EPA’s Safer Choice Program Highlighted in Sustainable Shopping Initiative

EPA's Safer Choice Program Highlighted in Sustainable Shopping Initiative WASHINGTON - Amazon's Climate Pledge Friendly initiative has announced that it now includes cleaning and other products certified by the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Safer Choice program. Safer Choice is now one of 30 sustainability certifications highlighted under Amazon's Climate Pledge Friendly initiative which helps customers shop for more than 75,000 products through the company's online store. Highlighting Safer Choice-certified products makes it easier for consumers to locate products that contain safer chemical ingredients without sacrificing quality or performance. "We are pleased that Amazon is increasing awareness of products with safer ingredients by including EPA's Safer Choice certification in its initiative," said EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Assistant Administrator Michal Freedhoff. "EPA's Safer Choice program provides national and international leadership for our chemical safety mission in a way that benefits families, children, workers, communities, pets, and the environment." EPA reviews all ingredients in Safer Choice-certified products, regardless of percentage, and they must meet specific human health and environmental criteria. For example, they cannot contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and must meet low-toxicity limits and biodegrade quickly. Limiting VOCs can improve indoor air quality. Ensuring low toxicity and rapid biodegradation can help protect water resources impacted by climate change. This is particularly important when products like detergents go down the drain or when products are used outside and may go directly into the environment and waterways. Products identified as Climate Pledge Friendly are distinguished on Amazon's website by an hourglass-with-wings symbol. The company also provides its customers with detailed web pages that include information on how and why products are certified as sustainable. Later this year, EPA will award the 2021 Safer Choice Partner of the Year awards. In support of the Biden-Harris Administration's goals, EPA will select winners with consideration for those that show how their work in the design, manufacture, selection and use of those products promotes environmental justice, bolsters resilience to the impacts of climate change, results in cleaner air or water, or improves drinking water quality.  Learn more about EPA's Safer Choice program. Learn more about Amazon's Climate Friendly Initiative. Background Safer Choice is an EPA Pollution Prevention (P2) program, which includes practices that reduce, eliminate, or prevent pollution at its source, such as using safer ingredients in products. EPA's Safer Choice program certifies products containing ingredients that have met the program's rigorous human health and environmental safety criteria. The Safer Choice program allows companies to use its label on products that meet the Safer Choice Standard. A complete list of Safer Choice-certified products is available at www.epa.gov/saferchoice/products.

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EPA/WV DHHR News Release: DHHR, EPA to Assist Clarksburg, WV to Test Homes with Lead Service Lines

Contacts: DHHRCommunications@wv.gov                   R3Press@epa.gov  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DHHR, EPA Partnering to Assist Clarksburg Water System to Test Older Homes with Lead Service Lines CHARLESTON, W.Va. (July 9, 2021) – The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are partnering to assist the Clarksburg Water System in their efforts to identify and test older homes with lead service lines that may cause elevated lead levels in drinking water. "The situation in Clarksburg is concerning, and as a precaution we encourage all families living in homes built before 1950 to use bottled water for consumption and have children younger than six years of age evaluated for lead," said Dr. Ayne Amjad, State Health Officer and Commissioner of DHHR's Bureau for Public Health. "Working together with our federal partner, the Environmental Protection Agency, we will assure safe drinking water for the residents of Clarksburg. Additionally, the state is committing funding toward lab analysis of water samples for lead content." The issue of lead service lines was first identified by staff in the Bureau for Public Health's Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program during environmental lead assessments conducted in the homes of children diagnosed with elevated blood lead levels. Confirmatory water sampling in several homes serviced by the Clarksburg Water System were above the EPA's action level (15 parts per billion). The Clarksburg Water System will implement a corrective action plan that will include additional sampling, increased frequency of monitoring, installation of a corrosion control system and an alternate source of drinking water and/or point of use filters for homeowners where elevated lead levels are known from existing sample results and where known or suspected lead service lines exist. "EPA is committed to address lead in the nation's drinking water to ensure communities like Clarksburg are protected," said Acting EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Diana Esher. "Addressing lead in drinking water requires partnerships, and EPA is dedicated to working with West Virginia to improve public health." Parents of children younger than six years of age who are living in older homes serviced by the Clarksburg Water System should discuss the risks of lead exposure with their child's pediatrician to determine if precautionary blood lead testing is needed. Additional steps all consumers can take include flushing water lines used for drinking and cooking and using bottled water for making baby formula. Boiling water does not remove lead from water. Helpful EPA resources: Basic Information About Lead in Drinking Water: https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water Important Steps You Can Take to Reduce Lead in Drinking Water: https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water#reducehome Lead Poisoning and Your Children: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-02/documents/epa_lead_brochure-posterlayout_508.pdf Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home (translations available): https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2020-04/documents/lead-in-your-home-portrait-color-2020-508.pdf Protecting Children's Health: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2020-10/documents/ch_pamphlet_oct2020-v4.pdf Questions regarding the Clarksburg Water System and the risk for lead exposure in the water should be directed to the Bob Davis, Clarksburg Water System Chief Water Operator, at 304-624-5467, extension 121.  # # #

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EPA Announces an Additional $50 Million Under the ARP to Enhance Air Pollution Monitoring

EPA Announces an Additional $50 Million Under the American Rescue Plan to Enhance Air Pollution Monitoring WASHINGTON (July 7, 2021) — Today, EPA announced that it will make $50 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding available to improve air quality monitoring in communities across the United States. The latest set of funding builds on the agency's recent announcement of $50 million for environmental justice projects under the ARP, bringing the total to $100 million in EPA funding designated by Congress to address health outcome disparities from pollution and the COVID–19 pandemic. "Through the American Rescue Plan, Congress and the President entrusted EPA with critical funding to help those who are hurting from pollution and the pandemic," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "We know that in too many communities, air pollution led to worse outcomes from COVID-19. Today, we are partnering with our state, Tribal, and local leaders to invest in projects that will improve air quality in communities overburdened by high levels of pollution." "This funding is a much-needed down payment on getting state and local clean air agencies the resources they need to advance the equitable protection of healthy air for all," said Miles Keogh, Executive Director of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies. The major components of the plan to enhance air community monitoring include: a grants competition that will seek proposals from community groups and state, Tribal and local government air agencies; direct awards to air agencies for continuous monitoring of small particles (known as PM2.5 or soot) and other Clean Air Act pollutants; enhanced capacity for short-term community monitoring; and support to administer the funding. Grant Competition for Community Monitoring: Later this year, EPA will launch a $20 million grant competition that will call for proposals from community groups, state, Tribal and local air agencies -- individually or in partnerships -- to conduct monitoring of pollutants of greatest concern in communities with health outcome disparities. EPA's primary objective in issuing these grants is to provide better air quality information in communities. EPA will give grants to support community and local efforts to monitor their own air quality and to promote monitoring partnerships between communities and state, Tribal, and local governments. Direct Awards to Air Agencies for Continuous Monitoring of PM2.5 and Other Common Air Pollutants: EPA will award $22.5 million to state, Tribal or local air agencies for enhanced monitoring of PM2.5 and five other air pollutants regulated by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards under the Clean Air Act.  These grants are designed to support monitoring in and near communities with environmental justice concerns who face disproportionate exposure to these pollutants and health risks, which are also associated with increased vulnerability to COVID-19.  These funds will be used to replace existing filter-based monitors or otherwise enhance existing monitors in and near those communities to provide 24/7, real-time reporting of air quality concentrations.  Automation of PM2.5 monitors will provide fine particulate data of the same quality and allow communities to compare continuous data streams in nearby areas.  Enhanced Regional Capacity for Short-term Community Monitoring Needs:  EPA will be investing $5 million in agency mobile monitoring labs or air sensor loan programs.  These investments will improve EPA's ability to support communities in need of short-term monitoring and air quality information. Administrative Support:  To improve data management and ensure the grants and programs are properly administered and tracked, the agency will direct $2.5 million to oversight and administration activities. EPA is beginning the coordination process on the grant competition with communities and state, Tribal, and local agencies and plans to issue the calls for proposals in fall 2021. For more information, please visit https://www.epa.gov/amtic/american-rescue-plan.

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EPA Announces an Additional $50 Million Under the American Rescue Plan to Enhance Air Pollution

CONTACT: press@epa.gov   EPA Announces an Additional $50 Million Under the American Rescue Plan to Enhance Air Pollution Monitoring WASHINGTON (July 7, 2021) — Today, EPA announced that it will make $50 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding available to improve air quality monitoring in communities across the United States. The latest set of funding builds on the agency's recent announcement of $50 million for environmental justice projects under the ARP, bringing the total to $100 million in EPA funding designated by Congress to address health outcome disparities from pollution and the COVID–19 pandemic. "Through the American Rescue Plan, Congress and the President entrusted EPA with critical funding to help those who are hurting from pollution and the pandemic," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "We know that in too many communities, air pollution led to worse outcomes from COVID-19. Today, we are partnering with our state, Tribal, and local leaders to invest in projects that will improve air quality in communities overburdened by high levels of pollution." "This funding is a much-needed down payment on getting state and local clean air agencies the resources they need to advance the equitable protection of healthy air for all," said Miles Keogh, Executive Director of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies. The major components of the plan to enhance air community monitoring include: a grants competition that will seek proposals from community groups and state, Tribal and local government air agencies; direct awards to air agencies for continuous monitoring of small particles (known as PM2.5 or soot) and other Clean Air Act pollutants; enhanced capacity for short-term community monitoring; and support to administer the funding. Grant Competition for Community Monitoring: Later this year, EPA will launch a $20 million grant competition that will call for proposals from community groups, state, Tribal and local air agencies -- individually or in partnerships -- to conduct monitoring of pollutants of greatest concern in communities with health outcome disparities. EPA's primary objective in issuing these grants is to provide better air quality information in communities. EPA will give grants to support community and local efforts to monitor their own air quality and to promote monitoring partnerships between communities and state, Tribal, and local governments. Direct Awards to Air Agencies for Continuous Monitoring of PM2.5 and Other Common Air Pollutants: EPA will award $22.5 million to state, Tribal or local air agencies for enhanced monitoring of PM2.5 and five other air pollutants regulated by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards under the Clean Air Act.  These grants are designed to support monitoring in and near communities with environmental justice concerns who face disproportionate exposure to these pollutants and health risks, which are also associated with increased vulnerability to COVID-19.  These funds will be used to replace existing filter-based monitors or otherwise enhance existing monitors in and near those communities to provide 24/7, real-time reporting of air quality concentrations.  Automation of PM2.5 monitors will provide fine particulate data of the same quality and allow communities to compare continuous data streams in nearby areas.  Enhanced Regional Capacity for Short-term Community Monitoring Needs:  EPA will be investing $5 million in agency mobile monitoring labs or air sensor loan programs.  These investments will improve EPA's ability to support communities in need of short-term monitoring and air quality information. Administrative Support:  To improve data management and ensure the grants and programs are properly administered and tracked, the agency will direct $2.5 million to oversight and administration activities. EPA is beginning the coordination process on the grant competition with communities and state, Tribal, and local agencies and plans to issue the calls for proposals in fall 2021. For more information, please visit https://www.epa.gov/amtic/american-rescue-plan.

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EPA Finalizes Cleanup Plan to Address Groundwater Contamination in Cinnaminson and Delran

CONTACT: press@epa.gov   EPA Finalizes Cleanup Plan to Address Groundwater Contamination in the Townships of Cinnaminson and Delran, Burlington County, New Jersey New York (July 1, 2021) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized its cleanup plan to address groundwater contamination in Cinnaminson and Delran. The final decision, in the form of a Record of Decision (ROD), addresses contaminants in groundwater at the site by using pump, treat, and discharge methods that will capture groundwater contamination that can pose serious health risks. To further protect public health, EPA will conduct long-term monitoring of the groundwater, in addition to other protective measures. "This decision reflects close coordination with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection as well as with the Townships of Cinnaminson and Delran to ensure the groundwater contaminants are properly treated and that the environment is secure," said Acting Regional Administrator Walter Mugdan. "This Record of Decision, which is critically important to community members in Cinnaminson and Delran, builds on earlier decisions at the site in which EPA called for the installation of vapor recovery systems at impacted properties and a groundwater pump and treatment system, and ensured the sufficiency of the existing landfill caps at the site." Due to the nature and complexity of the contamination at the Cinnaminson Groundwater Contamination Superfund Site, the investigations and cleanup of the site have been conducted in four Operable Units (OUs). This finalized cleanup plan focuses on Operable Unit 4 which addresses groundwater contamination outside of areas already under remediation or investigation as part of OUs 1, 2, and 3. The properties of SLI Landfills, Messer LLC (formerly Linde LLC and BOC Gases) and Detrex Corporation are the primary identified sources of the OU4 groundwater contamination. Under the finalized cleanup plan announced today, EPA will target highly concentrated portions of the contaminated groundwater near the source areas by using a pump and treat remedy. EPA will also implement institutional controls, such as restricting the use of groundwater from the site, to prevent and reduce human exposure to contaminated groundwater until the cleanup goals are met. Furthermore, EPA will require periodic collection and analysis of groundwater samples to verify that the level and extent of contaminants are declining. On September 17, 2020, EPA released for public comment the proposed plan regarding its cleanup plan to address groundwater contamination at OU4 of the site. EPA held a virtual public meeting on October 1 to inform the public of EPA's preferred remedial alternatives and to receive public comments. To read the EPA's Record of Decision and to view EPA's responses to public comments, please visit https://www.epa.gov/superfund/cinnaminson Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://facebook.com/eparegion2 21-046

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ICYMI: BuzzFeed: The EPA Just Announced An Unprecedented $50 Million Environmental Justice Push

Hello -- in case you missed it, BuzzFeed has a write-up of the news out of EPA today on $50 million in environmental justice funding through the American Rescue Plan, which Administrator Regan announced today in Baltimore, Maryland.   The EPA Just Announced An Unprecedented $50 Million Environmental Justice Push (EXIT) "This is the most aggressive approach to tackling environmental injustice and equity issues," EPA Administrator Michael Regan told BuzzFeed News. (Zahra Hirji, BuzzFeed News Reporter) The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled $50 million in new funding on Friday to help low-income and communities of color most impacted by pollution, the climate crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the Biden administration's first big spending blitz on environmental justice, which has formed a cornerstone of his climate policy. And it represents a dramatic increase in funding on an issue largely ignored by the Trump administration. "This is the most aggressive approach to tackling environmental injustice and equity issues," EPA Administrator Michael Regan told BuzzFeed News ahead of Friday's announcement. "And from the White House to the EPA, we are turning the words into action and we are really excited to get these resources into the hands of communities." Congress allocated $100 million to the EPA to go towards environmental justice initiatives as part of the latest COVID aid package, the American Rescue Plan signed into law in March. Friday's funding announcement identified how the first half of that money will be spent, and the agency plans to share details on the next $50 million later this summer. The largest chunk of the money — $16.6 million — will go to environmental justice grants to help cities, states, tribes, and territories to fund education on pollution's impacts on the environment and public health, as well as training community members to get jobs in the environmental sector. "What we've all seen firsthand is that COVID-19 has magnified the daily injustices facing communities of color, low income communities, the same communities that will suffer disproportionately from climate change, who face higher rates of heart and lung disease," Regan said. Some studies have suggested that people living in places across the country with dirty air are more likely to die from COVID-19 than those living with less pollution. Coming in as the first Black man to serve as EPA administrator, Regan vowed to make environmental justice a priority, just as he had in his previous role as the head of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. For Mustafa Santigao Ali, the former EPA environmental justice head under the Obama administration, this funding announcement is long overdue. The Trump administration curbed pollution enforcement, watered down car and power plant pollution rules, and even suspended diversity training programs, all of which "actually deepened and widened the sacrifice zones across the country," Ali said. "It's great to see for the first time there's going to be significant resources for these various sets of programs," he said, adding that today's funding levels are "magnitudes larger" than what he had to work with at the agency. Regan is announcing this new funding from a water filtration plant in Baltimore, noting that $200,000 is going to a program there called YH20 that trains people from diverse backgrounds to get jobs in water management. Since launching in 2015, YH20 has trained nearly 100 people between the ages of 18 and 24 in local water management. Upwards of 85 of them are still working within Baltimore's Department of Public Works, according to Yolanda Winkler, who helps run the mentoring and training program. The money from the EPA will help the program "expand in a real and serious way," Winkler said, including increasing how many people can participate. "YH20 and organizations like them are the perfect organizations to receive the money, to not only relieve the pressure that has been exacerbated by COVID-19, but to relieve pressures that have been present for generations," Regan said. Some of the additional grant money will go to groups including the Tohono O'odham Tribal Nation in Arizona to help develop plans to address air quality problems, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management to boost awareness about air pollution and disinfectants, and the Los Angeles, California housing authority to fund a pilot program boosting worker awareness about asthma. Additionally, $7 million is going to the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act rebate program to fund electric school buses in underserved communities, $5.1 million is going to expand civil and criminal enforcement of air and water polluters, and $5 million is going to help cleanup brownfield sites. And to help the EPA, which lost hundreds of employees during the prior four years, about $1 million of the money is going towards "administrative costs." "A lot of it will go to shoring up our basic infrastructure to make sure we have equity and environmental justice included" in the agency's work, Regan said. But he acknowledged that even more resources are needed for the EPA to truly address these issues, and hopes the president's proposed 2022 budget goes further to help fill the gaps.

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EPA News: EPA, District of Columbia Leaders Discuss Lead in Drinking Water

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: R3ress@epa.gov  EPA, District of Columbia Leaders Discuss Lead in Drinking Water PHILADELPHIA (June 25, 2021) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency hosted a roundtable with organizers representing Washington, D.C., to highlight the experience of this community with lead in drinking water. This roundtable discussion, along with nine others being held across the country, is vital to informing EPA's review of the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) revisions to ensure that the rule is grounded in the experience of communities that are most at-risk of exposure to lead in drinking water. "While the number of the District's children testing high for lead-in-blood levels has been dramatically reduced over the past decade, the Bowser Administration's goal is to get to zero and I believe we have a path to get there," said Tommy Wells, Secretary of D.C.'s Department of Energy and Environment. "DC Water has taken many important steps—from locating lead service lines and making their locations publicly available to removing lead pipes from DC communities," said Acting EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Diana Esher. "Addressing lead in drinking water requires partnerships and I want to thank the community groups that organized this roundtable for their leadership." Participants included local officials, D.C. Water, the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment, D.C. Environmental Network, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Earthjustice. Additional information on the virtual roundtable, including how to watch a recording, is available at: https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/lead-and-copper-rule-revisions-virtual-engagements. Background Lead can cause irreversible and life-long health effects, including decreasing IQ, focus, and academic achievement. EPA is committed to following the best science to address lead in the nation's drinking water and will take the appropriate time to review the LCR Revisions and make sure communities that have been impacted the most are protected. In March of this year, EPA announced an extension of the effective date of the Revised Lead and Copper Rule so that the agency could seek further public input on the rule. The agency hosted virtual public listening sessions on April 28, 2021, and May 5, 2021. On May 26, 2021, EPA announced the 10 communities that were selected for virtual roundtable discussions on EPA's LCR Revisions. Members of the public may also submit comments via the docket at: http://www.regulations.gov, Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OW-2021-0255 until July 30, 2021.                                                                    # # #

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EPA Announces $50 Million to Fund Environmental Justice Initiatives Under the American Rescue Plan

EPA Announces $50 Million to Fund Environmental Justice Initiatives Under the American Rescue Plan WASHINGTON (June 25, 2021) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced that it will provide $50 million dollars for Environmental Justice (EJ) initiatives through funds allocated to EPA under the American Rescue Plan (ARP). In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress designated this funding for grants, contracts, and other agency activities that identify and address disproportionate environmental or public health harms and risks in underserved communities through a range of local initiatives.    "We know how important it is to put funding to work in environmentally overburdened, economically underserved areas, and today we're excited to let our communities know that thanks to the American Rescue Plan, help is here," said Administrator Michael S. Regan. "EPA is drawing on its many years of experience working with communities and organizations that strive for environmental justice to ensure these funds will deliver real-world results for those who need it most."     At an event today at the Ashburton Filtration Plant in Baltimore, Maryland, Administrator Regan announced that $200,000 is going to the YH2O mentoring program in Baltimore City – an on-the-job training program that prepares young adults to be employed in full-time jobs within the water industry. Participants are involved in water quality monitoring, sampling, and reporting as they develop skills to improve water quality in urban and rural communities and ultimately transition into water infrastructure jobs.     Moving forward, EPA will also work to award an additional $50 million provided under the ARP for enhanced air quality monitoring, including plans to use a portion of these funds to solicit proposals from community groups, state, local and tribal air agencies to conduct monitoring of pollutants of greatest concern in communities with health outcome disparities.    "Taking on environmental injustice is necessary for present and future generations to thrive. I thank the EPA for recognizing this and bolstering our local efforts to build a cleaner, greener, more equitable Baltimore. This investment will support Baltimore YH2O, a six-month program that extends opportunity to young adults through full-time employment in the water industry," said Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott.   "We must always see investments in our infrastructure as investments in our communities, including not only roads and bridges and pipes and drains, but also people. Infrastructure means jobs. Infrastructure means opportunities – opportunities to make a lasting difference, and opportunities to learn and refine the skills on which strong careers are built. That's why I am excited to help underscore the importance of the EPA American Rescue Plan grant announced today to the Baltimore DPW YH20 mentoring program, which prepares young adults for full-time jobs in the drinking water and wastewater services industry.  These are exactly the type of targeted, community-focused investments we need to continue making in this city and country alike," said Senator Ben Cardin.    "Every Marylander needs access to clean, safe drinking water. This federal investment will support critical workforce training in preventing and reducing water pollution, which will not only help us protect public health by ensuring safe drinking water but also prepare more Marylanders for careers in this field. I was proud to help secure these funds within the American Rescue Plan and will continue working in Congress and with Administrator Regan to provide resources to upgrade our water infrastructure and address environmental inequities across our state," said Senator Chris Van Hollen.     "The Hogan Administration is proud of the environmental progress we're making and the bipartisan partnerships we're building with EPA Administrator Regan and Congress on clean water and energy infrastructure, public health, environmental equity, community revitalization, and green jobs in Maryland," said Maryland Secretary of the Environment Ben Grumbles.    "Clean air and clean water should be American birthrights. President Biden and Vice President Harris share this perspective and are committed to having the EPA active in every community across America, no matter the zip code. I welcome their presence in my District and their grant toward mentoring programs in Baltimore," said Congressman Kweisi Mfume.     "The American Rescue Plan provides dedicated federal funding to support projects in Baltimore and across the country that advance environmental justice and equity. Too many communities in America have been denied equal access to clean drinking water, healthy air and accessible green spaces. Working closely with the Biden Administration and my colleagues in Congress, I will continue to prioritize environmental justice efforts that lift up every community and improve the health and well-being of all Americans," said Congressman John Sarbanes.    "The American Rescue Plan continues to deliver for communities like Baltimore – in this case, by providing young adults the opportunity to receive on-the-job-training for careers in the water infrastructure industry. This effort is a smart, common sense way to create quality jobs so that more Marylanders can support their families today while ensuring our communities have safe roads, bridges and pipelines for the economy of the future," said Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger. EPA is assisting under-resourced communities by quickly getting out ARP funding to leverage important programs that improve air quality, drinking water, revitalization of brownfields, diesel emissions from buses in low income communities and communities of color. Under EPA's State Environmental Justice Cooperative Agreement (SEJCA) program, the agency is awarding its first competitive grants focusing directly on the unequal impacts the COVID-19 pandemic has had on communities of color, low income communities, and other vulnerable populations. Projects include training, developing citizen-science tools, pollution monitoring, and educational campaigns to enable EJ advocates, scientists, and decision-makers to address pollution and create thriving communities.   Funding currently being distributed totals approximately $2.8 million for 14 EJ-focused projects, with more to be announced soon throughout the country. In addition to the Baltimore City grant, today's announcement includes funding for the following projects in underserved communities:  City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin – for outreach and education through a Healthy People, Homes and Neighborhood campaign.  City of Fort Collins, Colorado – for a housing intervention program targeting indoor air quality.  South Coast Air Quality Management District, California – to establish an Air Quality Academy to provide resources and training to improve environmental literacy and air quality data.  Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, California – for a community health worker pilot program on asthma awareness.  Public Health-Seattle & King County, Washington – for community health worker training on healthy homes and home assessments.  Tohono O'odham Tribal Nation, Arizona – for developing local plans to address air quality issues.   Virginia Department of Environmental Quality – for developing and implementing an EJ training academy and EJ map-based tool.  Alabama Department of Environmental Management – for public education on air pollution and disinfectants.  City of Houston, Texas – to launch the Houston Inspires/Houston Inspira public education campaign to creatively engage with communities about clean air and COVID-19.  City of Madison, WI – to implement Intervene Against COVID-19, a public education, training, and emergency planning program.  City of Hartford Department of Health and Human Services, Connecticut – to implement a new strategy to increase outreach on asthma and environmental hazards.  City of San Pablo, CA – to deploy an afterschool internship program for disadvantaged high school students to raise awareness and mitigate the impacts of COVID-19.  Massachusetts Department of Health – to support the Asthma Prevention and Control Program which seeks to improve asthma outcomes in multiple underserved communities.  The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 was signed into law in March 11, 2021. It provides funds to address health outcome disparities from pollution and the COVID–19 pandemic. To learn more about the ARP, visit: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1319/text    EPA is also announcing today for the first time how the agency will distribute the $50 million in ARP funds. A breakdown is provided below:  $16,650,000 will be used to fund EJ grants. This includes State EJ Cooperative Agreement awards (SEJCA), EJ collaborative problem-solving (EJCPS), and EJ small grants (EJSG). Tribes and territories are eligible for each of these programs and the application requests have closed for this fiscal year. This funding also helps with capacity building, training and assessments, the Puerto Rico drinking water systems capacity assessment, and a new Appalachia Initiative for Revitalization. It will provide technical assistance and environmental youth STEM training in overburdened communities.  $7,000,000 will fund a tailored use of the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) rebate program to address priority EJ issues for reducing diesel pollution. This DERA rebate program will fund electric school buses using screening criteria with the goal of reaching fleets in underserved communities with multiple air quality and health challenges.   $5,130,000 will be used to expand civil and criminal enforcement to include monitoring near low-income communities and drinking water sources for pollution including air toxics and hazardous metals. It also supports EJ analyses related to oil and gas production and refining, along with support for environmental crime victim outreach.  $5,000,000 will help communities tackle the challenge of assessing, cleaning up and preparing brownfield sites for redevelopment.  $4,850,000 will go to children's health issues and will fund the Children's Healthy Learning Environments Grant and Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSUs). PEHSUs build capacity in vulnerable communities to reduce children's environmental exposures in child-occupied settings and address children's COVID-19 environmental health risks.   $4,700,000 will be used for drinking water and compliance monitoring in rural and tribal areas. This supports small and underserved public water systems and wastewater treatment facilities through in-person technical assistance, including a circuit rider program, and supports integrating EJ into EPA permit-writing.   $2,150,000 will support the agency's community driven solutions effort to collaboratively build community capacity to address air and water issues in underserved communities. Specialized technical assistance will help align school reopening investments with clean air and neighborhood cooling shelter needs and promote equitable resilience and revitalization.  $1,600,000 will support the Tribal General Assistance Program. This program supports efforts by tribes to engage their community members on priority EJ water and air quality issues. Tribes and indigenous organizations will also be eligible for all the above support mechanisms.   $720,000 will be used to enhance the development of EJSCREEN, the EJ analysis tool and support related resources.  $700,000 is allocated for a climate protection program to advance data analytics work in the Office of Air and Radiation to identify cumulative burdens and improve equity outcomes for vulnerable communities, and to advance regulatory analytics and policy modeling to better incorporate environmental justice considerations.  $500,000 will support new methods of outreach and support for those performing analysis and outreach related to critical EJ issues in the oil and gas sector.   $1,000,000 will be used for administrative costs pursuant to the 2% reserved in the law for this purpose.

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