(AGENPARL) – mar 24 ottobre 2023 Issued: Oct 24, 2023 (5:38pm EDT)
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Biden-Harris Administration announces more than $3.5 million for Environmental
Justice projects in communities across Colorado as part of Investing in
America Agenda
Projects part of largest investments through EPA’s Environmental Justice
Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement and Environmental Justice
Government-to-Government grant programs funded by President Biden’s
Inflation Reduction Act
DENVER (October 24, 2023) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) announced more than $3.5 million to fund projects across Colorado that
advance environmental justice as part of President Biden’s Investing in
America agenda. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the
City and County of Denver, the National Wildlife Federation, EcoAction
Partners, Denver Urban Gardens and the Bessemer Historical Society will each
receive EPA funding for projects to ensure disadvantaged communities that have
historically suffered from underinvestment have access to clean air and water
and climate resilience solutions in alignment with the Biden-Harris
administration’s Justice40 Initiative.   
Thanks to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act—the largest climate
investment in U.S. history—this funding is a part the largest investment
ever announced under these two longstanding EPA programs. This is the first
in a series of environmental justice grant announcements the agency will
announce before the end of the year. 
“No President has invested more in environmental justice than President
Biden, and under his leadership we’re removing longstanding barriers and
meaningfully collaborating with communities to build a healthier future for
all,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Together, these
community-driven projects will improve the health, equity, and resilience of
communities while setting a blueprint for local solutions that can be applied
across the nation.”  
“These Environmental Justice grants will address local needs and challenges
across a diverse set of communities in Colorado,” said EPA Regional
Administrator KC Becker. “We are proud to support projects identified by
our state, local and nonprofit partners and bring positive change to
communities disproportionately impacted by pollution.”   
“Access to clean water and the ability to breathe clean air are fundamental
human rights,” said Senator Michael Bennet. “This funding will
rightfully support Colorado communities that have long been disproportionately
affected by poor water and air quality. It is an important step to ensure they
receive the resources they need.” 
“The Inflation Reduction Act is the largest investment in combatting climate
change ever,” said Senator John Hickenlooper. “We worked to make sure
these investments would uplift whole communities, including those that have
been historically disadvantaged or left behind. These locally-led grants
improve public health, increase climate resilience and promote environmental
justice.” 
“Advancing environmental justice has been a top priority of mine for
years,” said Representative Diana DeGette. “And
these critical investments were one of the many reasons I supported the
Inflation Reduction Act. With this announcement, we’re already beginning to
see the positive effects the IRA will have on frontline communities, like many
neighborhoods in Denver. These grants will ensure that more Coloradans have
clean air to breathe and clean water to drink.”
The grants announced today deliver on President Biden’s commitment to
advance equity and justice throughout the United States. The two grant
programs directly advance the President’s transformational initiative to
deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to
disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and
overburdened by pollution.
EPA EJCPS grant selections in Colorado include the following:  
The National Wildlife Federation will receive approximately $500,000 to
address public health issues in the Globeville neighborhood, a historically
underserved area in northeast Denver.  The project team aims to decrease the
impact of Interstate-70 on area residents by planting climate friendly trees
and plants and installing green infrastructure that will mitigate impacts of
the highway by reducing noise, air pollution, polluted runoff and the heat
island effect.  
EcoAction Partners will receive approximately $50,000 to address
environmental and public health vulnerabilities related to wildfire and
drought preparedness, energy, recreation and advocacy in San Miguel County and
Montrose County. This funding will bolster access to programs that address
inequalities around these vulnerabilities through education and outreach to
underserved residents and and increase public health and climate and
environmental resiliency among underserved populations. 
Denver Urban Gardens will receive approximately $500,000 to deliver its Dig
Deeper Initiative to targeted West Denver neighborhoods to achieve public
health and environmental benefits and address environmental justice issues.
Project goals include, 1.) decreasing urban heat island in neighborhoods
through a Food Forest Initiative which brings fruit- bearing trees and
perennials to existing community gardens, new gardens and other vacant lots;
2) increasing carbon sequestration capacity of community gardens and other
greenspaces to improve air quality; and 3) decreasing greenhouse gas emissions
by increasing local food options, thereby decreasing food miles required for
residents to obtain fresh, healthy foods. 
The Bessemer Historical Society of Pueblo will receive approximately
$500,000 to work with Steelworks Center of the West to purchase, distribute
and monitor 100 Class 2 electric bicycles to members of underserved
communities in Pueblo.  
Environmental Justice Government-to-Government (EJG2G) 
EPA’s EJG2G provides funding at the state, local, territorial, and Tribal
level to support government activities in partnership with community-based
organizations that lead to measurable environmental or public health impacts
in communities disproportionately burdened by environmental harms.  
EPA EJG2G grant selections in Colorado include the following:  
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will receive
approximately $1 million to develop a stakeholder process and pilot study to
encourage collaboration among small drinking water and wastewater systems in
rural, underserved areas of Colorado.  The project will increase resources to
help systems effectively comply with health-based drinking water standards and
wastewater discharge standards and address technical, managerial and financial
barriers to compliance.  
The City and County of Denver will receive approximately $1 million to
establish a Healthy Affordable Home Electrification Program which will provide
home electrification and weatherization retrofits for households with critical
needs in Denver’s Globeville, Elyria Swansea and Northeast Park Hill
neighborhoods and in Commerce CIty. 
Additional Background:   
From day one of his administration, President Biden has made achieving
environmental justice a top priority. And in August 2022, Congress passed, and
President Biden signed, the Inflation Reduction Act into law, creating the
largest investment in environmental and climate justice in U.S. history. EPA
received $3 billion in appropriations to provide grants and technical
assistance for activities advancing environmental and climate justice. 
Under the Inflation Reduction Act, EPA has launched and expanded innovative
programs to provide more support than ever before to communities that unjustly
bear the burdens of environmental harm and pollution. This includes the $177
million for the creation of 16 Environmental Justice Thriving Communities
Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs) to remove barriers to federal
resources and help communities pursue funding opportunities like those made
available through President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda. EPA has
also launched and will award funds through the $550 million??Thriving
Communities Grantmaking Program before the end of 2023. 
Learn more about environmental justice at EPA. 
See the full listing of all 98 organizations receiving an EJCPS grant and
learn more about EJCPS. 
See the full listing of all the selected 88 EJG2G projects and learn more
about EJG2G
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