EPA announces $1.1M in grants to support local environmental justice initiatives, including a major award to Portland State University for aiding Native American businesses.
According to a press statement that was issued on October 12, 2023, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would be donating $716,494 to Portland State University (PSU), which is located in the state of Oregon. On this initiative, which has already won multiple accolades, Community Environmental Services at Portland State University, the Northwest Native American Chamber of Commerce, and a number of other organizations will collaborate. Webinars and a curriculum on culturally appropriate and environmentally sustainable products are just two examples of the kinds of technical support that will be made available to Native American businesses thanks to this program.
According to the press release, EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller was quoted as saying that "This project is a great example of how the federal government can partner with higher education and non-profits to improve people's lives, especially in Tribal communities that have greater exposure to toxics and experience more health impacts due to environmental pollution."
In addition, a grant to the amount of $412,327 has been announced for the Washington State Department of Ecology in the news release. The provision of technical assistance is one of the ways in which the Hispanic and Latino communities in central Washington will profit from this financing. As part of this program, community workshops will be held, and outreach toolkits will be developed to help get the word out about how important it is to use safer goods.
The statement also contains information regarding the Pollution Prevention program of the EPA, which has distributed approximately 500 grants with a combined value of over 50 million dollars between the years 2011 and 2021. Because of this support, significant progress has been made in environmental protection, which has paved the way for the EPA's continuous dedication to environmental justice and the control of pollution at the local level.
