The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 7’s newly released Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan outlines actions for implementing the 2021 EPA Climate Adaptation Action Plan that addresses climate change plus environmental justice and equity.
The actions are meant to protect “human health and the environment in the nation’s agricultural heartland,” an Oct. 17 news release said. The implementation plan was one of 20 published nationally. The plan outlines the priority actions the region will undertake to align with the five EPA-wide climate adaption priorities.
“Traveling across the country, I’ve seen firsthand the devastating impacts that climate change is having on millions of Americans. We need to take actions to ensure a safe, resilient and equitable future,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said.
EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister pointed out in the release several benefits of addressing “the climate crisis,” according to the release.
“Tackling the climate crisis presents an important opportunity to bolster our economy, put people back to work and build a healthier, more equitable environment for all communities across our nation’s heartland,” McCollister said in the release. “Our Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan commits Region 7 to meet our partners where they are – in our rural communities and metropolitan areas – to address our region’s climate challenges with actions that build climate resilience and protect our most vulnerable communities from the impacts of climate change.”
