Issued: Sep 13, 2023 (2:29pm EDT)

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Ocean County, New Jersey Selected for $1.9 Million Grant in First-Ever EPA Funding to Promote Less Waste

New Jersey Also Slated to Receive Funding for Statewide Efforts

NEW YORK (Sept. 13, 2023) - Today, in the first ever U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), EPA announced that Ocean County, New Jersey has been selected to receive $1.9 million dollars. New Jersey is also slated to receive over $490,000 to support its ongoing efforts to sustainably manage materials and generate less waste.  Ocean county will install a state-of-the-art system to manage plastic bags, which can damage materials recovery and recyling facilities.  The grants will be awarded using funding from the Biden Administration's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

"President Biden's Investing in America Agenda tackles our most pressing environmental challenges including climate change and lead in drinking water, and today we add another historic investment to better manage waste in communities across America," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "By investing in better recycling, EPA is deploying resources to provide recycling services across the country, including in disadvantaged communities, while preventing waste that contributes to the climate crisis, supporting local economies and creating good-paying jobs."

"Previous generations have had a throw away mentality that just simply does not match our needs or help us reach our goals for a healthy environment that can be enjoyed for generations to come," said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. "The SWIFR grant program seeks to put the common adage 'waste not want not' into action. This funding will help New Jersey's work to reduce waste and it allows Ocean County to use cutting edge technology to maximize its resource recovery program."

"As communities across the state grapple with the impacts of climate change, delivering grants and support to boost our recycling infrastructure and waste management systems is critical to saving energy and reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases and pollutants in our atmosphere," said Senator Bob Menendez (NJ). "Additionally, improving our waste management systems is key to ensuring that plastics don't make their way into our waterways and oceans, where they pollute our beaches, harm marine life, and can enter the food chain. I'm proud to have championed bipartisan efforts to address plastic pollution. Thanks to these grants, Ocean County will have the resources to better manage plastic bags in their recyclables mix and analyze the waste stream to identify potential areas of improvements while creating jobs." 

Senator Cory Booker said, "Recycling is an important part of managing our plastic pollution crisis as we also work to move away from overreliance on single-use plastic. Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA's investment in New Jersey's recycling and solid waste management will help address plastic pollution, create jobs, and reduce waste, especially in environmental justice communities." 

"Today's announcement from the EPA is an important step to ensure that our waste and recycling system solves the pollution crisis instead of contributing to it," U.S. Representative Frank Pallone (NJ-06). "These grants will help New Jersey communities to fight the climate crisis and protect the Jersey Shore from debris and microplastics. I want to thank President Biden and Administrator Regan for being such great partners in investing in and modernizing America's infrastructure."

Ocean County will use the EPA funding to install an artificial intelligence (AI) powered optical classification system.  This system will combine cameras and cutting-edge AI-technology, and will help to analyze the waste stream, and identify potential areas of improvement. The county also intends to install a secondary eddy current separator, which uses a powerful magnetic field to separate aluminum and aluminum foil from other materials. The installation of these devices will reduce damage to the existing equipment and increase the efficiency of the existing system. This will lead to reduced contamination of the recycling stream and increase the value of recovered materials.

All states and territories also received SWIFR funding. The money for states and territories will help support their efforts to improve post-consumer materials management programs through planning, data collection, and the implementation of plans. The funding is part of EPA's overall efforts to invest in America by strengthening infrastructure and implementing programs for lasting change. It will aid communities and states in modeling what's known as a "circular economy" by building a program to keep materials and products in circulation for as long as possible.

"New Jersey is extremely grateful to the EPA for the more than $2.3 million in grant funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that will further our continuing investment and commitment to recycling," New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette said. "As the first state in the nation to enact mandatory recycling in 1987, New Jersey is proud of the many initiatives we have in place to keep the environment clean while ensuring that clean communities lead to economic growth and revitalization, expanding job opportunities and local pride." 

"Ocean County residents have embraced the Ocean County Board of Commissioners' recycling efforts since the program was implemented in the 1980s. It has been a huge benefit to our environment and in preserving landfill space," said Ocean County Commissioner and liaison to the Ocean County Department of Solid Waste Management Barbara Jo Crea. "We continue to build on its strong foundation, adding new services and by updating our material processing facility.  This grant will assist us in our efforts to make sure our recyclables meet market standards and allow us to continue to expand our programs and in turn increase the value of recycling in Ocean County. We appreciate the EPA considering Ocean County for this funding."

EPA's Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant Program is also advancing President's Justice40 Initiative, which aims to ensure that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution. Approximately $56 million out of the $73 million – or 76% - of the total funding for communities will go toward projects that benefit disadvantaged communities.

Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grants for Communities

More than two thirds of the funding for the projects announced today are going toward projects that benefit disadvantaged communities. The recycling grants for communities will support improvements to waste management systems across the country and will range from $500,000 to $4 million per grant. This will allow resources to be used more efficiently and reduce the impact have on our planet and the climate. Projects that will be supported by this investment include purchasing new fleets of recycling collection vehicles and bins to provide curbside recycling services for communities currently lacking access; upgrades to material recovery facilities to reduce contamination; enhancements to composting and organics programs and infrastructure, and construction of various types of facilities that improve recycling, composting, and reuse infrastructure for materials such as plastics and food waste. Collectively, these grants from EPA's Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant Program will keep valuable resources out of our landfills and will significantly contribute to our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint. This grant will also help fund recycling services to disadvantaged communities that have been traditionally underserved by recycling services. And they will create good-paying jobs in rural and urban communities across the country.

Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grants for States and Territories

The recycling grants for states and territories will provide funding to all 56 states, territories, and the District of Columbia via grants ranging from $360,000 to $750,000; with the highest grant amounts supporting those states and territories that need it the most. These grants represent important steps toward achieving the EPA's National Recycling Goal and Food Loss and Waste Reduction Goal. Funded activities include improving post-consumer materials management programs through developing or updating solid waste management plans and strengthening data collection efforts.

Additional Background:

Today's announcement for states, territories, and communities is the first round of funding from this new grant program. In the coming months, EPA will announce the selected recipients of the recycling grants for Tribes and intertribal consortia, as well as the recipients of EPA's new Recycling Education and Outreach grant program. 

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $275 million total from fiscal year 2022 to fiscal year 2026 for grants authorized under the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act - the largest investment in recycling in 30 years. The recycling grants are supplemented with additional funding provided through EPA's annual appropriations. EPA has selected these entities to receive funding for recycling infrastructure projects and anticipates making all the awards announced today once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied. 

For details about the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant Program selectees and other Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-related funding opportunities, visit the EPA recycling grants webpage.

For more information about SWIFR visit the SWIFR website. To learn more about how EPA is Investing in America visit Investing in America.

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.

 

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For further information: Elias Rodriguez; (212) 637-3664 or Rodriguez.Elias@epa.gov

 

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Issued: Sep 13, 2023 (2:15pm EDT)

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EPA Launches New Cancer Prevention Website, Affirms Commitment to President Biden and the First Lady's Cancer Moonshot

WASHINGTON (Sept. 13, 2023) – Today, as part of the Biden Cancer Moonshot, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched a new website highlighting its activities to help prevent cancer by reducing exposures to carcinogens in our everyday lives. EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe joined more than 15 participating departments and agencies at today's meeting of President Biden's Cancer Cabinet, a whole of government response to address progress against cancer.  

 

"Today and every day, I am proud to highlight EPA's commitment to protecting people from cancer risk at home, at work, and in the environment," said EPA​ Administrator Michael S. Regan. "Our new website will make it easier for people to learn about reducing exposure to carcinogens at all stages of life – from before birth, through infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. This exposure can increase the risk of cancer as we get older and even effect later generations. EPA is all-in on the Biden Cancer Moonshot, doing all we can to finally bring an end to cancer." 

 

EPA's mission to protect human health and the environment is deeply connected to reducing cancer risks that people may face from chemicals in the environment (such as secondhand smoke, commerce, and radiation). EPA develops and implements regulations, takes enforcement actions, and pursues voluntary approaches to curb pollution to protect communities and workers. EPA also educates people about cancer risks and how to avoid them. To help make information about EPA efforts to reduce exposure to carcinogens in the environment more accessible, EPA is launching a new website, EPA Efforts to Reduce Exposure to Carcinogens and Prevent Cancer that can be found at epa.gov/cancer.

 

Background 

 

President Biden and the First Lady's Cancer Moonshot is a national effort to accelerate the rate of progress against cancer, reduce the cancer death rate, and improve the life experience of those living with and surviving cancer and their caregivers.

 

Upcoming Actions to Prevent Cancer Risk by Reducing Exposure to Carcinogens 

 

• Several regulatory efforts are underway to reduce unreasonable risks associated with chemicals evaluated under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) with cancer risks, including:

o Trichlorethylene (TCE) which is used as a refrigerant and degreasing solvent for metal equipment (Proposed rule estimated to be published fall 2023); and 

o 1-Bromopropane which is used as a solvent in vapor degreasing, adhesives, and other products (Proposed rule estimated to be published fall 2023).

• By September 2023, EPA will update its website for indoor air quality with secondhand smoke messaging and resources from federal agencies and other credible sources regarding smoking cessation. Secondhand exposure to tobacco and marijuana smoke as well as e-cigarettes can impact indoor air quality and pose health risks.

 

Recent Actions to Make Progress towards the Goals Identified by the Cancer Cabinet

 

• Perchloroethylene (PCE) – On June 16, 2023, EPA proposed to prohibit most uses of PCE and establish a workplace chemical protection program for uses not prohibited to protect workers through measures to prevent inhalation and skin exposure. This proposal is available for public comment through August 29, 2023.  Exposures to PCE have the potential to cause liver, kidney, brain, and testicular cancer.

• Methylene Chloride – On April 20, 2023, EPA proposed to prohibit methylene chloride in consumer products and to establish workplace protections under TSCA. Exposure to methylene chloride is likely to cause liver and lung cancer. Workplace exposure limits would allow the safely continued processing of methylene chloride to produce chemicals that are important in efforts to reduce global warming outlined in the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act.

• Proposal to Strengthen Standards for Synthetic Organic Chemical Plants and Polymers and Resins Plants – On April 6, 2023, EPA announced a proposal to significantly reduce emissions of toxic and other harmful air pollution from chemical plants, including the highly toxic chemicals ethylene oxide (EtO) and chloroprene. The reductions would cut more than 6,000 tons of toxic air pollution a year and dramatically reduce the number of people with elevated air toxics-related cancer risks in communities surrounding the plants that use those two chemicals, including in many communities historically overburdened by air toxics pollution. EPA has conducted extensive outreach to provide risk information on EtO, particularly in affected communities.

 

Recent Actions to Address Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), including Possible Human Carcinogens

 

• Proposed PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) – On March 14, 2023, EPA announced the proposed NPDWR that would establish legally enforceable levels (called Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs)) for six PFAS in drinking water. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) are classified are carcinogens, with proposed MCL Goals (MCLGs) of zero.

• Proposed Designation of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (PFOS) as Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Hazardous Substances – On September 6, 2022, EPA proposed to designate two PFAS (PFOA and PFOS), including their salts and structural isomers, as hazardous substances under CERCLA. This proposed rulemaking would increase transparency around releases of these harmful chemicals and help to hold polluters accountable for cleaning up their contamination.

• Initiation of Two Rulemaking Efforts Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) – In October 2021, EPA announced important steps toward evaluating the existing data for four PFAS under RCRA and strengthening the ability to clean up PFAS contamination across the country through the RCRA corrective action process.

• Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on Potential Future Designations of PFAS as CERCLA Hazardous Substances – On September 22, 2022, EPA issued an ANPRM asking the public for input regarding potential future designations of additional PFAS under CERCLA.

 

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Issued: Sep 13, 2023 (2:14pm EDT)

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Chemung County, N.Y. Selected for $1.7 Million Grant in First-Ever EPA Funding to Promote Less Waste

New York Also Slated to Receive Funding for Statewide Efforts

NEW YORK (Sept. 13, 2023) - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Chemung County, New York has been selected to receive $1.7 million in the first-ever EPA funding under EPA's new Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling program to build resilient circular economies across the country. New York State is also slated to receive over $531,000 to support its ongoing efforts to sustainably manage materials and generate less waste. The grants are part of EPA's largest recycling investment in 30 years and will be awarded using funding from the Biden Administration's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

 

The grant to Chemung County will allow it to build a new composting facility at the site of a decommissioned wastewater treatment plant to expand upon its existing composting program. The new facility will replace the shuttered former wastewater treatment plant with a new facility that will divert waste from the nearby Chemung County landfill and create a more accessible place for residents to turn waste into product.  The funding will help the county model what's known as a "circular economy" by building a program to keep materials and products in circulation for as long as possible. This approach is a model of production and consumption, where items and products are reused whenever possible rather than discarded as waste.

 

"President Biden's Investing in America Agenda tackles our most pressing environmental challenges including climate change and lead in drinking water, and today we add another historic investment to better manage waste in communities across America," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "By investing in better recycling, EPA is deploying resources to provide recycling services across the country, including in disadvantaged communities, while preventing waste that contributes to the climate crisis, supporting local economies and creating good-paying jobs."

"Unfortunately, the U.S has had a 'just throw it away' mentality that simply did not help us reach our goals for a cleaner, healthier environment," said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. "The SWIFR grant program seeks to put the common adage 'waste not want not' into action. This funding will support New York's waste reduction efforts and will allow Chemung County to build a brand-new composting facility."

"Investing in recycling infrastructure and waste management systems is critical to ensure that New York's communities aren't burdened by pollution. This critical funding from EPA will greatly benefit Chemung County and bolster their efforts to build a circular economy while helping to divert waste from area landfills, which will strengthen the environmental well-being of the Southern Tier. I thank EPA for this vital investment, and I look forward to working with EPA to continue improving recycling infrastructure and waste management systems in New York State" said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (NY). 

 

All states and territories also received SWIFR funding. The money for states and territories will help support their efforts to improve post-consumer materials management programs through planning, data collection, and the implementation of plans. The funding is part of EPA's overall efforts to invest in America by strengthening infrastructure and implementing programs for lasting change. It will aid communities and states in modeling what's known as a "circular economy" by building a program to keep materials and products in circulation for as long as possible.

 

"We're excited that the Environmental Protection Agency has selected Chemung County to receive a $1.6 million grant for our Solid Waste Infrastructure and Recycling Initiatives. Thanks to grant opportunities such as this, projects which would otherwise be unaffordable are able to come to fruition", said Christopher J. Moss, Chemung County Executive. "I am pleased that Chemung County's grant application met both the program objective and contained multiple strategic plan elements. These funds will allow Chemung County to continue to partner with its local municipalities as we continue our efforts to establish and optimize our capacity for composting materials."

"DEC applauds the Biden-Harris Administration, EPA Administrator Regan, and Regional Administrator Garcia for demonstrating their sustained investment in supporting cleaner and healthier communities, encouraging product reuse, promoting recycling, and protecting our natural resources," New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos said. "The significant funding announced today bolsters New York's efforts to reduce greenhouse gases from landfilled waste and achieve the State's climate objectives by supporting our recycling processes through grants to enhance DEC's own data management and support local composting to reduce waste in the Southern Tier."

EPA's Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant Program is also advancing President's Justice40 Initiative, which aims to ensure that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution. Approximately $56 million out of the $73 million – or 76% - of the total funding for communities will go toward projects that benefit disadvantaged communities.

Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grants for Communities

More than two thirds of the funding for the projects announced today are going toward projects that benefit disadvantaged communities. The recycling grants for communities will support improvements to waste management systems across the country and will range from $500,000 to $4 million per grant. This will allow resources to be used more efficiently and reduce the impact have on our planet and the climate. Projects that will be supported by this investment include purchasing new fleets of recycling collection vehicles and bins to provide curbside recycling services for communities currently lacking access; upgrades to material recovery facilities to reduce contamination; enhancements to composting and organics programs and infrastructure, and construction of various types of facilities that improve recycling, composting, and reuse infrastructure for materials such as plastics and food waste. Collectively, these grants from EPA's Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant Program will keep valuable resources out of our landfills and will significantly contribute to our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint. This grant will also help fund recycling services to disadvantaged communities that have been traditionally underserved by recycling services. And they will create good-paying jobs in rural and urban communities across the country.

Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grants for States and Territories

The recycling grants for states and territories will provide funding to all 56 states, territories, and the District of Columbia via grants ranging from $360,000 to $750,000; with the highest grant amounts supporting those states and territories that need it the most. These grants represent important steps toward achieving the EPA's National Recycling Goal and Food Loss and Waste Reduction Goal. Funded activities include improving post-consumer materials management programs through developing or updating solid waste management plans and strengthening data collection efforts.

Additional Background:

Today's announcement for states, territories, and communities is the first round of funding from this new grant program. In the coming months, EPA will announce the selected recipients of the recycling grants for Tribes and intertribal consortia, as well as the recipients of EPA's new Recycling Education and Outreach grant program. 

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $275 million total from fiscal year 2022 to fiscal year 2026 for grants authorized under the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act - the largest investment in recycling in 30 years. The recycling grants are supplemented with additional funding provided through EPA's annual appropriations. EPA has selected these entities to receive funding for recycling infrastructure projects and anticipates making all the awards announced today once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied. 

For details about the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant Program selectees and other Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-related funding opportunities, visit the EPA recycling grants webpage.

 

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.

 

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For further information: Elias Rodriguez; (212) 637-3664 or Rodriguez.Elias@epa.gov

 

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Get ready for back-to-school time with EPA's healthy schools website.

Find resources for teachers, school administrators, school nurses, custodians, facility managers and more.

View as a webpage / Share Check out EPA's New and Improved Schools Website Get Ready for Back-to-School Time EPA is pleased to announce a revamped web area for teachers, school administrators, school nurses, custodians, and facility managers at epa.gov/schools. School administrators, facility staff, custodians, and school nurses: You'll find information on ensuring school buildings are safe and healthy for our children, who are more vulnerable to environmental health threats. Assess your school's environmental health and access easy ways to improve your school's indoor air quality, manage pests safely, reduce waste, use chemicals safely – including cleaning supplies and materials that might be found in art and science classrooms, and manage asthma to reduce teacher and student absenteeism. Teachers: You'll find environmental education curricula, checklists to make your classroom and healthy environment, and tips for using disinfectants safely (e.g., children should never apply disinfectants, including disinfectant cleaning wipes). Get Educated About School Hazards:  Learn about a potential environmental health threats that could be in and around your school. Keep students safe from extreme heat, wildfire smoke, lead, PCBs, and more. School Funding Opportunities:  Check out our children's health funding opportunities page for to see funding announcements for school stakeholders, childcares, and other children's environmental health projects.   Looking for something that you couldn't find on our new site? Let us know! Learn more about Children's Health and Healthy School Environments.

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Issued: Sep 13, 2023 (9:06am EDT)

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Biden-Harris Administration Invests More than $100 Million in Recycling Infrastructure Projects Through Investing in America Agenda

WASHINGTON (Sept. 13, 2023) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced more than $100 million from President Biden's Investing in America agenda to expand recycling infrastructure and waste management systems across the country, representing EPA's largest recycling investment in 30 years.

EPA has selected 25 communities to receive grants totaling more than $73 million under the newly created Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling funding opportunity. In addition, the agency is making available approximately $32 million for states and territories to improve solid waste management planning, data collection and implementation of plans. 

The grants support the implementation of EPA's National Recycling Strategy to build an economy devoted to keeping materials, products, and services in circulation for as long as possible – what's known as a "circular economy."

"President Biden's Investing in America agenda tackles our most pressing environmental challenges including climate change and lead in drinking water, and today we add another historic investment to better manage waste in communities across America," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "By investing in better recycling, EPA is deploying resources to provide recycling services across the country, including in disadvantaged communities, while preventing waste that contributes to the climate crisis, supporting local economies and creating good-paying jobs."

"Recycling helps us protect our environment while creating jobs and promoting economic growth," said Senator Tom Carper, Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. "Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this unprecedented investment will provide communities across our country with the opportunity to improve their recycling programs and implement more sustainable waste-management practices. I applaud EPA for the hard work in getting this funding out the door, and I look forward to working together to advance policies that strengthen our nation's recycling infrastructure."

President Biden's Investing in America agenda, a key pillar of Bidenomics, is growing the American economy from the middle out and  bottom up – from rebuilding our nation's infrastructure, to driving over $500 billion in private sector manufacturing and clean energy investments in the United States, to creating a manufacturing and innovation boom powered by good paying jobs that don't require a four-year degree, to building a clean-energy economy that is lowering energy costs for hardworking families, combatting climate change and making our communities more resilient.

EPA's Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant Program is also advancing the President's Justice40 Initiative, which aims to ensure that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution. Approximately $56 million out of the $73 million – or 76% - of the total funding for communities will go toward projects that benefit disadvantaged communities.

Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grants for Communities

The recycling grants for communities will support improvements to waste management systems across the country and will range from $500,000 to $4 million per grant. Selected projects include purchasing new fleets of recycling collection vehicles and bins to provide curbside recycling services for communities currently lacking access; upgrades to material recovery facilities to reduce contamination; enhancements to composting and organics programs and infrastructure; and construction of various types of facilities that improve recycling, composting, and reuse infrastructure for materials such as plastics and food waste. 

Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grants for States and Territories

The recycling grants for states and territories will provide funding to all 56 states, territories, and the District of Columbia via grants ranging from $360,000 to $750,000; with the highest grant amounts supporting those states and territories that need it the most. These grants represent important steps toward achieving the EPA's National Recycling Goal and Food Loss and Waste Reduction Goal. Funded activities include improving post-consumer materials management programs through developing or updating solid waste management plans and strengthening data collection efforts.

Additional Background:

Today's announcement for states, territories, and communities is the first round of funding from this new grant program. In the coming months, EPA will announce the selected recipients of the recycling grants for Tribes and intertribal consortia, as well as the recipients of EPA's new Recycling Education and Outreach gran program.  

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $275 million total from fiscal year 2022 to fiscal year 2026 for grants authorized under the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act - the largest investment in recycling in 30 years. The recycling grants are supplemented with additional funding provided through EPA's annual appropriations. EPA has selected these entities to receive funding for recycling infrastructure projects and anticipates making all the awards announced today once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied. 

For details about the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant Program selectees and other Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-related funding opportunities, visit the EPA recycling grants webpage. 

For further information: press@epa.gov

 

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Issued: Sep 12, 2023 (4:42pm EDT)

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EPA Invests in Students with Grant for The University of the Virgin Islands

 

Contact: Kenneth Labbe, labbe.ken@epa.gov

NEW YORK (Sept. 12, 2023) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it has awarded a $100,000 grant to the University of the Virgin Islands. This grant will utilize 21st- century skills to address the long-standing solid waste management issues in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI).

The goal of this project is to empower communities across the USVI to understand and address the critical issue of solid waste management and use creative problem-solving to identify and propose solutions for implementation on the islands. At least 160 members of the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) student body and communities will be recruited to participate in sustainable materials management working groups. Additionally, 30 students and community members will be targeted for intense training as creativity facilitators. Groups will work together to identify novel solutions and think critically about how those solutions can be developed. They will also create an implementation plan to present to the USVI community.

"Solid waste management presents a tremendous challenge on all three USVI islands," said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. "This project taps in the creative and problem-solving skills of young people to help address the unique challenges of solid waste management across the U.S. Virgin Islands."

This school year, thanks to President Biden's Investing in America agenda, students across the country are going back to school with the opportunities for the greener and cleaner future they deserve. Through the investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, EPA is helping to build a future where all children can breathe cleaner air, drink cleaner water, and live in healthier neighborhoods. For more information about what EPA is doing to invest in America, visit our website.

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.

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