EPA awards over $1M in grants to advance Environmental Justice in Oregon, Washington
SEATTLE - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced entities in Oregon and Washington will receive $1,128,821 in pollution prevention grants.
The funding, available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will develop and implement practices that prevent pollution at the source in local communities.
In Oregon, Portland State University’s will receive $716,494. The project, a partnership between PSU’s Community Environmental Services unit, PSU’s Institute on Tribal Governance, the Northwest Native American Chamber of Commerce and the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council, will provide technical assistance to Native‐owned/‐serving businesses. Technical assistance will include culturally relevant sustainable product curriculum, industry‐specific procurement resources, support for implementing new technologies and webinars.
“This project is a great example of how the federal government can partner with higher education and non-profits to improve people’s lives, especially in Tribal communities that have greater exposure to toxics and experience more health impacts due to environmental pollution,” said EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller during an event announcing the grant today at PSU Native American Student and Community Center.
"PSU's motto is ‘Let Knowledge Serve the City’ and Community Environmental Services has exhibited that ethos for decades," said PSU President Ann Cudd. "I am thrilled to celebrate this grant and the capacity it will add to our work with Indigenous communities and to promote environmental justice."
“PSU's Community Environmental Services has a legacy of putting our expertise in sustainable materials management to use to benefit all people. We're excited about this opportunity to connect with and learn from Native American businesses in this mission,” said PSU Community Environmental Services Director Christa McDermott.
Additionally, Washington State Department of Ecology will receive a grant for $412,327 to provide technical assistance to the Hispanic/Latino community in central Washington, in partnership with the Commission on Hispanic Affairs. The project will encourage the supply and use of safer products, develop outreach toolkits and hold workshops for community-based organizations.
Background:
Between 2011-2021, EPA’s Pollution Prevention program has issued nearly 500 grants totaling more than $50 million, which have helped businesses identify, develop and adopt P2 approaches. These approaches have resulted in eliminating 19.8 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, saving 49 billion gallons of water, reducing 917 million pounds of hazardous materials and pollutants, and saving more than $2.2 billion for business. Read more about P2 and the P2 Grant Program.
EPA Region 10 (Pacific Northwest) - Serving Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and 271 Tribal Nations. Visit us online, follow us on Twitter and Facebook and subscribe to our RSS feed.