EPA awards Environmental Justice Grants to fund community projects in Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee and Granite City, Ill.
CHICAGO – October 9, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the award of four Environmental Justice Grants totaling $115,100 to nonprofit organizations to develop solutions to environmental problems in low-income and minority communities in Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee and Granite City, Illinois.
“EPA’s Environmental Justice Grants provide resources to communities that have been disproportionately impacted by pollution,” EPA Region 5 Administrator Susan Hedman said. “Today’s grants will fund a variety of projects to improve public health and make a visible difference in neighborhoods in Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee and Granite City.”
Environmental Justice grants were awarded to fund the following projects:
· The Center for Neighborhood Technology will receive $30,000 to help prepare Chicago’s Chatham neighborhood for flooding, which is expected to worsen with climate change. CNT, working with the Army Corps of Engineers, will design and test green infrastructure to better manage stormwater and prevent water pollution. A CNT program called “RainReady” will be developed at 10 houses in Chatham that will be assessed for flooding risk. The model can then be replicated at residences in other communities.
· Keep Growing Detroit will receive $25,100 to hold community workshops to raise awareness about the dangers of lead contamination in soil — especially for children. Soil will be sampled for lead at 135 locations. Compost will also be distributed to build 50 raised garden beds for urban agriculture.
· Groundwork Milwaukee Inc. will receive $30,000 to train teens and young adults from the 30th Street Corridor to build 15 rain gardens and install 15 rain barrels to collect stormwater runoff and prevent flooding. The program will demonstrate how green infrastructure can lessen the effects of climate change.
· United Congregations of Metro-East in Granite City, Illinois, will receive $30,000 to improve air quality and prepare for climate change. An air-sensing network monitor will be installed to inform residents about local air quality. In addition, an “ozone garden” will be created using plants that show signs of damage when exposed to unhealthy air. Six schools and nine sites will also receive displays and environmental education materials.
Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race or income, in developing and enforcing environmental laws, regulations and policies. Since 1994, EPA’s environmental justice small grants program has supported projects to deal with EJ issues in more than 1,400 communities.
For more information regarding the Environmental Justice Small Grants Program:
http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/grants/ej-smgrants.html
Contact Information: Joshua Singer, singer.joshua (at) epa (dot) gov, 312-353-5069
