Dallas - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in coordination with the North American Development Bank (NADBank), announced the funding for 11 projects totaling $791,225 to be implemented along the U.S.-Mexico border states of Texas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Tamaulipas and Nuevo León.

These projects are funded under the U.S.-Mexico Border 2025 program, whose mission is to protect the environment and public health for residents along the U.S.-Mexico border region. The projects meet the objectives of the program: reduce air pollution; improve water quality; promote sustainable materials management and waste management; and improve joint preparedness for and responses to environmental emergencies.

“The new 2025 program will not only advance public health and the environment in our nation, it will do the same for our neighbors along the U.S. Mexico border as well, said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “The border program remains an important element of both nations to support residents who are suffering from exposure and contamination. It is imperative that national, federal and state officials prioritize citizens health in order to live in a pollution-free world. I would like to thank Mexican officials for their partnership and for placing their trust in EPA.”

We are pleased to continue working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Mexican Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, through the Border 2025 Program, to support communities and institutions on both sides of the border in developing projects and initiatives, including those aimed at educating and training residents to take care of the local environment and their health,” commented NADBank Managing Director Calixto Mateos Hanel. “The large number of applications received for funding from this program confirms that the public is interested in helping improve living conditions in the region”

Border 2025 Project Descriptions:

Texas A&M University, School of Public Health will conduct a project which aims to increase knowledge on reducing exposure to lead in Texas Head Start Centers. The lead curriculum will be distributed through a virtual platform to Head Start Centers, parents, 30 Head Start Center directors, staff, and community health workers in the area.   

Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez (UACJ) will work to increase awareness on the public health effects associated with exposure to high levels of ozone and particulate matter (PM 2.5) in the El Paso, Texas - Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua air basin. This project will engage and empower the local youth by providing them with the tools to learn, collect, and disseminate information to peers about air quality in their area.

Presidencia Municipal Matamoros aims at raising awareness in five rural communities in Matamoros, Tamaulipas on proper waste management and sustainable environmental practices. Each community will have installed waste containers to reduce illegal dumping in these communities and educational workshops will be implemented to inform residents about best waste management. The project team will also build community gardens for the communities while teaching them about composting.

Research, Applied Technology, Education, Services, Inc. (RATES) will focus on developing a pilot project for an early flood warning system; a tool to evaluate real-time monitoring of water bodies to assist in prompt decision-making during storm events. The project team will deploy one Real Time Hydrologic Station (RTHS) in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) to help demonstrate how the system can aid stormwater engineers and researchers understand the hydrological behavior in the region. The project team will also develop a website to promote the RTHS pilot program and disseminate information through six workshops to residents in the counties of Willacy, Hidalgo and Cameron, Texas.

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) will develop an online Artificial Intelligence (AI) salinity forecast tool for water users of the Lower Rio Grande/Río Bravo (LRG) basin in the Texas Counties of Willacy, Hidalgo and Cameron, where salinity levels have slowly been increasing and impacting agricultural production. The AI tool will utilize data such as subbasin rainfall, monitored water temperature and river discharge to help agriculture water users to avoid adverse agricultural impact from high salinity. Training courses and presentations on the use of this online forecasting tool will be held in Willacy, Hidalgo and Cameron counties in Texas.

Pronatura Noreste, A.C. will develop a mobile application (app) with geographical/mapping features, where communities along the Rio Grande or its tributaries, can report environmental concerns such as sources of contamination that directly affect the water quality of the Rio Grande. Data from the app will be shared with Mexico’s water regulating agencies.  A series of in-person workshops, along with online virtual training will be provided to the Mexican communities of Chihuahua, Piedras Negras, Monterrey and Reynosa, to educate them on the use of the app.

Communities Unlimited, Inc will provide sustainable long-term solutions in Hidalgo County, Texas in areas of large minority populations of moderate to low-income households, by surveying failing or absent Decentralized Onsite Wastewater Treatment Facilities (OWTF).  A direct impact of this project will be improving resident’s knowledge on the environmental health impacts of improperly maintained septic tanks.

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) builds upon a Border 2020 Program project funded in 2019 which focused on the Goodenough Spring (Texas). By understanding the hydrochemistry of the region, water agencies will have additional information to make decisions to better protect these water resources which sustain diverse human and ecological communities.

University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) will monitor and assess air quality conditions and to evaluate the public health effects from air pollution at the international crossing of the Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) in El Paso, Texas. Data findings of the project will help identify viable and cost-effective options for reducing vehicle emissions with the hopes that these measures are considered for implementation by the regulatory agencies in the future.

LTM Center for Energy and the Environment, A.C. will focus on the use of personal air monitoring equipment in areas of high vehicle flow to determine how air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, carbon monoxide and black carbon) impact public health in Piedras Negras y Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila. The project team will host a workshop in each city to inform residents of the project findings and educate them on the effects of poor air quality and public health.   

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) seeks increase knowledge on air quality (particulate matter, ozone, carbon monoxide and black carbon) and associated health impacts, and engage the Lower Rio Grande Valley region’s stakeholders, specifically grade school students of all ages, parents and environmental science teachers. Schools selected will be those adjacent to major roadways and highways.  The project team will in turn evaluate the concepts of the Socio-Ecological Model which links health outcomes or behaviors to the interactions between individuals and their environment.

For more information about Border 2025, visit our U.S.-Mexico Border Program page, also available in Spanish at Programa Ambiental México - Estados Unidos.

HELENA, Mont. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on September 30, 2022, that Atlantic Richfield Company (AR) has agreed to complete its cleanup of the Anaconda Smelter Superfund Site (Site) in Deer Lodge County, Montana. This landmark agreement, which was entered by the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana on December 16, 2022 and secures $83M in final remedial actions at the Site, was made possible because of the efforts of many over the past thirty-five years.

Anaconda, Montana now thriving after more than three decades of clean-up efforts by EPA, State, businesses, and the community.

Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release, including additional images.

"This consent decree agreement is an achievement which will ensure the community of Anaconda continues to receive the clean-up and funding it deserves," said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. "I am grateful for all the work EPA staff and the consent decree parties put forth to get to this agreement and look forward to the completion of remaining cleanup actions and the advancement of redevelopment goals in the community.

The Settlement
Under the settlement, AR — a subsidiary of British Petroleum — will complete numerous cleanup activities that had been initiated at the Anaconda Site through EPA administrative orders since the 1990s. Among other actions, AR will finish cleaning residential yards in the towns of Anaconda and Opportunity, clean up soils in upland areas above Anaconda, and fully close and restore the remaining slag piles at the Site. The estimated cost of the remaining work, including operation and maintenance activities to protect lands over the long term, is $83.1 million. In addition, AR will also pay $48 million to reimburse the EPA Superfund Program and Department of Justice for past and interim response costs and future oversight costs and approximately $185,000 to the U.S. Forest Service for oversight of future cleanup actions on Forest Service-administered lands at the Site.

Background on the Site
The Anaconda Smelter Superfund Site resulted from the operations of a former copper smelter in southwest Montana. Located in and near the towns of Anaconda and Opportunity and throughout most of Deer Lodge County, the Site is among many sites in the larger Upper Clark Fork Basin Superfund Area. Contamination from nearly 100 years of copper smelter operations have affected the health and quality of the environment at the Site. EPA estimates more than a billion gallons of groundwater were contaminated, and thousands of acres of soil were affected by the movement of mine wastes and smelter emissions. EPA identified various hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants as contaminants of concern (COCs) for the Site. COCs are the chemical substances found at the Site that EPA has determined pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment. These substances were evaluated by EPA to be addressed by cleanup actions at the Site. These COCs included arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, copper, iron, lead, and zinc. In addition, stack emissions contained sulfur dioxide (SO2) which lowered pH in soils which in turn allowed the metals to impact vegetation.

From 1884 until its closure in 1980, the smelter was the foundation of the local economy, with a reputation as one of the leading producers of copper in the nation and boasting the largest free-standing smokestack in the world, at over 580 feet. The smelter provided much of the copper that drove the Industrial Revolution and was critical to Allied victories in two World Wars.  In 1977, AR purchased Anaconda Copper Mining's holdings, which included the smelting site. When the smelter closed, it devastated the local economy and left the area's soil and water contaminated. Subsequent investigations revealed the degree to which metals had also damaged local vegetation and aquatic systems, the nearby Warm Springs Creek and the headwaters of the Clark Fork River, threatening native Westslope Cutthroat and Bull Trout populations.

In 1983, EPA listed a 300-square-mile area as the Anaconda Smelter Superfund Site on the National Priorities List (NPL), making it a priority for cleanup attention. EPA's Site team began the daunting task of fully investigating the millions of cubic yards of tailings, furnace slag and flue dust, and thousands of acres of soil contaminated by airborne emissions. Detailed cleanup plans and actions would follow, developed through intensive collaboration with state and local partners and the community.

The Early Work, Collaborations, and a Win-Win for the Community
The December 2022 US District Court's approval of the Consent Decree is long-awaited positive news for residents of the Anaconda community, who after more than 35 years, have seen first-hand the careful planning and completion of long-term cleanup projects. Due to the vast amount of land contaminated, these efforts often involved capping the waste to contain it and protect people from coming into contact with it. Soils in other contaminated areas were removed and safely relocated. These long-term actions were extensive and included protecting ground water and taking measures to remove and prevent mine waste from affecting wetlands, creeks, and other ecological resources. Some areas of the Site were affected by years of pollution. All cleanup actions continue to be evaluated to make sure they remain protective of human health and the environment with consideration of how to redevelop the Site to ensure the land can still be used for productive purposes.

EPA's site team has a special perspective on the time and energy that has led to this milestone. Charlie Coleman, EPA's Remedial Project Manager at the Site for over three decades, recently recalled what it was like in the 1980s. "As one of my first EPA Superfund assignments, I remember how important it was to develop solid, trustworthy relationships with the community. People want to know that they are being heard and having an open, transparent dialogue with the community was paramount." Charlie will be retiring in 2023 and he is proud of the relationships that EPA has built over the previous three decades. The results of the cleanup efforts and the economic vitality in this part of Montana are now visible and tangible.

Another one of Charlie's EPA colleagues, Andy Lensink, an EPA Site Attorney who retired last month, considers Charlie to be a lifelong friend since he began working on the Site in 1990. Andy stated that while there were challenges, EPA's philosophy of listening to the concerns raised by residents, property owners, and contractors, and exploring ways to use all available tools, has helped make the Site cleanup successful. Andy has an immense appreciation of all who were involved with the Anaconda Site during the last 30-plus years. Both Charlie and Andy recall early discussions with AR to simply put a fence around portions of the 300 square-mile area of the Site and call their work done. Fortunately, for all involved, EPA and the community did not support this idea-- at the time, the Superfund program was evolving and beginning to recognize that true cleanup needed to incorporate redevelopment and revitalization into cleanup plans and goals for Sites. In Anaconda, the community was a key voice and driver for how the Site would look when successfully cleaned.

Cleanup and Revitalization Land Use
The Site has come a long way since 1983, as cleanup has facilitated substantial economic revitalization. Dozens of new developments now exist on the Site, including a natural gas power plant, a regional rehabilitation facility, and a specialty school providing mental health support services to students. The nineteen businesses on Site now generate nearly $5.8 million in annual employment income, a testimony to the power of Superfund cleanup to reinvigorate the social and economic health of communities.

In one of the most noteworthy reuse outcomes, in 1997, the parties turned 250 acres of the Site into an 18-hole golf course. Designed by golf legend Jack Nicklaus, the course combines historic mining artifacts with beautiful landscaping. Maintenance of the golf course serves the dual purpose of providing recreation and keeping the Site vegetated for remedial purposes.

In addition to recreational reuse, the Site also supports residential and public service developments. Dozens of homes have been built next to the course, and the list of new life and activity on the Site is extensive. For example, in 2008, Community, Counseling and Correctional Services, Inc. developed a regional rehabilitation facility on remediated property. In addition, AWARE, Inc., a private, non-profit corporation that provides community-based services to people with mental, emotional, and physical needs, operates a campus on Site. In 2009, a contaminated abandoned railroad bed was removed west of Anaconda to make way for future highway, sewer, and multi-use trail expansion to the West Valley. There are also several commercial companies at the Site. In 2011, Northwestern Energy began operating an on-Site natural gas-fired electric generation facility, the David Gates Generating Station.

The community has also created a recreational vehicle (RV) park, the Forge Hotel and Barclay's II restaurant is now welcoming overnight visitors and vacationers, and construction continues of a nearly 45,000 square-foot building that will house a Murdoch's Ranch and Home Supply store in Anaconda. The store could open as early as this May.

These activities have helped revive Anaconda and Opportunity and support other business opportunities. As of October 2021, EPA data on 212 on-site businesses showed a total employment of nearly 2,000 people and an estimated $207,925,582 in annual revenue.

Final Stages of Cleanup and Deletion Status as a NPL
With cleanup of the Site over 90% complete, the $83M settlement with AR guarantees the completion of all remaining work including construction, monitoring, and long-term maintenance.  This includes a last call for yard cleanups, upland reclamation in the Mill and Lost Creek drainages, and cleanup of miscellaneous parcels. Construction at the Site is scheduled to be completed by 2027 with a formal process to propose the deletion the site from the NPL, and collect public comment, in following years.

The Future and Leaving a Legacy
Montana's elected officials have been a big part of Site cleanup and redevelopment efforts over the past decades. U.S. Senator Jon Tester is among those who have supported the cleanup and these communities. The Senator recently noted the significance and benefits of past work, saying: "The Anaconda Superfund Site cleanup is an example of what can get done when we hold corporations and the government accountable to local Montana communities. The open communication between folks in Anaconda and the EPA meant that community members knew what was happening with the site and had confidence that the EPA was working in good faith to lay the foundation to move beyond Superfund. I'm glad to see the progress they have made and will keep the pressure on to ensure the work doesn't stop until the community is made whole."

The U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana, Jesse Laslovich, also contributed to the cleanup and settlement and shared a memory of growing up in Anaconda. "As a kid growing up in Anaconda, I fondly remember riding with my grandfather and father in my grandfather's Mack dump trucks as they hauled thousands of yards of slag to the slag pile as part of the initial stages of cleaning up our contaminated land around town.  That slag pile will soon be completely covered.  The dead areas in the Pintler Mountains are now starting to come back to life. And a better future awaits us.  It's a new day in Anaconda, which would not have happened without the creativity, tenacity, and unmatched work ethic of those who came before us. What a legacy. Moving forward under this agreement, may we honor them by being conscientious stewards of our land and waters for generations to come."

The results earned in Anaconda are a source of pride for EPA's Site team, including Charlie, Andy, and all those who contributed to the transformation of the Site. Some visitors were once afraid of Anaconda because of what they didn't know about the contamination. Today, the Site is positioned to reconnect people to the nearby wilderness and recreational assets that make Montana so special. The Site is adjacent to the original Wilderness Area designed after the Wilderness Act passed, the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness. The mountain ranges to the north and west are managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Anaconda now proudly boasts world-class elk hunting, skiing, fishing, and other growing recreational opportunities for the local economy.

Thanks to the Superfund program, Anaconda is well on its way to being a clean, complementary base camp for millions of acres of public land recreation opportunities and is well equipped to have a prosperous future. While work is ongoing, the community of Anaconda is poised to take advantage of its new landscape.

Background on the Superfund Program
EPA's Superfund program is a cornerstone of the work the agency performs for citizens and communities across the country. The revitalization of communities affected by contaminated lands is a key part of Superfund's mission, meeting local needs for thriving economies and improved environmental and public health outcomes. Through EPA's Superfund Redevelopment Program, EPA works closely with communities, developers and property owners to contribute to economic vitality by supporting the return of once-contaminated Sites to safe and productive use.

More information on the Anaconda Superfund site. 

Dallas - El día de hoy, la Agencia de Protección Ambiental de los Estados Unidos (EPA, por sus siglas en inglés), en coordinación con el Banco de Desarrollo de América del Norte (NADBank), anunció el financiamiento de 11 proyectos por un total de USD$791,225 que se llevarán a cabo a lo largo de los estados fronterizos de Texas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Tamaulipas y Nuevo León. 

Estos proyectos se financian en el marco del programa México-Estados Unidos Frontera 2025, cuya misión es proteger el medio ambiente y la salud pública de los residentes a lo largo de la región fronteriza entre México y Estados Unidos. Los proyectos cumplen los objetivos del programa: reducir la contaminación atmosférica; mejorar la calidad del agua; promover la gestión sostenible de materiales y la gestión de residuos; y mejorar la preparación conjunta y la respuesta ante emergencias ambientales peligrosas.

“El cambio climático exacerba las problemáticas de las fronteras, como la pobreza, la inseguridad de los alimentos y la falta de agua; estas consecuencias ponen de manifiesto por qué el Programa de la Frontera sigue siendo un elemento importante para ambas naciones”, expresó la administradora regional, Dra. Earthea Nance. “El Programa de la Frontera seguirá priorizando la seguridad pública en cuanto al manejo de la calidad del aire y el agua, y el desarrollo de una respuesta de emergencia ante los desastres naturales en las comunidades. Quisiera agradecer a los funcionarios mexicanos por su colaboración y por confiar en la EPA”.   

Nos complace seguir colaborando con la Agencia de Protección Ambiental de EE.UU. y con la Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales de México, en el Programa Frontera 2025 para brindar apoyo a comunidades e instituciones en el desarrollo de proyectos e iniciativas entre las cuales se incluyen educar y capacitar a ciudadanos en diversas acciones para el cuidado del medio ambiente local y la salud de los residentes de la frontera entre ambos países”, comentó Calixto Mateos Hanel, Director General del NADBank. “La gran recepción de solicitudes para aplicar a los recursos de este programa confirma que la sociedad está interesada en colaborar para mejorar las condiciones de vida de la región.” 

Descripciones de los proyectos Frontera 2025:

Texas A&M University, School of Public Health llevará a cabo un proyecto cuyo objetivo es aumentar el conocimiento sobre la reducción de la exposición al plomo en Centros Head Start de Texas. El plan de estudios sobre el plomo se distribuirá a través de una plataforma virtual a los Centros Head Start, dirigida a padres, así como a 30 directores de Centros Head Start, incluyendo personal y trabajadores de salud de la comunidad en el área.

Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez (UACJ) trabajará  en la concientización sobre los efectos en la salud pública asociados a la exposición a altos niveles de ozono y material particulado (PM 2.5) en la cuenca atmosférica de El Paso, Texas - Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. Este proyecto implicará y capacitará a jóvenes locales proporcionándoles las herramientas para aprender, recopilar, y difundir información entre sus compañeros sobre la calidad del aire en su área.

Presidencia Municipal Matamoros tiene como objetivo concientizar a pobladores de cinco comunidades rurales de Matamoros, Tamaulipas, sobre la gestión adecuada de los residuos y las prácticas ambientalmente sostenibles. En cada comunidad se instalarán contenedores de residuos con el propósito de reducir los vertidos o tiraderos ilegales. El equipo del proyecto también construirá huertos comunitarios para las comunidades al tiempo que les enseñará sobre el compostaje.

Research, Applied Technology, Education, Services, Inc. (RATES, por sus siglas en inglés), este proyecto se enfocará en el desarrollo de un proyecto piloto para un sistema de alerta temprana de inundaciones; una herramienta para evaluar el seguimiento en tiempo real de escurrimiento masivo de agua con el fin de ayudar a tomar decisiones rápidas durante las tormentas. El equipo del proyecto desplegará una estación hidrológica en tiempo real (RTHS, por sus siglas en ingles) en el Valle Bajo de Río Grande (LRGV, por sus siglas en ingles) para ayudar a demostrar cómo el sistema puede ayudar a los ingenieros e investigadores de aguas pluviales a comprender el comportamiento hidrológico de la región. El equipo del proyecto también desarrollará un sitio web para promover el programa piloto RTHS y difundir información a través de seis talleres a los residentes en los condados de Willacy, Hidalgo y Cameron, Texas.

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV, por sus siglas en inglés) tiene como objetivo desarrollar una herramienta de previsión de salinidad en línea basada en Inteligencia Artificial (IA) para los usuarios de la cuenca del Bajo Río Grande/Río Bravo (LRG, por sus siglas en ingles) en los condados tejanos de Willacy, Hidalgo y Cameron, donde los niveles de salinidad han ido aumentando lentamente y han afectado a la producción agrícola. La herramienta de IA utilizará datos como las precipitaciones en la subcuenca, la temperatura del agua monitorizada y la descarga del río para ayudar a los usuarios de agua para la agricultura a evitar el impacto agrícola adverso de la alta salinidad. Se llevarán a cabo cursos de formación y presentaciones sobre el uso de esta herramienta de previsión en línea en los condados texanos de Willacy, Hidalgo y Cameron.

Pronatura Noreste, A.C.: El objetivo de este proyecto es desarrollar una aplicación móvil con características geográficas y cartográficas en la que las comunidades situadas a lo largo del Río Grande o sus afluentes puedan informar sobre problemas ambientales, como fuentes de contaminación que afecten directamente a la calidad del agua del Río Grande. Los datos de la aplicación se compartirán con los organismos reguladores del agua de México.  Las comunidades mexicanas de Chihuahua, Piedras Negras, Monterrey y Reynosa recibirán una serie de talleres presenciales y formación virtual en línea para enseñarles a utilizar la aplicación.

Communities Unlimited, Inc., este proyecto proporcionara soluciones sostenibles a largo plazo en el condado de Hidalgo, Texas, en las zonas de grandes poblaciones minoritarias de hogares con bajos ingresos económicos, mediante la inspección de las instalaciones descentralizadas de tratamiento de aguas residuales (OWTF, por sus siglas en inglés) que presentan fallan o están ausentes.  Un impacto directo de este proyecto será mejorar el conocimiento de los residentes sobre los impactos ambientales a  la salud a causa de los tanques sépticos mal mantenidos. 

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)se basará en un proyecto del Programa Frontera 2020 financiado en 2019 el cual se centró en el manantial de Goodenough (Texas), este proyecto busca comprender la hidroquímica de la región, a fín de que las agencias operadoras de agua tengan información adicional para tomar decisiones que ayude a proteger mejor estos recursos hídricos que sostienen a diversas comunidades de población y ecológicas.

University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP, por sus siglas en inglés) va a monitorear y evaluar las condiciones de calidad del aire y sus efectos en uno de los cruces internacionales urbanos más céntricos de la región de Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua con El Paso, Texas conocido como  Puente de las Américas (BOTA, por sus siglas en inglés), que se encuentra dentro de  la cuenca atmosférica de Paso del Norte, para lo cual se habrá de utilizar sensores personales y de bajo costo, los que medirán las emisiones de PM2.5. Los resultados y los datos del proyecto ayudarán a identificar opciones viables y rentables para reducir las emisiones de los vehículos, con la esperanza de que estas medidas sean consideradas para su aplicación por los organismos reguladores en el futuro próximo. 

LTM Center for Energy and the Environment, A.C. se enfocará en el uso de equipo personal de monitoreo del aire en áreas de alto flujo vehicular para determinar cómo los contaminantes del aire (PM10, PM2.5, monóxido de carbono y carbono negro) impactan a la salud pública en Piedras Negras y Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila. El equipo de Trabajo de este proyecto organizará un taller en cada ciudad para informar a los residentes de los resultados obtenidos por el proyecto y educarlos sobre los efectos del aire de mala calidad y la salud pública. 

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV, por sus siglas en inglés) busca aumentar los conocimientos sobre la calidad del aire (partículas, ozono, monóxido de carbono y carbono negro) y sus repercusiones en la salud, así como el involucrar a socios y partes interesadas de la región de  Valle Bajo del Río Grande, especialmente a alumnos de primaria de todas las edades, así como a padres de familia y a profesores de ciencias ambientales. El equipo del proyecto evaluará a su vez los conceptos del Modelo Socio Ecológico, que vincula los resultados o comportamientos en materia de salud a las interacciones entre los individuos y su entorno.

Para más información acerca de Frontera 2025, visite nuestra página sobre el programa en inglés y nuestra nueva página sobre el Programa Ambiental Mexico-Estados Unidos en español. 

PHILADELPHIA (Feb. 14, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced today $19,407,000 from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will go to Delaware to address emerging contaminants, like Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in drinking water. A total investment of $2 billion is allocated to states and territories and will be made available to communities as grants through EPA’s Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) Grant Program.  The funding will promote access to safe and clean water in small, rural, and disadvantaged communities while supporting local economies.

“Too many American communities, especially those that are small, rural, or underserved, are suffering from exposure to PFAS and other harmful contaminants in their drinking water,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Thanks to President Biden’s leadership, we are investing in America and providing billions of dollars to strengthen our nation’s water infrastructure while safeguarding people’s health and boosting local economies. These grants build on EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap and will help protect our smallest and most vulnerable communities from these persistent and dangerous chemicals.”

“We cannot wait any longer to address water quality and the health impacts of PFAS in our neighborhoods,” said Adam Ortiz, EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator.  “This federal funding will help Delaware communities impacted by PFAS to get access to clean, safe drinking water.”

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $5 billion over five years to help communities that are on the frontlines of PFAS contamination reduce PFAS in drinking water. The $2 billion announced today to states and territories can be used to prioritize infrastructure and source water treatment for pollutants, like PFAS and other emerging contaminants, and to conduct water quality testing.

“The presence of PFAS in our drinking water continues to present a real danger to communities in Delaware and across our country,” said Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we included robust investments to improve our drinking water and wastewater infrastructure and address toxic contaminants. This funding is a critical next step in removing these forever chemicals from our environment and protecting the health of all Delawareans, including our most vulnerable.”

EPA is also releasing the Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Implementation document. The implementation document provides states and communities with the information necessary to use this funding to address local water quality and public health challenges. These grants will enable communities to improve local water infrastructure and reduce emerging contaminants in drinking water by implementing necessary treatment solutions.

“Access to clean drinking water is fundamental to our health, and every community in Delaware – big or small, urban or rural – deserves the peace of mind that they’re not being exposed to harmful contaminants such as PFAS, said Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.). “I was proud to support the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and these water infrastructure investments that Senator Carper fought hard to include. This funding from the EPA will promote the health and economies of the First State’s underserved communities and complement ongoing efforts to detect and remediate PFAS contamination.” 

Today’s actions represent a significant milestone within the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitments to combat PFAS pollution and safeguard drinking water, and specifically EPA’s October 2021 PFAS Strategic Roadmap. Under the Roadmap, EPA is working across the agency to protect the public from the health impacts of PFAS. EPA has taken a number of actions to deliver progress on PFAS including: 

• Proposing to designate two PFAS as CERCLA hazardous substances. If finalized, this will be a critical step toward increasing transparency around releases of PFAS and holding polluters accountable for cleaning up their contamination.
• Releasing drinking water health advisories. Acting in accordance with EPA’s mission to protect public health and keep communities and public health authorities informed when new science becomes available, the Agency issued drinking water health advisories for four PFAS.
• Laying the foundation to enhance data on PFAS. This included an order under EPA’s National PFAS Testing Strategy requiring companies to conduct PFAS testing, and nationwide sampling through the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule for 29 PFAS in public drinking water systems .
• Expanding the scientific understanding of PFAS. The Agency issued more than 30 scientific publications by EPA researchers and released EPA’s PFAS Thermal Treatment Database.
• Translating the latest science into EPA’s cross-agency PFAS efforts. This included updating EPA’s contaminated site cleanup tables, developing new PFAS methods and conducting toxicity assessments, and issuing draft national recommended water quality criteria to protect aquatic life.
• Continuing engagement with the public. EPA’s PFAS work was informed by public webinars, stakeholder meetings, Congressional testimony, and engagement with EPA’s federal advisory committees.

In addition to this new grant, EPA is also working to propose a PFAS National Priority Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) in the coming weeks. The draft proposed rule is currently undergoing interagency review and EPA will issue the proposed rule for public comment when it clears the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The agency anticipates finalizing the rule by the end of 2023. Together, with today’s announcement, these actions highlight EPA’s commitments outlined in the PFAS Strategic Roadmap to protect public health and the environment from the impacts of PFAS.  They also illustrate the benefits of investing in water—protecting public health and the environment, addressing key challenges facing communities, and creating jobs.

#       #       #

PHILADELPHIA (Feb. 14, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that $18,914,000 from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will go to West Virginia to address emerging contaminants, like Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in drinking water.  A total investment of $2 billion is allocated to states and territories and will be made available to communities as grants through EPA’s Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) Grant Program.  The funding will promote access to safe and clean water in small, rural, and disadvantaged communities while supporting local economies.

“Too many American communities, especially those that are small, rural, or underserved, are suffering from exposure to PFAS and other harmful contaminants in their drinking water,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Thanks to President Biden’s leadership, we are investing in America and providing billions of dollars to strengthen our nation’s water infrastructure while safeguarding people’s health and boosting local economies. These grants build on EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap and will help protect our smallest and most vulnerable communities from these persistent and dangerous chemicals.”

“We cannot wait any longer to address water quality and the health impacts of PFAS in our neighborhoods,” said Adam Ortiz, EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator.  “This federal funding will help West Virginia communities impacted by PFAS to get access to clean, safe drinking water.”

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $5 billion over five years to help communities that are on the frontlines of PFAS contamination reduce PFAS in drinking water. The $2 billion announced today to states and territories can be used to prioritize infrastructure and source water treatment for pollutants, like PFAS and other emerging contaminants, and to conduct water quality testing.

“Every West Virginian deserves clean water to drink and fresh air to breathe. I fought to include funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to deliver critical resources to communities like West Virginia, and I am pleased the EPA is investing more than $18 million in promoting access to safe, clean drinking water across the state.” said Senator Joe Manchin. “The funding announced today will help improve drinking water quality and address emerging contaminants, especially in rural areas. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue advocating for resources to protect the health and wellbeing of communities across the Mountain State.”

EPA is also releasing the Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Implementation document. The implementation document provides states and communities with the information necessary to use this funding to address local water quality and public health challenges. These grants will enable communities to improve local water infrastructure and reduce emerging contaminants in drinking water by implementing solutions such as installing necessary treatment solutions.

Today’s actions represent a significant milestone within the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitments to combat PFAS pollution and safeguard drinking water, and specifically EPA’s October 2021 PFAS Strategic Roadmap. Under the Roadmap, EPA is working across the agency to protect the public from the health impacts of PFAS. EPA has taken a number of actions to deliver progress on PFAS including: 

• Proposing to designate two PFAS as CERCLA hazardous substances. If finalized, this will be a critical step toward increasing transparency around releases of PFAS and holding polluters accountable for cleaning up their contamination.
• Releasing drinking water health advisories. Acting in accordance with EPA’s mission to protect public health and keep communities and public health authorities informed when new science becomes available, the Agency issued drinking water health advisories for four PFAS.
• Laying the foundation to enhance data on PFAS. This included an order under EPA’s National PFAS Testing Strategy requiring companies to conduct PFAS testing, and nationwide sampling through the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule for 29 PFAS in public drinking water systems .
• Expanding the scientific understanding of PFAS. The Agency issued more than 30 scientific publications by EPA researchers and released EPA’s PFAS Thermal Treatment Database.
• Translating the latest science into EPA’s cross-agency PFAS efforts. This included updating EPA’s contaminated site cleanup tables, developing new PFAS methods and conducting toxicity assessments, and issuing draft national recommended water quality criteria to protect aquatic life.
• Continuing engagement with the public. EPA’s PFAS work was informed by public webinars, stakeholder meetings, Congressional testimony, and engagement with EPA’s federal advisory committees. 

In addition to this new grant, EPA is also working to propose a PFAS National Priority Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) in the coming weeks. The draft proposed rule is currently undergoing interagency review and EPA will issue the proposed rule for public comment when it clears the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The agency anticipates finalizing the rule by the end of 2023. Together, with today’s announcement, these actions highlight EPA’s commitments outlined in the PFAS Strategic Roadmap to protect public health and the environment from the impacts of PFAS.  They also illustrate the benefits of investing in water—protecting public health and the environment, addressing key challenges facing communities, and creating jobs.

LENEXA, KAN. (FEB. 14, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of $24,420,000 from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to address emerging contaminants like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water across Missouri.

This funding is part of the $2 billion water infrastructure allotment announced by EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan at an event in North Carolina on Feb. 13, 2023. This investment, allocated to states and territories, will be made available to communities as grants through EPA’s Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) Grant Program and will promote access to safe and clean water in small, rural, and disadvantaged communities while supporting local economies.

“Too many American communities, especially those that are small, rural, or underserved, are suffering from exposure to PFAS and other harmful contaminants in their drinking water,” Regan said. “Thanks to President Biden’s leadership, we are investing in America and providing billions of dollars to strengthen our nation’s water infrastructure while safeguarding people’s health and boosting local economies. These grants build on EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap and will help protect our smallest and most vulnerable communities from these persistent and dangerous chemicals.”

“This investment reflects EPA’s commitment to addressing PFAS contamination and increasing access to funding resources for our communities,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meghan A. McCollister. “These Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grants will enable communities across Missouri to tackle pressing public health concerns by funding water infrastructure upgrades and treatment solutions that increase water quality."

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $5 billion over five years to help communities that are on the frontlines of PFAS contamination reduce PFAS in drinking water. This initial allotment of $2 billion to states and territories can be used to prioritize infrastructure and source water treatment for pollutants, like PFAS and other emerging contaminants, and to conduct water quality testing.

EPA is also releasing the “Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Implementation” document. This implementation document provides states and communities with the information necessary to use this funding to address local water quality and public health challenges. These grants will enable communities to improve local water infrastructure and reduce emerging contaminants in drinking water by implementing solutions such as installing necessary treatment solutions.

Today’s actions represent a significant milestone within the Biden-Harris administration’s commitments to combat PFAS pollution and safeguard drinking water, and specifically EPA’s October 2021 PFAS Strategic Roadmap. Under the Roadmap, EPA is working across the Agency to protect the public from the health impacts of PFAS. EPA has taken a number of actions to deliver progress on PFAS including:

• Proposing to designate two PFAS as CERCLA hazardous substances. If finalized, this will be a critical step toward increasing transparency around releases of PFAS and holding polluters accountable for cleaning up their contamination.
• Releasing drinking water health advisories. Acting in accordance with EPA’s mission to protect public health and keep communities and public health authorities informed when new science becomes available, the Agency issued drinking water health advisories for four PFAS.
• Laying the foundation to enhance data on PFAS. This included an order under EPA’s National PFAS Testing Strategy requiring companies to conduct PFAS testing, and nationwide sampling through the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule for 29 PFAS in public drinking water systems.
• Expanding the scientific understanding of PFAS. The Agency issued over 30 scientific publications by EPA researchers and released EPA’s PFAS Thermal Treatment Database.
• Translating the latest science into EPA’s cross-agency PFAS efforts. This included updating EPA’s contaminated site cleanup tables, developing new PFAS methods and conducting toxicity assessments, and issuing draft national recommended water quality criteria to protect aquatic life.
• Continuing engagement with the public. EPA’s PFAS work was informed by public webinars, stakeholder meetings, Congressional testimony, and engagement with EPA’s federal advisory committees.

In addition to this new grant, EPA is also working to propose PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR) in the coming weeks. The draft proposed rule is currently undergoing interagency review and EPA will issue the proposed rule for public comment when it clears the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The Agency anticipates finalizing the rule by the end of 2023. Together, with today’s announcement, these actions highlight EPA’s commitments outlined in the PFAS Strategic Roadmap to protect public health and the environment from the impacts of PFAS. They also illustrate the benefits of investing in water – protecting public health and the environment, addressing key challenges facing communities, and creating jobs.

For more information, visit EPA’s website.

# # #

Learn more about EPA Region 7

View all Region 7 news releases

Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook: www.facebook.com/eparegion7

Follow us on Twitter: @EPARegion7

LENEXA, KAN. (FEB. 14, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of $18,914,000 from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to address emerging contaminants like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water across Kansas.

This funding is part of the $2 billion water infrastructure allotment announced by EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan at an event in North Carolina on Feb. 13, 2023. This investment, allocated to states and territories, will be made available to communities as grants through EPA’s Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) Grant Program and will promote access to safe and clean water in small, rural, and disadvantaged communities while supporting local economies.

“Too many American communities, especially those that are small, rural, or underserved, are suffering from exposure to PFAS and other harmful contaminants in their drinking water,” Regan said. “Thanks to President Biden’s leadership, we are investing in America and providing billions of dollars to strengthen our nation’s water infrastructure while safeguarding people’s health and boosting local economies. These grants build on EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap and will help protect our smallest and most vulnerable communities from these persistent and dangerous chemicals.”

“This investment reflects EPA’s commitment to addressing PFAS contamination and increasing access to funding resources for our communities,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meghan A. McCollister. “These Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grants will enable communities across Kansas to tackle pressing public health concerns by funding water infrastructure upgrades and treatment solutions that increase water quality."

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $5 billion over five years to help communities that are on the frontlines of PFAS contamination reduce PFAS in drinking water. This initial allotment of $2 billion to states and territories can be used to prioritize infrastructure and source water treatment for pollutants, like PFAS and other emerging contaminants, and to conduct water quality testing.

EPA is also releasing the “Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Implementation” document. This implementation document provides states and communities with the information necessary to use this funding to address local water quality and public health challenges. These grants will enable communities to improve local water infrastructure and reduce emerging contaminants in drinking water by implementing solutions such as installing necessary treatment solutions.

Today’s actions represent a significant milestone within the Biden-Harris administration’s commitments to combat PFAS pollution and safeguard drinking water, and specifically EPA’s October 2021 PFAS Strategic Roadmap. Under the Roadmap, EPA is working across the Agency to protect the public from the health impacts of PFAS. EPA has taken a number of actions to deliver progress on PFAS including:

• Proposing to designate two PFAS as CERCLA hazardous substances. If finalized, this will be a critical step toward increasing transparency around releases of PFAS and holding polluters accountable for cleaning up their contamination.
• Releasing drinking water health advisories. Acting in accordance with EPA’s mission to protect public health and keep communities and public health authorities informed when new science becomes available, the Agency issued drinking water health advisories for four PFAS.
• Laying the foundation to enhance data on PFAS. This included an order under EPA’s National PFAS Testing Strategy requiring companies to conduct PFAS testing, and nationwide sampling through the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule for 29 PFAS in public drinking water systems.
• Expanding the scientific understanding of PFAS. The Agency issued over 30 scientific publications by EPA researchers and released EPA’s PFAS Thermal Treatment Database.
• Translating the latest science into EPA’s cross-agency PFAS efforts. This included updating EPA’s contaminated site cleanup tables, developing new PFAS methods and conducting toxicity assessments, and issuing draft national recommended water quality criteria to protect aquatic life.
• Continuing engagement with the public. EPA’s PFAS work was informed by public webinars, stakeholder meetings, Congressional testimony, and engagement with EPA’s federal advisory committees.

In addition to this new grant, EPA is also working to propose PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR) in the coming weeks. The draft proposed rule is currently undergoing interagency review and EPA will issue the proposed rule for public comment when it clears the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The Agency anticipates finalizing the rule by the end of 2023. Together, with today’s announcement, these actions highlight EPA’s commitments outlined in the PFAS Strategic Roadmap to protect public health and the environment from the impacts of PFAS. They also illustrate the benefits of investing in water – protecting public health and the environment, addressing key challenges facing communities, and creating jobs.

For more information, visit EPA’s website.

# # #

Learn more about EPA Region 7

View all Region 7 news releases

Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook: www.facebook.com/eparegion7

Follow us on Twitter: @EPARegion7

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that the Los Angeles Conservation Corps (LACC) has received a $500,000 Brownfields job training grant. These funds, supported by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, enable LACC to train and place 80 unemployed or dislocated residents from South L.A. and Boyle Heights in environmental jobs.

“We are proud of the important workforce development efforts the Los Angeles Conservation Corps achieves with this funding,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA is bringing unprecedented resources to our longstanding local partners, revitalizing underserved communities, and advancing environmental justice.”

"The LA Conservation Corps has enjoyed and benefitted from a long relationship with the Environmental Protection Agency,” said the Corps’ CEO Wendy Butts. "Our Corpsmembers have embraced the training, certificates, and job opportunities that this partnership presents. We are proud that this long-standing partnership has placed so many of our Corpsmembers in jobs that provide economic stability and mobility while caring for the environmental future of our city." 

“I am proud that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s impact is already being felt in our communities, creating good-paying, union jobs and providing everyone with the opportunity to be a part of the green economy,” said Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34). “The federal funding announced today will train Angelenos from Boyle Heights and South L.A. to tackle the environmental challenges that affect our city and planet while providing the tools and resources they need to thrive in the workforce. This is how we support our communities that have been disproportionately impacted by climate change and environmental injustice while growing our economy from the bottom up and middle out.”

Through LACC’s training, graduates earn a variety of certifications to ensure that employment opportunities lead to long-term careers with local unions, environmental contractors, private industry, and the public sector. The training program includes instruction on hazardous materials management, workplace safety, First Aid/CPR, confined space entry, fall protection, environmental site awareness, pesticide application, mold remediation, and lead abatement. Participants will complete the program holding three federal, three state, and 12 industry-recognized certifications. To date, LACC has received 11 Brownfields job training grants totaling $2.8M from 2005-2020 and trained 641 students with that support.

Funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, these grants support communities actively cleaning up and preparing “brownfield sites” for reuse. Brownfields are vacant or underutilized properties that may have contamination from past uses. Rather than filling local jobs with contractors from distant communities, grant recipients prepare local residents to satisfy this job demand. Individuals completing a job training program funded by EPA often overcome a variety of barriers to employment, and many of these individuals are from historically underserved neighborhoods affected by environmental justice issues. Job training and workforce development are important parts of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to advancing economic opportunities and addressing environmental justice issues in underserved communities to build a better America.

For more information on this and other Brownfields Program grants, please visit the Brownfields Job Training Grants webpage.

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

LENEXA, KAN. (FEB. 14, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of $18,914,000 from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to address emerging contaminants like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water across Iowa.

This funding is part of the $2 billion water infrastructure allotment announced by EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan at an event in North Carolina on Feb. 13, 2023. This investment, allocated to states and territories, will be made available to communities as grants through EPA’s Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) Grant Program and will promote access to safe and clean water in small, rural, and disadvantaged communities while supporting local economies.

“Too many American communities, especially those that are small, rural, or underserved, are suffering from exposure to PFAS and other harmful contaminants in their drinking water,” Regan said. “Thanks to President Biden’s leadership, we are investing in America and providing billions of dollars to strengthen our nation’s water infrastructure while safeguarding people’s health and boosting local economies. These grants build on EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap and will help protect our smallest and most vulnerable communities from these persistent and dangerous chemicals.”

“This investment reflects EPA’s commitment to addressing PFAS contamination and increasing access to funding resources for our communities,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meghan A. McCollister. “These Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grants will enable communities across Iowa to tackle pressing public health concerns by funding water infrastructure upgrades and treatment solutions that increase water quality."

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $5 billion over five years to help communities that are on the frontlines of PFAS contamination reduce PFAS in drinking water. This initial allotment of $2 billion to states and territories can be used to prioritize infrastructure and source water treatment for pollutants, like PFAS and other emerging contaminants, and to conduct water quality testing.

EPA is also releasing the “Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Implementation” document. This implementation document provides states and communities with the information necessary to use this funding to address local water quality and public health challenges. These grants will enable communities to improve local water infrastructure and reduce emerging contaminants in drinking water by implementing solutions such as installing necessary treatment solutions.

Today’s actions represent a significant milestone within the Biden-Harris administration’s commitments to combat PFAS pollution and safeguard drinking water, and specifically EPA’s October 2021 PFAS Strategic Roadmap. Under the Roadmap, EPA is working across the Agency to protect the public from the health impacts of PFAS. EPA has taken a number of actions to deliver progress on PFAS including:

• Proposing to designate two PFAS as CERCLA hazardous substances. If finalized, this will be a critical step toward increasing transparency around releases of PFAS and holding polluters accountable for cleaning up their contamination.
• Releasing drinking water health advisories. Acting in accordance with EPA’s mission to protect public health and keep communities and public health authorities informed when new science becomes available, the Agency issued drinking water health advisories for four PFAS.
• Laying the foundation to enhance data on PFAS. This included an order under EPA’s National PFAS Testing Strategy requiring companies to conduct PFAS testing, and nationwide sampling through the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule for 29 PFAS in public drinking water systems.
• Expanding the scientific understanding of PFAS. The Agency issued over 30 scientific publications by EPA researchers and released EPA’s PFAS Thermal Treatment Database.
• Translating the latest science into EPA’s cross-agency PFAS efforts. This included updating EPA’s contaminated site cleanup tables, developing new PFAS methods and conducting toxicity assessments, and issuing draft national recommended water quality criteria to protect aquatic life.
• Continuing engagement with the public. EPA’s PFAS work was informed by public webinars, stakeholder meetings, Congressional testimony, and engagement with EPA’s federal advisory committees.

In addition to this new grant, EPA is also working to propose PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR) in the coming weeks. The draft proposed rule is currently undergoing interagency review and EPA will issue the proposed rule for public comment when it clears the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The Agency anticipates finalizing the rule by the end of 2023. Together, with today’s announcement, these actions highlight EPA’s commitments outlined in the PFAS Strategic Roadmap to protect public health and the environment from the impacts of PFAS. They also illustrate the benefits of investing in water – protecting public health and the environment, addressing key challenges facing communities, and creating jobs.

For more information, visit EPA’s website.

# # #

Learn more about EPA Region 7

View all Region 7 news releases

Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook: www.facebook.com/eparegion7

Follow us on Twitter: @EPARegion7

LENEXA, KAN. (FEB. 14, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of $18,914,000 from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to address emerging contaminants like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water across Nebraska.

This funding is part of the $2 billion water infrastructure allotment announced by EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan at an event in North Carolina on Feb. 13, 2023. This investment, allocated to states and territories, will be made available to communities as grants through EPA’s Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) Grant Program and will promote access to safe and clean water in small, rural, and disadvantaged communities while supporting local economies.

“Too many American communities, especially those that are small, rural, or underserved, are suffering from exposure to PFAS and other harmful contaminants in their drinking water,” Regan said. “Thanks to President Biden’s leadership, we are investing in America and providing billions of dollars to strengthen our nation’s water infrastructure while safeguarding people’s health and boosting local economies. These grants build on EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap and will help protect our smallest and most vulnerable communities from these persistent and dangerous chemicals.”

“This investment reflects EPA’s commitment to addressing PFAS contamination and increasing access to funding resources for our communities,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meghan A. McCollister. “These Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grants will enable communities across Nebraska to tackle pressing public health concerns by funding water infrastructure upgrades and treatment solutions that increase water quality."

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $5 billion over five years to help communities that are on the frontlines of PFAS contamination reduce PFAS in drinking water. This initial allotment of $2 billion to states and territories can be used to prioritize infrastructure and source water treatment for pollutants, like PFAS and other emerging contaminants, and to conduct water quality testing.

EPA is also releasing the “Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Implementation” document. This implementation document provides states and communities with the information necessary to use this funding to address local water quality and public health challenges. These grants will enable communities to improve local water infrastructure and reduce emerging contaminants in drinking water by implementing solutions such as installing necessary treatment solutions.

Today’s actions represent a significant milestone within the Biden-Harris administration’s commitments to combat PFAS pollution and safeguard drinking water, and specifically EPA’s October 2021 PFAS Strategic Roadmap. Under the Roadmap, EPA is working across the Agency to protect the public from the health impacts of PFAS. EPA has taken a number of actions to deliver progress on PFAS including:

• Proposing to designate two PFAS as CERCLA hazardous substances. If finalized, this will be a critical step toward increasing transparency around releases of PFAS and holding polluters accountable for cleaning up their contamination.
• Releasing drinking water health advisories. Acting in accordance with EPA’s mission to protect public health and keep communities and public health authorities informed when new science becomes available, the Agency issued drinking water health advisories for four PFAS.
• Laying the foundation to enhance data on PFAS. This included an order under EPA’s National PFAS Testing Strategy requiring companies to conduct PFAS testing, and nationwide sampling through the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule for 29 PFAS in public drinking water systems.
• Expanding the scientific understanding of PFAS. The Agency issued over 30 scientific publications by EPA researchers and released EPA’s PFAS Thermal Treatment Database.
• Translating the latest science into EPA’s cross-agency PFAS efforts. This included updating EPA’s contaminated site cleanup tables, developing new PFAS methods and conducting toxicity assessments, and issuing draft national recommended water quality criteria to protect aquatic life.
• Continuing engagement with the public. EPA’s PFAS work was informed by public webinars, stakeholder meetings, Congressional testimony, and engagement with EPA’s federal advisory committees.

In addition to this new grant, EPA is also working to propose PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR) in the coming weeks. The draft proposed rule is currently undergoing interagency review and EPA will issue the proposed rule for public comment when it clears the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The Agency anticipates finalizing the rule by the end of 2023. Together, with today’s announcement, these actions highlight EPA’s commitments outlined in the PFAS Strategic Roadmap to protect public health and the environment from the impacts of PFAS. They also illustrate the benefits of investing in water – protecting public health and the environment, addressing key challenges facing communities, and creating jobs.

For more information, visit EPA’s website.

# # #

Learn more about EPA Region 7

View all Region 7 news releases

Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook: www.facebook.com/eparegion7

Follow us on Twitter: @EPARegion7

PHILADELPHIA (Feb. 14, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today $75,086,000 from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will go to Pennsylvania to address emerging contaminants, like Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in drinking water. A total investment of $2 billion is allocated to states and territories and will be made available to communities as grants through EPA’s Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) Grant Program.  The funding will promote access to safe and clean water in small, rural, and disadvantaged communities while supporting local economies.

“Too many American communities, especially those that are small, rural, or underserved, are suffering from exposure to PFAS and other harmful contaminants in their drinking water,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Thanks to President Biden’s leadership, we are investing in America and providing billions of dollars to strengthen our nation’s water infrastructure while safeguarding people’s health and boosting local economies. These grants build on EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap and will help protect our smallest and most vulnerable communities from these persistent and dangerous chemicals.”

“We cannot wait any longer to address water quality and the health impacts of PFAS in our neighborhoods,” said Adam Ortiz, EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator.  “This federal funding will help Pennsylvania communities impacted by PFAS to get access to clean, safe drinking water.”

“For years I have I urged multiple presidents’ administrations to get ‘forever chemicals’ like PFAS out of Pennsylvania drinking water and keep them out,” said U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA). “This major investment, made possible by the infrastructure law, is a strong start to clean up PFAS contamination in Pennsylvania’s waters. I’m going to keep working with the Biden Administration to build on this progress and we won’t stop until every Pennsylvanian has safe, clean water in their communities.”

“The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will promote environmental justice and transform Pennsylvania for generations to come — and I’m thrilled that our region will receive infrastructure funding to specifically address contaminants, like PFAS, in our drinking water,” said U.S. Representative Madeleine Dean (D-PA 4th). “Pennsylvanians have a right to clean water, as guaranteed by our Constitution — yet our communities have suffered the harmful consequences of PFAS for decades. I’m grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration for directing investments to ensure the health and safety of our neighbors, and I will continue to work with officials, on every level, to protect Pennsylvanians from PFAS.” 

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $5 billion over five years to help communities that are on the frontlines of PFAS contamination reduce PFAS in drinking water. The $2 billion announced today to states and territories can be used to prioritize infrastructure and source water treatment for pollutants, like PFAS and other emerging contaminants, and to conduct water quality testing.

“Pennsylvania has been working to protect residents from PFAS contamination in drinking water and soil, and we welcome the resources from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that will help further these efforts for our communities,” said Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Acting Secretary Rich Negrin. “This federal funding will help upgrade the public water systems in Pennsylvania to filter out these harmful chemicals and ensure clean drinking water across the Commonwealth. The Biden administration’s efforts will protect Pennsylvanians for generations to come.” 

EPA is also releasing the Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Implementation document. The implementation document provides states and communities with the information necessary to use this funding to address local water quality and public health challenges. These grants will enable communities to improve local water infrastructure and reduce emerging contaminants in drinking water by implementing solutions such as installing necessary treatment solutions.

Today’s actions represent a significant milestone within the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitments to combat PFAS pollution and safeguard drinking water, and specifically EPA’s October 2021 PFAS Strategic Roadmap. Under the Roadmap, EPA is working across the agency to protect the public from the health impacts of PFAS. EPA has taken a number of actions to deliver progress on PFAS including: 

• Proposing to designate two PFAS as CERCLA hazardous substances. If finalized, this will be a critical step toward increasing transparency around releases of PFAS and holding polluters accountable for cleaning up their contamination.
• Releasing drinking water health advisories. Acting in accordance with EPA’s mission to protect public health and keep communities and public health authorities informed when new science becomes available, the Agency issued drinking water health advisories for four PFAS.
• Laying the foundation to enhance data on PFAS. This included an order under EPA’s National PFAS Testing Strategy requiring companies to conduct PFAS testing, and nationwide sampling through the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule for 29 PFAS in public drinking water systems .
• Expanding the scientific understanding of PFAS. The Agency issued more than 30 scientific publications by EPA researchers and released EPA’s PFAS Thermal Treatment Database.
• Translating the latest science into EPA’s cross-agency PFAS efforts. This included updating EPA’s contaminated site cleanup tables, developing new PFAS methods and conducting toxicity assessments, and issuing draft national recommended water quality criteria to protect aquatic life.
• Continuing engagement with the public. EPA’s PFAS work was informed by public webinars, stakeholder meetings, Congressional testimony, and engagement with EPA’s federal advisory committees.

In addition to this new grant, EPA is also working to propose a PFAS National Priority Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) in the coming weeks. The draft proposed rule is currently undergoing interagency review and EPA will issue the proposed rule for public comment when it clears the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The agency anticipates finalizing the rule by the end of 2023. Together, with today’s announcement, these actions highlight EPA’s commitments outlined in the PFAS Strategic Roadmap to protect public health and the environment from the impacts of PFAS.  They also illustrate the benefits of investing in water—protecting public health and the environment, addressing key challenges facing communities, and creating jobs.

PHILADELPHIA (Feb. 13, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today $18,914,000 from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will go to Maryland to address emerging contaminants, like Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in drinking water. A total investment of $2 billion is allocated to states and territories and will be made available to communities as grants through EPA’s Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) Grant Program.  The funding will promote access to safe and clean water in small, rural, and disadvantaged communities while supporting local economies.

“Too many American communities, especially those that are small, rural, or underserved, are suffering from exposure to PFAS and other harmful contaminants in their drinking water,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Thanks to President Biden’s leadership, we are investing in America and providing billions of dollars to strengthen our nation’s water infrastructure while safeguarding people’s health and boosting local economies. These grants build on EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap and will help protect our smallest and most vulnerable communities from these persistent and dangerous chemicals.”

“We cannot wait any longer to address water quality and the health impacts of PFAS in our neighborhoods,” said Adam Ortiz, EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator.  “This federal funding will help Pennsylvania communities impacted by PFAS to get access to clean, safe drinking water.”

The Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is investing in Maryland’s communities, supporting our local economies, and improving the standard of living in people’s everyday lives,” said Governor Wes Moore. “Every Marylander should have a safe, sustainable source of drinking water and today’s action, in partnership with our leadership in Washington and local leadership across the state, will help us make that a reality.”

“Access to safe, clean drinking water is one of the most fundamental rights of every Marylander. I am extremely concerned by the number of emerging threats to our water supply, especially those presented by ‘forever chemicals’ like PFAS,” said Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD). “The sage commitment of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to help small, rural, and disadvantaged communities deal with these challenges will support a cooperative, risk-based scientific approach to detect, evaluate and minimize the impact of contaminants. This will help to better protect every resident and the health of the Chesapeake Bay.”  

“All Americans deserve access to safe, clean drinking water. But as harmful pollutants and contaminants like PFAS persist, the health of our communities and our environment is at risk. I fought to pass the infrastructure modernization law so we can deliver these critical investments to frontline communities working to address these dangerous chemicals and ensure greater access to clean water for everyone,” said Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $5 billion over five years to help communities that are on the frontlines of PFAS contamination reduce PFAS in drinking water. The $2 billion announced today to states and territories can be used to prioritize infrastructure and source water treatment for pollutants, like PFAS and other emerging contaminants, and to conduct water quality testing.

EPA is also releasing the Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Implementation document. The implementation document provides states and communities with the information necessary to use this funding to address local water quality and public health challenges. These grants will enable communities to improve local water infrastructure and reduce emerging contaminants in drinking water by implementing solutions such as installing necessary treatment solutions.

Today’s actions represent a significant milestone within the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitments to combat PFAS pollution and safeguard drinking water, and specifically EPA’s October 2021 PFAS Strategic Roadmap. Under the Roadmap, EPA is working across the agency to protect the public from the health impacts of PFAS. EPA has taken a number of actions to deliver progress on PFAS including: 

• Proposing to designate two PFAS as CERCLA hazardous substances. If finalized, this will be a critical step toward increasing transparency around releases of PFAS and holding polluters accountable for cleaning up their contamination.
• Releasing drinking water health advisories. Acting in accordance with EPA’s mission to protect public health and keep communities and public health authorities informed when new science becomes available, the Agency issued drinking water health advisories for four PFAS.
• Laying the foundation to enhance data on PFAS. This included an order under EPA’s National PFAS Testing Strategy requiring companies to conduct PFAS testing, and nationwide sampling through the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule for 29 PFAS in public drinking water systems .
• Expanding the scientific understanding of PFAS. The Agency issued more than 30 scientific publications by EPA researchers and released EPA’s PFAS Thermal Treatment Database.
• Translating the latest science into EPA’s cross-agency PFAS efforts. This included updating EPA’s contaminated site cleanup tables, developing new PFAS methods and conducting toxicity assessments, and issuing draft national recommended water quality criteria to protect aquatic life.
• Continuing engagement with the public. EPA’s PFAS work was informed by public webinars, stakeholder meetings, Congressional testimony, and engagement with EPA’s federal advisory committees.

In addition to this new grant, EPA is also working to propose a PFAS National Priority Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) in the coming weeks. The draft proposed rule is currently undergoing interagency review and EPA will issue the proposed rule for public comment when it clears the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The agency anticipates finalizing the rule by the end of 2023. Together, with today’s announcement, these actions highlight EPA’s commitments outlined in the PFAS Strategic Roadmap to protect public health and the environment from the impacts of PFAS.  They also illustrate the benefits of investing in water—protecting public health and the environment, addressing key challenges facing communities, and creating jobs.

“EPA Region 5’s number one priority is – and will always be – the health and safety of communities across the region. That’s why as soon as EPA was notified of the Norfolk Southern train derailment on Friday, February 3, EPA personnel were on-site by 2 a.m. Saturday morning to assist with air monitoring. Since then, EPA has been boots-on-the-ground, leading robust air-quality testing – including with the state-of-the-art ASPECT plane  and a mobile analytical laboratory – in and around East Palestine.

Since the fire went out on February 8, EPA air monitoring has not detected any levels of health concern in the community that are attributed to the train derailment. Air monitoring data was provided to state health agencies on February 8 for review prior to the state’s decision to lift the evacuation.

As of February 14, EPA has assisted with the screening of 396 homes under a voluntary screening program offered to residents, and no detections of vinyl chloride or hydrogen chloride were identified. 65 additional homes are scheduled for today. We are continuing to conduct 24/7 air-monitoring to ensure the health and safety of residents.

EPA Region 5 is also working closely with Ohio EPA to determine what impact the spill has had on surface and ground water. State and local agencies are conducting sampling throughout the Ohio River to ensure drinking water intakes aren’t affected, and EPA is continuing to assist the state with sampling efforts at water treatment intake points along the Ohio River.

EPA Region 5 also issued a general notice of potential liability letter to Norfolk Southern to document the release of hazardous contaminants. The letter outlines EPA actions at the site and the potential to hold the railroad accountable for associated costs under EPA’s CERCLA authority.

Earlier today, I affirmed to Governor DeWine that EPA Region 5 will continue to support the state of Ohio as they lead response efforts at the site of the train derailment. Through the coordinated efforts of emergency responders, we will continue to protect the health and safety of all residents.”

For more information, EPA Region 5 has established a dedicated phone line (215-814-2400) staffed by community coordinators and created a web page for residents to stay informed about the most up to date monitoring results https://response.epa.gov/EastPalestineTrainDerailment.

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FORT VALLEY (February 14, 2023) — On Wednesday, EPA Region 4 Administrator Daniel Blackman and USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Georgia State Executive Director Arthur Tripp will be co-hosting a roundtable discussion at Fort Valley State University to directly engage with underserved and/or underrepresented agricultural producers to learn about challenges and concerns, and to discuss opportunities where the EPA and USDA FSA can provide support.  

In addition to the roundtable, the principals will engage with Fort Valley State University students to discuss federal career opportunities and participate in a farm tour. 

WHAT:          EPA Region 4 and USDA Farm Service Agency Convene RoundTable 

                         Discussion with underserved and underrepresented Producers

WHO:            Daniel Blackman, Region 4 EPA Administrator

                         Arthur Tripp, USDA FSA Georgia State Executive Director

WHEN:          Wednesday February 15, 2023, from 1:00-1:30 PM from EST

WHERE:       Agricultural Technology Conference Center

                        46 Camp John Hope Rd, Fort Valley, GA 31030

Please email region4press@epa.gov to confirm your participation.

SAN FRANCISCO – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it has finalized settlements with two California firms – Alward Construction of Danville and Future Vision Remodeling of Tarzana – related to allegations that each violated federal laws that protect the public from lead-based paint hazards. The settlements relate to the firms’ renovation, repair and painting work at residential properties in Northern California.

"Sadly, exposure to lead-based paint remains a common source of lead poisoning for children, risking damage to their brains, nervous systems, and development. That's why firms must adhere to federal public health requirements when performing renovation and repairs," said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. "These cases demonstrate that EPA will hold entities accountable when they do not comply with lead-safe work practices and training requirements."

Both firms paid penalties to resolve the claims of violations. Alward paid $18,000, and Future Vision Remodeling paid $25,009. Claims of violations against Alward took place at residential properties in Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco in 2017 and 2018. Citations included in the Future Vision Remodeling case occurred at residential properties in San Jose and San Leandro in 2018, 2020 and 2021.

In both cases, EPA claims that the firms violated numerous provisions of EPA’s Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, which requires workers to be certified and trained in the use of lead-safe work practices, and requires renovation, repair, and painting firms to be EPA-certified. The companies failed to obtain the required EPA certification before starting renovation work, failed to assign a certified renovator to supervise the jobs and failed to keep various records of the work that was performed. In addition, Alward was cited for not posting lead-based paint warning signs before renovations were performed, and Future Vision Remodeling was cited for failing to distribute lead-based paint pamphlets to the owners of the properties prior to beginning work.

These EPA enforcement actions reinforce EPA’s commitment to address childhood lead exposure. Though harmful at any age, lead exposure is most dangerous to children below the age of six. Lead exposure can cause behavioral and learning problems, slowed growth, hearing problems and diminished IQ. Although the federal government banned consumer use of lead-containing paint in 1978, it is still present in millions of older homes, sometimes under layers of new paint.

Learn about the Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule and program:  https://www.epa.gov/lead/renovation-repair-and-painting-program

Learn about certification and training requirements for renovation firms: https://www.epa.gov/lead/renovation-repair-and-painting-program-contractors

Report a lead-based paint violation: https://www.epa.gov/lead/pacific-southwest-lead-based-paint-tips-complaints

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

PHILADELPHIA (Feb. 14, 2023) – Capital Region Water will make substantial upgrades to the sewer and stormwater systems that serves the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area under a proposed modified consent decree announced today with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

 The modified consent decree updates a 2015 consent decree that resolved violations of the Clean Water Act and the Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law for unauthorized discharges into the Susquehanna River and its tributary, Paxton Creek. 

 Capital Region Water owns and operates the Harrisburg sewer and stormwater systems, including an Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility located on Cameron Steet in Harrisburg. The Facility discharges treated wastewater from Harrisburg and the surrounding area into the Susquehanna River and eventually the Chesapeake Bay.

The proposed modified consent decree is needed to ensure that Capital Region Water’s treatment facility and sewer system is functioning adequately to address continued problems with combined sewage overflows and support a sufficient plan for controlling overflows in the long term.

 “It is so important for treatment plants to make the necessary and required upgrades so that local waterways and the Susquehanna River can be protected from harmful pathogens,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “And by protecting local waterways, we will also be protecting the treasured Chesapeake Bay.”

 The modified consent decree also requires Capital Region Water to incorporate green infrastructure planning, provide more robust public notice of any sewer overflows, and post submissions required under the modified consent decree to its website. 

Click here for more information on the important role that municipal wastewater treatment plants play in protecting waterways.

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WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced initial guidance on the design of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) program, created by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. EPA published two Federal Assistance Listings outlining key parameters of the grant competitions that will ultimately award nearly $27 billion to leverage private capital for clean energy and clean air investments across the country. Federal Assistance Listings are the first public notice requirement to implement a federal grant program.

The initial program design guidance follows a robust stakeholder engagement effort with input collected from state, local and Tribal governments, community financing institutions, environmental justice organizations, industry groups and labor and environmental finance experts.

“Thanks to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund will unlock historic investments to combat the climate crisis and deliver results for the American people, especially those who have too often been left behind. The initial program design announced today will ensure the fund fulfills its mandate to deliver benefits to all in a transparent and inclusive fashion,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “With $27 billion from President Biden’s investments in America, this program will mobilize billions more in private capital to reduce pollution and improve public health, all while lowering energy costs, increasing energy security, creating good-paying jobs and boosting economic prosperity in communities across the country.”

“The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund is one of President Biden's generational investments to build an equitable clean energy economy from the bottom up and the middle out,” said Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation John Podesta. “It will create good-paying manufacturing jobs while helping to tackle climate change-the greatest challenge of our time.”

EPA will hold two competitions to distribute grant funding under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: a $20 billion General and Low-Income Assistance Competition and a $7 billion Zero-Emissions Technology Fund Competition. EPA will implement these programs in alignment with President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which directs that 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities, including those facing disproportionately high and adverse health and environmental impacts. EPA expects to open competitions for funding under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund by summer 2023.

Today, EPA also announced a national Community Roundtable series to continue a robust and inclusive engagement effort, focused on introducing the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to communities across the country and learning about community-level solutions that the Fund can support.

“When we delivered the Inflation Reduction Act last year, we promised the largest investment in climate and clean energy ever made in our history, all while reducing energy bills and bringing good jobs to all communities across America. Now, less than a year later, the American people are seeing us follow through on that promise to improve the lives of families across the country,” said U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. “A giant leap forward for bringing clean energy to communities who are too often left behind, the Green House Gas Reduction Fund is one of the concrete actions taken as a direct result of the Inflation Reduction Act to make access to reliable and clean solar power easier for millions of Americans. By investing in renewable energy, we’re revitalizing communities, creating jobs of the future, and delivering real help for the American people.”

“Every community should have an opportunity to benefit from the investments we make in combatting climate change,” said Senator Tom Carper, Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “As part of that commitment, we created the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund in the Inflation Reduction Act to leverage public and private investments in clean energy projects for our most underserved. I applaud EPA’s leadership for their work to meeting our ambitious targets within this program, which is likely going to result in the largest-ever federal investment in rooftop and community solar projects in low-income and disadvantaged communities. Implementing the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund is an important step in moving our nation toward a future that runs on clean energy and leaving no community behind in the process.”

“The climate crisis is happening now, and that’s why my Energy and Commerce Committee fought to enact this first-of-its-kind Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to ensure we meet this moment with the leadership and resources it demands. I’m thrilled with the progress EPA has made so far in getting this critical program off the ground,” said Representative Frank Pallone, Jr., Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “This is a huge stride forward in our climate fight, one that will simultaneously create new, good paying jobs and bring affordable, homegrown clean energy to communities across the country. I look forward to continuing working with EPA to ensure these funds are used effectively to cut climate pollution and improve public health.”

“After years of hard work to plant the seeds for the historic climate finance funding in the Inflation Reduction Act, I’m proud to see this investment blossom now as the EPA begins to realize our vision of creating a new, long-lasting program that will cut emissions, protect health, and create economic opportunity in disadvantaged and under-resourced communities,” said Senator Ed Markey, Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Safety. “I look forward to continuing to work with the Biden administration, advocates and stakeholders to maximize all the benefits of this landmark program— from deploying cost- and climate-saving projects at the national, regional, state, and local levels, to leveraging new investments and revolving funding to support indirect recipients in getting projects into communities for years to come.”

“For years, we’ve fought to take the idea of a national climate bank from a vision to a reality. With today’s action from the EPA, we’re one step closer: I applaud the EPA for moving forward in their efforts to capitalize the national climate bank network that we worked to create within the Inflation Reduction Act,” said Senator Chris Van Hollen. “I will continue working with the EPA to fully realize our vision of a self-sustaining climate bank that is national in scope, has a substantial multiplier effect, and is composed of diverse stakeholders, including community-based institutions and green banks, that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create jobs, and support communities that have been historically underserved.”

"Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act we passed last year, the Environmental Protection Agency is able to continue to invest in communities and our renewable energy future,” said Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (WA-07). “The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund will provide vital funding to create jobs, speed the development of new renewable energy technologies, and support development in communities across the country, all while contributing to the work to reach President Biden's goal of 80 percent clean energy by 2030. I applaud the EPA for this ambitious new program."

“The $27 billion in the Inflation Reduction Act for a national Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund is the single largest investment in clean energy, environmental justice, and carbon pollution reduction in American history. We have proven green bank models nationwide, including in Michigan, that not only mobilize investment directly into the most critical projects, but are creating incredible economic opportunity, with good-paying, high-value jobs,” said Representative Debbie Dingell (MI-06). “Over the next decade, this investment will help us build on current efforts by mobilizing financing and private capital for a range of clean energy projects to decarbonize communities—including low-income and disadvantaged communities—across the United States. Today’s announcement is the first major step forward to achieving an equitable clean energy economy. As one of the authors, I’m proud to have helped secure this important funding, and look forward to working with the EPA, my colleagues in Congress, and all our partners during the implementation process to urgently get this money to the communities that need it most, as well as meet our long-term climate goals.”

EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund will include a nearly $20 billion General and Low-Income Assistance Competition to award competitive grants to eligible nonprofit entities that will collaborate with community financing institutions like green banks, community development financial institutions, credit unions, housing finance agencies and others. Together, these entities will leverage public dollars with private capital to invest in projects that reduce pollution and lower energy costs for families, particularly those in the low-income and disadvantaged communities that have had unequal access to private capital for far too long. Awardees will also facilitate technical assistance and capacity building to strengthen the community-based organizations, small businesses, workers, and suppliers required to accelerate the transition to an equitable net-zero economy and catalyze the jobs of the future. EPA expects to make between 2 and 15 grants under this competition.

Under the $7 billion Zero-Emissions Technology Fund Competition, EPA will award competitive grants to states, Tribes, municipalities, and eligible nonprofit entities to enable the deployment of residential rooftop solar, community solar and associated storage and upgrades in low-income and disadvantaged communities. This competition will ensure all families benefit from clean, affordable energy options. EPA expects to award up to 60 grants under this competition.

“At a time when we face the existential crisis of climate change, the Inflation Reduction Act is a major and necessary investment in clean energy and energy efficiency,” said Senator Bernie Sanders (VT). “I am pleased to say that the funding announced today will include a $7 billion residential solar program that I introduced to make it more affordable for low-income and working-class families to install solar on their homes and save money on their electricity bills. When people across the country are struggling to make ends meet while dealing with the increasingly severe impacts of climate change, it makes a great deal of sense to help households put solar on their roofs so they can create their own electricity, cut carbon pollution, and help create millions of good jobs. I look forward to working with the EPA on this program to make residential solar a reality for the millions of low-income and working families that need it the most.”

EPA is moving expeditiously to develop these two grant competitions, utilizing the established technical expertise of agency officials in EPA and across the US government, to invest public funding transparently and inclusively and deliver significant investments in the American people. EPA expects to release Notice of Funding Opportunities for these competitions in early summer 2023.

Stakeholder Engagement

EPA initiated the program design process last October with a call for public input that resulted in nearly 400 detailed responses, hundreds of attendees at two public townhalls delivering over four hours of public comments, nearly two dozen targeted stakeholder meetings with state, local and Tribal governments, community financing institutions, environmental justice organizations, industry groups, labor organizations, and environmental finance experts.

Stakeholders submitted thousands of pages of comments during the process with diverse perspectives on how to implement the program. Records of the responses EPA received during the stakeholder engagement process can be viewed in the docket at regulations.gov. EPA will continue to assess feedback received by stakeholders to inform the design of the grant competitions.

PHILADELPHIA (Feb. 14, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced $27,239,000 from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will go to Virginia to address emerging contaminants, like Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in drinking water.  A total investment of $2 billion is allocated to states and territories and will be made available to communities as grants through EPA’s Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) Grant Program.  The funding will promote access to safe and clean water in small, rural, and disadvantaged communities while supporting local economies.

“Too many American communities, especially those that are small, rural, or underserved, are suffering from exposure to PFAS and other harmful contaminants in their drinking water,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Thanks to President Biden’s leadership, we are investing in America and providing billions of dollars to strengthen our nation’s water infrastructure while safeguarding people’s health and boosting local economies. These grants build on EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap and will help protect our smallest and most vulnerable communities from these persistent and dangerous chemicals.”

“We cannot wait any longer to address water quality and the health impacts of PFAS in our neighborhoods,” said Adam Ortiz, EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator.  “This federal funding will help Virginia communities impacted by PFAS to get access to clean, safe drinking water.”

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $5 billion over five years to help communities that are on the frontlines of PFAS contamination reduce PFAS in drinking water. The $2 billion announced today to states and territories can be used to prioritize infrastructure and source water treatment for pollutants, like PFAS and other emerging contaminants, and to conduct water quality testing.

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continues to power projects all across the Commonwealth that create jobs and strengthen our communities,” said Senator Mark Warner (D-VA).  “I am glad to see this funding come to Virginia to help make sure that more families have reliable access to safe, healthy drinking water.”

EPA is also releasing the Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Implementation document. The implementation document provides states and communities with the information necessary to use this funding to address local water quality and public health challenges. These grants will enable communities to improve local water infrastructure and reduce emerging contaminants in drinking water by implementing solutions such as installing necessary treatment solutions.

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is helping communities in Virginia and across our country stay healthy and safe from harmful contaminants and pollutants,” said Senator Tm Kaine (D-VA). “I’m glad Virginia is receiving these federal dollars to help ensure Virginians have access to clean drinking water.”

Today’s actions represent a significant milestone within the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitments to combat PFAS pollution and safeguard drinking water, and specifically EPA’s October 2021 PFAS Strategic Roadmap. Under the Roadmap, EPA is working across the agency to protect the public from the health impacts of PFAS. EPA has taken a number of actions to deliver progress on PFAS including: 

• Proposing to designate two PFAS as CERCLA hazardous substances. If finalized, this will be a critical step toward increasing transparency around releases of PFAS and holding polluters accountable for cleaning up their contamination.
• Releasing drinking water health advisories. Acting in accordance with EPA’s mission to protect public health and keep communities and public health authorities informed when new science becomes available, the Agency issued drinking water health advisories for four PFAS.
• Laying the foundation to enhance data on PFAS. This included an order under EPA’s National PFAS Testing Strategy requiring companies to conduct PFAS testing, and nationwide sampling through the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule for 29 PFAS in public drinking water systems .
• Expanding the scientific understanding of PFAS. The Agency issued more than 30 scientific publications by EPA researchers and released EPA’s PFAS Thermal Treatment Database.
• Translating the latest science into EPA’s cross-agency PFAS efforts. This included updating EPA’s contaminated site cleanup tables, developing new PFAS methods and conducting toxicity assessments, and issuing draft national recommended water quality criteria to protect aquatic life.
• Continuing engagement with the public. EPA’s PFAS work was informed by public webinars, stakeholder meetings, Congressional testimony, and engagement with EPA’s federal advisory committees.

In addition to this new grant, EPA is also working to propose a PFAS National Priority Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) in the coming weeks. The draft proposed rule is currently undergoing interagency review and EPA will issue the proposed rule for public comment when it clears the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The agency anticipates finalizing the rule by the end of 2023. Together, with today’s announcement, these actions highlight EPA’s commitments outlined in the PFAS Strategic Roadmap to protect public health and the environment from the impacts of PFAS.  They also illustrate the benefits of investing in water—protecting public health and the environment, addressing key challenges facing communities, and creating jobs.

PHILADELPHIA (Feb. 13, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today $18,914,00 from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will go to the District of Columbia to address emerging contaminants, like Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in drinking water. A total investment of $2 billion is allocated to states and territories and will be made available to communities as grants through EPA’s Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) Grant Program and will promote access to safe and clean water in small, rural, and disadvantaged communities while supporting local economies.

“Too many American communities, especially those that are small, rural, or underserved, are suffering from exposure to PFAS and other harmful contaminants in their drinking water,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Thanks to President Biden’s leadership, we are investing in America and providing billions of dollars to strengthen our nation’s water infrastructure while safeguarding people’s health and boosting local economies. These grants build on EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap and will help protect our smallest and most vulnerable communities from these persistent and dangerous chemicals.”

“We cannot wait any longer to address water quality and the health impacts of PFAS in our neighborhoods,” said Adam Ortiz, EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator.  “This federal funding will help District of Columbia communities impacted by PFAS to get access to clean, safe drinking water.”

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $5 billion over five years to help communities that are on the frontlines of PFAS contamination reduce PFAS in drinking water. The $2 billion announced today to states and territories that can be used to prioritize infrastructure and source water treatment for pollutants, like PFAS and other emerging contaminants, and to conduct water quality testing.

EPA is also releasing the Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Implementation document. The implementation document provides states and communities with the information necessary to use this funding to address local water quality and public health challenges. These grants will enable communities to improve local water infrastructure and reduce emerging contaminants in drinking water by implementing solutions such as installing necessary treatment solutions.

Today’s actions represent a significant milestone within the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitments to combat PFAS pollution and safeguard drinking water, and specifically EPA’s October 2021 PFAS Strategic Roadmap. Under the Roadmap, EPA is working across the agency to protect the public from the health impacts of PFAS. EPA has taken a number of actions to deliver progress on PFAS including: 

• Proposing to designate two PFAS as CERCLA hazardous substances. If finalized, this will be a critical step toward increasing transparency around releases of PFAS and holding polluters accountable for cleaning up their contamination.
• Releasing drinking water health advisories. Acting in accordance with EPA’s mission to protect public health and keep communities and public health authorities informed when new science becomes available, the Agency issued drinking water health advisories for four PFAS.
• Laying the foundation to enhance data on PFAS. This included an order under EPA’s National PFAS Testing Strategy requiring companies to conduct PFAS testing, and nationwide sampling through the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule for 29 PFAS in public drinking water systems .
• Expanding the scientific understanding of PFAS. The Agency issued more than 30 scientific publications by EPA researchers and released EPA’s PFAS Thermal Treatment Database.
• Translating the latest science into EPA’s cross-agency PFAS efforts. This included updating EPA’s contaminated site cleanup tables, developing new PFAS methods and conducting toxicity assessments, and issuing draft national recommended water quality criteria to protect aquatic life.
• Continuing engagement with the public. EPA’s PFAS work was informed by public webinars, stakeholder meetings, Congressional testimony, and engagement with EPA’s federal advisory committees.

In addition to this new grant, EPA is also working to propose a PFAS National Priority Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) in the coming weeks. The draft proposed rule is currently undergoing interagency review and EPA will issue the proposed rule for public comment when it clears the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The agency anticipates finalizing the rule by the end of 2023. Together, with today’s announcement, these actions highlight EPA’s commitments outlined in the PFAS Strategic Roadmap to protect public health and the environment from the impacts of PFAS.  They also illustrate the benefits of investing in water—protecting public health and the environment, addressing key challenges facing communities, and creating jobs.

CHICAGO (Feb. 14, 2023) – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement with Fleece Performance LLC of Pittsboro, Indiana to resolve alleged Clean Air Act violations from the sale of “defeat devices” designed to bypass or disable vehicle emissions control systems.

"Selling and installing defeat devices on vehicles and engines will not be tolerated," said EPA Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore. "Emission control systems on vehicles protect public health by reducing pollution, which is why EPA is committed to ensuring that companies comply with the Clean Air Act."

Fleece Performance has agreed to destroy its inventory of defeat device components and remove all defeat devices from any vehicles and engines owned or operated by the company, and has certified that it stopped selling or installing devices that disable vehicle emission controls. The company will pay a $190,548 penalty and post a public announcement about the settlement on its website and social media accounts.

As a result of EPA's efforts to improve air quality and fuel efficiency, cars and trucks manufactured today emit far less pollution than older vehicles. To meet EPA's emission standards, engine manufacturers have carefully calibrated their engines and installed sophisticated emissions control systems.

EPA testing shows that defeat devices can substantially increase vehicle pollution which contributes to a variety of health problems. These include premature death in people with heart or lung disease, heart attacks, irregular heartbeat, aggravated asthma, and decreased lung function. Since excess emissions can disproportionately affect residents living in communities near highways and freight facilities, EPA regards halting the manufacture, sale, offering for sale, and installation of defeat devices as key issues in working toward environmental justice.

More information on this enforcement action, part of EPA's National Compliance Initiative for Stopping Aftermarket Defeat Devices for Vehicles and Engines.