EPA Press Office:

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $1M for Environmental Justice Project in West Virginia As Part of Investing in America Agenda

Selection announced as part of largest investments through EPA’s Environmental Justice Government-to-Government grant programs funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $1M for Environmental Justice Project in West Virginia As Part of Investing in America Agenda

Selection announced as part of largest investments through EPA’s Environmental Justice Government-to-Government grant programs funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act

Contact: EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)

October 24, 2023, PHILDADELPHIA — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $1 million to fund a project in West Virginia that will advance environmental justice as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WV DEP), which EPA has selected through its Environmental Justice Government-to-Government programs, will use the funds to ensure disadvantaged communities that have historically suffered from underinvestment have access to clean air and water and climate resilience solutions in alignment with the Biden-Harris administration’s Justice40 Initiative. 

Thanks to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act—the largest climate investment in U.S. history—this funding is a part the largest investment ever announced under these two longstanding EPA programs. This is the first in a series of environmental justice grant announcements the agency will announce before the end of the year.

“No President has invested more in environmental justice than President Biden, and under his leadership we’re removing longstanding barriers and meaningfully collaborating with communities to build a healthier future for all,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Together, these community-driven projects will improve the health, equity, and resilience of communities while setting a blueprint for local solutions that can be applied across the nation.”

“This funding to West Virginia is another example of how the Biden-Harris Administration is investing in our most vulnerable places and the governments that serve them,” said EPA Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz.  “Everyone deserves a future with clean water, safe streets, climate resiliency, and most importantly – a government that has the best interest of its communities front of mind.”

Environmental Justice Government-to-Government (EJG2G)

EPA’s EJG2G provides funding at the state, local, territorial, and Tribal level to support government activities in partnership with community-based organizations that lead to measurable environmental or public health impacts in communities disproportionately burdened by environmental harms.

EPA EJG2G grant selection in West Virginia includes:

• West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WV DEP) has been selected to receive $1M for the development and piloting of a community engagement process in WV’s Northern and Eastern Panhandle to inform fifteen PFAS Action Plans that will identify and address sources of PFAS in raw water sources of public drinking water systems.

Additional Background:  

From day one of his administration, President Biden has made achieving environmental justice a top priority. And 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.

Under the Inflation Reduction Act, EPA has launched and expanded innovative programs to provide more support than ever before to communities that unjustly bear the burdens of environmental harm and pollution. This includes the $177 million for the creation of 16 Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs) to remove barriers to federal resources and help communities pursue funding opportunities like those made available through President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda. EPA has also launched and will award funds through the $550 million  Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program before the end of 2023.

 To learn more about environmental justice at EPA, visit: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice

 

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