Obama Administration Releases Report on Progress and Next Steps in Restoring the Everglades, Announces Additional $80 Million in Project Funding

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJuly 13, 2012

Obama Administration Releases Report on Progress and Next Steps in Restoring the Everglades, Announces Additional $80 Million in Project Funding
Over $1.5 Billion Invested in the Everglades Since 2009; USDA To Fund Fourth Year of Easements for Water Quality, Wildlife Habitat Improvements in the Northern Everglades Watershed
 

KISSIMMEE, FL., July 13, 2012 —The Obama Administration today released a report outlining the historic Federal investments and progress made in Everglades restoration under the leadership of President Obama, and announced $80 million in additional funding to support farmers and ranchers who voluntarily conserve wetlands on agricultural land in the Northern Everglades Watershed.   This new investment, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), will restore an additional 23,000 acres of wetlands vital to water quality and wildlife habitat in the Everglades system.

President Obama has made restoring the Everglades a national priority. Using the partnerships and community-led approach that is a hallmark of the President’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative, the Administration has reinvigorated Federal leadership in Everglades restoration, investing $1.5 billion in Everglades projects and initiatives that will make a measurable impact on the ground, including nearly $900 million to jump start key construction projects that will restore water flow and essential habitat.  These projects already have generated 6,600 Florida jobs and are expected to generate more.  President Obama also has requested an additional $246 million in the Fiscal Year 2013 Budget to build on this progress and continue the investments, partnerships and projects that will return the Everglades to health.

Senior Administration officials including U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley, U.S. Department of Interior Assistant Secretary Rachel Jacobson, and Assistant Secretary of the Army Jo-Ellen Darcy released the report and made the funding announcement today in Kissimmee, FL.

“The Everglades are an icon, an American treasure, and essential to the health and economy of Florida communities,” said Sutley. “With the President’s leadership, we are making real and measurable progress in Everglades restoration, dramatically increasing Federal funding, launching key construction projects, and working with the State and other partners to deliver results on the ground.  There is much more to do, and we are committed to returning this majestic natural resource to health.”

“President Obama has made restoring the iconic Everglades a national priority,” Vilsack said. “Restoring these wetlands demonstrates a strong commitment to partnerships with ranchers and farmers to improve water quality and habitat protection while supporting Florida’s strong agricultural economy and ranching heritage. These investments are paying off, creating nearly 7,000 jobs in Florida’s economy and preserving thousands of acres of precious wetlands for future generations to enjoy.”

“The Everglades are one of America’s most treasured places – for the people of Florida and for visitors and tourists from all over the world,” said Ken Salazar, Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior. “By working together in pursuit of President Obama’s vision for a renewed and healthy Everglades, we honor the stewardship of generations of Florida cattle ranchers and other landowners who understood that we all have a stake in preserving the health of our land, water, and wildlife. Under the President’s leadership, our commitment to restoring the Everglades is benefiting the environment and the Florida economy – creating jobs, while protecting this unique place for years to come.”

"The Everglades are essential to the environmental and economic strength of so many Florida communities. The health of this ecosystem affects everything from water quality and biodiversity to tourism, an industry that supports thousands of jobs across the state,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "The success we've already seen in restoring the land, water and wildlife of the Everglades shows how investments in America’s extraordinary outdoors are also investments in our health and our economic future. Thanks to the additional funding announced today, we can expand our efforts to protect this vital watershed and build upon the progress that's already been made."

"In the last three years there has been unprecedented restoration progress in the Everglades,” said Darcy.  “President Obama has invested more than $130 million to restore flood plains and waters that flow from the Kissimmee River.  The Kissimmee River restoration project is the largest restoration project undertaken by the Corps to date and the benefits are already being realized.  Since 2009, the federal family and the State of Florida have invested in and broken ground on seven restoration projects.  We have seized the opportunity for stakeholders to work together toward common goal of restoring the Everglades."

Working in partnership with the State of Florida, Tribes and local leaders, since 2009, the Administration has restored more than 3,000 acres of the floodplains along the Kissimmee River; worked with landowners to improve habitat and water quality on more than 400,000 agricultural acres;  begun constructing the first mile of bridging for the Tamiami Trail to restore water flow to Everglades National Park;  begun implementing key components of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan to make more water available for environmental, urban and agricultural use; and reached an historic agreement with the State of Florida to make essential water quality improvements, including $879 million in State commitments for water quality projects.

Today’s investment in the WRP also builds on other significant Obama administration accomplishments to conserve habitat in the greater Everglades ecosystem.  Earlier this year, the Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) established the 150,000-acre Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area. Assistant Secretary Jacobson today announced that FWS has received $1.5 million in reprogrammed 2012 funding to begin securing additional conservation easements on priority parcels of some of the last remaining grass-land savannahs in the Northern Everglades – working with private land-owners to conserve the land, water and wildlife of the Everglades Headwaters.

More about USDA’s Wetlands Reserve Program
Since 2009, USDA has invested $373 million to restore and protect more than 95,000 acres of wetland habitat in Florida’s Northern Everglades. Through the WRP program, Florida’s private landowners voluntarily sell development rights to land and place it in a conservation easement that permanently maintains that land as agriculture and open space. The program’s goal is to achieve the greatest wetland functions and values, along with optimum wildlife habitat, on every acre enrolled in the program. The program also helps landowners to establish long-term conservation and wildlife practices and protection.

The $80 million announced today will fund projects such as an easement on a property known as American Prime, a key habitat corridor for the endangered Florida panther.  USDA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced in May 2012 that they have collaborated with private partners to protect this 1,278-acre piece of land in Glades County that is critical for panthers dispersing into habitat further north.  A female panther and two kittens were recently photographed near this property -- the first documented evidence of a female Florida panther that far north since 1973.

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EPA and LA Water Board Set Strict New Pollution Reduction Plans for 175 Waterways in Los Angeles Area

For Immediate Release: March 27, 2012Media Contacts:
Nahal Mogharabi, EPA, mogharabi.nahal@epa.gov
Deborah Smith, LA Water Quality Board, 213-576-6609, Dsmith@waterboards.ca.gov  

EPA and LA Water Board Set Strict New Pollution Reduction Plans for 175 Waterways in Los Angeles Area
Action Culminates 13 Year Effort, Eliminating Beach Closures, Reducing Trash and Toxic Chemicals in Waters

LOS ANGELES – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board today announced the latest in a series of pollution reduction plans designed to restore 175 water bodies in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. The pollution targets set by these plans will improve water quality, restore ecosystems, and protect the public by eliminating beach closures due to bacteria and improving the health of fish used for consumption.

“EPA and our partners have achieved a breakthrough on the path toward restoring the health of Los Angeles’ creeks, streams, and beaches,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “These precious natural resources lay at the heart of what makes the Golden State shine.”

The Los Angeles region is home to a vast network of streams, lakes, rivers, and beaches used for fishing and recreation. The pollution plans call for reductions in the amount of bacteria, nitrogen, phosphorus, mercury, pesticides and other toxic chemicals that affect these waterways.  More than 95% of the impaired waters will meet applicable water quality standards once the pollution reduction plans are fully implemented.

“I am proud to acknowledge achievements that are leading to healthier watersheds for the benefit of the people and wildlife who call the Los Angeles area home.” said Maria Mehranian, Chair of the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board.  “This wave of water quality improvement is the result of tremendous efforts by this Board, past Boards, and EPA in collaboration with local municipalities and environmental organizations.”

Under the federal Clean Water Act, states are required to develop pollution reduction plans for waters that are impaired by pollutants.  These plans are called Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), and must be approved by the EPA. 

 “Los Angeles’ relationship to water is a historic one. We are known for our beaches and were founded because of the LA River,” said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. “The U.S. EPA and the Regional Water Board have been strong partners as we work to protect our rivers, streams, and waterways. We applaud the U.S. EPA and the Regional Water Board for continuing to prioritize water quality and safety in Los Angeles.”

Today’s announcement is a  part of a 1999 legal settlement between EPA and local environmental groups  in which EPA committed to approve LA Water Board-developed TMDLs or independently establish TMDLs for a list of water bodies in the Los Angeles Region.  As a result of the consent decree, 47 TMDLs have been established for 175 water bodies that address numerous pollutant impairments including elevated bacteria, metals, pesticides, PCBs and trash.  Additional TMDLs will be approved or established within the next year.

 “The consent decree put Los Angeles and Ventura counties on track for having oceans and rivers that are safe for swimming and fishing year round,” said Kirsten James, Heal the Bay’s Water Quality Director.  “The implementation of these requirements has already led to less trash in local rivers and bays and cleaner beaches.”

EPA established four TMDLs to address pollutants and impairments for the following water bodies:

• Long Beach City beaches and Los Angeles River estuary for bacteria: will help protect the health of the tens of thousands of people visiting the beaches during summer months. Once implemented, the average number of days during the swimming season exceeding bacteria standards will be reduced from 34 days to 0.
  
• Santa Monica Bay waters for DDTs and PCBs: will increase the health of the fish and other aquatic life and protect the public who use the Bay for recreational fishing and boating. Once implemented, DDT and PCB levels in the Bay will be reduced up to 50% and 75%, respectively.
  
• Ballona Creek wetlands for sediment and exotic vegetation: will help restore the last remaining critical coastal wetlands in Southern California.  Once implemented, 600 acres of habitats adjacent to Marina del Rey will support the hundreds of migratory birds species and the dozens of native birds that use these wetlands.
  
• Nine Los Angeles area urban lakes for toxics, trash, nitrogen and phosphorus pollution: will support recreation and wildlife for nine lakes in the Los Angeles area, including Echo Park Lake, Lake Calabasas, Puddingstone Reservoir and El Dorado Park Lakes.
  

In addition, the EPA has approved four LA Water Board-adopted TMDLs to address pollutants and impairments for the following water bodies:

• Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbors for toxic pollutants: will reduce toxic levels of metals and organic pollutants to protect sensitive habitat, fishing, recreation, and navigation in the harbors.
  
• Machado Lake for toxic pollutants: will remediate contaminated water and sediments in the lake so that fish are safe to eat.
  
• Los Angeles River for bacteria: will protect the health of swimmers, waders, and boaters in the river and at downstream beaches in the City of Long Beach.
  
• Santa Monica Bay for trash: will prohibit trash and plastic pellets (“nurdles”) from entering the bay to protect beachgoers and marine life.

Pollution reduction plans adopted over the years have led to innovative solutions by municipalities and pollution equipment industries to address some of the most deep-rooted pollution problems in the region.  These plans have led to the installation of trash capture devices by 42 cities resulting in a 65% reduction in total tons of trash entering the Los Angeles River. The landmark Santa Monica Bay Beaches Bacteria TMDL has, since its adoption, reduced exceedances of bacteria standards at local beaches by half for the benefit of the 55 million people who visit Santa Monica Bay Beaches annually.

For more information on the pollution plans approved today, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/region9/water/tmdl/final.html 

For more information on all of the TMDLs in the Los Angeles Region, please visit: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/losangeles/water_issues/programs/tmdl/  
For more information about the Clean Water Act, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/laws/cwa.html  

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News Release from EPA - Superfund & Brownfields

EPA Adds Nine Hazardous Waste Sites to Superfund’s National Priorities List, Proposing an Additional 10 Sites

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is adding nine new hazardous waste sites that pose risks to people’s health and the environment to the National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund sites, and is proposing to include 10 additional sites. Superfund is the federal program that investigates and cleans up the most complex, uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country.

“Protecting human health and the environment and restoring contaminated properties to environmental and economic vitality are EPA priorities," said Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. “When property is cleaned up and revitalized, the reuse may result in new income to the community in the form of taxes, jobs to local residents, increases to the values of properties nearby cleaned up sites, or it may provide recreational or other services to make the community a better place to live.”

Since 1983, 1,661 sites have been listed on the NPL. Of these sites, 359 sites have been cleaned up resulting in 1,302 sites currently on the NPL (including the nine sites added today). There are 62 proposed sites (including the 10 announced today) awaiting final agency action.

Contaminants found at the sites include arsenic, benzene, cadmium, chromium, copper, creosote, dichloroethene (DCE), lead, mercury, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), tetrachloroethylene (PCE), pentachlorophenol (PCP), trichloroethane (TCA), trichloroethylene (TCE), toluene, uranium and zinc.

With all NPL sites, EPA works to identify companies or people responsible for the contamination at a site, and require them to conduct or pay for the cleanup. For the newly listed sites without viable potentially responsible parties, EPA will investigate the full extent of the contamination before starting significant cleanup at the site. Therefore, it may be several years before significant EPA clean up funding is required for these sites.

The following nine sites have been added to the National Priorities List:

•           Continental Cleaners (former dry cleaners) in Miami, Fla.;

•           Sauer Dump (inactive dump) in Dundalk, Md.;

•           Compass Plaza Well TCE (contaminated ground water plume) in Rogersville, Mo.;

•           Chemfax, Inc. (former manufacturer of synthetic resins and waxes) in Gulfport, Miss.;

•           Southeastern Wood Preserving (former wood treating operation) in Canton, Miss.;

•           CTS of Asheville, Inc. (former electronics components manufacturer) in Asheville, N.C.;

•           Eighteenmile Creek (contaminated creek) in Niagara County, N.Y.;

•           Metro Container Corporation (former drum recycler) in Trainer, Pa.; and

•           Corozal Well (contaminated ground water plume) in Corozal, Puerto Rico;

The following 10 sites have been proposed for addition to the National Priorities List:

•           Cedar Chemical Corporation (former chemical manufacturer) in West Helena, Ark.;

•           Fairfax St. Wood Treaters (former wood treating operation) in Jacksonville, Fla.;

•           Macon Naval Ordnance Plant (former ordnance manufacturer) in Macon, Ga.;

•           Bautsch-Gray Mine (former lead and zinc mine) in Galena, Ill.;

•           EVR-Wood Treating/Evangeline Refining Company (former wood treating operation) in Jennings, La.;

•           Holcomb Creosote Co (former wood treating operation) in Yadkinville, N.C.;

•           Orange Valley Regional Ground Water Contamination (contaminated ground water plume) in Orange/West Orange, N.J.;

•           Jackpile-Paguate Uranium Mine (former uranium mine) in Laguna Pueblo, N.M.;

•           West Troy Contaminated Aquifer (contaminated ground water plume) in Troy, Ohio; and

•           Circle Court Ground Water Plume (contaminated ground water plume) in Willow Park, Texas.

EPA is also withdrawing its earlier proposal to add the Arnold Engineering Development Center site in Coffee and Franklin Counties, Tennessee to the NPL. This site is being addressed under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) program. Cleanup is progressing successfully, the migration of contaminated ground water is under control and measures have been taken that are protective of human health.

Federal Register notices and supporting documents for the final and proposed sites: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/current.htm

Information about how a site is listed on the NPL:

http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/npl_hrs.htm

Superfund sites in local communities: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/index.htm

News Release from EPA Region 3

EPA Announces $4 Million in New Funding to Assist

Local Governments with Bay Cleanup

(PHILADELPHIA – March13, 2012)The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced a new $4 million EPA-funded initiative providing financial and technical assistance to local governments needing to reduce water pollution to help restore the Chesapeake Bay.

“Now more than ever, the Chesapeake Bay needs the creativity, innovation and ingenuity of local governments,” said EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin.  “This new EPA funding will enable local governments to implement the best solutions to on-the-ground challenges they face in helping to restore the Bay, and share those approaches with other towns throughout the entire watershed.”

As local governments work to implement the Chesapeake Bay TMDL or ‘pollution diet,’ the Local Government Green Infrastructure Initiative will support them by making grants of up to $750,000 available.   The grants will be administered by NFWF through the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund, and competitively awarded to local governments to design and implement projects demonstrating the integration of green infrastructure into existing programs to meet community needs and improve local waterways and the Bay.

“A growing number of local governments are viewing community improvement projects—from street and park enhancements to public facility renovations—as an opportunity to green their community and help the Bay,” said David J. O’Neill, Director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Eastern Partnership Office. “This initiative will help more local governments meet their jobs, mobility, and recreation needs, while simultaneously helping them restore local creeks and streams and the Chesapeake Bay.”

With a combination of grants and technical assistance, the initiative aims to help local governments overcome obstacles to meeting pollution reduction goals for local waters and the Bay. The Bay TMDL provides states and local governments with considerable flexibility in how they achieve these objectives.

“Local government is an important driver; able to quickly turn policy into practice,” said Harford County Councilwoman Mary Ann Lisanti, chair of the Chesapeake Bay Partnership’s Local Government Advisory Committee. “We are confident that by showcasing the good things that are happening in communities and neighborhoods that more people will be motivated to do their part”

Grants will be awarded for green infrastructure initiatives such as capital improvements, road maintenance programs, flood plain management, and other projects that produce measurable water quality improvements in local rivers and streams, and ultimately the Bay. The Bay TMDL requires approximately 25 percent reductions in nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution, with all of the of the pollution reduction measures needed for restoring the Bay in place by 2025.

“This critical program will enable local governments to design and implement projects that will achieve measurable goals in restoring the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed,” said U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee.  “It offers localities an opportunity to integrate innovative practices into already existing programs to improve efforts to clean up the Bay.”

“Protecting the Chesapeake Bay means protecting jobs,” said Congressman Ruppersberger. “The Bay generates $1 trillion for its watershed each year through fishing, tourism, higher property values and shipping. This new grant program will help local governments clean up local rivers and streams that feed into the Bay, helping to preserve this environmental and economical treasure for generations to come.”

In addition to grant awards, local governments are eligible to receive technical assistance for specific challenges they identify as barriers to improving water quality, including financing assistance, project design and implementation, and stormwater and land use management. Selected localities will represent the diverse characteristics of local governments throughout the 64,000 square-mile watershed – including rural counties, predominantly agricultural communities, rapidly growing suburban localities, smaller cities, and urban municipalities.

In partnership with the Local Government Advisory Committee, resources will also be made available for local governments to share information and experiences. Through forums and workshops, local governments will gain access to information about best practices and evolving strategies for achieving water quality goals for local waters and the Bay.

Since 2000, the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund has offered $68.9 million in grants for over 700 projects across the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The goal of the fund is to accelerate local implementation of the most innovative, sustainable and cost-effective strategies for restoring and protecting water quality and vital habitats within the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

For more information about the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund programs and grant opportunities, visit www.nfwf.org/chesapeake. 

News Release from EPA - Restore Forest Ecosystems

Contact: Donna Heron 215-814-5113 / heron.donna@epa.gov

EPA Celebrates 20^th Year as Exhibitor in the Philadelphia Flower Show with Best of Show Award in the Non-Academic Education Category

EPA's 2012 Exhibit Demonstrates how to Restore Forest Ecosystems and Manage Pests Naturally

PHILADELPHIA (March 8, 2012) –The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2012 exhibit entitled "Palekaiko Nalowale" (Paradise Lost) demonstrates the importance of wetlands and how water provides the basic building block of life as it flows from a cascading brook and emerges from the forest to form a bog wetland.

Bogs are wet, spongy areas and visitors to the exhibit will learn about their important ecological function in preventing downstream flooding. Visitors will also be inspired by splashes of color and textures of pitcher plants, blueberries, larch and a host of other species that grow naturally on bogs, while dogwood, rhododendron, azalea and other native woodland plants form a buffer for the aquatic system.

"We want to show people that it's possible to have a beautiful garden without a lot of fuss, and also have it do good for the environment. We hope people will come to our exhibit and find out how," said EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin.

This is the 20^th year that EPA has been bringing its message of beneficial landscaping to the Philadelphia Flower Show. That first show in 1992 was a simple table with employee volunteers handing out literature. Somewhere along the way, the agency decided to bring the literature to life, creating exhibits that feature wetlands, natural pest control and the importance of native plants. This year EPA was honored with its fourth Best of Show in the non-academic educational category.

For more information on EPA's Philadelphia Flower Show exhibit and green landscaping, go to: http://www.epa.gov/reg3esd1/garden/flower_show.htm.

For EPA's blog post, go to: http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2012/02/29/rediscovering-paradise-lost-in-your-backyard/.

For EPA's podcast, go to: http://www.epa.gov/region03/multimedia/playercontents/audio/FlowerShow20122.html.

Envtl. Justice Grant to Prevent Lead Poisoning & Restore Wetlands

News Release from EPA Region 2:

EPA Environmental Justice Grants to Help New York City Communities Prevent Lead Poisoning and Restore Wetlands

Organizations in Northern Manhattan, the South Bronx and Jamaica to Receive Funds

Contact: Elias Rodriguez, 212-637-3664, rodriguez.elias@epa.gov

(New York, N.Y. - Jan. 23, 2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is providing $75,000 to two New York City organizations to help them address public health and environmental problems in Northern Manhattan, the South Bronx and Jamaica, New York. West Harlem Environmental Action, Inc. (WE ACT) will receive $50,000 to test homes for lead and conduct research on the best ways to detect lead hazards in households in Northern Manhattan and the South Bronx. The Rockaway Waterfront Alliance will be provided $25,000 to train students to restore wetland habitats.

“EPA environmental justice grants provide much needed funds to tackle local pollution problems in low income communities," said Judith A. Enck, EPA Regional Administrator. "Lead poisoning can have serious and long-term effects on children’s abilities to learn. The environmental justice grant to WE ACT will advance our knowledge about how to best protect thousands of New York City children from lead poisoning. The Rockaway Waterfront Alliance will educate middle school and high school students about water pollution and give them the skills they need to be the next generation of environmental stewards.”

It is estimated three-quarters of U.S. residential dwellings built before 1978 contain some lead-based paint. Lead poisoning in children can have serious, long-term consequences including learning disabilities, hearing impairment and behavioral problems.

WE ACT will use the grant funds to conduct a research project that will expand scientific knowledge on the best ways to detect lead poisoning hazards in homes. The research will identify potential sources of lead in dust particles in homes, public drinking water systems and consumer products. The organization will enlist 100 residents to have their homes tested for lead. The field testing will look at the differences between having people test for lead using an instructional DVD or being instructed by a field technician. Simple lead dust wipe tests costs $40 to perform compared to a professional lead inspection, which costs approximately $500. If the cheaper test can first be performed to reliably determine whether a more robust and expensive test is needed, this will increase the number of homes identified as having lead hazards and save money for residents.

The Rockaway Waterfront Alliance will use its grant funds to create a Rockaway Youth Marine Conservation Corps in Jamaica, New York to restore wetland habitats. The group will launch a year-long wetland restoration program that will train low-income high school and middle school students about water pollution problems around Jamaica Bay. The bay is severely impacted by sewage and chemical pollutants, which has damaged water quality. Students will participate in oyster gardening along the Sommerville and Norton/Conch Basins and design and implement projects that involve their schools and communities in the cleanup and restoration of the Jamaica Bay.

Environmental justice means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race or income, in the environmental decision-making process. Since 1994, the environmental justice small grants program has provided more than $23 million in funding to community-based nonprofit organizations and local governments working to address environmental justice issues in more than 1,200 communities. The grants further EPA’s commitment to expand the conversation on environmentalism and advance environmental justice in communities across the nation.

More information on the Environmental Justice Small Grants program and a list of grantees: http://www.epa.gov/compliance/environmentaljustice/grants/ej-smgrants.html

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