EPA News: EPA Provides $7.25 Million for Most Effective Cleanup Actions in Chesapeake Bay Watershed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: R3press@epa.gov EPA Provides $7.25 Million for 'Most Effective' Cleanup Actions in Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agriculture, Environmental Justice Areas Targeted for Funding PHILADELPHIA (May 27, 2021) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that six states and the District of Columbia will share $7.25 million for actions to improve local rivers and streams in locations most beneficial to the downstream Chesapeake Bay. The funds include a second year appropriation of $6 million for cleanup actions in the most effective basins (MEB) of the Bay watershed – areas where projects to reduce runoff from farm operations will yield the greatest progress toward achieving water quality standards in the Bay. The additional $1.25 million is being designated for environmental justice areas within those most effective basins. "We at EPA are committed to doing all we can to help our state partners reach their Bay cleanup goals and to ensure that underserved areas share in that effort," said EPA Mid-Atlantic Acting Regional Administrator Diana Esher. For the second consecutive year, EPA's Chesapeake Bay Program budget received $6 million for "state-based implementation in the most effective basins."  EPA identified those basins based on a finding that reducing excess nitrogen from agricultural sources would have the most impact on key areas of the Bay at the least cost. As in 2020, the funding allocations reflect commitments to reduce farm-based pollutants made by the states in their most recent Bay cleanup plans.  Pennsylvania, whose Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan anticipates 61.6 percent of its nitrogen reductions to come from agriculture, has 26 of the top 30 most effective basins, including all of the top 15. EPA is focusing the additional $1.25 million in areas identified as being most effective for improving water quality while targeting underrepresented communities.  The funds will be allocated based on the formula used for the annual Chesapeake Bay Implementation Grants (CBIG) – 20 percent shares to Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia, and 10 percent shares to the District of Columbia, Delaware, New York and West Virginia. The following table lists most effective basin funding by jurisdiction: Jurisdiction From $6 Million From $1.25 Million Total MEB Funding DC   $125,000 $125,000 DE $364,540 $125,000 $489,540 MD $695,940 $250,000 $945,940 NY $79,536 $125,000 $204.536 PA $3,695,112 $250,000 $3,945,112 VA $1,110,191 $250,000 $1,360,191 WV $54,681 $125,000 $179,681         Totals $6,000,000 $1,250,000 $7,250,000 For more information, visit  www.epa.gov/chesapeake-bay-tmdl . #          #         #

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EPA Takes Action to Bolster State and Tribal Authority to Protect Water Resources

EPA Takes Action to Bolster State and Tribal Authority to Protect Water Resources WASHINGTON (May 27, 2021) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its intent to revise the 2020 Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 401 Certification Rule after determining that it erodes state and Tribal authority. Through this process, EPA intends to strengthen the authority of states and Tribes to protect their vital water resources. "We have serious water challenges to address as a nation and as EPA Administrator, I will not hesitate to correct decisions that weakened the authority of states and Tribes to protect their waters," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "We need all state, Tribal, local, and federal partners working in collaboration to protect clean water, which underpins sustainable economic development and vibrant communities. Today, we take an important step to realize this commitment and reaffirm the authority of states and Tribes." "States and Tribes have relied on the Clean Water Act for almost 50 years to protect our waters and people, and EPA's action is essential to restoring that historic authority," said Oregon Governor Kate Brown. "The prior administration's rule was not only harmful to the environment, it was corrosive to state, federal, and Tribal partnerships. Communities rely on clean water, businesses rely on clean water, and our environment is dependent on clean water. We welcome this important step by the Biden-Harris Administration to restore a strong, collaborative approach to protecting one of America's most precious resources." EPA intends to reconsider and revise the 2020 CWA Section 401 Certification Rule to restore the balance of state, Tribal, and federal authorities while retaining elements that support efficient and effective implementation of Section 401. Congress provided authority to states and Tribes under CWA Section 401 to protect the quality of their waters from adverse impacts resulting from federally licensed or permitted projects. Under Section 401, a federal agency may not issue a license or permit to conduct any activity that may result in any discharge into navigable waters unless the affected state or Tribe certifies that the discharge is in compliance with the Clean Water Act and state law, or waives certification. The agency's process of reconsidering and revising the 2020 CWA Section 401 Certification Rule will provide opportunity for public and stakeholder input to inform the development of a proposed regulation, and will include sustained dialogue with state and Tribal co-regulator partners and local governments around these issues. EPA will begin a stakeholder engagement process in June to hear perspectives on this topic and how to move forward. More information will be available at: www.epa.gov/cwa-401. While EPA engages with stakeholders and develops a revised rule, the 2020 rule will remain in place. The agency will continue listening to states and Tribes about their concerns with implementation of the 2020 rule to evaluate potential administrative approaches to help address these near-term challenges. Background Executive Order 13990 on Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis directed EPA to review and, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, take action to revise or replace the 2020 Section 401 Certification Rule. Prior to the 2020 rule, EPA promulgated implementing regulations for water quality certification before the 1972 amendments to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act), which created section 401.

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LI Sound Water Quality Improving in Response to Significant Reductions in Nitrogen Pollution

CONTACT: Rumph.Mikayla@epa.gov, Senn.John@epa.gov   Long Island Sound Water Quality Improving in Response to Significant Reductions in Nitrogen Pollution   Long Island Sound Watershed, New York (May 26, 2021) – As summer approaches, EPA officials are highlighting water quality improvements in Long Island Sound resulting from almost 50 million pounds of nitrogen pollution kept out of the Sound each year. A peer-reviewed study from the University of Connecticut published earlier this year showed that improved water quality can be attributed to successful programs in Connecticut and New York to upgrade wastewater treatment plants to remove nitrogen before treated sewage is discharged into the Sound. These two state-led programs have reduced millions of pounds of nitrogen pollution from being discharged into Long Island Sound, which has led to increased oxygen concentrations in the Sound in the summer months and, as a result, improved ecological conditions for fish and other organisms. "Water quality in Long Island Sound is improving thanks in large part to dramatic reductions in nitrogen pollution, which is great news for the Sound's ecosystem and local communities," said EPA Region 2 Acting Regional Administrator Walter Mugdan. "Here in New York, we have seen tremendous success in New York State's work to keep nitrogen from reaching the Sound in treated sewage, which will have a lasting impact for years to come." "This study is good news for the Long Island Sound and its neighboring communities, as it highlights successful actions taken to improve the Sound's water quality," said EPA New England Acting Regional Administrator Deborah Szaro. "Using science to inform our decisions, while maintaining a strong partnership with the states of Connecticut and New York, helps us continue to protect and restore the Sound, as well as plan for future action." Every summer, concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO) in Long Island Sound waters decline to levels that are unhealthy for fish and other aquatic life. Low levels of DO, known as hypoxia, occur during the summer in the bottom waters of the western portion of the Sound, sometimes extending into central portions of the Sound. Hypoxia results when excess nitrogen fuels the growth of algae blooms. Bacteria that then feed on the algae deplete the water of oxygen. As a result, mobile organisms such as fish, crabs, and lobsters are forced to flee the area in search of healthier waters. Species that cannot move away, such as shellfish or worms, are harmed or die. Since the 1990s, Connecticut and New York State have worked with EPA to implement a nitrogen pollution reduction plan – known as a Total Maximum Daily Load plan -- to improve the Sound's dissolved oxygen levels, and to protect aquatic animals and the environment. Through infrastructure investments of more than $2.5 billion to improve wastewater treatment, the total annual nitrogen load to Long Island Sound is now some 47 million pounds less than the yearly discharge in the early 1990s. Alongside this reduction, the area of hypoxia, based on a five-year rolling average, was 94 square miles in 2020, compared to the average from 1987-2000, before the plan went into effect, of 205 square miles. The peer-reviewed study, published in January of this year in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, titled Reducing Hypoxia in an Urban Estuary Despite Climate Warming, documents increased levels of dissolved oxygen in Long Island Sound since 1994 in response to the nitrogen load reductions. This is the first peer-reviewed paper documenting these improving trends in Long Island Sound and is one of the few documented recoveries to a nutrient-caused hypoxic coastal system worldwide. The paper's authors, University of Connecticut scientists Michael Whitney and Penny Vlahos, also determined that the DO improvements occurred despite decreases in the solubility of DO due to warming waters. They emphasized that DO levels still fall below water quality standards during the summer and that projected warming will result in further declines. EPA is continuing to work with Connecticut and New York to work on further reducing nitrogen pollution to improve water quality and to mitigate the future impact of climate change on hypoxic conditions. The DO measurements used in the study come from samples collected and analyzed by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Interstate Environmental Commission as part of a water quality monitoring program funded by the Long Island Sound Study. To see a chart with the year-by-year measurement of the hypoxic area of the Sound since 1987, visit https://longislandsoundstudy.net/ecosystem-target-indicators/lis-hypoxia/. Long Island Sound is an estuary that provides economic and recreational benefits to millions of people while also providing habitat for more than 1,200 invertebrates, 170 species of fish and dozens of species of migratory birds. The Long Island Sound Study, sponsored by the EPA and the states of Connecticut and New York, is a partnership of federal, state, and local agencies, universities, businesses, and environmental and community groups with a mission to restore and protect the Long Island Sound. Visit https://www.longislandsoundstudy.net for more information.   21-037                        # # #

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EPA Announces the Selection of West Virginia Communities to Receive Nearly $3 Million in Brownfields

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: R3press@epa.gov   EPA Announces the Selection of West Virginia Communities to Receive Nearly $3 Million in Brownfields Assessment and Cleanup Funding Will help underserved communities 'Build Back Better' and address Environmental Justice concerns   PHILDELPHIA (May 26, 2021) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is announcing the selection of 151 communities to receive 154 grant awards totaling $66.5 million in Brownfields funding through its Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup (MAC) Grants. West Virginia communities will receive nearly $3 million of this funding.   This funding will support underserved and economically disadvantaged communities across the country in assessing and cleaning up contaminated and abandoned industrial and commercial properties. Nationally, approximately 50% of selected recipients will be receiving EPA Brownfields Grant funding for the first time and more than 85% are in small communities. For West Virginia, 85% of the recipients being awarded today are first time grantees, all targeted cities being considered have populations less than 50,000, and most meet the micro community threshold of less than 10,000.   "Through our Brownfields Program, EPA is delivering on the Biden Administration's commitment to lifting up and protecting overburdened communities across America, especially communities that have experienced long periods of disinvestment and decay," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "These assessment and cleanup grants will not only support economic growth and job creation, but they will also empower communities to address the environmental, public health and social issues associated with contaminated land."   "West Virginia is known for the natural beauty of our landscape, making it even more important that we preserve our land for future generations," said Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works Committee. "This funding will help support clean-up projects and assessments of our state's Brownfields sites, improving the quality of our land and removing potentially hazardous waste. I have been a strong supporter of the EPA Brownfields Program and other initiatives that give our state the resources to protect West Virginians' health and clean up contaminated sites for future development. I will continue to do everything I can to ensure West Virginia has healthy communities and a robust economy."   The MAC grant recipients in West Virginia are:     Belomar Regional Council, Upper Ohio River Valley, WV and OH Assessment Grant $600,000 EPA has selected Belomar Regional Council for a Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to develop a prioritized site inventory and conduct 15 Phase I and 11 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to develop two cleanup plans and two reuse plans, and support community outreach activities. Assessment activities will focus on municipalities in the Upper Ohio River Valley in both West Virginia and Ohio. Priority sites include the Great Stone Viaduct, which is a former railroad property in Bellaire, Ohio; the Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel Building, which is a 12-story vacant office building in the central business district of Wheeling, West Virginia; the Fostoria Glass Site, which is a former glass company in Moundsville, West Virginia; and the vacant Ohio Valley Medical Center campus and the Grow Ohio Valley Food Enterprise Center in Wheeling.   Bluefield West Virginia Economic Development Authority, Bluefield, WV Cleanup Grant $452,292 EPA has selected the Bluefield West Virginia Economic Development Authority for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant. Grant funds will be used to clean up the 300-400 Block of Federal Street. The site is a contiguous city block of parcels in downtown Bluefield that once housed various commercial businesses, including a Montgomery Ward Department Store, an Armed Forces Recruiting Center, Deaton's Music World, a J.C. Penney Department Store, the former Bluefield Bus Depot, and the former Bluefield Fire Department. All sites are currently vacant and contaminated with inorganic contaminants. Grant funds also will be used to support cleanup planning and community outreach activities.   Boone County Community Development Corporation, Madison, WV Cleanup Grant $181,794 EPA has selected the Boone County Community Development Corporation for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant. Grant funds will be used to clean up the former Lyon Oil Property located at 10 Avenue C in the City of Madison. The cleanup site was formerly used as an ice storage facility and as a bulk petroleum storage facility, and more recently as a used oil collection, storage and recycling facility. It is contaminated with various petroleum-based products, including gasoline, diesel fuel, and used oil. Grant funds also will be used to develop a reuse plan for the property.   Kanawha County Commission, Montgomery, Marmet, Belle, Charleston, South Charleston, and St. Albans, WV Assessment Grant $600,000 EPA has selected Kanawha County Commission for a Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct 18 Phase I and eight Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to develop cleanup and reuse plans for 12 sites and conduct community outreach activities. Assessment activities will focus on the cities of Montgomery, Marmet, Belle, Charleston, South Charleston, and St. Albans. Priority brownfield sites include the former Union Carbide above-ground tank farm, the former Bartlette Burdette Cox Funeral Home, the historic Union Building, a former K-Mart property, the former Montgomery City pool, which includes a fueling location for boat traffic, and the Clendenin Rail Trail Trailhead, which is located on an abandoned railroad right of way. Coalition partners are the City of Charleston, the City of South Charleston, and the Charleston Area Alliance.   Paden City Development Authority, Paden City, WV Cleanup Grant $500,000 EPA has selected the Paden City Development Authority for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Paden City Industrial Park located at 330 South First Avenue in the City of Paden City. For over 75 years, the 8.6-acre cleanup site was used by the Paden City Pottery and Corning Glass Works companies to manufacture dinnerware. The process of making pottery from clay and applying the glaze led to the site being contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals. Grant funds also will be used to support community outreach activities.   Region 4 Planning and Development Council, Sam Black Church, Rainelle, and Ronceverte, WV Assessment Grant $300,000 EPA has selected the Region 4 Planning and Development Council for a Brownfields Assessment Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to develop 10 Phase I and six Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used for cleanup planning and community involvement activities, including 12 public meetings. Priority sites include the former Black Diamond Mining coal loading facility in Sam Black Church, the former Drennen/Grant retail properties and former East Rainelle Grade School in Rainelle, and the former Mullican Lumber Sawmill in Ronceverte, which is located within a federally designated floodplain.   Wheeling, WV Cleanup Grant $359,953 EPA has selected the City of Wheeling for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant. Grant funds will be used to clean up the 3-acre Robrecht Riverfront property at 1905 Main Street in the City of Wheeling. The cleanup site is a former railroad right-of-way dating back to the mid-1800s. Since the 1970s, when railroad operations ceased, the site has been used by trespassers for uncontrolled parking, waterway access, squatting, and illegal activities. It is contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PCBs and heavy metals.   EPA's Brownfields funding of  $66.5 million in MAC grants include:   $8.8 million for 11 Multipurpose Grants, which will provide funding to conduct a range of eligible assessment and cleanup activities at one or more brownfield sites in a target area.    $42.2 million for 107 Assessment Grants, which will provide funding for brownfield inventories, planning, environmental assessments, and community outreach.   $15.5 million for 36 Cleanup Grants, which will provide funding to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites owned by the recipient.   The list of all the fiscal year 2021 applicants selected for funding is available here: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/applicants-selected-fy-2021-brownfields-multipurpose-assessment-and-cleanup-grants.   EPA anticipates that it will award the grants once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied by the selected recipients.   Since its inception in 1995, EPA's Brownfields Program has provided nearly $1.76 billion in grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return them to productive reuse. This has led to significant benefits for communities across the country. For example,   The funding announced today will bring the total level of Brownfields grant funding in West Virginia communities to over $37 million since 1997.  A total of 99 grants have been awarded to 43 communities which has resulted in 1,285 acres representing 79 properties being made ready for reuse.   With those funds, West Virginia communities have assessed close to 325 sites, cleaned up 22 sites, leveraged over 1.65 billion dollars in other public and private funding for redevelopment and leveraged close to 5,400 jobs.   To date, communities participating in the Brownfields Program have been able to attract more than $34.4 billion in cleanup and redevelopment funding after receiving Brownfields funds. This has led to over 175,500 jobs in cleanup, construction and redevelopment.   Based on grant recipient reporting, recipients leveraged on average $20.13 for each EPA Brownfields dollar and 10.3 jobs per $100,000 of EPA Brownfield Grant funds expended on assessment, cleanup, and revolving loan fund cooperative agreements.   In addition, an academic peer-reviewed study has found that residential properties near brownfield sites increased in value by 5% to 15.2% because of cleanup activities.   Finally, analyzing data near 48 brownfields, EPA found an estimated $29 million to $97 million in additional tax revenue for local governments in a single year after cleanup—2 to 7 times more than the $12.4 million EPA contributed to the cleanup of those brownfield sites.       For more on the Brownfields Grants: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-brownfields-grant-funding   For more on EPA's Brownfields Program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields

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EPA Announces Selection of Maryland Communities to Receive 600,000 in Brownfields Assessment Funding

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: R3press@epa.gov EPA Announces the Selection of Maryland Communities to Receive $600,000 in Brownfields Assessment Funding Will help underserved communities in Baltimore County and Frederick 'Build Back Better' and address Environmental Justice concerns PHILADELPHIA (May 24, 2021) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is announcing the selection of 151 communities to receive 154 grant awards totaling $66.5 million in Brownfields funding through its Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup (MAC) Grants. This includes $600,000 for communities in Baltimore County, and Frederick, Maryland. This funding will support underserved and economically disadvantaged communities across the country in assessing and cleaning up contaminated and abandoned industrial and commercial properties. Approximately 50 percent of selected recipients will be receiving EPA Brownfields Grant funding for the first time and more than 85 percent are in small communities. "Through our Brownfields Program, EPA is delivering on the Biden Administration's commitment to lifting up and protecting overburdened communities across America, especially communities that have experienced long periods of disinvestment and decay," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "These assessment and cleanup grants will not only support economic growth and job creation, but they will also empower communities to address the environmental, public health, and social issues associated with contaminated land." "Turning previously contaminated properties into usable land creates new opportunities, jobs and economic development for our communities," said Senator Ben Cardin, a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. "This federal investment in reclaiming brownfield projects in Frederick will enhance public health and quality of life for residents. I look forward to seeing the continued success of brownfield reclamation projects across Maryland." "Maryland is excited to receive a grant from the EPA in an area of our state that was an industrial center for decades and significantly contributed to our great nation," said Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. "We look forward to working with federal, state, and local partners so we can continue to bring this area back to its full potential and create a healthier and more sustainable future for our citizens." The MAC grant recipients in Maryland are:                              Frederick, MD Assessment Grant - $300,000 EPA has selected the City of Frederick for a Brownfields Assessment Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct up to six Phase I and four Phase II environmental site assessments and conduct cleanup and reuse planning for sites along the Carroll Creek Corridor and in East Frederick. Grant funds also will be used to form the East Frederick Brownfields Steering Committee and conduct other community outreach activities. Priority sites include a former vehicle parking and storage site, a construction storage and stockpile yard, a former coal gasification plant, the Frederick Bricks Works site, former Bluegrass Quarry properties, and a former gas station. Maryland Department of Planning, Baltimore County, MD - $300,000 EPA has selected the Maryland Department of Planning for a Brownfields Assessment Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct 17 Phase I and eight Phase II environmental site assessments. Assessment activities will be focused on two priority sites: Batavia Landfill in Rosedale and 12110 Pulaski Highway in Joppa, which formerly operated as a storage shed manufacturing facility. Grant funds also will be used to facilitate four community meetings other community outreach activities. The list of all the fiscal year 2021 applicants selected for funding is available here: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/applicants-selected-fy-2021-brownfields-multipurpose-assessment-and-cleanup-grants. EPA anticipates that it will award the grants once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied by the selected recipients. Since its inception in 1995, EPA's Brownfields Program has provided nearly $1.76 billion in grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return them to productive reuse. This has led to significant benefits for communities across the country. For example, Communities in Maryland had been awarded over $16 million in brownfield grant funds since 1997 and have leveraged $425 million dollars as a result. To date, communities participating in the Brownfields Program have been able to attract more than $34.4 billion in cleanup and redevelopment funding after receiving Brownfields funds. This has led to over 175,500 jobs in cleanup, construction and redevelopment. Based on grant recipient reporting, recipients leveraged on average $20.13 for each EPA Brownfields dollar and 10.3 jobs per $100,000 of EPA Brownfield Grant funds expended on assessment, cleanup, and revolving loan fund cooperative agreements. In addition, an academic peer-reviewed study has found that residential properties near brownfield sites increased in value by 5% to 15.2% because of cleanup activities. Finally, analyzing data near 48 brownfields, EPA found an estimated $29 million to $97 million in additional tax revenue for local governments in a single year after cleanup—2 to 7 times more than the $12.4 million EPA contributed to the cleanup of those brownfield sites. For more on the Brownfields Grants: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-brownfields-grant-funding For more on EPA's Brownfields Program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields

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EPA Mid-Atlantic Recognizes First Asthma Community Champion

IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: R3press@epa.gov EPA Mid-Atlantic Recognizes First Asthma Community Champion PHILADELPHIA (May 24, 2021) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Mid-Atlantic Region has been cultivating partnerships and promoting asthma awareness and education for decades.  To acknowledge the efforts and progress of these partners, the agency created the "Asthma Community Champion" to recognize important work in asthma management.  EPA Mid-Atlantic Region's Asthma Program today announced the selection of the first-ever Asthma Community Champion, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's (CHOP) Community Asthma Prevention Plus Program (CAPP+).  The CAPP+ Program is an extension of CHOP's Community Asthma Prevention Program (CAPP), which serves low-income and under-resourced communities in Philadelphia. Many communities in Philadelphia have high asthma prevalence and hospitalization rates – affecting approximately one out of four children in West Philadelphia alone, the primary focus of CAPP+. "Asthma is a life-threatening respiratory disease that affects more than 20 million Americans, including more than 5 million children," said EPA Acting Regional Administrator Diana Esher.  "Given that this disease disproportionately affects African Americans and those below or near the poverty line, it represents one of the most serious environmental justice challenges in the United States today." The CAPP+ Program, a program under CHOP's Healthier Together Initiative, is distinguished as an outstanding community-based organization that incorporates identification and remediation of environmental triggers. The program provides extensive in-home remediation services that target mold, pest entry-points, and dust by way of roof repairs, fixing plumbing leaks, replacing carpeting with vinyl-plank flooring, and more – improving the quality of life for individuals with asthma and their families. "CHOP's CAPP Program is honored to receive this award from the EPA's Mid-Atlantic Region's Asthma Program. Through the CAPP+ Home Repairs program, we are committed to addressing the root causes of asthma disparities in our families' homes," said Tyra Bryant-Stephens, MD, Director and Founder of CHOP's Community Asthma Prevention Program and Senior Director of Health Equity. "Through CAPP+, we partner with minority-owned contracting companies to eliminate asthma triggers, with the goal of also reducing emergency department visits and hospital stays." The CAPP+ program demonstrates leadership in providing exemplary environmental asthma management and makes life-altering changes to the lives and homes of Philadelphia families caring for children with asthma. Read more about CAPP+ visit:  https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/community-asthma-prevention-program-capp  Read more about Healthier Together here: https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/healthier-together Read EPA's Success Story here:  https://epa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=56e5446ee0264adfbd5d1e46d8345d1c

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EPA Relaunches Climate Indicators Website Showing Climate Change Impacts

CONTACT: press@epa.gov   EPA Relaunches Climate Indicators Website Showing How Climate Change is Impacting Peoples' Health and Environment WASHINGTON — For the first time in four years, EPA is relaunching its Climate Change Indicators in the United States website for the public. This comprehensive resource presents compelling and clear evidence of changes to our climate reflected in rising temperatures, ocean acidity, sea level rise, river flooding, droughts, heat waves, and wildfires, among other indicators. The site also features an enhanced user experience with interactive data-exploration tools offering a closer look at graphs, maps, and figures, along with an overview of the importance of indicators and how climate change can affect human health and the environment. "EPA's Climate Indicators website is a crucial scientific resource that underscores the urgency for action on the climate crisis," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "With this long overdue update, we now have additional data and a new set of indicators that show climate change has become even more evident, stronger, and extreme – as has the imperative that we take meaningful action."  The indicators show: •    Global Temperature - 2016 was the warmest year on record, 2020 was the second warmest, and 2001-2020 was the warmest decade on record since 1880, when thermometer-based observations began.  •    Arctic Sea Ice - The September 2020 sea ice extent was the second smallest on record. It was more than 900,000 square miles less than the historical 1981–2010 average for that month—a difference three and half times the size of Texas.  •    Ice Sheets - Since 1992, Greenland and Antarctica have both lost ice overall, each one losing more than 100 billion metric tons of ice per year on average and accounting for about one-third of observed global sea level rise between 2006 and 2015. •    Heat Waves in U.S. Cities - Heat waves are occurring more often across the United States. Their frequency has increased steadily, from an average of two heat waves per year during the 1960s to six per year during the 2010s.   •    U.S. Sea Level - Sea level (relative to the land) rose along much of the U.S. coastline between 1960 and 2020, particularly the Mid-Atlantic coast and parts of the Gulf Coast, where some stations registered increases of more than 8 inches.  •    Coastal Flooding – Tidal flooding is becoming more frequent at most locations along the East and Gulf Coasts.  •    Length of the Growing Season – The average length of the growing season in the contiguous 48 states increased by more than two weeks since the beginning of the 20th century.   •    Marine Species Distribution — In conjunction with warming ocean waters, many marine species off U.S. coasts are shifting northward and are moving to deeper waters. Shifts have occurred among several economically important fish and shellfish species.  EPA partners with more than 50 data contributors from various government agencies, academic institutions, and other organizations to develop the climate change indicators. Each indicator was peer reviewed by independent experts.  Information about Climate Change Indicators: https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators Information about climate change: https://www.epa.gov/climate-change ###

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EPA Announces the Selection of Three Municipalities in PRo Receive $900,000 for Brownfields

CONTACT: senn.john@epa.gov   EPA Announces the Selection of Three Municipalities in Puerto Rico to Receive $900,000 for Brownfields Cleanup and Assessment The grant awards help underserved communities Build Back Better and address Environmental Justice concerns NEW YORK (May 18, 2021) – Today, as part of a weeklong virtual conference on Brownfields issues in the Caribbean, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing that three municipalities in Puerto Rico have been selected to receive a total of $900,000 to assess and clean up contaminated properties under the agency's Brownfields Program. Nationwide, 151 communities will receive 154 grant awards totaling $66.5 million in EPA Brownfields funding through its Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grants. This funding will support underserved and economically disadvantaged communities across the country in assessing and cleaning up contaminated and abandoned industrial and commercial properties. Approximately 50 percent of selected recipients will be receiving EPA Brownfields Grant funding for the first time and more than 85 percent are located in or serving small communities. "Cleaning up brownfields helps protect the environment and serves as a catalyst to jumpstart much needed economic growth in Puerto Rico communities, often in historically underserved areas," said EPA acting Regional Administrator Walter Mugdan. "These grants address decades-old sources of pollution and bring together a broad spectrum of stakeholders who work in concert to make their communities better and more sustainable places to live, work and play." The three selectees and projects are: The Municipality of Barranquitas ($300,000 assessment grant): Community-wide grant funds will be used to prepare, update, and prioritize a brownfields inventory and conduct up to 21 environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to produce up to 10 cleanup plans and conduct community outreach activities. The target areas are the 17-mile corridor that lies northeast to southwest through the heart of Barranquitas and serves as a main commercial artery and primary link to San Juan, and the highly urbanized commercial and industrial district. Priority sites include a former Job Corps School, a former sewage plant, the former Calle Barcelo textile manufacturing facility, the former Calle Milton Perelez intermediate urban school that adjoins the Barranquitas River, and a former hospital near the Barranquitas River.   The Municipality of Guaynabo ($300,000 assessment grant): Community-wide grant funds will be used to prepare and update a brownfields inventory, prioritize sites, and conduct up to 21 environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to prepare up to 10 cleanup plans and conduct community outreach activities. The target area is the Bay Area District, which stretches 1.7 miles northeast to southwest in the northern part of Guaynabo. Priority sites include a vacant lot, the former Calle E. Ramos Antonini Auto Parts store, a former rehabilitation center, an abandoned store, and a former auto repair facility.   The Municipality of Vega Alta ($300,000 assessment grant): Community-wide grant funds will be used to prepare, update, and prioritize a brownfields inventory and conduct up to 21 environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to produce up to 10 cleanup plans, and conduct community outreach activities. The target area is the 3.4-mile Toll Road Corridor and Vega Alta's Urban Center. Priority sites are a former healthcare center, a former gymnasium, a former casino, a former masonic lodge, and the former El Morro Box Factory. "These grants announced today are part of Puerto Rico's road to recovery from the natural disasters, and of enabling the redevelopment of our industrial base. We must continue to allocate federal funds like these to improve the communities' living standards and invest in the economic growth of the island. I want to thank EPA acting Regional Administrator for working towards our common goal and commit to continue supporting the municipalities," stated Congresswoman Jenniffer Gonzalez Colon. Vega Alta Mayor Maria Vega said: "These funds have a significant impact to our city that move us forward in our economy recovery and development, specifically in recovering structures that were destroyed by hurricanes Irma and Maria." Today's grant announcement includes: $8.8 million for 11 Multipurpose Grants, which will provide funding to conduct a range of eligible assessment and cleanup activities at one or more brownfield sites in a target area.  $42.2 million for 107 Assessment Grants, which will provide funding for brownfield inventories, planning, environmental assessments, and community outreach. $15.5 million for 36 Cleanup Grants, which will provide funding to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites owned by the recipient. The list of the fiscal year 2021 applicants selected for funding is available here:  https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/applicants-selected-fy-2021-brownfields-multipurpose-assessment-and-cleanup-grants EPA anticipates that it will award the grants once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied by the selected recipients. Since its inception in 1995, EPA's Brownfields Program has provided nearly $1.76 billion in grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return them to productive reuse. This has led to significant benefits for communities across the country. For example, To date, communities participating in the Brownfields Program have been able to attract more than $34.4 billion in cleanup and redevelopment funding after receiving Brownfields funds. This has led to over 175,500 jobs in cleanup, construction, and redevelopment. Based on grant recipient reporting, recipients leveraged on average $20.13 for each EPA Brownfields dollar and 10.3 jobs per $100,000 of EPA Brownfield Grant funds expended on assessment, cleanup, and revolving loan fund cooperative agreements. In addition, an academic peer-reviewed study has found that residential properties near brownfield sites increased in value by 5% to 15.2% as a result of cleanup activities. Finally, analyzing data near 48 brownfields, EPA found an estimated $29 million to $97 million in additional tax revenue for local governments in a single year after cleanup—2 to 7 times more than the $12.4 million EPA contributed to the cleanup of those brownfield sites. For more on the Brownfields Grants: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-epa-brownfield-grant-funding For more on EPA's Brownfields Program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields   21-036                                                                                   ###

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