EPA Announces New Funding Structure for Environmental Justice

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The Biden-Harris Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a new program will bring much-needed resources to organizations advancing environmental justice. 

Eleven organizations will receive $600 million in federal funds to help disperse grants to environmental justice community groups.

Grants will be awarded to groups that tackle issues such as reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Grant-makers were chosen based on their strong governance skills and connection to community.

What is Environmental Justice?

The environmental justice movement aims to confront inequalities that arise when marginalized groups suffer from environmental harm. This includes harm from hazardous waste, extraction of resources, and other land uses that the community themselves do not benefit from.  

A common example is the prominent placement of landfills in Black or other marginalized neighborhoods.

Black Americans are 75% more likely to live in areas impacted by toxic commercial facilities. This includes facilities that produce noise, odor, traffic, or emissions. As a result, 13.4% of Black children suffer from asthma. Other side effects of living with air pollution include heart disease, high blood pressure, and cancer.

Black people are also 40% more likely to live in places that will experience a rise in extreme temperature related deaths.

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Grantmakers Program

“This investment is important not only because of the projects it will fund but because of its innovative structure,” Vice President Kamala Harris said in a press statement.

A financial hurdle that environmental justice leaders face is the federal grant-making process. Recipients often endure a lengthy path to approval, with smaller organizations frequently receiving less attention compared to their larger counterparts. 

To combat these challenges, the administration has selected eleven trusted community organizations to lead the grant-making operation. This will expedite the process of awarding grants and prompt quicker impactful changes.

“To be clear, the $600 million is a down payment. President Biden and I will fight to make sure all communities have the resources they need to advance environmental justice.” VP Harris continued. 

“Grantmakers will help to create a robust support network to help build community capacity from the ground up,” stated EPA Administrator Michael Regan. In addition to providing more resources, there will be more assistance in the management of these resources after they have been awarded to grant recipients. 

Known as “The Father of Environmental Justice,” Dr. Robert Bullard was present on behalf of Texas Southern University. TSU is one of the chosen grant-makers that will deliver resources to environmental groups and impacted communities.

They are working closely with New Mexico State University, another chosen grant-making facility, to maximize funding impact.  “These priorities will get the justice that’s due in those communities that have a long history of being left out when it comes to funding,” stated Bullard.

Background of EPA Funding for environmental justice

The new funding is allocated through the Inflation Reduction Act and Justice 40 Initiative. Under Justice 40, 40% of the overall benefits from projects that aid in combating climate change will flow into disadvantaged communities. The Thriving Community Grantmakers Program is the latest installment that brings these funds back to the community level. 

In 2021, Administrator Regan traveled to Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas to address longstanding concerns of environmental justice.

The Black Wall St. Times asked Regan what the EPA is doing to keep communities resilient in overlooked states like Oklahoma. “We’re providing technical assistance to communities including Oklahoma so that they can build the capacity to apply for these [grants].”

“It’s important for us to note that… we knew that communities had solutions but didn’t have capacity and resources,” he added.

With this addition of new funding, organizations in Oklahoma are eligible to apply for these grants to bring their solutions to fruition. Organizations can apply next year and receive funding as soon as summer 2024.