RSS feed source: EPA--Energy

BOSTON (Apr. 8, 2024) – EPA’s Southeast New England Program (SNEP) is announcing funding to improve climate resiliency in disadvantaged communities throughout Southeast New England. The SNEP Opportunity to Advance Resilience (SOAR) grant program is committed to investing at least $5 million in disadvantaged communities by 2027 with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In this first year of the program, EPA selected five grantees across Rhode Island and Southeast Massachusetts, representing $1.275M in direct investment in disadvantaged communities.

“It is incredible to see the positive impacts the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continues to produce for our communities and neighborhoods,” said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. “Reinvigorating our communities, especially those that have been disadvantaged for far too long, is a key component of EPA’s mission. With this additional funding for our awardees, we continue to work towards restoring ecosystems, replenishing watersheds

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RSS feed source: EPA--Energy

NEW YORK (April 5, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a plan to protect people living and working in residential and commercial buildings at the Meeker Avenue Plume Superfund Site in the Greenpoint/East Williamsburg area of Brooklyn. Groundwater and soil in the area is contaminated with chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs), which can vaporize into soil and seep into buildings through their foundations.

“The most immediate threat to people is that the contamination can seep into buildings where people can breathe it in, so EPA is testing under foundation slabs to determine if there is a problem,” said Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “I encourage people to comment on this proposed plan, which will help EPA take action to reduce and address the potential risk to people in the area.”  

The Meeker Avenue Plume Superfund Site covers over 190

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RSS feed source: EPA--Energy

SEATTLE (April 5, 2024) – State and federal agencies and departments in Oregon and Washington have agreed to collaborate on addressing the escalating wildfire crisis by increasing use of prescribed fire and other forest fuel management strategies at larger geographic scales while also increasing outreach to nearby communities as these strategies are deployed. These strategies reduce forest fuels on the ground and allow for strategic burning that minimizes community and public health impacts relative to impacts from uncontrolled wildfires.

“Every community across the Pacific Northwest is experiencing the impacts of a longer, smokier wildfire season. One of the best tools we have for making our forests more resilient against catastrophic wildfires is controlled burning,” said EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller. “These prescribed fires target hazardous fuels and allow for healthier forests. The agreement we’re announcing today will help to ensure federal and state

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RSS feed source: EPA--Energy

NEW YORK (April 5, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced a series of Environmental Justice listening sessions to support and enhance meaningful engagement with communities with environmental justice concerns. The events support DEC and EPA’s ongoing efforts to promote and enhance existing state and federal Environmental Justice programs to better serve the community, build relationships between the agencies and community members, and help prioritize future outreach efforts for public participation.

“Communities speak for themselves, and EPA is here to listen. We are honored to kick off our EJ Listening Tour in Western New York with DEC to better understand the unique challenges and aspirations of communities affected by the cumulative impacts of legacy pollution, climate change, and historic disinvestment,” Regional EPA Administrator Lisa F. Garcia said. “Our goal is to

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