The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the opening of the University of Connecticut's Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (TCTAC). This center will provide support to communities and organizations across New England, focusing on addressing local environmental justice challenges. The EPA selected the University of Connecticut (UConn) as one of 18 centers nationwide, awarding it $10 million over five years for this purpose.
The center aims to assist communities in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and federally recognized Tribes in New England. It will help these communities navigate federal grant applications and strengthen their capacity for community engagement. Additionally, it seeks to ensure they can benefit from funding opportunities available through the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
"Too often, communities with the most pressing environmental justice concerns have been left behind due to barriers in accessing federal funding," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "UConn's technical assistance center is a game-changer for New England and will provide greater access to services to ensure overburdened and underserved communities and our Tribal nations can access historic investments to address generational environmental and health disparities."
Pamir Alpay, UConn Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship stated: "As Connecticut's flagship university, UConn takes pride in service to our communities and helping to prepare them for the environmental challenges they face in the present and the future. With the EPA's generous support, we are proud to extend our expertise and resourcefulness to support environmental justice throughout the cities, towns, and Tribes of New England."
To facilitate its mission, UConn will collaborate with several organizations:
- The Environmental Protection Network will offer region-wide support for community capacity building.
- Groundwork USA affiliates in Bridgeport (Connecticut), Lawrence (Massachusetts), and Providence (Rhode Island) will coordinate outreach efforts.
- The New England Rural Health Association in Vermont will engage rural community-based organizations.
- The University of Massachusetts Boston’s Institute for New England Native American Studies will reach out to Tribes.
- The University of Southern Maine’s New England Environmental Finance Center will focus on sustainable solutions.
These partnerships aim to tailor technical assistance based on specific community needs across urban areas as well as rural regions.
Requests for UConn's services can be made via their website or by contacting them through email or phone. They plan to aid eligible entities in identifying funding resources, managing grants, writing proposals, and planning project implementation.
The establishment of these technical assistance centers is part of a broader initiative responding directly to feedback from communities seeking support in accessing federal resources. These centers form a network covering the entire United States with more than 160 partners involved.
This initiative is aligned with President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative which ensures that 40% of certain federal investment benefits flow towards disadvantaged communities facing generational disinvestment issues such as legacy pollution or infrastructure challenges while aiming at building clean energy economies lowering costs strengthening security meeting climate goals among others
