$1 Million in EPA Grants Available For Environmental Justice
It can be challenging enough for each of us to learn and implement ways to live a greener lives on our own, but an even more challenging task is doing something that affects your whole community. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is looking to help. The organization is currently accepting applications for community-focused projects aimed at addressing environmental and health issues through its Environmental Justice Grant Funding Program.
Overall, the EPA plans to award 40 grants of up to $25,000 each. The grant program is open to local governments and non-profit organizations. The Program’s goal is to assist communities in understanding and addressing environmental issues and support community-based partnerships that create self-sustaining solutions. This year, the EPA is specifically looking for projects that address disproportionate impacts of climate change in communities.
This program is focused on partnerships and environmental justice, which the EPA defines as “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.”
Recent projects show that the program supports a wide scope of initiatives, so long as they focus on partnerships and communities. In 2008-09, one project in the Inupiat Community of the Alaskan Arctic Slope teamed environmental activists with locals to ensure a local voice in oil and gas project decision-making. Another supported a south-side Chicago neighborhood group that educates young African-Americans about environmental hazards. Since the grant program’s beginnings in 1994, they have funded projects around exposure to toxins, farm worker pesticide protection, mercury in fish, indoor air quality, drinking water contamination, and pollution from shipping ports.
The EPA will be accepting applications through January 8, 2010. To apply, visit the EPA website.
Get the Green Living Ideas book in softcover or PDF for as low as $2.99!
About the Author
Guest Contributor is many, many people. We publish a number of guest posts from experts in a large variety of fields. This is our contributor account for those special people. :D
Related Posts
Lisa Joan Overholt Explains the Importance of Building Community Engagement →
Philip Thomas Mesman Explains Why Green apps Are the Next Big Wave →
Bag Again Does Reusable Bags Right! [A Product Review] →
