Biden-Harris Administration announces more than $2.4 million for Environmental Justice Projects in Communities Across Tennessee as part of investing in America agenda
Selections announced as part of largest investments through EPA’s Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement and Environmental Justice Government-to-Government grant programs funded by Inflation Reduction Act
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Oct. 25, 2023) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $2,488,180 to fund 3 projects Tennessee that advance environmental justice as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The organizations, which EPA has selected through its Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement and 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.”
“Building collaborative partnerships with our stakeholders is vital to addressing local environmental and public health issues,” said Acting EPA Region 4 Administrator Jeanneane Gettle. “Environmental justice communities that have historically suffered from underinvestment will benefit greatly from these projects that promote clean air, water and climate resilience solutions, leading to healthy communities.”
“As the only remaining member of the Tennessee delegation in Congress to vote for the Inflation Reduction Act, I am pleased to see the Biden Administration concentrate its environmental justice initiatives on historically underserved places in Tennessee like the City of Memphis. Addressing the problem of dumping will improve the environment, aesthetics, and economy of our city.”, said Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-9).
The grants announced today deliver on President Biden’s commitment to advance equity and justice throughout the United States. The two grant programs directly advance the President’s transformational Justice40 initiative to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving (EJCPS) Program
EPA’s EJCPS program provides financial assistance to eligible organizations working to address local environmental or public health issues in their communities. The program builds upon President Biden’s Executive Orders 13985 and 14008, creating a designation of funds exclusively for small nonprofit organizations, which are defined as having 5 or fewer full-time employees, thus ensuring that grant resources reach organizations of lower capacity that historically struggle to receive federal funding. Eleven of the organizations selected for EJCPS this year are small nonprofit organizations, receiving over $1.6 million in total.
EPA EJCPS grant selectee in Tennessee includes the following:
Tennessee Environmental Council - $499,965 - Community Recycling Roundup Series Expansion
- The purpose of this application is to expand the “recycling roundups” 2021 EJCPS project to new communities, and to build local support to sustain this program as an integral piece of Tennessee’s solid waste strategy.
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 selections in Tennessee include the following:
City of Memphis - $988,215 - Turning Liabilities into Assets: Transforming Blight One Neighborhood at a Time
- This program will address chronic dumping in its most distressed communities through sustainable and regenerative solutions and services that positively impact the environmental, social and economic health of these areas.
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation - $1,000,000 - Holistic Healthy Homes Prescriptions in Knoxville, TN and Chattanooga, TN
- This project will build upon the existing work done across the state and develop a Holistic Healthy Home Prescription approach, by which homes will be approached with a three-pillar concept: Indoor Air Quality/Indoor Pollutants, Weatherization, and Climate Resilience.
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
###