcement and look forward to continuing to work with the EPA, my colleagues in Congress, and all our partners to create good paying jobs, bring down energy costs, and reduce our carbon emissions with these investments.”

“The Inflation Reduction Act is government-enabled, but private sector-led. The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund will ensure that businesses, nonprofits, and community lenders can spread the benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act to underserved communities,” said John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation. “Today’s announcement from the EPA marks a big milestone in President Biden’s mission to expand clean energy for all Americans.”

The $14 billion National Clean Investment Fund will provide grants to support two-to-three national clean financing institutions, enabling them to partner with the private sector to provide accessible, affordable financing for tens of thousands of clean technology projects nationwide. These national nonprofits will enable individuals, families, nonprofits, governments, small businesses, and others to access the capital they need to deploy a diverse suite of clean technology projects in their homes, businesses, and communities, which will reduce pollution while creating jobs, accelerating progress toward energy security, and lowering energy costs. And by mobilizing significant amounts of private capital, these national nonprofits will ensure that every dollar of public funds generates several times more in private investment. At least 40% of the funds from the National Clean Investment Fund will be dedicated to low-income and disadvantaged communities, including those that are rural communities, Tribal communities, communities with environmental justice concerns, energy communities, and persistent poverty counties.

The $6 billion Clean Communities Investment Accelerator will provide grants to support two-to-seven hub nonprofit organizations, enabling them to provide funding and technical assistance to public, quasi-public, not-for-profit, and non-profit community lenders working in low-income and disadvantaged communities—supporting the goal that every community in the country has access to the capital they need to deploy clean technology projects. These hub nonprofits will enable hundreds of community lenders—such as community development financial institutions (including Native CDFIs), credit unions, green banks, housing finance agencies, and minority depository institutions—to finance clean technology projects in low-income and disadvantaged communities while also mobilizing private capital and building the enduring capacity of community lenders to finance these projects for years to come. 100% of the funds from the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator will be dedicated to low-income and disadvantaged communities.

"By funding a national network of non-profit financing institutions that will deliver capital to tens of thousands of clean technology projects in local communities across the country, the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund will transform local economies and help us meet our climate goals,” said Senior Advisor and Acting Director of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Jahi Wise. “Investments like this one will expand opportunities for the communities that have too often been left out and left behind.”

Today’s announcement builds on the $7 billion Solar for All competition EPA Administrator Regan launched on June 28, 2023 with Senator Bernie Sanders at an event in Vermont. That competition, also under the Inflation Reduction Act’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, will expand the number of low-income and disadvantaged communities primed for residential solar investment. Through Solar for All, EPA will award up to 60 grants to states, territories, Tribal governments, municipalities, and eligible nonprofits to create and expand low-income solar programs that provide financial and technical assistance, such as workforce development, to enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from residential solar. The announcements today—culminating the President’s Investing in America tour—mark the remaining two NOFO announcements for this historic program.

Together, these three competitions under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund will help meet the President’s climate goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 50-52 percent below 2005 levels in 2030—and achieving net zero emissions by no later than 2050. They also help advance the President’s commitment to environmental justice and the Justice40 Initiative, which sets the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments in climate, clean energy, and other areas flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution–with at least $18.6 billion of the $27 billion across the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund dedicated to low-income and disadvantaged communities.

This investment was made possible by President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, which is growing the American economy from the middle out and the bottom up – from rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, to driving over $500 billion in private sector manufacturing and clean energy investments in the United States, to creating good-paying jobs and building a clean-energy economy that will combat climate change and make our communities more resilient.

National Clean Investment Fund Eligibility and Application Information

The deadline to apply to this grant competition is October 12, 2023. EPA intends to make two-to-three awards under this competition. Applicants must be eligible nonprofits as defined in Section 134(c)(1) of the Clean Air Act and as further explained in the NOFO. Coalitions, led by an eligible nonprofit, are also eligible to apply to this competition. Additional details on eligibility can be found in Section III of the NOFO.

EPA has published the NOFO for this grant competition on grants.gov.

Clean Communities Investment Accelerator Eligibility and Application Information

The deadline to apply to this grant competition is October 12, 2023. EPA intends to make two-to-seven awards under this competition. Applicants must be eligible nonprofits as defined in Section 134(c)(1) of the Clean Air Act and as further explained in the NOFO. Coalitions, led by an eligible nonprofit, are also eligible to apply to this competition. Additional details on eligibility can be found in Section III of the NOFO.

EPA has published the NOFO for this grant competition on grants.gov.

Informational Webinars

EPA will host at least one public informational webinar for each competition to provide information on the grant competitions and the application processes. The details and registration links for each are below. The webinars will be recorded and posted on EPA’s GGRF webpage.

• National Clean Investment Fund webinar: July 26, 2023, 3:00pm – 5:00pm ET (Register Here).
• Clean Communities Investment Accelerator webinar: July 27, 2023, 11:00am – 1:00pm ET (Register Here).

Tools and resources for prospective applicants, including webinar information and helpful templates, can be found on EPA’s GGRF webpage.

Here’s what they are saying about the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund:

“The Administration – along with Senate Democrats – is ushering in the clean energy revolution,” said Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (NY). “For decades – low-income and disadvantaged communities have been disproportionally affected by climate change and environmental disasters. Now, we are pairing public dollars with private investment – with these populations in mind – to create good-paying union jobs, rid communities of pollution, and lower the cost of energy. Americans are already feeling the effects of the transformative Inflation Reduction Act. And the announcement of the National Clean Investment Fund and Clean Communities Investment Accelerator will only accelerate our country’s transition to green energy.”

“The Inflation Reduction Act is proof that we can address the climate crisis and advance environmental justice while lowering energy costs and creating good-paying jobs across our country,” said Senator Tom Carper (DE), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “When drafting the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund with Senator Markey and our colleagues, we wanted to ensure that these unprecedented clean energy investments would benefit often overlooked communities with the greatest need. I am thrilled that the Biden-Harris administration is working quickly to responsibly implement this program that will help make clean energy a reality for millions of additional Americans.”

“Working with President Biden, House Democrats passed the Inflation Reduction Act last year to strike a dramatic blow against the climate crisis, set our planet on a sustainable trajectory forward and stand up a clean energy economy,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08). “It was the largest federal climate investment in the history of the nation. I thank President Biden, Vice President Harris and EPA Administrator Regan for this historic $20 billion investment to help advance clean technology across America.”

“Last week was the hottest week in recorded history. I fought to enact this first-of-its-kind Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund because the climate crisis is here, and we need to use every tool in our toolbox to equip our communities with the resources they need to combat it. Thankfully, today’s announcement is a huge leap forward in the right direction,” said Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “These new funding competitions have the power to transform our nation by deploying homegrown clean energy, slashing dangerous climate pollution, creating new, middle-class jobs, and ensuring no community is left behind. I’m pleased with how quickly EPA is getting this critical program off the ground and I look forward to the much-needed help it will deliver to Americans across the country.”

Additional Background

The President’s Inflation Reduction Act authorized the EPA to create and implement the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, a historic $27 billion investment to combat the climate crisis by mobilizing financing and private capital for greenhouse gas- and air pollution-reducing projects in communities across the country. Together, the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund’s National Clean Investment Fund, the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator, and the Solar for All competitions will finance clean technology deployment nationally, finance clean technology deployment in low-income and disadvantaged communities while simultaneously building the capacity of community lenders that serve those communities, and spur adoption of clean distributed solar energy that lowers energy bills for millions of Americans in low-income and disadvantaged communities. Each of these competitions advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative while expanding good-paying job opportunities in domestic industries.

DENVER (July 13, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Region 8 Office is announcing a grant competition for an "Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center" (EJ TCTAC).  The agency is offering this funding opportunity of up to $10 million to help communities and other environmental justice stakeholders in the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains states access federal assistance and resources to address environmental and energy justice concerns. EPA Region 8 includes the states of Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming and 28 Tribes 

"This grant opportunity will create a technical assistance center to help communities tackle environmental justice concerns in the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains states," said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. "While many of our urban, rural and tribal communities have identified solutions to the environmental challenges they face, there is a significant need for resources to achieve results. This center will help build capacity and deliver federal funds for environmental justice projects across our region."  

“DOE is investing historic levels of funding in clean energy,” said Kelly Cummins, Acting Director of the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations at DOE. “Through this partnership with EPA, we are creating a pathway to help every community access the resources, support, and technical capacity needed to benefit in our nation’s transition to a clean energy economy.” 

In April, EPA announced $177 million in investments for the creation of EJ TCTACs across the country to help underserved and overburdened communities access funds from President Biden's Investing in America agenda. Under this new Region 8 grant opportunity, EPA will partner with the U.S. Department of Energy to select a qualified applicant to deliver much-needed assistance to these communities within Region 8. 

EPA Region 8 issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the EJ TCTAC today and will be seeking applications from eligible entities through September 11.  

The agency will host two informational webinars for prospective applicants, one on July 27 and another on August 10, which will also include a partnership facilitation session.  Access the NOFO and register for the webinars here. 

Until an EJ TCTAC grant is awarded through this upcoming grant competition, EPA Region 8 communities will be able to access assistance through one of the designated national EJ TCTACs. 

Background 

Once awarded, the EPA Region 8 EJ TCTAC will be part of the network of the other EJ TCTACs providing technical assistance on a comprehensive nationwide basis. With these critical investments, the EJ TCTACs will provide training and other technical assistance to community groups, nonprofits, local governments and others to build capacity for navigating federal, state and private grant application systems, writing strong grant proposals and effectively managing grant funding. 

In addition, these EJ TCTACs will provide guidance on engagement in governmental processes, community outreach, meeting facilitation and translation and interpretation services for limited English-speaking participants, removing barriers and improving accessibility for communities with environmental justice concerns. Each of the EJ TCTACs will also create and manage communication channels to ensure the communities they serve have direct access to resources and information. 

Process 

EPA Region 8 will evaluate applications that are received through September 11 and expects to make the award by the end of the calendar year. The award amount will be approximately $10 million for a five-year project period, up to $2 million for each year. 

Eligible applicants who can compete under the NOFO will generally include: 

• Public and private universities and colleges and other nonprofit institutions of higher education such as community colleges 
• Public and private nonprofit institutions/organizations (including philanthropic organizations) 

• Intertribal Consortia – a coalition between two or more Indian tribal governments authorized by the governing bodies of those tribes to apply for and receive assistance and participate in self-governance. 

Entities which received an award for EJ TCTAC funding under the national competition  are not eligible to apply for this opportunity.  

The formation of the EJ TCTACs is in direct response to feedback from communities and environmental justice leaders who have long called for technical assistance and capacity building support for communities and their partners as they work to access critical federal resources. For more information on the EJ TCTACs please visit: EJ Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers program. 

The EJ TCTAC program is part of the Federal Interagency Thriving Communities Network and delivers on the Biden-Harris Administration's Justice40 Initiative to ensure that 40% of the benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities. The new EJ TCTACs will help ensure communities with environmental and energy justice concerns can access President Biden's historic investments in America to address generational disinvestment, legacy pollution, infrastructure challenges and build a clean energy economy that will lower energy costs, strengthen our energy security and meet our climate goals. 

Learn more about Environmental Justice at EPA 

TAMUNING, GUAM - Following Typhoon Mawar, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and their contractors committed to visit every Guam public school, in addition to other education-related facilities, to help assess the amounts and different types of typhoon-impacted hazardous waste and electronic waste (e-waste) needing proper disposal. All 41 public schools on Guam have now been assessed for hazardous waste and e-waste, and all of that material has now been picked up and removed from the schools.

Coordination with the Guam Department of Education and individual school administrators was essential to USEPA and their contractors completing this work under a Federal Emergency Management Agency mission assignment for hazardous waste removal. 

“Working with the Guam Department of Education and school administrators has been vital to our efforts,” said USEPA Incident Commander, Chris Myers. “We are truly appreciative of the local and federal partnership to clear hazardous waste and e-waste from schools so they can prepare for reopening.”

After visiting each school for assessments, USEPA and their contractors returned to load materials onto trucks for transport to debris collection sites for sorting and transfer to USEPA’s staging area in Barrigada. At the staging area, hazardous waste and e-waste is sorted and combined with materials from the collection sites at Ypao/Oka Point in Hagatana, Fairgrounds in Barrigada, and Dededo, then safely loaded into shipping containers for eventual transport to the mainland. 

Common hazardous waste materials picked up at schools included paint, cleaning chemicals, and chemistry lab supplies. Common forms of e-waste included computers, monitors, light bulbs, and solar panels. 

Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
 

DALLAS, TEXAS (July 13th, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a Consent Agreement and Final Order (CAFO) to Callon Permian LLC for emissions from tanks, flares, and other equipment that EPA identified using a helicopter equipped with a special infrared camera that detects hydrocarbon leaks. Callon LLC will perform corrective actions at thirteen of the company’s oil and gas facilities in the West Texas Permian Basin, resulting in an estimated reduction of over 1.2 million pounds of volatile organic compound (VOCs) emissions. VOCs contribute to the formation of ozone (smog), which can result in health problems such as asthma, lung infections, bronchitis and cancer. There also are climate change co-benefits achieved through this settlement in the form of an estimated reduction of over 4.6 million pounds of methane emissions. Methane is a potent climate pollutant that also impacts human health. 

“This settlement will help protect residents of the Permian Basin from hazardous emissions and sends a strong message to facilities in the area that violate the health standards outlined in the Clean Air Act,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “By using state-of-the art technology and helicopter surveillance, we are able to detect these hazardous emissions over a large geographic area. EPA will continue to deliver cleaner air for communities by holding companies accountable through enforcement and compliance.” 

The company failed to comply with requirements for flares, tanks, and combustors as well as general requirements of the federally approved Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP).

The CAFO requires several actions from Callon Permian LLC, including site-specific corrective actions, inspections, equipment upgrades, and permitting and operations reviews. The settlement also requires the company to conduct optical gas imaging surveys at each of their facilities, tank pressure monitoring, and combustion control device monitoring to ensure future compliance. Lastly, Callon Permian LLC must pay a $1,285,000 penalty to resolve the alleged violations.

Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, Twitter, or visit our homepage.

DALLAS, TEXAS (July 13th, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a Consent Agreement and Final Order (CAFO) to Callon Permian LLC for emissions from tanks, flares, and other equipment that EPA identified using a helicopter equipped with a special infrared camera that detects hydrocarbon leaks. Callon LLC will perform corrective actions at thirteen of the company’s oil and gas facilities in the West Texas Permian Basin, resulting in an estimated reduction of over 1.2 million pounds of volatile organic compound (VOCs) emissions. VOCs contribute to the formation of ozone (smog), which can result in health problems such as asthma, lung infections, bronchitis and cancer. There also are climate change co-benefits achieved through this settlement in the form of an estimated reduction of over 4.6 million pounds of methane emissions. Methane is a potent climate pollutant that also impacts human health. 

“This settlement will help protect residents of the Permian Basin from hazardous emissions and sends a strong message to facilities in the area that violate the health standards outlined in the Clean Air Act,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “By using state-of-the art technology and helicopter surveillance, we are able to detect these hazardous emissions over a large geographic area. EPA will continue to deliver cleaner air for communities by holding companies accountable through enforcement and compliance.” 

The company failed to comply with requirements for flares, tanks, and combustors as well as general requirements of the federally approved Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP).

The CAFO requires several actions from Callon Permian LLC, including site-specific corrective actions, inspections, equipment upgrades, and permitting and operations reviews. The settlement also requires the company to conduct optical gas imaging surveys at each of their facilities, tank pressure monitoring, and combustion control device monitoring to ensure future compliance. Lastly, Callon Permian LLC must pay a $1,285,000 penalty to resolve the alleged violations.

Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, Twitter, or visit our homepage.

WASHINGTON (12 de julio de 2023)  — Hoy, la Agencia de Protección Ambiental de Estados Unidos (EPA, por sus siglas en inglés) anunció una propuesta destinada a fortalecer los requisitos a fin de eliminar los peligros de pintura a base de plomo en edificios, así como salas cuna y jardines infantiles anteriores a 1978, conocidos como actividades de reducción, para proteger mejor a los niños y las comunidades de los efectos nocivos de la exposición al polvo generado por la pintura con plomo, promoviendo el enfoque de todo el gobierno del presidente Biden en proteger a las familias y los niños de la exposición al plomo. Si se finaliza, se estima que esta regla reducirá anualmente la exposición al plomo de aproximadamente 250,000 a 500,000 niños menores de seis años.  

Alineándose con el Plan de Acción Federal para reducir la exposición al plomo en los niños, estas normas más estrictas irían un paso adelante para proteger a los niños de los peligros de la exposición al plomo, en apoyo a la histórica inversión de la Administración Biden-Harris a fin de reducir la exposición al plomo y la estrategia de la EPA para abordar las disparidades significativas en la exposición al plomo a lo largo de líneas raciales, étnicas y socioeconómicas.  

La administradora adjunta de la EPA, Janet McCabe, el subadministrador de la EPA para la seguridad química y la prevención de la contaminación, Michal Freedhoff, y la administradora de la Región 2 de la EPA, Lisa García, anunciaron la propuesta junto con funcionarios electos y líderes comunitarios en Newark, Nueva Jersey, una de las ciudades líderes del país en la reducción de la exposición al plomo.  

“La Administración Biden-Harris está adoptando un enfoque de todo el gobierno para garantizar que los más vulnerables entre nosotros, nuestros niños, estén protegidos de la exposición al plomo”, señaló la administradora adjunta de la EPA, Janet McCabe. “Esta propuesta para eliminar de manera segura la pintura con plomo junto con nuestros otros esfuerzos para abastecer agua potable limpia y reemplazar las tuberías de plomo contribuirá en gran medida a proteger la salud de nuestra próxima generación de líderes. Me enorgullece estar junto a la ciudad de Newark, Nueva Jersey, y todos nuestros socios en los Estados Unidos en nuestros esfuerzos críticos para reducir la exposición infantil al plomo”.  

“No hay un nivel seguro de plomo. Incluso los niveles bajos son perjudiciales para la salud de los niños, y esta propuesta nos acercaría a erradicar los peligros de la pintura a base de plomo de los hogares y las salas cuna y jardines infantiles en los Estados Unidos de una vez por todas”, indicó la subadministradora de la Oficina de Seguridad Química y Prevención de la Contaminación, Michal Freedhoff.  

“La ciudad de Newark tiene el honor de ser seleccionada por la EPA como sede donde efectuar su importante anuncio de estas nuevas acciones para proteger a los estadounidenses en todas partes, y especialmente a los niños, contra los peligros del plomo en la pintura”, comentó el alcalde de Newark, Ras J. Baraka. “Movimos montañas en Newark para eliminar el plomo de cada tubería de agua en toda la ciudad porque valoramos la salud y el bienestar de cada residente y entendemos que ninguna cantidad de exposición al plomo es aceptable. Estamos agradecidos con la EPA y la Administración Biden por fortalecer las regulaciones destinadas a eliminar el plomo, estamos comprometidos a apoyar sus esfuerzos”.  

Si se finaliza, la regla propuesta fortalecería las regulaciones de la EPA según la sección 402 de la Ley de Control de Sustancias Tóxicas (TSCA) al revisar las normas de peligro de polvo y plomo (DLHS), que identifican el plomo peligroso en el polvo en pisos y alféizares de ventanas, como también los niveles de limpieza de polvo y plomo (DLCL), la cantidad de plomo que puede permanecer en el polvo en pisos, alféizares de ventanas y canales de ventanas después de las actividades de eliminación de plomo.  

La propuesta de hoy reduciría la DLHS de 10 microgramos por pie cuadrado (μg/pie2) para pisos y 100 μg/pie2 para alféizares de ventanas a cualquier nivel reportable mayor que cero en reconocimiento del hecho de que no existe ningún nivel de plomo en el polvo que se haya encontrado seguro para los niños. La propuesta de hoy reduciría el DLCL de 10 μg/ pie2 a 3 μg/pie2 para suelos, de 100 μg/pie2a 20 μg/pie2 para alféizares de ventanas, y de 400 μg/pie2 a 25 μg/pie2 para los canales de ventanas, que son los niveles más bajos de plomo y polvo posteriores a la reducción que la Agencia cree que pueden alcanzarse de manera fiable y eficaz.  

Los propietarios, los profesionales especializados en la pintura a base de plomo y las agencias gubernamentales utilizan la DLHS para identificar los peligros del polvo y el plomo en las instalaciones residenciales, salas cuna y jardines infantiles que se hayan construido antes de 1978. Si se realiza una actividad de pintura a base de plomo, como la mitigación, el Programa de Actividades de Pintura a Base de Plomo de la EPA exige que las personas y firmas que realicen la reducción tengan certificación y respeten prácticas de trabajo específicas. Después de dicha mitigación, se requieren pruebas para garantizar que los niveles de plomo de polvo estén por debajo del DLCL antes de que una mitigación pueda considerarse completa. 

Históricamente, la norma DLHS y el DLCL de la EPA se han establecido en los mismos niveles. Esta acción propone separar la norma DLHS y el DLCL, que se actualizaron por última vez en 2019 y 2021, respectivamente. Esto se está haciendo de acuerdo con la opinión de un Tribunal de Apelaciones del Noveno Circuito de mayo de 2021, la cual explica que la norma DLHS debe basarse únicamente en factores de salud, mientras que el DLCL debe considerar los factores adicionales de seguridad, efectividad y confiabilidad. La propuesta de hoy alinea la DLHS y el DLCL con la mejor ciencia disponible, fortaleciendo aún más los esfuerzos de la EPA para proteger a los niños contra los peligros del plomo. 

Aunque el gobierno federal prohibió la pintura a base de plomo para uso residencial en 1978, se estima que 31 millones de casas construidas antes de 1978 todavía contienen pintura a base de plomo, y 3.8 millones de ellas tienen uno o más niños menores de 6 años que viven allí, creando riesgos para la salud y el desarrollo de los niños. El polvo contaminado con plomo es una de las causas más comunes de niveles elevados de plomo en la sangre en los niños. El polvo de plomo ocurre comúnmente cuando la pintura a base de plomo se deteriora o se altera. Debido a comportamientos normales como gatear y llevar cosas de la mano a la boca, los niños pequeños se arriesgan particularmente a una mayor exposición por ingerir polvo que contiene plomo. La exposición al plomo puede representar una amenaza significativa para la salud y la seguridad de los niños y puede causar efectos irreversibles y de por vida en la salud, incluidos problemas de comportamiento, menor coeficiente intelectual, crecimiento lento y otros.  

Las comunidades de color y las de menor nivel socioeconómico a menudo corren un mayor riesgo de exposición al plomo porque es más probable que se encuentre pintura deteriorada a base de plomo en áreas de bajos ingresos. Además, las comunidades de color también pueden enfrentar un mayor riesgo debido al legado de la exclusión discriminatoria, la segregación racial histórica en la vivienda y el acceso reducido a viviendas ambientalmente seguras y asequibles. La eliminación de la pintura a base de plomo y la propuesta anunciada hoy reflejan el compromiso de la EPA de promover la justicia ambiental.  

La EPA aceptará comentarios públicos sobre la propuesta durante 60 días después de su publicación a través del expediente EPA-HQ-OPPT-2023-0231 en www.regulations.gov. (En inglés)  

Conozca más detalles sobre las normas de riesgo del polvo de plomo de la EPA y los niveles aceptables. (En inglés)  

Lo que se dice acerca de la propuesta de la EPA  

“Cuando los niños están expuestos al plomo, su salud puede verse afectada irreversiblemente debido a efectos en su cerebro y sistema nervioso y retrasos en su crecimiento y desarrollo”, explicó el senador estadounidense Robert Menéndez. “Es por eso que he luchado incansablemente para garantizar que los niños en los Estados Unidos, y todos los estadounidenses, estén más protegidos de los peligros de la exposición al plomo, especialmente aquellos en comunidades desatendidas que tienen más probabilidades de encontrar pintura y polvo a base de plomo en sus hogares y vecindarios. Aplaudo a la Administración Biden-Harris por fortalecer estas normas cruciales de salud y seguridad a fin de complementar nuestra inversión histórica de $4 mil millones para proteger a los niños de la exposición al plomo y asegurar un futuro más saludable y feliz para ellos”.  

“Las familias de Nueva Jersey no deberían tener que preocuparse de que la exposición al plomo en sus hogares y las instalaciones de cuidado infantil dañen a sus hijos”, comentó el senador estadounidense Cory Booker. La exposición al plomo es una injusticia ambiental que amenaza la salud y el desarrollo de los niños, a menudo en comunidades negras y latinas de bajos ingresos como la mía en Newark. Estoy agradecido con la EPA por tomar medidas importantes para mantener seguros a nuestros niños”.  

“Ningún niño en Newark, el Octavo Distrito Congresional ni en ningún lugar de nuestro país debería correr el riesgo de exponerse al plomo debido a edificios residenciales y comerciales que son anteriores a las regulaciones modernas de pintura con plomo”, señaló el representante federal Rob Menéndez. “A medida que Newark continúa creciendo, las nuevas normas de pintura con plomo de la EPA ayudarán a las familias trabajadoras a estar seguras de que los hogares en los que viven y las salas cunas y jardines infantiles que utilizan están a salvo de los peligros del plomo. Aplaudo el compromiso de la Administración Biden con la salud pública de nuestras comunidades y nuestros niños”.  

“Me enorgullece escuchar que la EPA está tomando medidas directas para proteger a los niños de la exposición peligrosa a la pintura con plomo”, comentó el representante estadounidense Donald M. Payne, Jr. “La exposición al plomo es una de las mayores amenazas para la salud de los niños en todo el país. He sido un firme defensor de los esfuerzos para reducir la exposición de los niños al plomo, especialmente en el agua potable. Presenté la Ley de Prueba de Plomo para asegurarme de que los estados tuvieran un plan para lidiar con la contaminación por plomo en el agua potable de las escuelas a fin de ser elegibles para recibir los fondos federales de agua potable. Estas nuevas normas muestran que la Administración Biden-Harris ha dado un paso adelante para reducir la exposición de los niños a la pintura con plomo, especialmente en áreas de bajos ingresos. Las familias estadounidenses deberían poder enviar a sus hijos a escuelas o salas cuna y jardines infantiles que estén limpios y libres de contaminación por plomo”.  

“La pintura a base de plomo representa el mayor riesgo de exposición al plomo, especialmente en nuestras comunidades más vulnerables, donde la pintura a base de plomo a menudo se encuentra en edificios antiguos o deteriorados”, explicó Sean Moriarty, Comisionado Adjunto del Departamento de Protección Ambiental de Nueva Jersey. “El NJDEP elogia y apoya a la EPA de los EE. UU. por esta propuesta, que además de la inversión federal y estatal en el reemplazo de las tuberías de servicio de plomo, contribuirá en gran medida a proteger la salud y la seguridad de los residentes de Nueva Jersey”.  

“No existe un nivel de plomo en la sangre que sea seguro para los niños.  La exposición al plomo afecta desproporcionadamente a los niños pequeños, causando graves problemas médicos y de comportamiento en la edad adulta. Sabemos que las comunidades de bajos ingresos y las comunidades de color corren mayor riesgo de exponerse al plomo debido a las desigualdades sistémicas”, manifestó Debbie Mans, copresidenta del Comité Directivo de Lead-Free NJ. “Aplaudimos a la EPA por dar este importante paso para reducir la exposición al plomo en los hogares de Nueva Jersey, acercándonos a garantizar que nuestros niños estén libres de envenenamiento por plomo”. 

Próximo taller virtual sobre pintura a base de plomo  

La EPA y el Departamento de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano de los Estados Unidos (HUD, por sus siglas en inglés) también están planeando un taller público virtual para octubre a fin de escuchar las perspectivas de las partes interesadas sobre temas específicos relacionados con los bajos niveles de plomo en la pintura existente, incluidos los posibles efectos en la salud, la relación entre la pintura a base de plomo y el polvo y el plomo, las posibles vías de exposición y las tecnologías para la detección, medición y caracterización de bajos niveles de plomo en la pintura. La EPA y HUD también están interesados en cualquier información disponible sobre las características de la pintura a base de plomo y la evidencia médica relacionada con los bajos niveles de plomo en la pintura. La EPA y HUD utilizarán la información compartida durante el taller para informar su esfuerzo conjunto destinado a revisar la definición federal de pintura a base de plomo y actualizarla, si es necesario.  

Información adicional sobre el taller virtual sobre pintura a base de plomo (en inglés)

Más información de la EPA en español sobre el plomo

For Immediate Release

Contact: R3press@epa.gov
 

EPA Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz Statement on Bay Settlement

PHILADELPHIA, (July 12, 2023) – In a court filing today, EPA and plaintiffs asked for dismissal of a 2020 lawsuit in which plaintiffs claim EPA violated the Clean Water Act by failing to hold Pennsylvania accountable for not meeting commitments to reduce pollution to the Chesapeake Bay.

On July 10, all the parties executed the final settlement agreement resolving all claims brought by the plaintiffs. 

The plaintiffs include five governmental parties (Delaware, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and Anne Arundel Co., MD), two citizens groups (Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Maryland Watermen’s Association), and two individual plaintiffs who own livestock in Virginia (Robert Whitescarver and Jeanne Hoffman).

EPA Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz has issued this statement:

“This settlement closes a chapter of division and allows EPA, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and other parties involved to continue giving our full attention to the work needed to accelerate restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and its vast watershed.  We’re all in this together and, thanks to the Biden Administration, will seize the momentum we have with unprecedented funding going to Pennsylvania and other Bay states and building on the strong partnership we now have with Pennsylvania’s agricultural leaders and farming community.   The opportunities in front of us set the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership up for success as we emerge stronger in this next chapter.”

LENEXA, KAN. (12 DE JULIO DE 2023) – Hoy, en el Centro John Bardo en el campus de la Universidad Estatal de Wichita (WSU), la Administradora de la Región 7 de la EPA, Meg McCollister, se unió a funcionarios de WSU y socios del Centro de Asistencia Técnica de Comunidades Prósperas de Justicia Ambiental (EJ TCTAC) para celebrar la apertura del EJ TCTAC de la Región 7. El nuevo centro servirá a las comunidades en toda la Región 7 de la EPA, que incluye a Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska y Nueve Naciones Tribales.

WSU es uno de los 17 EJ TCTAC, anunciados en asociación con el Departamento de Energía de los Estados Unidos (DOE), que recibirán un total combinado de $177 millones para ayudar a las comunidades desatendidas y sobrecargadas de todo el país a acceder a fondos de la agenda Invertir en EE. UU. del presidente Biden, incluidas inversiones históricas para promover la justicia ambiental. Cada uno de los TCTAC recibirá al menos $10 millones para eliminar barreras y mejorar la accesibilidad para las comunidades con problemas de justicia ambiental.

“La justicia ambiental está en el corazón de todo lo que hacemos en la Región 7 de la EPA”, comentó McCollister. “Junto con la Universidad Estatal de Wichita, podemos proporcionar el tipo de asistencia técnica, orientación y capacitación necesarias para navegar el proceso de subvenciones federales y garantizar que nuestras comunidades desatendidas tengan acceso a las oportunidades históricas de financiamiento de la EPA”.

“Esta subvención de la EPA es una oportunidad notable para que la Universidad Estatal de Wichita impulse la prosperidad de las comunidades rurales y desatendidas que, desafortunadamente, sufren una parte desproporcionada de la contaminación y los peligros ambientales”, indicó el presidente de la Universidad Estatal de Wichita, Dr. Rick Muma. “Esperamos tener la oportunidad de promover la justicia ambiental en nuestra región y fomentar un crecimiento saludable para Kansas y sus vecinos del Medio Oeste”.

Durante la celebración, los socios de justicia ambiental del EJ TCTAC discutieron sus conexiones existentes con la justicia ambiental y la justicia energética. Los socios también proporcionaron una breve descripción de los servicios que prestarán como parte del proyecto. Estos socios fueron seleccionados porque han compartido experiencias con muchas de las comunidades sobrecargadas y desatendidas de la Región 7 de la EPA y estarán en una posición única para conectarse con estas comunidades y proporcionar asistencia técnica que se adapte a sus necesidades. Los socios del EJ TCTAC incluyen: el Heartland Environmental Justice Center, el Consejo Ambiental de Iowa, el Centro para Asuntos Rurales y Metropolitan Congregations United.

Los EJ TCTAC aportarán capacitación y otra asistencia para desarrollar la capacidad de navegar por los sistemas de solicitud de subvenciones federales, escribir propuestas de subvenciones sólidas y administrar eficazmente los fondos de subvenciones. Además, estos centros proporcionarán orientación sobre la participación de la comunidad, la facilitación de reuniones y los servicios de traducción e interpretación para participantes con un dominio limitado del inglés, eliminando así las barreras y mejorando la accesibilidad para las comunidades con problemas de justicia ambiental. Cada uno de los centros de asistencia técnica también creará y administrará canales de comunicación para garantizar que todas las comunidades tengan acceso directo a los recursos y la información. 

La EPA entregará estos recursos en colaboración con el DOE, cuyo financiamiento permite a los EJ TCTAC brindar apoyo a fin de identificar oportunidades comunitarias para la transición de energía limpia y opciones de financiamiento, incluidas asociaciones públicas-privadas que apoyen la demostración de energía limpia, la implementación, el desarrollo de la fuerza laboral y las oportunidades de divulgación que promueven los objetivos de justicia energética.

La formación de los EJ TCTAC es una respuesta directa a los comentarios de las comunidades y los líderes de justicia ambiental que durante mucho tiempo han pedido asistencia técnica y apoyo a fin de desarrollar capacidades para las comunidades y sus socios mientras trabajan para acceder a recursos federales críticos. Los 17 centros proporcionarán cobertura integral para todo Estados Unidos a través de una red de más de 160 socios, incluidas organizaciones comunitarias, instituciones académicas adicionales y Centros de Finanzas Ambientales, para que más comunidades puedan acceder a oportunidades de financiamiento federal como las disponibles a través de la Ley de Reducción de la Inflación del presidente Biden y la Ley Bipartidista de Infraestructura.

Además, la EPA ha seleccionado a tres EJ TCTAC nacionales que proporcionarán asistencia adicional en todo el país, con capacidad particular para ayudar a las tribus, incluyendo:

• Asociación Internacional de Administración de Ciudades/Condados
• Instituto para Comunidades Sostenibles
• Junta Nacional de Salud Indígena

El programa de EJ TCTAC forma parte de la Red Federal Interagencial de Comunidades Prósperas y cumple con la Iniciativa Justice40 de la administración Biden-Harris para garantizar que el 40% de los beneficios de ciertas inversiones federales fluyan a las comunidades desventajadas. Los nuevos centros de asistencia técnica ayudarán a garantizar que las comunidades con preocupaciones de justicia ambiental puedan acceder a las inversiones históricas del presidente Biden en Estados Unidos para abordar la desinversión generacional, la contaminación heredada, los desafíos de infraestructura y construir una economía de energía limpia que reduzca los costos de energía, fortalezca nuestra seguridad energética y cumpla con nuestros objetivos climáticos.

• Conozca más sobre los seleccionados, sus socios y el programa de EJ TCTAC.
• Conozca más sobre justicia ambiental en la EPA.
• Conozca más sobre el EJ TCTAC en WSU.

# # #

Conozca más sobre la Región 7 de la EPA

LENEXA, KAN. (JULY 12, 2023) – Today, at the John Bardo Center on the Wichita State University (WSU) Innovation Campus, EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister joined WSU officials and Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (EJ TCTAC) partners to celebrate the opening of the Region 7 EJ TCTAC. The new center will serve communities throughout EPA Region 7, which consists of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and nine tribal nations.

WSU is one of 17 EJ TCTACs, announced in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), that will receive a combined $177 million to help underserved and overburdened communities across the country access funds from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, including historic investments to advance environmental justice. Each of the TCTACs will receive at least $10 million to remove barriers and improve accessibility for communities with environmental justice concerns.

“Environmental justice is at the heart of everything we do at EPA Region 7,” McCollister said. “Together with Wichita State University, we can provide the kind of technical assistance, guidance, and training necessary to navigate the federal grants process and ensure that our underserved communities get access to EPA’s historic funding opportunities.”

"This grant from the EPA is a remarkable opportunity for Wichita State University to drive prosperity for rural and underserved communities who, unfortunately, carry a disproportional share of pollution and environmental hazards,” said Wichita State University President Dr. Rick Muma. “We look forward to the opportunity to advance environmental justice in our region and promote healthy growth for Kansas and its Midwestern neighbors."

During the celebration, EJ TCTAC environmental justice partners discussed their existing connections to environmental justice and energy justice. Partners also provided a brief overview of the services they will provide as part of the project. These partners were selected because they have shared experiences with many of EPA Region 7’s overburdened and underserved communities and will be uniquely positioned to connect with these communities and provide technical assistance that is tailored to their needs. EJ TCTAC partners include: Heartland Environmental Justice Center, Iowa Environmental Council, Center for Rural Affairs, and Metropolitan Congregations United.

EJ TCTACs will provide training and other assistance to build capacity for navigating federal grant application systems, writing strong grant proposals, and effectively managing grant funding. In addition, these centers will provide guidance on community engagement, meeting facilitation, and translation and interpretation services for limited English-speaking participants, thus removing barriers and improving accessibility for communities with environmental justice concerns. Each of the technical assistance centers will also create and manage communication channels to ensure that all communities have direct access to resources and information.

EPA will deliver these resources in collaboration with DOE, whose funding allows the EJ TCTACs to provide support for identifying community opportunities for clean energy transition and financing options, including public-private partnerships supporting clean energy demonstration, deployment, workforce development, and outreach opportunities that advance energy justice objectives.

The formation of the EJ TCTACs is in direct response to feedback from communities and environmental justice leaders who have long called for technical assistance and capacity-building support for communities and their partners as they work to access critical federal resources. The 17 centers will provide comprehensive coverage for the entire United States through a network of over 160 partners including community-based organizations, additional academic institutions, and Environmental Finance Centers, so that more communities can access federal funding opportunities like those made available through President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

In addition, EPA has selected three national EJ TCTACs that will provide additional assistance across the country, with particular capacity to assist tribes, including:

• International City/County Management Association
• Institute for Sustainable Communities
• National Indian Health Board

The EJ TCTAC program is part of the Federal Interagency Thriving Communities Network and delivers on the Biden-Harris administration’s Justice40 Initiative to ensure that 40% of the benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities. The new technical assistance centers will help ensure that communities with environmental justice concerns can access President Biden’s historic investments in America to address generational disinvestment, legacy pollution, infrastructure challenges, and build a clean energy economy that will lower energy costs, strengthen our energy security, and meet our climate goals.

• Learn more about the selectees, their partners, and the EJ TCTAC program
• Learn more about environmental justice at EPA
• Learn more about the WSU EJ TCTAC

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WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposal to strengthen requirements for the removal of lead-based paint hazards in pre-1978 buildings and child care facilities, known as abatement activities, to better protect children and communities from the harmful effects of exposure to dust generated from lead paint, advancing President Biden’s whole-of-government approach to protecting families and children from lead exposure. If finalized, this rule is estimated to reduce the lead exposures of approximately 250,000 to 500,000 children under age six per year.

Aligning with the Federal Action Plan on reducing lead exposure to children, these stronger standards would go further to protect children from the dangers of lead exposure, in support of the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic investment to reduce lead exposure and EPA’s strategy to address the significant disparities in lead exposure along racial, ethnic and socioeconomic lines.

EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe, EPA Assistant Administrator for Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff and EPA Region 2 Administrator Lisa Garcia announced the proposal alongside elected officials and community leaders in Newark, New Jersey, one of the nation’s leading cities in reducing lead exposure.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is taking a whole-of-government approach to ensuring that the most vulnerable among us — our children — are protected from exposure to lead,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “This proposal to safely remove lead paint along with our other efforts to deliver clean drinking water and replace lead pipes will go a long way toward protecting the health of our next generation of leaders. I am proud to stand alongside the City of Newark, New Jersey, and all our partners across the United States in our critical efforts to reduce childhood lead exposures.”

“There is no safe level of lead. Even low levels are detrimental to children’s health, and this proposal would bring us closer to eradicating lead-based paint hazards from homes and child care facilities across the U.S once and for all,” said Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff.

“The City of Newark is honored to be selected by the EPA as the location for their important announcement of these new actions to protect Americans everywhere – and especially children – from the dangers of lead in paint,” said Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka. “We moved mountains in Newark to remove lead from every water line throughout the city because we value the health and wellbeing of every resident and understand that no amount of lead exposure is acceptable. We are grateful to the EPA and the Biden Administration for strengthening regulations for lead removal we’re committed to supporting their efforts.”

If finalized, the proposed rule would strengthen EPA’s regulations under section 402 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) by revising the dust-lead hazard standards (DLHS), which identify hazardous lead in dust on floors and window sills, and the dust-lead clearance levels (DLCL), the amount of lead that can remain in dust on floors, window sills and window troughs after lead removal activities.

Today’s proposal would reduce the DLHS from 10 micrograms per square foot (µg/ft2) for floors and 100 µg/ft2 for window sills to any reportable level greater than zero in recognition of the fact that there is no level of lead in dust that has been found to be safe for children. Today’s proposal would lower the DLCL from 10 µg/ft2 to 3 µg/ft2 for floors, from 100 µg/ft2 to 20 µg/ft2 for window sills, and from 400 µg/ft2 to 25 µg/ft2 for window troughs, which are the lowest post-abatement dust-lead levels that the Agency believes can be reliably and effectively achieved.

Property owners, lead-based paint professionals and government agencies use the DLHS to identify dust-lead hazards in residential and childcare facilities built before 1978. If a lead-based paint activity such as abatement is performed, EPA's Lead-Based Paint Activities Program requires individuals and firms performing the abatement to be certified and follow specific work practices. Following such an abatement, testing is then required to ensure dust lead levels are below the DLCL before an abatement can be considered complete.

Historically, EPA’s DLHS and DLCL have been set at the same levels. This action proposes to decouple the DLHS and the DLCL, which were last updated in 2019 and 2021, respectively. This is being done in accordance with a May 2021 Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals opinion, which explains that DLHS must be based solely on health factors, while the DLCL must consider the additional factors of safety, effectiveness and reliability. Today’s proposal aligns the DLHS and DLCL with the best available science, further strengthening EPA’s efforts to protect children from lead hazards.

Although the federal government banned lead-based paint for residential use in 1978, it is estimated that 31 million pre-1978 houses still contain lead-based paint, and 3.8 million of them have one or more children under the age of 6 living there, creating health and developmental risks for children. Lead-contaminated dust is one of the most common causes of elevated blood lead levels in children. Lead dust commonly occurs when lead-based paint deteriorates or is disturbed. Due to normal behaviors such as crawling and hand-to-mouth activities, young children are particularly at risk of higher exposure to ingesting lead-containing dust. Lead exposure can pose a significant health and safety threat to children and can cause irreversible and life-long health effects, including behavioral problems, lower IQ, slowed growth and more.

Communities of color and those of lower socioeconomic status are often at greater risk of lead exposure because deteriorated lead-based paint is more likely to be found in lower-income areas. Additionally, communities of color can also face greater risk due to the legacy of redlining, historic racial segregation in housing, and reduced access to environmentally safe and affordable housing. Eliminating lead-based paint and the proposal announced today reflect EPA’s commitment to advancing environmental justice.

EPA will accept public comments on the proposal for 60 days following publication via docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2023-0231 at www.regulations.gov.

Learn more about EPA’s dust-lead hazard standards and clearance levels.

What they are saying about EPA’s proposal

“When children are exposed to lead, their health can be irreversibly affected through impacts to their brain and nervous systems and delays in their growth and development,” said U.S. Senator Robert Menendez. “This is why I have fought tirelessly to ensure children across the U.S., and all Americans, are further protected from the dangers of lead exposure, especially those in underserved communities that are more likely to find lead-based paint and dust in their homes and neighborhoods. I applaud the Biden-Harris Administration for strengthening these critical health and safety standards to complement our historic investment of $4 billion to protect children from exposure to lead, and secure a healthier and happier future for them.”

“New Jersey families should not have to worry about lead exposure in their homes and childcare facilities harming their children,” said U.S. Senator Cory Booker. Lead exposure is an environmental injustice that threatens the health and development of children, often in low-income, Black and Brown communities like mine in Newark. I am grateful to the EPA for taking important steps to keep our children safe.”

“No child in Newark, the Eighth Congressional District, or anywhere in our country should be at risk of lead exposure because of residential and commercial buildings that pre-date modern lead paint regulations,” said U.S. Representative Rob Menendez. “As Newark continues to grow, the EPA’s new lead paint standards will help working families be assured that the homes they live in and the child care facilities they utilize are safe from lead hazards. I applaud the Biden Administration’s commitment to the public health of our communities and our children.”

“I am proud to hear the EPA is taking direct action to protect children from dangerous exposure to lead paint,” said U.S. Representative Donald M. Payne, Jr. “Lead exposure is one of the greatest threats to children’s health across the country. I have been a strong advocate for efforts to reduce children’s exposure to lead, especially in drinking water. I introduced the Test for Lead Act to make sure states had a plan to deal with lead contamination in school drinking water to be eligible for federal drinking water funds. These new standards show that the Biden-Harris Administration has stepped up to reduce children’s lead paint exposure, especially in low-income areas. American families should be able to send their children to schools or childcare facilities that are clean and free of lead contamination.”       

“Lead-based paint poses the greatest risk of lead exposure, especially in our most vulnerable communities, where lead-based paint is often found in older or deteriorating buildings,” said Sean Moriarty, Deputy Commissioner for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. “The NJDEP commends and supports the USEPA for this proposal, which in addition to the federal and state investment in Lead Service Line replacement, will go a long way toward protecting the health and safety of New Jersey’s residents.”

“There is no level of blood lead that is safe for children.  Lead exposure disproportionately affects young children, causing serious medical and behavioral issues into adulthood. We know that low-income communities and communities of color are most at risk from lead exposure due to systemic inequities,” said Debbie Mans, co-chair, Steering Committee, Lead-Free NJ. “We applaud the USEPA for taking this important step in reducing lead exposure in homes across New Jersey, bringing us closer to ensuring our children are free from lead poisoning.”

Upcoming Lead-Based Paint Virtual Workshop

EPA and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are also planning a virtual public workshop for October to hear stakeholder perspectives on specific topics related to low levels of lead in existing paint, including the potential health effects, the relationship between lead-based paint and dust-lead, possible exposure pathways, and technologies for detection, measurement, and characterization of low levels of lead in paint. EPA and HUD are also interested in any available information on lead-based paint characteristics and medical evidence related to low levels of lead in paint. EPA and HUD will use information shared during the workshop to inform their joint effort to revisit the federal definition of lead-based paint and revise it, if necessary.

Additional information on the Lead-Based Paint Virtual Workshop

BOSTON (July 12, 2023) – New England state air quality forecasters are predicting air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups, due to elevated ground-level ozone. The areas that are predicted to exceed the Federal air quality standard for ozone on Wednesday, July 12 are: 

Rhode Island (statewide), Southeastern Massachusetts, and coastal areas of Connecticut

These locations are subject to change, so please refer to EPA New England's AQI Air Quality Index (AQI) for current air quality conditions and forecasts across New England.

With hot, summery weather, EPA and state air quality forecasters predict areas of unhealthy air quality in several areas of New England tomorrow.  EPA and the medical community advise people to limit any strenuous outdoor activity when poor air quality is expected. Also, everyone can take steps to keep air emissions down during air quality alert days.  As climate change increases the probability of warmer weather, these kinds of air quality events are predicted to increase in frequency.  Of course, those communities already vulnerable and overburdened will be most impacted by these kinds of events."

Ground-level ozone forms when volatile organic compounds and oxides of nitrogen (ozone precursors) interact in the presence of strong sunshine. Cars, trucks, and buses emit most of the pollution that creates ozone. Emissions from gasoline stations, print shops, household products, like paints and some cleaners, as well as lawn and garden equipment also add to the ozone formation.

Exposure to elevated ozone levels can cause breathing problems, aggravate asthma, and other pre-existing lung diseases, and make people more susceptible to respiratory infection. When ozone levels are elevated, people should refrain from strenuous outdoor activity, especially sensitive populations such as children and adults with respiratory problems.

When ozone is forecast to be unhealthy for sensitive groups, members of the public are encouraged to help limit emissions and reduce ozone formation by:

• using public transportation, if possible;
• combining errands and carpooling to reduce driving time and mileage; and
• avoiding the use of small gasoline-powered engines, such as lawn mowers, string trimmers, chain saws, power-washers, air compressors, and leaf blowers on unhealthy air days.

During poor air quality events, it is also important to reduce household energy usage, such as setting air conditioners to a higher temperature, turning off unnecessary lights, equipment, and appliances. EPA's ENERGY STAR Program also provides trusted guidance and online tools to help homeowners make smart decisions about improving the energy efficiency of their existing homes.

The current ozone standard is 0.070 parts per million (ppm).

More information:

Real-time ozone data and air quality forecasts New England Air Quality Index

National real-time air quality data (free iPhone and Android apps) AirNow 

Air Quality Alerts  EnviroFlash 

EPA's ENERGY STAR Program

For Immediate Release

Contact: R3press@epa.gov
 

EPA Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz Statement on Bay Settlement

PHILADELPHIA, (July 12, 2023) – In a court filing today, EPA and plaintiffs asked for dismissal of a 2020 lawsuit in which plaintiffs claim EPA violated the Clean Water Act by failing to hold Pennsylvania accountable for not meeting commitments to reduce pollution to the Chesapeake Bay.

On July 10, all the parties executed the final settlement agreement resolving all claims brought by the plaintiffs. 

The plaintiffs include five governmental parties (Delaware, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and Anne Arundel Co., MD), two citizens groups (Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Maryland Watermen’s Association), and two individual plaintiffs who own livestock in Virginia (Robert Whitescarver and Jeanne Hoffman).

EPA Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz has issued this statement:

“This settlement closes a chapter of division and allows EPA, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and other parties involved to continue giving our full attention to the work needed to accelerate restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and its vast watershed.  We’re all in this together and, thanks to the Biden Administration, will seize the momentum we have with unprecedented funding going to Pennsylvania and other Bay states and building on the strong partnership we now have with Pennsylvania’s agricultural leaders and farming community.   The opportunities in front of us set the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership up for success as we emerge stronger in this next chapter.”