EPA Press Office:

EPA Selects University of Washington and Willamette Partnership to Serve as Technical Assistance Centers to Help Communities Access Historic Investments to Advance Environmental Justice

Contact: Suzanne Skadowski, 206-900-3309, (R10_Press_Team@epa.gov)

SEATTLE (April 17, 2023) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that the University of Washington and the Willamette Partnership are among 17 Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs) across the nation selected to receive a total of more than $177 million to help remove barriers and improve access for communities with environmental justice concerns.

“cross our region, communities overburdened by pollution or other environmental challenges have for years been left behind because they lacked access or faced barriers to the federal resources and funding to help put community-led solutions into action,” said EPA Region 10 Regional Administrator Casey Sixkiller. “By establishing these Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers, communities will be able to access the benefits from the President’s historic investments in clean air, safe water, and our green energy future.”

“I’m thrilled to see the University of Washington selected as an Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center and cannot wait to see the community engagement in our transition to clean energy that this center will foster,” said Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07). “For far too long, poor people and communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by the effects of the climate crisis, facing high levels of pollution and adverse health outcomes. Passing legislation to support our environment is a major step forward but is just one part of the job. For these bills and investments to do what they are intended to, we must make sure the grant funding and resources get to the communities, the people on the ground, who need them most. The new technical assistance center at the University of Washington will do just that."

“Everyone—regardless of the color of their skin, their zip code, or their income—deserves clean air, water, and soil, and protection from climate chaos,” said Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR). “With intensifying extreme weather events across the Pacific Northwest, this EPA funding to advance environmental justice has never been more essential to remove barriers and increase access and resiliency in the communities being hit hardest. These federal investments will help to support the health and prosperity of folks throughout the region and to ensure no one gets left behind as we move boldly to address climate chaos.”

“The path to a clean energy future in Oregon and nationwide must include everybody and reverse the long and unjust history of pollution allowed to land hardest on disadvantaged communities,” said Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR). ”This federal investment in Willamette Partnership will ensure those goals are achieved in our state and throughout the Northwest.”

“Communities on the front line of the climate crisis often face barriers to accessing resources. I applaud the Biden Administration for their commitment to environmental justice and for selecting the Willamette Partnership, based in Portland, Oregon, to serve as a first-of-its-kind Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center,” said Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR). “Along with the University of Washington, these centers will help underserved communities in the Pacific Northwest build a greener, healthier future and redress historic wrongs. I look forward to seeing how these investments make a positive difference for Oregonians and people across the country.”

"At the University of Washington, we look forward to working with EPA and the new Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers Program to engage with Region 10 community partners to strengthen their capacity and effectiveness for environmental and energy justice work,” said Edmund Seto, Project Manager, UW Pacific Northwest Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Center.  “We're excited to work closely with tribal and community leaders to provide technical assistance that addresses the specific environmental needs and priorities of our region."

“Together with our partners, including Portland State University’s Institute for Tribal Government and Rural Community Assistance Corporation, we are ready to walk shoulder to shoulder with frontline communities for social mobility, environmental and energy justice, and climate resilience,” said Lynny Brown, Willamette Partnership. “Our region already has the community leadership, knowledge, and people to build safe and healthy environments for all, and this investment is a crucial step toward resourcing communities to tackle ongoing injustices. We believe this opportunity will drive meaningful change and build a more just future for all who live, work, play, and pray in our region.”

The University of Washington will receive $12 million to serve communities and tribes in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. The UW Pacific Northwest Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Center will provide technical assistance services to regional program participants that will strengthen their capacity and effectiveness in applying to and successfully managing environmental and energy justice grants and programs. The center’s activities will include outreach and engagement with regional participants, establishing funded partnerships to foster community leadership, and hosting workshops and trainings.

The Willamette Partnership will receive $10 million to serve communities and tribes in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. The Willamette Partnership and Portland State University’s Institute for Tribal Government will co-manage the Northwestern Environmental and Energy Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center with a broad diversity of partners. The center’s activities will focus on underserved communities including Tribal and Indigenous communities, Black, Latinx, immigrant, and disabilities communities, especially in remote and rural areas. The center will provide community engagement, cohort learning and capacity building, and technical assistance to help communities access and use federal and private funding for local projects, equitable energy transitions, and engaging and influencing policy.

These centers will provide training and other assistance to build capacity for navigating federal grant application systems, writing strong grant proposals, and effectively managing grant funding. In addition, these centers will provide guidance on community engagement, meeting facilitation, and translation and interpretation services for limited English-speaking participants, thus removing barriers and improving accessibility for communities with environmental justice concerns. Each of the technical assistance centers will also create and manage communication channels to ensure all communities have direct access to resources and information. Additional award information for each grant selectee will be announced in Summer 2023. Learn more about the selectees, their partners, and the EJ TCTAC program.

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

Today’s announcement builds on the $100 million announced earlier this year under the Environmental Justice Government to Government Program and the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement Program, with applications due on April 14, 2023. EPA has also announced $550 million through the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program, with applications due May 31, 2023.