Latest News

June 25, 2024

Contact Information

R3 Press (R3Press@epa.gov)

PHILADELPHIA (June 25, 2024) – Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $22.4 million in grants to 13 selectees, through the Innovative Nutrient & Sediment Reduction grant program as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The 13 grants will leverage $35.3 million in matching contributions to generate a total conservation impact of $57.7 million. This program is currently administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) through a grant from EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office. Over $12.4 million in funding for these awards comes from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, while the remaining $10 million comes from annual EPA appropriations.

Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction program 

The Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction (INSR) program aims to accelerate the implementation of water quality improvements, specifically through the collaborative and coordinated efforts of sustainable, regional-scale partnerships and networks of practitioners with a shared focus on water quality restoration and protection.  

Since 2006, the INSR Program has provided more than $200 million to over 250 projects that have reduced 36 million pounds of nitrogen, nine million pounds of phosphorus, and nearly 800,000 tons of sediment across the Chesapeake Bay watershed. 

“These grants reflect our continuing commitment to protect the Chesapeake Bay and preserve our nation’s environmental legacy for future generations,” said EPA Chesapeake Bay Program Office Director Martha Shimkin. “It is inspiring to be working with so many awardees who have long been committed to preserving, protecting, and enhancing the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed.”

“A healthy Chesapeake Bay is vital for Maryland’s economy, environment, and the well-being of our families,” said Senator Van Hollen. “With these resources from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, we continue to foster partnerships to reduce nutrient runoff into the Bay watershed. These efforts both improve the Bay’s water quality and preserve natural wildlife habitat while supporting Maryland farmers.”

“The Chesapeake Bay is at the heart of Maryland’s economy and culture. And as the nation’s longest estuary, its significance is felt throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond. Securing its health and vitality is in all our best interests,” said Senator Cardin. “Through community partnerships and government action, we have made considerable progress in Bay restoration, but there is much more we need to do. While our dead zone is shrinking, urban and suburban runoff into the Bay is increasing and oyster crops are still not even close to their historic levels. With this additional support from the Biden Administration, we can invest in more community-led restoration projects that build on our progress and continue to preserve and protect one of our region’s most important natural resources.” 

Below is a list of the selectees:

1. Chesapeake Conservancy, INC. – Accelerating Stream Delisting in Central Pennsylvania
2. Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley – Accelerating Clean Water and Conservation Outcomes in Shenandoah Valley (VA)
3. James River Association – Growing Riparian Partnerships to Improve Water Quality in the James River Watershed (VA)
4. Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District – Stream Corridor Restoration in the Upper Susquehanna Watershed (NY, PA)
5. Sustainable Chesapeake – Improving Manure and Nutrient Management in the Chesapeake Bay Region (MD, NY, VA, PA)
6. Friends of the Rappahannock – Advancing Climate-Smart Conservation Through Innovation and Collaboration (VA)
7. Conservation Foundation of Lancaster County – Reducing Runoff and Reaching New Leaders in Lancaster (PA)
8. Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake – Developing Community Partnerships for Green Infrastructure and Equity Enhancement (PA)
9. Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Inc. – Sustainable Dairy Partnerships and Corporate Investment in the Chesapeake Bay (MD, NY, PA, VA)
10. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources – Implementing Forestry Best Management Practices in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (PA)
11. Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Inc. – Increasing Riparian Forest Buffer Adoption Across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (MD, PA, VA, WV)
12. Trout Unlimited, Inc. – Improving Water Quality Through Riparian Restoration Practices (VA, WV)
13. The Mid-Atlantic 4R Nutrient Stewardship Association – Accelerating Water Quality Outcomes through Stronger Nutrient Stewardship Partnerships (DE, MD, PA)

For more information and a complete list of the 2024 Chesapeake Bay Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction grants recipients, please see: https://www.nfwf.org/sites/default/files/2024-06/nfwf-chesapeake-insr-20240531-gs.pdf

These awards reflect EPA’s commitment to the Chesapeake Bay Program and demonstrate its focus on strengthening partnerships to restore the health and productivity of the Chesapeake Bay. Funding for these programs will empower communities to implement local programs to restore the Chesapeake Bay’s water quality while advancing President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. 

Background:  

The Chesapeake Bay Program is a regional partnership made up of federal agencies, six states, local governments, academic institutions, and non-governmental organizations that lead and direct the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay and its 64,000-square-mile watershed. 

Visit the EPA’s website to learn more about its support for the Chesapeake Bay.  

Visit the EPA website to learn more about the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and available funding opportunities.  

DANBURY, CONN. (June 25, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently reached a settlement with a Connecticut property owner based in Danbury for alleged violations of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule (Disclosure Rule). As a result of the settlement, J. Da Silva Properties, LLC agreed to come into compliance with the Disclosure Rule, pay a penalty of $68,078, and perform two lead-based paint abatement Supplemental Environmental Projects estimated to cost a total of $44,453.

"It's unacceptable that a property owner would not inform their tenants of known lead-based paint hazards," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "This is especially important in Danbury, an area that's had more than its fair share of environmental pollution. It's encouraging to know that because of EPA's action, the residents and their children will be made safer through the company's lead abatement work and compliance with the Disclosure Rule in the future."

J. Da Silva Properties owns six residential apartment buildings totaling 39 units in Danbury, Connecticut. In January of 1997, Danbury's Department of Health and Housing (DHH) issued an abatement order to the company to perform lead testing and abatement at the Tower Pace buildings in Danbury. Based on the positive test results in the properties for lead-based paint, DHH issued a Notice of Violation. In August of 1999, J. Da Silva Properties submitted a Certificate of Compliance to DHH.

In August 2022, an EPA representative conducted an inspection to determine the company's compliance with the Disclosure Rule at its properties. Based on EPA's review of the information and documents obtained from J. Da Silva Properties, LLC, EPA identified violations of TSCA and the Disclosure Rule. In addition, at least one child under the age of six and children between the ages of six and 18 resided in three of the units.

EPA alleges that the company violated the Disclosure Rule in the following ways:

• failure to provide lessee with an EPA-approved Lead Hazard Information Pamphlet;
• failure to disclose the presence of known lead-based paint/hazards;
• failure to provide a Lead Warning Statement;
• failure to include a statement disclosing the presence of known lead-based paint and/or hazards; and
• failure to include a list of records/reports pertaining to lead-based paint or lead-based paint hazards at the property.

In addition to certifying compliance with the Disclosure Rule and paying a penalty, J. Da Silva Properties, LLC agreed to perform a lead-based paint abatement Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) at two properties. The SEP at the first property, located at Tower Place in Danbury, consists of removing, properly disposing, and replacing baseboards containing lead-based paint. The SEP at the second property, located at Keeler Street in Danbury, consists of removing, properly disposing, and replacing front entrance exterior doors, casings, and jambs containing lead-based paint. Both projects will be performed by a licensed lead abatement contractor and are located in an environmental justice area of concern.

This inspection was part of EPA New England's Connecticut Geographic Initiative for lead-based paint.

Background

Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule

The Disclosure Rulerequires sellers, landlords, and agents to provide potential buyers and renters of housing built before 1978 information about lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards in the residence prior to becoming obligated to buy or rent the housing and provides the opportunity for an independent lead inspection for buyers. Sellers, landlords, and agents are responsible for compliance.

Supplemental Environmental Projects

Most federal actions against businesses or individuals for failure to comply with the environmental laws are resolved through settlement agreements. As part of a settlement, an alleged violator may propose to undertake a project to provide tangible environmental or public health benefits to the affected community or environment, that is closely related to the violation being resolved, but goes beyond what is required under federal, state, or local laws. The voluntary agreement to perform an SEP is one factor that is considered in determining an appropriate settlement penalty. EPA supports the inclusion of SEPs in appropriate settlements.

More information:

Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule

Real Estate Disclosures for Lead Hazards

Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs)

Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

BOSTON (June 25, 2024) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the award of an $8,804,000 grant under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) and its nationwide network of partner air agencies. This funding will support emissions testing and other activities aimed at reducing air pollution from wood heaters. EPA is committed to addressing air pollution and protecting public health through science-based initiatives and collaboration with local, state, and Tribal partners.

"Addressing air pollution is a top priority for EPA – science-based initiatives and strong collaboration with our local, state, and Tribal partners makes that possible. We know that wood stoves and heaters can be a good option for people, but inefficient ones can lead to bad indoor and outdoor pollution," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "This grant, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, will inform the selection of replacement devices eligible for funding for woodstove change-out programs, helping control air pollution and protecting our communities. Congratulations to NESCAUM – Keep up the good work!"

NESCAUM will conduct emissions testing on wood stoves to gather data that is independent of existing certification tests. The collected data will assist in the development of a ranked appliance performance list based on collected project emissions data. By providing reliable data on wood heater emissions, this project aims to improve air quality in affected communities, making it easier to purchase wood heating devices with the lowest emissions of air pollution and meet national air quality standards.

"Wood is an important resource for home heating in New England, but smoke from wood heaters can have serious health impacts in local communities, including increased risk of premature death," said NESCAUM Executive Director Paul Miller. "This grant will provide a stronger basis for the public and states in making decisions on home heating options that are more efficient and cleaner, a win for consumers and public health."

The data will help EPA determine Clean Air Act emissions limits in a future wood heater standard, which could lower wood heater emissions and improve air quality for areas across the country. Cleaner-burning wood stoves will reduce harmful emissions, benefiting public health and the environment, particularly in vulnerable and rural communities.

During the winter, many New Englanders seek to avoid high heating costs by turning to wood as a fuel. Unfortunately, many wood heaters are inefficient and emit more pollutants into the air than heating with oil, natural gas or electricity.  In 2020, approximately 11 million U.S. homes used woodstoves as a heat source. However, wood smoke can contain harmful gases that can cause health problems such as eye irritation, runny nose, bronchitis, and even worsening chronic heart and lung diseases. These fine particles can be particularly harmful to children, older adults, and people with heart or lung conditions.

Residential wood heating significantly contributes to air pollution, especially in rural areas and disadvantaged communities already overburdened by legacy emissions and other environmental issues. The smoke from wood stoves is a major factor in some rural areas of the country failing to meet federal air quality standards for particulate matter (PM2.5), which poses serious public health risks.

Background

Section 60105(d) of the Inflation Reduction Act provides funding "for testing and other agency activities to address emissions from wood heaters."

NESCAUM, a longtime leader in addressing wood heater emissions, provided public comment during EPA's public outreach on the Inflation Reduction Act. The organization submitted a plan to collaborate with state, local and Tribal air agencies in testing emissions from residential wood heating devices. NESCAUM has a history of forming coalitions and partnerships with states, local agencies, and Tribal nations around the country.

More information:

Air Grants and Funding
Burnwise
Indoor Air Quality and Wood Burning

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is encouraging residents in the Great Lakes region to be prepared for wildfire smoke this summer. EPA advises everyone to stay informed about local air quality and put plans in place to reduce their exposure to wildfire smoke and protect their health. 

 “Although big wildfires may be hundreds-- if not thousands-- of miles away, recent years have taught us that we need to be ready for severe smoke in the Great Lakes region,” said EPA Regional Administrator Debra Shore. “Knowing what you can do to reduce smoke exposure helps families breathe easier and stay healthy.” 

Summer wildfires in the United State and Canada are becoming bigger and more frequent. Last summer, Canada experienced a record number of wildfires, producing smoke that caused unhealthy air quality and led to widespread health advisories across the Great Lakes region and the United States.

Everyone can take the following steps to safeguard themselves from smoke and air pollution during a wildfire: 

• If you do not have an air conditioner and it is too warm to stay indoors with closed windows, seek shelter with friends or relatives, or at a local public building with air conditioning such as a movie theater, mall, library, or local clean air shelter.
• Keep a supply of N95 or P100 respirators to wear if you go outside when air quality is unhealthy. Respirators can help prevent the inhalation of soot and fine particles in smoke.  
• Consider buying a portable air cleaner (avoid technologies that generate ozone) or make a DIY air cleaner.  
• Learn how to adjust your HVAC system or air conditioner to keep smoke out, and consider buying a high-efficiency (e.g., MERV-13) HVAC filter. 
• Replace filters according to manufacturer recommendations, typically every 60-90 days or earlier if they are heavily soiled. 
• Ensure children, older adults, pregnant people, and people with asthma or other lung or heart conditions have at least 5 days’ worth of medication and food on hand to avoid going outside.  
• People with asthma or other lung or heart conditions may consider developing a medical action plan in consultation with a healthcare provider along with an evacuation plan if heavy smoke persists for several days.  

EPA offers free resources for the public to monitor air quality conditions and forecasts in real time. The AirNow Fire and Smoke map provides information on fire locations, smoke plumes, near real-time air quality and protective actions to take. Air quality alerts can be accessed through EnviroFlash, the AirNow website , and the AirNow app. Check out your state’s air websites and social media accounts for detailed local information and forecasts.

Wildfire smoke can cause air quality to deteriorate rapidly and become unhealthy, especially for children, older adults, pregnant people, and people with heart or lung diseases. Wildfire smoke is a mix of gases and fine particulate matter that are released from burning wood and other organic materials.  Fine particulate matter from wildfire smoke is the greatest health concern because it can irritate the eyes and the respiratory system worsening worsen symptoms of chronic cardiovascular disease and respiratory diseases such as COPD and asthma.

Since poor air quality affects everyone, EPA encourages the public to modify outdoor activities and protect their air quality indoors too. Individuals and businesses can help by driving less, cutting energy usage and avoiding vehicle idling and outdoor fires this summer.  

More  tools and information are available on EPA’s website, Air Quality Alerts from EnviroFlash, AirNow and AirNow Fire and Smoke Map.

WASHINGTON – Today, June 24, the Environmental Protection Agency, along with the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced a settlement with the Westchester Joint Water Works (WJWW), the town/village of Harrison, the village of Mamaroneck, and the town of Mamaroneck (collectively, the defendants) for violation of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) in 2019 due to the presence of contaminants that are known to threaten public health in the public water system in excess of the level set by EPA.  Thereafter, WJWW violated an EPA administrative order requiring the construction of a water filtration plant by specified deadlines.

“Everyone living in the United States deserves safe drinking water,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s agreement requires Westchester Joint Water Works to construct a new filtration system to prevent contaminated drinking water and to protect the quality of water for a water system that serves multiple communities, including at least one that has been overburdened by environmental impacts. Westchester residents should expect nothing less.”

“Today’s agreement kickstarts a path to ensuring a reliable and healthy source of water for 120,000 residents of Westchester County. The building of a much-needed water filtration plant will address the source of the Safe Drinking Water Act violations and will help secure the area’s long-term needs,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.

“Public water systems have the critical responsibility of ensuring that our communities have safe drinking water.  Thanks to today’s settlement, Westchester Joint Water Works will finally construct a long-delayed drinking water filtration facility to protect the Westchester County communities it serves,” said United States Attorney Damian Williams.

“WJWW will build a drinking water filtration plant that will ensure clean and safe drinking water for 120,000 people in Westchester County, immediately pay a $600,000 civil penalty to the federal government and implement a $900,000 Supplemental Environmental Project to improve source water quality through decreased stormwater discharge into the Rye Lake section of the Kensico Reservoir,” said EPA Region 2 Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia.  “We are happy to partner with the State of New York to address this long-standing violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act and protect public health.”

According to the complaint filed along with the consent decree, the defendants failed to ensure that the drinking water they supply to approximately 120,000 Westchester County residents complies with federal limits on potentially cancer-causing disinfection byproducts resulting from water treatment.  Specifically, the defendants own and/or operate a public water system. 

In 2019, WJWW violated the SDWA and its Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule because it supplied water exceeding legal limits for certain chemicals resulting from the disinfection process — specifically, five regulated haloacetic acids known as HAA5.  Epidemiological studies have supported a potential association between disinfection byproduct exposure and bladder cancer and suggested an association with colon and rectal cancers. Additionally, exposure to chlorinated drinking water or disinfection byproducts may cause adverse developmental or reproductive health effects. 

Although WJWW has taken certain short-term measures to mitigate risk to its consumers, defendants have failed to implement necessary corrective actions — including WJWW’s failure to construct and operate a filtration plant required by an EPA administrative order and the Surface Water Treatment Rule of the SDWA. 

The consent decree establishes various interim deadlines for the drinking water filtration plant construction project and requires WJWW to continue to implement measures to ensure the safety of its water supply until the filtration plant is operational. The consent decree also requires WJWW to pay a $600,000 civil penalty to the United States. In addition, WJWW agreed to spend at least $900,000 on a supplemental environmental project to modify an extended detention basin in the Rye Lake portion of the Kensico Reservoir and manage invasive species in the area.  This supplemental environmental project is expected to improve source water quality in the reservoir by decreasing natural organic material and turbidity. Compliance with the SDWA is not only a public health necessity but also a matter of environmental justice.  At least one of the municipalities relying on defendants’ drinking water is overburdened and underserved, facing disproportionate environmental impacts and other burdens.

Increasing compliance with Drinking Water Standards is part of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative for Fiscal Years 2024-2027. This initiative seeks to ensure that the approximately 50,000 regulated drinking water systems that provide water to residents year-round (referred to as Community Water Systems or CWSs) comply with the SDWA. In FY 2022, 18,282 CWSs had at least one SDWA violation, and 2,854 of those systems had a health-based violation. Many overburdened communities, including those in Indian country, often face challenges meeting their obligations under SDWA.

The State of New York is contemporaneously joining the lawsuit to assert its own claims under state law and a previously entered state court judgment requiring the construction and operation of a filtration plant. The consent decree resolves claims by New York to enforce a previous state judgment against WJWW for violating separate regulations requiring the implementation of filtration.  In addition to the construction of the filtration facility, the defendants will pay New York a $650,000 civil penalty and spend at least $6.8 million on two state water quality benefit projects.

The consent decree is subject to public comment and approval by the court. Notice of the proposed consent decree will be published in the Federal Register, and the public will have the opportunity to submit comments on the consent decree for a period of at least 30 days before the parties seek the court’s approval.

For more information about the settlement, please visit the Westchester Joint Water Works settlement page.

Contact: EPA Region 4 Press Office - (404) 562-8400, region4press@epa.gov

WILMINGTON, N.C. — On Tuesday, June 25, EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan will join senior EPA leadership, including Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe, at the Commission for Environmental Cooperation’s (CEC) 31st annual Council Session and Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) Public Forum, held between June 24-26, 2024, in Wilmington, North Carolina. Under the theme “Strengthening Environmental Justice through Community Empowerment,” Administrator Regan will deliver remarks and participate in several key events, including a youth panel, environmental justice roundtable, and the official opening ceremony.

This year’s session brings together North America’s top environmental officials and the public to engage with environmental justice advocates, Indigenous and community leaders, experts, youth, activists and others. The 2024 session also marks the CEC’s 30th anniversary, providing an opportunity to reflect on three decades of regional environmental cooperation.

Events Involving EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan

Tuesday, June 25, 2024:

• 2:35 p.m. EDT - Youth Panel
  • EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan will provide welcoming remarks
  • Location: Convention Center, Ballroom ABC TAB 9
  • Attendees: Council representatives and delegations, Dr. Benjamin Chavis, Professor La’Meshia Whittington, CEC Executive Director and staff, JPAC Members, TEKEG Members, Youth representatives, GELP winners, and the public.

• 4:00 p.m. EDT - Experts Roundtable on Environmental Justice
  • EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan will provide opening remarks
  • Location: Convention Center, Ballroom ABC TAB 11
  • Attendees: Delegations, CEC Executive Director and staff, Dr. Benjamin Chavis, Kenneth Martin (EPA/OITA), Deborah McGregor (York University), Octavio Rosas Landa (UNAM/CONACYT), JPAC Members, TEKEG Members, Youth representatives, GELP winners, and the public.

• 6:15 p.m. EDT - Official Opening Ceremony of the Council Session
  • EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan will provide opening remarks
  • Attendees: Council Members and delegations, Mayor of Wilmington, CEC Secretariat Executive Director and staff, Youth panelists, GELP winners, JPAC members, TEKEG members, public, and registered press.

Register for the Conference (virtual or in-person) here.

For more information about this event, visit the CEC website.

ORLANDO, Fla. (June 21, 2024) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $250,000 in cash prizes for the winners of the Small Communities — Big Challenges Prize Competition. The winners, representing local governments across five states, had innovative and unique strategies for engaging with their rural communities to identify environmental and public health needs of importance to the community. This engagement addresses longstanding needs because rural communities often do not receive as much support as more populous, urban communities and they also experience, across all ethnic and racial groups, a significantly higher poverty rate than urban America.

“EPA recognizes that rural communities face unique environmental and public health challenges,” said Chris Frey, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “The local governmental winners of this challenge are working with their communities to deliver exemplary science-based approaches to address local environmental and public health issues collaboratively.”

“Environmental justice at its core ensures that anyone, regardless of zip code, has equitable access to resources,” said Theresa Segovia, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights. “This competition helps deliver those resources to rural communities and their local governments, while enhancing EPA’s knowledge of the barriers they face. Our sincere congratulations to the winners.”

EPA awarded eight prizes: $35,000 for the top four winning teams and $27,500 for the four other winning teams for a total of $250,000 in cash prizes. Additionally, one representative from each of the teams received a 1-year National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) membership. Selected projects identified local environmental challenges and engaged with their communities to communicate about issues including water quality, indoor air quality, radon levels, food waste, and recycling.

The “Small Communities, Big Challenges” competition is a partnership between EPA, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, the National Association of County and City Health Officials, and the National Environmental Health Association.

SCBC winners and the titles of their submissions are listed below:

• Clay County Health Department, Clay County, W. Va., for Meeting the Clay County Community Where They Are On Plastic Recycling
• Dunn County Land & Water Conservation Division, Dunn County, Wis., for Dunn County, Wisconsin—Groundwater Contamination Study
• Florida Department of Health, Orange County, Fla., for Building on Bithlo’s Transformation
• Logan County Health District, Logan County, Ohio, for Covid-19 Indoor Air Quality In Area School Districts
• Marathon County Conservation Planning and Zoning Department, Marathon County, Wis., for Using the “Marathon Method” to Tackle Elevated Nitrates in Municipal Drinking Water Supplies
• Oconto County Public Health, Oconto County, Wis., for Radon Testing in the North Woods—What is That? I Could Have That?
• Whatcom County Health and Community Services, Whatcom, Wash., for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Foothills Region Through Creative Food Recovery “Freedges”
• Whitman County Public Health, Whitman County, Wash., for 2023 Lower Snake River HAB Response

Read the winning Small Communities, Big Challenges submissions.

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NEW YORK (June 21, 2024) – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia and We Stay/Nos Quedamos joined other dignitaries at a rooftop community garden to mark the selection of the organization to be awarded a half million dollars to support a climate justice project. The grant is under the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement Program (EJ CPS) to advance a new climate resilience and emergency preparedness project in the South Bronx.

Through the project, entitled Climate Justice, Community Resilience, and Emergency Preparedness Curricula for South Bronx Youth and Adults, Nos Quedamos will give South Bronx community residents the skills needed to prepare for climate change and associated impacts such as flooding, blackouts, and the urban heat island effect. The grant will also support improvements to physical infrastructure in the form of hubs. These local climate resiliency hubs at three public sites will be equipped with solar panels, wireless charging stations, water catchment systems and more. They will serve as havens during emergency and climate-related events. Nos Quedamos’ project will bolster community knowledge to increase local climate leadership.

“As we combat extreme heat and other climate issues, EPA is happy to support organizations like Nos Quedamos leading the way towards sustainable, healthier communities,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “This grant, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act will help support climate resilience efforts in communities such as the South Bronx in a very real way.”

"We Stay/Nos Quedamos is excited to receive the EJ CPS grant from the EPA, through which we will be developing a novel environmental justice and housing justice curriculum for youth leaders in the Bronx, who are on the frontlines of climate justice and community resiliency work” said Nos Quedamos’ Basil Alsubee. “Our curriculum is produced through a joint collaboration with the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance and the City University of New York, bringing faculty, students, organizers, and youth community members at the table to discuss learning objectives and pedagogy. Our curriculum centers on field trips, movie screenings, board games, mapping activities on GIS, and other interactive skills-based and hyper-local place-based learning tools. The curriculum combines knowledge and practice in community organizing and community planning, gearing our youth to be change-makers, educators, and planners in their own communities."

“When I fought day and night to get the Inflation Reduction Act over the finish line, it is the work of groups like Nos Quedamos that I had top of mind,” said U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. “This $500,000 grant will help prepare the South Bronx community for the impact of climate change – like extreme heat and flooding – while strengthening our physical infrastructure. With temperatures hot, hot, hot in NYC right now, it is clear how urgently this funding is needed. I look forward to working with Nos Quedamos, the EPA, and all relevant parties to tackle climate impacts like extreme heat and flooding head on and protect our communities.”

“EPA’s EJ CPS program is vital to advancing environmental justice and helping organizations that provide assistance to communities impacted by climate change, pollution, and other environmental stressors,” said U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. “I am thrilled to see We Stay/Nos Quedamos receive this $500,000 in federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act that will help boost climate resilience and emergency preparedness in the South Bronx. As the impacts of climate change continue to harm our communities, I will continue to fight for federal resources to support organizations working to advance environmental justice.”

“As we increasingly feel the effects of climate change, there is no nobler cause than working on the ground to prepare our communities for the ever-changing future,” said U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres (NY-15). “It is my honor to stand with Nos Quedamos and their critical work of fostering resilience. Congratulations to them on securing this transformative grant, which I know will be reinvested into the people of the South Bronx and make a real difference. I look forward to working with the EPA and other federal agencies to increase opportunities for grassroots environmental organizations in the South Bronx and beyond.” 

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said, “I applaud the Biden-Harris Administration, EPA Administrator Regan, and Regional Administrator Garcia for their continued commitment and investments to ensure the Bronx and other communities vulnerable to sources of pollution are able to improve vital physical infrastructure to increase resiliency in the wake of climate change impacts. This $500,000 federal investment complements the many actions Governor Hochul, DEC, and other public and private partners are advancing to help improve resiliency to extreme heat, flooding, and other climate impacts in environmental justice communities.”

EPA’s EJ CPS program provides financial assistance to eligible organizations working to address local environmental or public health issues in their communities. The program builds upon President Biden’s Executive Orders 13985 and 14008, creating a designation of funds exclusively for small nonprofit organizations, thus ensuring that grant resources reach organizations that may have not applied for federal funding in the past.

We Stay/Nos Quedamos, along with four other New York city based community-based organizations were selected for EJ CPS grants late last year totaling close to $1.8 million in total. 

From the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, achieving environmental justice has been a top priority. in August 2022, Congress passed, and President Biden signed, the Inflation Reduction Act into law, creating the largest investment in environmental and climate justice in U.S. history. EPA received $3 billion in appropriations to provide grants and technical assistance for activities advancing environmental and climate justice. 

Learn more information on the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement Program.

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

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WASHINGTON – Today, June 21, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $250,000 in cash prizes for the winners of the Small Communities — Big Challenges  Prize Competition. The winners, representing local governments across five states, had innovative and unique strategies for engaging with their rural communities to identify environmental and public health needs of importance to the community. This engagement addresses longstanding needs because rural communities often do not receive as much support as more populous, urban communities and they also experience, across all ethnic and racial groups, a significantly higher poverty rate than urban America.

“EPA recognizes that rural communities face unique environmental and public health challenges,” said Chris Frey, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “The local governmental winners of this challenge are working with their communities to deliver exemplary science-based approaches to address local environmental and public health issues collaboratively.”

“Environmental justice at its core ensures that anyone, regardless of zip code, has equitable access to resources,” said Theresa Segovia, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights. “This competition helps deliver those resources to rural communities and their local governments, while enhancing EPA’s knowledge of the barriers they face. Our sincere congratulations to the winners.”

EPA awarded eight prizes: $35,000 for the top four winning teams and $27,500 for the four other winning teams for a total of $250,000 in cash prizes. Additionally, one representative from each of the teams received a 1-year National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) membership. Selected projects identified local environmental challenges and engaged with their communities to communicate about issues including water quality, indoor air quality, radon levels, food waste, and recycling.

The “Small Communities, Big Challenges” competition is a partnership between EPA, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, the National Association of County and City Health Officials, and the National Environmental Health Association.

SCBC winners and the titles of their submissions are listed below:

• Clay County Health Department, Clay County, W. Va., for Meeting the Clay County Community Where They Are On Plastic Recycling
• Dunn County Land & Water Conservation Division, Dunn County, Wis., for Dunn County, Wisconsin—Groundwater Contamination Study
• Florida Department of Health, Orange County, Fla., for Building on Bithlo’s Transformation
• Logan County Health District, Logan County, Ohio, for Covid-19 Indoor Air Quality In Area School Districts
• Marathon County Conservation Planning and Zoning Department, Marathon County, Wis., for Using the “Marathon Method” to Tackle Elevated Nitrates in Municipal Drinking Water Supplies
• Oconto County Public Health, Oconto County, Wis., for Radon Testing in the North Woods—What is That? I Could Have That?
• Whatcom County Health and Community Services, Whatcom, Wash., for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Foothills Region Through Creative Food Recovery “Freedges”
• Whitman County Public Health, Whitman County, Wash., for 2023 Lower Snake River HAB Response

Read the winning Small Communities, Big Challenges submissions.

WASHINGTON — Today, June 21, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy announced that applications are open for $850 million in federal funding for projects that will help monitor, measure, quantify and reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sectors as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. Oil and natural gas facilities are the nation’s largest industrial source of methane, a climate “super pollutant” that is many times more potent than carbon dioxide and is responsible for approximately one third of the warming from greenhouse gases occurring today. Today’s announcement builds on unprecedented action across the Biden Administration to dramatically cut methane pollution, with agencies taking nearly 100 actions in 2023 alone, including the finalization of an EPA rule that will yield an 80% reduction in methane emissions from covered oil and gas facilities.  

This funding from the Inflation Reduction Act—the largest climate investment in history—will help mitigate legacy air pollution, create good jobs in the energy sector and disadvantaged communities, reduce waste and inefficiencies in U.S. oil and gas operations, and realize near-term emissions reductions, helping the United States reach President Biden’s ambitious climate and clean air goals. The funding will specifically help small oil and natural gas operators reduce methane emissions and transition to available and innovative methane emissions reduction technologies, while also supporting partnerships that improve emissions measurement and provide accurate, transparent data to impacted communities. Today’s announcement constitutes a key part of broader technical and financial assistance to be provided by the Methane Emissions Reduction Program.  

“Today, we’re building on strong standards and historic progress to cut methane pollution and protect communities across the country,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “These investments from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda will drive the deployment of available and advanced technologies to better understand where methane emissions are coming from. That will help us more effectively reduce harmful pollution, tackle the climate crisis and create good-paying jobs.” 

“As we continue to accelerate the nation’s clean energy transition, we are taking steps now to drastically reduce harmful emissions from America’s largest source of industrial methane – the oil and gas sector,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “I am proud to partner with EPA to help revitalize energy communities and deliver long-lasting health and environmental benefits across the country.”  

“President Biden’s historic investment agenda has enabled the U.S. to aggressively and ambitiously take the actions we need to decarbonize every sector of the economy. We are making significant progress in our efforts to cut pollution – including super-pollutants like methane – while creating thousands of quality jobs and lowering energy costs for Americans,” said Assistant to President Biden and National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi. “From implementing the U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan that lays out a detailed roadmap for the federal government, to launching a Methane Task Force that brings all relevant agencies together around robust implementation, to hosting the first-ever White House methane summit that has catalyzed cross-sector partnerships, President Biden’s leadership on tackling methane is part of a comprehensive and historic climate effort that is spurring technological innovation, creating good-paying jobs and economic opportunity, cutting pollution in every sector, and holding polluters accountable. Today’s investments further those aims by providing the resources needed to monitor methane emissions and rapidly identify potential leaks to help protect our communities and planet.”  

The primary objectives of this funding opportunity announcement are to: 

1. Help small operators significantly reduce methane emissions from oil and natural gas operations, using commercially available technology solutions for methane emissions monitoring, measurement, quantification and mitigation. 

1. Accelerate the repair of methane leaks from low-producing wells and the deployment of early-commercial technology solutions to reduce methane emissions from new and existing equipment such as natural gas compressors, gas-fueled engines, associated gas flares, liquids unloading operations, handling of produced water and other equipment leakage. 

1. Improve communities’ access to empirical data and participation in monitoring through multiple installations of monitoring and measurement technologies while establishing collaborative relationships between equipment providers and communities. 

1. Enhance the detection and measurement of methane emissions from oil and gas operations at regional scale, while ensuring nationwide data consistency through the creation of collaborative partnerships. These partnerships will span the country’s oil and gas-producing regions and draw in oil and natural gas owners and operators, universities, environmental justice organizations, community leaders, unions, technology developers, Tribes, state regulatory agencies, non-governmental research organizations, federally funded research and development centers and DOE’s National Laboratories.  

A competitive solicitation for this funding will enable a broad range of eligible U.S. entities to apply, including industry, academia, non-governmental organizations, Tribes and state and local governments. This funding opportunity is expected to achieve measurable outcomes for skilled workforce training, community involvement and environmental justice. Funding applicants are required to submit Community Benefits Plans to demonstrate meaningful engagement with and tangible benefits to the communities in which the proposed projects will be located. These plans must provide details on the applicant’s commitments to community and labor engagement, quality job creation, diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, and benefits to disadvantaged communities as part of the Justice40 Initiative. Established in Executive Order 14008, the President’s Justice40 Initiative set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.  

Read more details of this funding opportunity. For any questions on the application, applicants must submit written questions through the FedConnect portal at FedConnect.net. For assistance with any technical issues with grants.gov, please contact 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. More information, including applicant eligibility, can be found on the government grants page. 

About the Methane Emissions Reduction Program 

The Inflation Reduction Act, through the Methane Emissions Reduction Program, directed EPA to take action to tackle wasteful methane emissions from the oil and gas sector. Utilizing resources provided by Congress in the Inflation Reduction Act, EPA is partnering with DOE to provide $1.36 billion in financial and technical assistance to improve methane monitoring and reduce methane and other greenhouse gas emissions from the oil and gas sector. These investments are also expected to result in co-benefits of reducing non-greenhouse gas emissions such as volatile organic compounds and hazardous air pollutants.  

Today’s announcement builds on the $350 million in formula grant funding EPA and DOE announced in December 2023 to states to support industry efforts to voluntarily reduce emissions at low-producing wells, monitor emissions, and conduct environmental restoration at well pads.  

Visit EPA and DOE websites for more information about the Methane Emissions Reduction Program. 

Delivering on the U.S. Methane Action Plan 

The funding opportunity announced today is a part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s comprehensive, whole-of-government strategy to reduce harmful methane emissions across economic sectors, as outlined in the U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan. Below is a summary of recent and ongoing initiatives:   

• In December, EPA announced final standards that will sharply reduce methane and other harmful air pollutants from the oil and natural gas industry, including from hundreds of thousands of existing sources nationwide, promote the use of cutting-edge methane detection technologies and deliver significant economic and public health benefits.   

• In May, EPA issued a final rule to strengthen, expand and update methane emissions reporting requirements for petroleum and natural gas systems under EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, as required by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. The final revisions will ensure greater transparency and accountability for methane pollution from oil and natural gas facilities by improving the accuracy of annual emissions reporting from these operations. 

• EPA is working to finalize a Waste Emissions Charge rule, which will provide an incentive for companies to adopt best practices to reduce wasteful emissions and help capture near-term opportunities for methane reductions while EPA and states work toward full implementation of the final oil and gas rule.  

• The Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration proposed a new rule to significantly improve the detection and repair of leaks from more than 2.7 million miles of natural gas pipelines. The proposed rule would deploy pipeline workers across the country to keep more product in the pipe and prevent dangerous accidents, creating up to $2.3 billion annually in estimated benefits.  
• The Department of the Interior is deploying nearly $5 billion funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for workers to plug tens of thousands of orphaned oil and gas wells throughout the United States, including $64 million in 2023 for hundreds of improperly abandoned wells on federal lands, up to $660 million for states to plug thousands of high-priority orphaned wells on state and private lands, and an initial investment of nearly $40 million for Tribal Nations to address orphaned wells on their lands.  
• The Department of Agriculture, EPA and Food and Drug Administration recently launched a new Draft National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics to accelerate the prevention of food loss and waste – a major source of methane emissions.  
• The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law appropriated more than $11 billion over 15 years to eligible states and Tribes to reclaim abandoned coal mines, which will address dangerous safety and environmental conditions, including the elimination of major sources of water and methane pollution.  
• The Administration recently released the first ever National Strategy to Advance an Integrated U.S. Greenhouse Gas Measurement, Monitoring, and Information System to enhance coordination and integration of greenhouse gas – including methane – measurement, monitoring and information efforts. Such efforts include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s collection of high-resolution methane leak data via the EMIT Mission on the International Space Station, aircraft flights coordinated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Institute for Standards and Technology to connect satellite data to specific emissions sources on the ground, and the work of DOE and the State Department to coordinate international methane data collection and measurement efforts via a new Measurement, Monitoring, Reporting and Verification Working Group and the UN Methane Alert and Response System.  

Together, these efforts across the Biden-Harris Administration are accelerating reductions in methane emissions, cutting costs, supporting clean air and public health in disadvantaged communities, creating good jobs and advancing President Biden’s ambitious climate goals.  

BOSTON (JUNE 20, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in partnership with the White House Council on Environmental Quality announced New England's 2024 recipients of the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE) and the President's Environmental Youth Award (PEYA).

"Environmental stewardship often begins in the classroom with young people and educators who tackle our planet's most pressing climate change and environmental justice challenges head on," said EPA New England Administrator David W. Cash. "This year's awardees from New Hampshire and Rhode Island showcase a passionate leader and dedicated students whose great work creates a promising future for us all."

The PIAEE award was established by the 1990 National Environmental Education Act and seeks to recognize, support, and bring public attention to the outstanding environmental projects performed by teachers who go beyond textbook instruction to incorporate methods and materials that utilize creative experiences and enrich student learning in K-12 education.

2024 PIAEE Award Winner: Tara Happy, Hollis Primary School
Hollis, New Hampshire

Mrs. Happy, one of nine award winners nationally, is an environmental science teacher at the Hollis Primary School in New Hampshire. She tailors each lesson based on the interests of her students, which fosters curiosity and promotes active engagement. After her students expressed an interest in slugs, for example, Mrs. Happy organized a "Slug Week" that highlighted slug art, slug stories, and slug-finding contests. During the week, not only were her students enjoying their learning experience, but they were also developing a deep respect for the species and their surrounding ecosystem.

Additionally, because Mrs. Happy's school is in a rural community—where many students have a connection to farming—she teaches students about the plant life cycle with gardening activities. At her school, Mrs. Happy also utilizes the outdoors for students with intensive needs—such as nonverbal communication, mobility challenges, and medical needs—and her activities are inclusive and engaging for everyone.

In 2018, Mrs. Happy started a classroom composting program which has composted more than 4,600 pounds of food scraps. A food waste diversion plan, also organized by Mrs. Happy, allowed the school to divert over 10,600 pounds of food waste from the cafeteria. Mrs. Happy's leadership extends beyond the classroom through her collaboration with other teachers to integrate environmental education into the curriculum. She has established herself as a respected leader in her school and the broader community.

The PEYA was established by the Environmental Education Act of 1970 and recognizes outstanding community-level environmental projects by K-12 youth that promote awareness of natural resources and encourage positive community involvement. Each year, PEYA honors a variety of local projects developed by students, school classes, summer camp attendees, and youth organizations that promote engagement in environmental stewardship and protection.

2024 PEYA Award Winner: The Barrington Environmental Establishment
By: Abigail Goblick, Siddharth Gupta, Mia He, and Emma Pautz
Award Category: Grade Level 6–12
Barrington, Rhode Island

The Barrington Environmental Establishment (BEE) is a student-led climate action organization founded by Emma, Abigail, Mia, and Siddharth. These high school students noticed that their coastal hometown of Barrington, Rhode Island, was impacted by the effects of climate change, such as increased flooding and extreme weather. They decided to take matters into their own hands to create the BEE and help their community become more environmentally conscious while fostering positive environmental change. The students publish a biweekly newsletter promoting environmental awareness and have organized several successful community projects.

As an example, the BEE set up a public composting drop-off site for the residents of Barrington, at which nearly 1581 pounds of compost was collected within the first 21 weeks. Additionally, by collaborating with an organization called"Tree-Plenish," the BEE sold 1033 tree saplings, offsetting 206 tons of carbon, in the past year. Community involvement is at the heart of the organization's goals and activities, and the BEE invites community members to participate in monthly environmental events as well as regular volunteer cleanup activities. In their pursuit of a greener future, the BEE uses youth-led activism to drive community-based environmental action.

Additional information:

From across the country, 9 educators received the 2024 Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators. Winning educators demonstrated leadership by integrating environmental education into multiple subjects and using topics such as climate change, environmental justice, water infrastructure, waste management, water quality, environmentally friendly agricultural practices, STEM education, and school gardens to teach about environmental sustainability. The winners also effectively demonstrated how they inspire members of their communities to participate in environmental education activities.

Additionally, 29 students who worked as a team or individually on 13 projects received the President's Environmental Youth Award. Their stewardship projects, conducted in 2023, demonstrate the students' commitment and success in advancing community garden efforts, addressing environmental justice concerns, reducing pollution, conserving water and energy, reducing food waste, and combating climate change while also effectively encouraging the involvement of people in their communities.

To read about the winning projects in detail, visit:

PEYA Winners: https://www.epa.gov/education/presidents-environmental-youth-award-peya-winners.

PIAEE Winners: https://www.epa.gov/education/presidential-innovation-award-environmental-educators-piaee-winners.

CHICAGO (June 20, 2024) — Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore joined Rep. Robin Kelly, Mayor Vernard L. Alsberry Jr., First Assistant Deputy Governor Shareese Pryor, and Illinois EPA Director John Kim to highlight federal and state funding to help Hazel Crest, Illinois, identify and replace lead service lines, ultimately preventing exposure to lead in drinking water.  

“For far too long, our country has underinvested in our nation’s drinking water infrastructure,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore. “Thanks to the Biden Administration’s Investing in America agenda, the United States is allocating a historic $50 billion in our nation’s water infrastructure, including lead service line replacements, to ensure clean, safe, reliable drinking water for every American.” 

The Village of Hazel Crest is one of 123 inaugural partners in the White House’s Get the Lead Out initiative, announced in January 2023. The Village approved a resolution to remove all 2,700 lead service lines within Hazel Crest, while prioritizing its most vulnerable residents in its lead pipe replacement plan.  

“I was delighted to present $240 million in federal funding coming to Illinois to help advance lead service line replacement efforts in Hazel Crest,” said Rep. Robin Kelly. “Thanks to President Joe Biden’s agenda to Invest in America, we can ensure our kids are drinking clean water. Replacing our nation’s aging water infrastructure is not just a matter of convenience – it is a necessity for communities and families to thrive.” 

Funding received by Hazel Crest was made possible, in part, by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Recently, EPA announced more than $240 million in additional Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for projects throughout Illinois, including Hazel Crest. This funding builds on the Administration’s Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan and EPA’s Get the Lead Out Initiative.  

During the Hazel Crest event, Regional Administrator Shore and other state and local elected officials met with residents and observed a lead service line replacement. Lead can cause a range of serious health impacts, including irreversible harm to brain development in children. To protect children and families, President Biden has committed to replacing every lead pipe in the country. 

“I take pride in Hazel Crest being one of the 123 inaugural partners of President Joe Biden’s “Get The Lead Out” initiative and we look forward to removing all identified, lead service lines in the village,” said Mayor Vernard L. Alsberry Jr. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to restore the infrastructure and foundation of the Village of Hazel Crest to ensure our residents have access to safe water.” 

“Every community in Illinois deserves access to safe, clean drinking water—regardless of where they live,” said First Assistant Deputy Governor Shareese Pryor. “Today’s event not only demonstrates President Biden’s commitment to improving the lives of our most vulnerable residents, but it also highlights the infusion of federal funding Illinois received to equitably identify and replace lead pipes statewide.” 

“Lead service lines are a major obstacle for community water supplies in Illinois, and Hazel Crest joins many of our communities in pursuing funding opportunities like these to help with the cost of removing the threat of lead in drinking water for their residents,” said Illinois EPA Director John J. Kim. “This assistance from the Get the Lead Out initiative along with funding from Illinois EPA through our robust State Revolving Fund will help to provide critical funding to prioritized disadvantaged communities that might have no other resources to take on this challenge.”   

In May, EPA announced $3 billion from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to help every state and territory identify and replace lead service lines, preventing exposure to lead in drinking water. These funds will be distributed through EPA’s successful Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and takes another major step to advance the Administration’s commitment to environmental justice. Working collaboratively, EPA and the states are advancing the President’s Justice40 Initiative to ensure that 40% of overall benefits from certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Lead exposure disproportionately affects communities of color and low-income families. The $9 billion in total funding announced to date through EPA’s Lead Service Line Replacement Drinking Water State Revolving Fund program is expected to replace up to 1.7 million lead pipes nationwide, securing clean drinking water for countless families. 

Background   

President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests a historic $15 billion to identify and replace lead service lines. The law mandates that 49% of funds provided through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund General Supplemental Funding and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Lead Service Line Replacement Funding must be provided as grants and forgivable loans to disadvantaged communities, a crucial investment for communities that have been underinvested in for too long. EPA projects a national total of 9 million lead services lines across the country, based on data collected from the updated 7th Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment. The funding announced last month will be provided specifically for lead service line identification and replacement and will help every state and territory fund projects to remove lead pipes and reduce exposure to lead from drinking water.   

The Lead Service Line-specific formula used to allot these funds allows states to receive financial assistance commensurate with their need as soon as possible, furthering public health protection nationwide. The formula and allotments are based on need — meaning that states with more projected lead service lines receive proportionally more funding.    

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DALLAS, TEXAS (June 20, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Fort Worth Independent School District is receiving $6,167,108 through EPA’s first Clean School Bus Grant Competition. The significant award, which is made possible through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, will help the school district purchase 15 clean school buses.

EPA Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance joined Rep. Marc Veasey, Superintendent Dr. Angélica Ramsey, district leaders, and community members in Fort Worth, TX, today to celebrate the award and highlight how the program will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save schools money, and better protect children’s health.

“Today’s $6 million grant delivers a tremendous investment in environmental justice and clean energy by replacing older diesel engines, which disproportionately expose communities of color to harmful pollution, with clean school buses,” said Region 6 Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “Thanks to President Biden’s historic investments in America, fewer children will face asthma risks linked to air pollution as EPA continues to work every single day to create cleaner and healthier communities.”

“This investment will work towards making our air cleaner and better our children's futures here in Fort Worth," said Rep. Marc Veasey (TX-33). "In 2021, I was proud to vote for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that made this accomplishment possible by ensuring our communities have the tools for zero-emissions electric buses."

"We are thrilled that Fort Worth ISD has been awarded a grant to invest in electric school buses for our district,” said Fort Worth ISD Superintendent Dr. Angelica Ramsey. “Fort Worth ISD is proud to be among the school districts in Texas to receive a grant for electric buses. These electric buses will provide our students with a cleaner, quieter, and more efficient mode of transportation, enhancing their daily school commute. By integrating electric buses into our fleet, we are not only reducing our carbon footprint but also directly benefiting our students' health and well-being. We look forward to seeing the environmental and cost-saving benefits that Fort Worth ISD will experience with these electric-powered school buses.”

In January 2024, the EPA announced Fort Worth ISD’s selection among the Notice of Funding Opportunity’s top tier Texas applicants to receive this historic investment in their community.

Under the program’s multiple grant and rebate funding opportunities to date, the EPA has awarded almost $3 billion to fund approximately 8,500 school bus replacements at over 1,000 schools. By accelerating the transition to low- and zero-emission vehicles, these awards will improve air quality for children and their families and advance environmental justice, all while boosting the economy and creating good-paying jobs.

The Clean School Bus Program is having far-reaching effects across school districts and their surrounding communities. Air pollution from older diesel engines is linked to asthma and other conditions that harm students’ health and can cause them to miss school. Phasing out these older diesel engines, which disproportionately affect communities of color and Tribal communities, ensures cleaner air for students, bus drivers, school staff working near bus loading areas, and the communities through which the buses drive each day.

The program delivers on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution.Throughout the selection process, EPA prioritized high-needs school districts, including school districts with more than 20% of students in poverty, rural school districts, Tribal school districts and districts in underserved and overburdened communities.

About the Clean School Bus Program

The EPA Clean School Bus Program was created by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides an unprecedented $5 billion of funding to transform the nation’s fleet of school buses. The Clean School Bus Program funds electric buses, which produce zero tailpipe emissions, as well as propane and compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, which produce lower tailpipe emissions compared to their older diesel predecessors.

To learn more about the Clean School Bus Rebate Program, applicant eligibility, selection process, and informational webinar dates for future rounds of funding, visit the Clean School Bus Program website.

Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), or visit our homepage.

NUEVA YORK – Hoy, la Agencia Federal de Protección Ambiental de Estados Unidos (EPA) anunció una subvención de $319,000 para ayudar a las comunidades costeras de Puerto Rico a proteger la salud de los bañistas. Los fondos ayudarán a Puerto Rico a llevar a cabo programas de monitoreo de calidad de agua y programas para mantener al público informado sobre sus playas.

“Este financiamiento ayuda a mantener limpias las playas y las aguas costeras para que la gente pueda divertirse, relajarse y disfrutar de toda la belleza que las costas de Puerto Rico ofrecen”, indicó Lisa F. García, administradora regional. “El financiamiento de la EPA es vital para el éxito de los programas de monitoreo y notificación sobre el estatus de las playas”.

En virtud de la Ley de Evaluación Ambiental de Playas y Salud Costera (BEACH), la EPA otorga subvenciones a los solicitantes estatales, naciones indígenas y territoriales elegibles para ayudar a ellos y a sus socios del gobierno local a monitorear la calidad del agua en las playas costeras y de los Grandes Lagos. Cuando los niveles de bacterias son demasiado altos para nadar de manera segura, estas agencias notifican al público publicando avisos o cierres de playas.

Desde 2001, la EPA ha adjudicado casi $230 millones en subvenciones de la Ley BEACH para analizar las aguas de las playas en busca de bacterias que causan enfermedades, identificar las fuentes de problemas de contaminación y ayudar a notificar al público. Tres factores influyeron en las asignaciones de la EPA para los montos de las subvenciones de 2024: (1) la duración de la temporada de playa, (2) la cantidad de millas de costa y (3) las poblaciones de los condados costeros.

A fin de ser elegible para recibir las subvenciones de la Ley BEACH, los estados, las naciones indígenas y los territorios deben tener aguas recreativas costeras y de los Grandes Lagos adyacentes a playas o puntos de acceso similares utilizados por el público. También deben tener un programa de normas de calidad del agua y estándares numéricos de calidad del agua recreativa aprobados por la EPA para las aguas costeras. Además, las entidades elegibles deben cumplir con 11 criterios de desempeño para implementar los componentes de monitoreo, evaluación y notificación del programa de playas.

Más información sobre subvenciones de la Ley BEACH.

Consulte el sitio web estatal, tribal o territorial correspondiente sobre el programa BEACH para ver información acerca de cierres o notificaciones en una playa en particular.

Siga la Región 2 de la EPA en X y visite nuestra página en Facebook. Para obtener más información sobre la Región 2 de la EPA, visite nuestro sitio web.

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WASHINGTON - Today, June 20, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the results of Phase Two of the Water Toxicity Sensor Challenge. The challenge winner, Aqua Science, LLC, is receiving a prize of $105,000 for their innovative system, BioLight Toxy, that uses a bioluminescent bacterium that responds when exposed to toxins in water.

“Congratulations to the winner of the Water Toxicity Sensor Challenge for advancing an innovative water technology that offers the promise of addressing a difficult environmental problem,” said Chris Frey, EPA’s Assistant Administrator for Research and Development. “The prize-winning technological solution has the potential to advance how we monitor and protect one of our most vital resources, ensuring the safety and sustainability of our water supplies.”

Contaminants such as pesticides, personal care products and other chemical pollutants can increase toxicity in water, creating exposure concerns for humans and aquatic organisms. These chemicals can disrupt the body's normal functions like breathing and cause chronic diseases and harmful health effects. Using existing methods, it can be costly to detect and identify many of these contaminants and often requires specialized laboratories and personnel, and extensive time. If the identity of the contaminants is unknown, it can be even more difficult to detect them.

To help improve methods for monitoring water toxicity, EPA and partners developed the Water Toxicity Sensor Challenge to encourage solvers to create new, effective solutions. The challenge consisted of two stages, first the concept design and then prototype development. Phase One Challenge participants submitted written concepts explaining how their proposed system could detect the activation of toxic pathways when exposed to various harmful chemicals or natural toxins.

During Phase Two of the challenge, which was open to all, solvers submitted a description of a prototype sensor and the results of initial testing of its ability to detect toxicity in water. The Challenge Committee selected finalists based on several criteria including the device’s ability to detect the presence of toxicity with quantitative data and for the device to be easy to use. Finalists were required to have their systems tested by an approved third-party evaluator for consideration for the final prize.

The winning sensor, BioLight Toxy was selected based on both the initial data from the prototype and the results of the third-party evaluation.

Challenge Winner:

BioLight Toxy is a system that can be used in the field or the lab that measures the light levels of a bacterium to determine the toxicity of a sample. Proposed by Iwona Evans, Owner/CEO, Aqua Science LLC, Newark, Delaware. Read the full description of the winning solution.

Honorable Mention:

SCENTINEL is a prototype that uses a paper sensor containing bioluminescent bacteria. Water samples are added to wells in the sensor and the level of bioluminescence emitted, which depends on the level of toxicity, can be captured by a smartphone. This prototype was developed by Professor Elisa Michelini, Dept of Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician”, University of Bologna, Italy. 

The Water Toxicity Sensor Challenge is a collaborative effort of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Geological Survey, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, the Greater Cincinnati Water Works, the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and The Water Research Foundation.  
 

NEW YORK – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $319,00 in grant funding to help Puerto Rico ’s coastal communities protect the health of beachgoers. The funding will assist Puerto Rico in conducting water quality monitoring and public notification programs for their beaches.

“This funding helps keep beaches and coastal waters clean so that people can have fun, relax and enjoy all the beauty that Puerto Rico coastlines have to offer,” said Lisa F. Garcia, Regional Administrator. “EPA funding is vital for successful beach monitoring and notification programs.”

“Puerto Rico is home to approximately 1,225 beaches distributed throughout our 799 miles of coastline.  These are one of our most valuable and treasured natural resources, as they support our tourism economy and provide recreational opportunities for residents and visitors alike.  Ensuring they are safe for swimming, bathing, and other similar activities is therefore of utmost importance.  That’s why I welcome today’s announcement that EPA will award $319,000 in BEACH Act funding to Puerto Rico to help conduct water quality monitoring and public notification programs for our beaches.  Throughout my time in Congress I’ve been proud to join bipartisan efforts to advocate for robust funding for BEACH Act grants.  I remain committed to continue advocating for this vital program to protect beachgoers in Puerto Rico and across the rest of the nation’s coastal states and territories,” said Congresswoman Jenniffer González-Colón.

Under the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act, the EPA awards grants to eligible state, tribal, and territorial applicants to help them and their local government partners monitor water quality at coastal and Great Lakes beaches. When bacteria levels are too high for safe swimming, these agencies notify the public by posting beach advisories or closings.

Since 2001, the EPA has awarded nearly $230 million in BEACH Act grants to test beach waters for illness-causing bacteria, identify the sources of pollution problems, and help notify the public. Three factors influenced the EPA’s allocations for the 2024 grant amounts: (1) the length of the beach season, (2) the number of miles of shoreline, and (3) the populations of coastal counties.

To be eligible for BEACH Act grants, states, Tribes, and territories must have coastal and Great Lakes recreational waters adjacent to beaches or similar points of access used by the public. They must also have a water quality standards program and EPA-approved numeric recreational water quality standards for coastal waters. Additionally, eligible entities must meet 11 performance criteria for implementing monitoring, assessment, and notification components of the beach program.

More information on BEACH Act grants.

Check the relevant state, Tribal or territorial beach program website for closing or advisory information at a particular beach.

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

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WASHINGTON — Today, June 20, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released its 2024-2027 Climate Adaptation Plan, which describes agency actions to address the impacts of climate change and help build a more climate-resilient nation. The plan expands the agency’s efforts to ensure its programs, facilities, workforce and operations are increasingly resilient to climate change impacts. EPA plays a central role in the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to tackle the climate crisis and build a climate-resilient nation.

The plan builds on work initiated in the 2014 and 2021 EPA Climate Adaptation Plans to incorporate climate adaptation into the agency’s programs, policies, rules, enforcement activities and operations. EPA has already made significant strides partnering with other federal agencies, states, Tribes, territories and local governments to promote climate resilience across the nation, placing a particular focus on advancing environmental justice. Nevertheless, more needs to be done given the magnitude of this global challenge.

“We’re already seeing the devastating impacts of climate change in our daily lives, such as more frequent and intense weather events,” said Vicki Arroyo, EPA Associate Administrator for Policy. “The publication of EPA’s 2024-2027 Climate Adaptation Plan supports our continuing efforts to prepare for these impacts, build resilience, and support climate-smart solutions and investments that work for communities across the country.”

“We are strengthening EPA’s ability to adapt, and building a more climate-informed workforce,” said Kimberly Patrick, EPA Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Mission Support. “The plan lays out our roadmap for the next four years to reinforce our facilities, critical infrastructure, supply chains and procurement processes to withstand potential risks posed by climate change – above all, to safeguard our workforce so that they can continue to carry out our mission of protecting human health and the environment.”

Highlights from EPA’s 2024-2027 Climate Adaptation Plan are included below.

• Fostering a Climate-Ready Workforce – EPA is building a climate-literate workforce through ongoing education and training and to ensure staff are equipped with an understanding of projected climate impacts, the vulnerability of EPA programs to these impacts, and adaptation approaches. One example is the agency-wide Climate Conversations webinar series helping to build a community of practice and encourage peer-to-peer sharing of experiences.
• Building Facility Resilience – EPA is continuing to conduct facility resiliency assessments to identify vulnerabilities to the impacts of climate change and make recommendations to increase facility resilience.
• Developing Climate-Resilient Supply Chains – EPA has included an assessment of climate hazard risk as part of its overall Agency Supply Chain Risk Management plan. The agency plans to conduct supply chain risk assessments under the Program Management Improvement Accountability Act and Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act in fiscal year 2024.
• Integrating Climate Resilience into External Funding Opportunities – EPA is modernizing its financial assistance programs to encourage investments by communities and Tribes that are more resilient in an era of climate change.  To support this effort, EPA launched an internal Climate-Resilient Investments Clearinghouse website to help managers of financial assistance programs incorporate climate adaptation and resilience considerations in the investment decisions EPA makes each day.
• Applying Climate Data and Tools to Decision Making – EPA is equipping communities and the recipients of financial resources with the tools, data, information and technical support they need to assess their climate risks and develop the climate-resilience solutions most appropriate for them.
• Integrating Climate Adaptation into Rulemaking Processes – EPA is integrating climate adaptation into its rulemaking processes where appropriate and in keeping with our statutory authorities to ensure they are effective even as the climate changes.  For example, on March 14, 2024, EPA finalized a rule requiring a broad array of facilities that manage hazardous materials to develop response plans to prepare for the largest foreseeable discharges in adverse weather conditions, including more extreme weather conditions expected as the climate changes. EPA is also committed to applying climate change and environmental justice policy principles through National Environmental Policy Act reviews.

In March 2024, EPA launched a new Office of Climate Adaptation and Sustainability that will support efforts to build resilience to climate change and promote sustainability in support of the agency’s mission and its partnerships. Find EPA’s 2024-2027 Climate Adaptation Plan on our climate adaptation website.

BACKGROUND

President Biden directed federal agencies to meet the challenge of the climate crisis in a way that protects federal investments, grows good jobs and industries and makes the nation more economically competitive. That includes making federal agencies and programs more resilient to the climate crisis.

“As communities face extreme heat, natural disasters and severe weather from the impacts of climate change, President Biden is delivering record resources to build climate resilience across the country,” said Brenda Mallory, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. “Through his Investing in America agenda and an all-of-government approach to tackling the climate crisis, the Biden-Harris Administration is delivering more than $50 billion to help communities increase their resilience and bolster protections for those who need it most. By updating our own adaptation strategies, the federal government is leading by example to build a more resilient future for all.”

Federal agencies have been making steady progress on efforts to build adaptive capacity and resilience across federal operations. Today’s publication of EPA’s 2024-2027 Climate Adaptation Plan is part of a coordinated release of more than twenty federal agencies’ climate adaptation plans. These plans highlight efforts across the federal government to ensure federal facilities, employees, resources and operations are increasingly resilient to climate change impacts.

Each agency’s plan aligns with adaptation and resilience requirements in section 211 of Executive Order 14008: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, section 5(d) of EO 14030: Climate-Related Financial Risk, and section 503 of EO 14057: Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability. The plans also demonstrate how agencies are contributing to the objectives and opportunities for action identified in the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Climate Resilience Framework and incorporating natural hazards and climate resilience into real property asset management and investment decisions (per the Disaster Recovery Planning Act and Memorandum for Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies M-24-03).

All plans from each of the agencies and more information are available at the Federal Sustainability Plan website.

NEW YORK – Today at Bradley Beach, NJ, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia announced $258,000 in grant funding to help New Jersey ’s coastal communities protect the health of beachgoers. She was joined by Congressman Frank Pallone Jr., Ranking Member of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, Shawn LaTourette, Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Bradley Beach Mayor Larry Fox and other dignitaries. The funding will assist New Jersey in conducting water quality monitoring and public notification programs for their beaches.

“This funding helps keep beaches and coastal waters clean so that people can have fun, relax and enjoy all the beauty that New Jersey coastlines have to offer,” said Lisa F. Garcia, Regional Administrator. “EPA funding is vital for successful beach monitoring and notification programs.”

“With our district home to some of America’s most popular summer destinations, we know better than most the importance of protecting our beaches,” said Representative Frank Pallone (NJ-06). “Federal support is indispensable to ensure our beaches are safe and clean. As New Jerseyans and countless others flock to our state’s beaches for a great summer, now is the perfect time for the allocation of this federal support so swimmers know the water is clean to enjoy. I will always prioritize federal support for New Jersey beaches.”

“I’m thrilled to see this EPA grant funding support water quality monitoring and public safety in New Jersey’s beaches,” said Senator Cory Booker. “This investment will protect public health, preserve our natural resources, and benefit our coastal communities.” 

“The Department of Environmental Protection and our local partners are extremely grateful for EPA’s continued support of New Jersey’s highly successful Cooperative Coastal Monitoring Program,” said New Jersey Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette. “This funding supports the important work done through a longstanding partnership between the DEP and local health departments to monitor and report on water quality so that residents and visitors can enjoy carefree and fun days at the beach. As a result of these efforts, the public can easily visit njbeaches.org to find information about water quality data and beach status reports before heading down the shore to enjoy New Jersey’s consistently excellent water quality.” 

Under the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act, the EPA awards grants to eligible state, tribal, and territorial applicants to help them and their local government partners monitor water quality at coastal and Great Lakes beaches. When bacteria levels are too high for safe swimming, these agencies notify the public by posting beach advisories or closings.

Since 2001, the EPA has awarded nearly $230 million in BEACH Act grants to test beach waters for illness-causing bacteria, identify the sources of pollution problems, and help notify the public. Three factors influenced the EPA’s allocations for the 2024 grant amounts: (1) the length of the beach season, (2) the number of miles of shoreline, and (3) the populations of coastal counties.

To be eligible for BEACH Act grants, states, Tribes, and territories must have coastal and Great Lakes recreational waters adjacent to beaches or similar points of access used by the public. They must also have a water quality standards program and EPA-approved numeric recreational water quality standards for coastal waters. Additionally, eligible entities must meet 11 performance criteria for implementing monitoring, assessment, and notification components of the beach program.

More information on BEACH Act grants.

Check the relevant state, Tribal or territorial beach program website for closing or advisory information at a particular beach.

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

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Contact: EPA Region 4 Press Office - (404) 562-8400, region4press@epa.gov

RALEIGH (June 18, 2024) – Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a new grant totaling more than $1 million to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services for lead testing in schools and daycare centers. The new funding will be highlighted at an event in Durham today where EPA Acting Regional Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle will join Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, U.S. Representative Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams, and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley to highlight the Biden-Harris administration’s ongoing commitment to protect public health and deliver safe drinking water for all Americans.

“At EPA, our mission is to protect all people and our planet, and fulfilling that mission requires that every single person in this country – especially our children – have clean water to drink when they turn on their tap,” said EPA Acting Regional Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle. “Last year, Durham was awarded $1 million dollars for a lead service line inventory Field Verification Project for disadvantaged areas; this year alone, North Carolina was alloted more than $200 million dollars through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, with more than $76 million dollars of that funding to be used specifically for lead pipe identification and replacement; and EPA has awarded over $2 million dollars to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to test for lead in drinking water in schools and childcare facilities. Because in order to get the lead out, its essential that we know where the remaining service lines are.”

“Today, we are excited to welcome EPA Acting Regional Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff to Durham, NC,” said Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams. “This visit exemplifies the Biden-Harris Administration’s continued commitment to ensuring that families in Durham and across the country have access to safe, lead-free drinking water. We are grateful for this commitment and welcome continued investment through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.”

The State of North Carolina will use this award to assist with continuing to implement its program to test for lead contamination in drinking water at all licensed childcare centers including Head Start/pre-Kindergarten programs in elementary schools. The Department of Health and Human Services’ goal is to reduce lead exposure by utilizing the Environmental Protection Agency's 3Ts: Training, Testing, and Taking action. The program works with childcare centers to provide education about lead and mitigation recommendations, and they have initiated a second round of follow up testing to understand the changes in lead exposure over time, post remediation and education.

“Every child, no matter where they live, deserves clean and lead-free drinking water,” said Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (NC-04). “Thanks to the Biden Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency, North Carolina will receive nearly $1.3 million in federal funding to continue testing for lead in drinking water in schools and childcare facilities across the state. Lead in water is never acceptable, and I am incredibly pleased to see significant investments being made to better protect the health of our children and our communities.”

“Ensuring the health and safety of our children is a top priority and why we are committed to rigorous lead testing in our schools and childcare centers,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. “I am grateful to our federal and state partners that help us in detecting and eliminating potential exposure that guarantees the safety of our children. This is public health in action – working together to for the health and well-being of North Carolinians.”

Lead can cause a range of serious health impacts, including irreversible harm to brain development in children. To protect children and families, President Biden has committed to replacing every lead pipe in the country.

Working collaboratively, EPA and the State Revolving Funds are advancing the President’s Justice40 Initiative to ensure that 40% of overall benefits from certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Lead exposure disproportionately affects communities of color and low-income families. The $9 billion in total funding announced to date through EPA’s Lead Service Line Replacement Drinking Water State Revolving Fund program is expected to replace up to 1.7 million lead pipes nationwide, securing clean drinking water for countless families.

President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests a historic $15 billion to identify and replace lead service lines. The law mandates that 49% of funds provided through the DWSRF General Supplemental Funding and DWSRF Lead Service Line Replacement Funding must be provided as grants and forgivable loans to disadvantaged communities, a crucial investment for communities that have been underinvested in for too long. EPA projects a national total of 9 million lead services lines across the country, based on data collected from the updated 7th Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment.

The Lead Service Line-specific formula used to allot these funds allows states to receive financial assistance commensurate with their need as soon as possible, furthering public health protection nationwide. The formula and allotments are based on need — meaning that states with more projected lead service lines receive proportionally more funding.

EPA has developed new outreach documents to help water systems educate their customers on drinking water issues, health impacts of lead exposure, service line ownership, and how customers can support the identification of potential lead service lines in their homes.

For more information on North Carolina’s lead testing in water and paint in schools program: https://www.cleanwaterforcarolinakids.org/

For more information on recent grant funding for North Carolina’s lead in water hazard mitigation program: https://www.cleanwaterforuskids.org/en/carolina/about_funding/

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CHICAGO (June 18, 2024) – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in partnership with the White House Council on Environmental Quality, announced that Shari Insley, a fifth-grade math and science teacher at Pine Intermediate School in North Olmsted Ohio, has won the 2024 Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators.  

“We are delighted to celebrate and recognize the remarkable contributions of educators and students across our country,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Our awardees exemplify commitment to environmental education and steadfast leadership in taking creative and innovative approaches to protect human health and tackle climate change. To the awardees, we extend our sincere appreciation for your unwavering dedication to environmental stewardship – we look forward to seeing what you accomplish next.” 

“Environmental stewardship often begins in the classroom with young people and educators who are taking our planet’s most pressing climate change and environmental justice challenges head on,” said White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory. “This year’s awardees represent passionate and dedicated leaders who are tackling the climate crisis, improving public health, and delivering a more equitable future for all.” 

With more than 18 years of teaching experience, Shari Insley, prioritizes dynamic and engaging learning environments for her students. Her work as an educator extends beyond the classroom, as she integrates service-learning experiences into her curriculum to inspire curiosity and insightfulness from her students. She possesses a keen awareness of her students' needs, ensuring that she meets them at their individual levels and tailors her curriculum accordingly. Through a blend of outdoor activities, research endeavors, and collaborations with local experts, Insley's students actively participate in hands-on learning experiences.  

“I'm honored to be a PIAEE awardee and help inspire the next generation of aquatic scientists,” said Shari Insley, teacher at Pine Intermediate School.  

In collaboration with her fellow educators, Insley created the North Olmsted Middle School Water Guardians Project for students to use scientific equipment for research and water sample testing to gain practical insights into environmental science and conservation. Insley's students exhibit confidence, enthusiasm, and eagerness as they leave the confines of the classroom to test the campus creek. During these outdoor studies, students collaborate with field experts, professionals, and educators who encourage them to ask questions and nurture their innate curiosity. In addition to this project, Insley also hosts a field trip to the Ohio State University’s Stone Laboratory. The laboratory, in the western basin of Lake Erie, is where Stone Lab scientists share their expertise with students and discuss topics relevant to the Lake Erie ecosystem. Through these activities, students gain tangible experience and knowledge about the importance of preventing and reducing water pollution. Ultimately, Insley is dedicated to serving as a model for students and fellow educators, sharing her knowledge and best practices to promote excellence in teaching. 

The Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators award was established by the 1990 National Environmental Education Act and seeks to recognize, support, and bring public attention to the outstanding environmental projects performed by teachers who go beyond textbook instruction to incorporate methods and materials that utilize creative experiences and enrich student learning in K-12 education. The CEQ, in partnership with the EPA, administers this award.  

From across the country, nine educators received the 2024 Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators. Winning educators demonstrated leadership by integrating environmental education into multiple subjects and using topics such as climate change, environmental justice, water infrastructure, waste management, water quality, environmentally friendly agricultural practices, STEM education, and school gardens to teach about environmental sustainability. The winners also effectively demonstrated how they inspire members of their communities to participate in environmental education activities.    

To read about the winning projects in detail, visit: PIAEE Winners.