Biden-Harris Administration Delivers Environmental Justice with Cleaner Air, Clean Water, and Healthier Communities
In addition to highlighting the unprecedented progress on environmental justice that has been made over three and a half years under President Biden’s leadership, the Administration has in recent days – as part of its fifth Investing in America tour – announced nearly $5 billion in funding awards from programs covered by the Justice40 Initiative. These include the following:
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced over $4.3 billion in Climate Pollution Reduction Grants to implement community-driven solutions that tackle the climate crisis, reduce air pollution, advance environmental justice, and accelerate America’s clean energy transition.
- The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced $19 million in new grant and loan awards under its Green and Resilient Retrofit Program after announcing more than $142 million last month, bringing the total funding awarded under this program to more than $773 million. This funding supports significant energy efficiency and climate resilience renovations in more than 4,200 homes at properties housing low-income individuals, families, and seniors bringing the total number of homes supported under this program to over 20,000.
- The Department of the Interior (DOI) awarded $20 million in funding to Alabama to address dangerous and polluting abandoned mine lands, create good-paying, family-sustaining jobs, and catalyze economic opportunity across the state. With this announcement, DOI has now awarded over $1.4 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to states to remediate abandoned mine lands.
- Tomorrow, EPA will announce the first round of Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program selections, the single largest investment in environmental justice ever to go directly to communities. These selections will advance collaborative efforts to achieve a healthier, safer, and more prosperous future for all. EPA has made $2 billion available and organizations are encouraged to apply for awards by November 21, 2024. EPA will make selections on a rolling basis.
Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced additional new steps to further the President’s historic commitment to environmental justice, including new actions to advance Executive Order 14096 on Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All: