(AGENPARL) – mar 21 novembre 2023 Issued: Nov 21, 2023 (4:14pm EST)
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Biden Administration Announces $2 Billion to Fund Environmental and Climate
Justice Community Change Grants as Part of Investing in America Agenda
EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights announces
the largest single amount of environmental justice funding in history thanks
to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.
WASHINGTON (November 21, 2023) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) announced approximately $2 billion in funding available to
support community-driven projects that deploy clean energy, strengthen climate
resilience, and build capacity for communities to tackle environmental and
climate justice challenges. Made possible by President Biden’s Inflation
Reduction Act, the Community Change Grants are the single largest investment
in environmental justice in EPA’s history and will advance collaborative
efforts to achieve a healthier, safer, and more prosperous future for all
Americans.
“Throughout my Journey to Justice tour, I’ve heard from residents and
advocates calling for resources to support local solutions in communities that
have long been overlooked and forgotten,” said EPA Administrator Michael S.
Regan. “Today, thanks to President Biden’s vision and leadership, EPA is
delivering on these calls to action. This historic, unprecedented funding has
the promise to turn disadvantaged and overburdened areas into healthy,
resilient, and thriving communities for current and future generations.”
The Community Change Grants deliver on President Biden’s commitment to
advance equity and justice throughout the United States through his Justice40
initiative to ensure that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain
federal investments go to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by
underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
The Community Change Grants Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), administered
through the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights
(OEJECR), has several unique characteristics, many of which respond to
requests the agency has heard from communities: 
Rolling applications: The NOFO will be open for a year, closing on November
XX, 2024, and EPA will review applications on a rolling basis. This allows
applicants to utilize technical assistance and possibly resubmit a new
application if not initially selected. EPA encourages applicants to apply as
early as possible.
Two track submission process: Applications can be submitted under two separate
tracks depending on the project scope and funding requested.
Track I, Community-Driven Investments for Change, is expected to award
approximately $1.96 billion for 150 projects for $10-20 million each.
Track II, Meaningful Engagement for Equitable Governance, is expected to award
approximately $40 million for 20 projects for $1-3 million each.
Oral presentations: Track I applicants may also be invited to present an oral
presentation. These oral presentations will enable EPA reviewers to hear
directly from the applicants and their partners to learn more about community
priorities, desired outcomes, and plans for long-term sustainability. This new
format is responsive to community requests to engage with EPA in more
accessible ways.
Target Investment Areas: Out of the $2 billion in funding, EPA has identified
five Target Investment Areas (TIA) to help ensure that communities with unique
circumstances, geography, and needs can equitably compete for funding.
This includes an estimated $150 million for projects benefitting Indian Tribes
in Alaska, and an estimated $300 million for projects benefitting Tribal
communities in the other states. 
In addition, OEJECR is estimating $50 million for projects benefitting
disadvantaged communities in the United States’ territories of Puerto Rico,
the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands,
with another estimated $50 million for projects benefitting disadvantaged
unincorporated communities across the country.
Lastly, consistent with EPA’s longstanding commitment to addressing
transborder pollution challenges, an estimated $100 million will be reserved
for projects benefitting non-tribal disadvantaged communities within 100
kilometers north of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Technical assistance: $200 million of Inflation Reduction Act funding was set
aside to provide technical assistance to applicants. This technical assistance
is in direct response to feedback from communities and environmental justice
leaders who have long called for technical assistance and capacity building
support for communities and their partners as they work to access critical
federal resources. There are two TA programs dedicated for the Community
Change Grants. Learn more about how to apply for technical assistance here:
http://url6130.epa.mediaroom.com/ls/click?upn=-2BroytcZInNRyuFbAvAoN5S-2BJfyXTYEnYIwX0DSWOFuiXkh9zw-2BTnQ2QZy09BGlVkUxmpga6xW7Znufp5FZExcLsRE6MWCFvjp77bB2MPIselaVdcCjKU2k99cx9bn5BL4-2B813J7-2BgkP4fzD0jVPozA-3D-3D7Hi8_mLoYh0p4AWg4foFr5HgrZ1QioQ33bLwdnQ-2BsYGKFX9mApcfdQmv0-2Bvkdf9kq-2BlYjG6zoHAF-2BKsPNOMgK4LFxnRTs2JCFCzZ93xrgHpneQfAOGkjNNsaNnrMetKb419NOc6LQ9-2BodnaxtDpAAxapvd2zEDvJ-2F95KRvKe40DrokNLDkTvT-2Bi6GLcrGIlHmEzhZvNnagDJfZ-2Bp9nj-2BbdRBgRMghhprdiN88Rsk0OV-2Fa6lZg4mEIUgYU9cp7kVmtAdB9aQgluLmelnOsTkad5L2fCA-3D-3D
Read the Community Change Grants NOFO here:
http://url6130.epa.mediaroom.com/ls/click?upn=-2BroytcZInNRyuFbAvAoN5S-2BJfyXTYEnYIwX0DSWOFuiXkh9zw-2BTnQ2QZy09BGlVkNQlDr7GCb-2BU25Uq6B003MXk6Jfc9S0O8wmqSRI7Pftac8DVEdhZ3IYHNMaZfzK88vYhz1k1PV3RPuN3ByVd-2Btw-3D-3DcrRm_mLoYh0p4AWg4foFr5HgrZ1QioQ33bLwdnQ-2BsYGKFX9mApcfdQmv0-2Bvkdf9kq-2BlYjG6zoHAF-2BKsPNOMgK4LFxnRTs2JCFCzZ93xrgHpneQfAH3fBxetBmqdED1Bag8I12OOcc-2BiEFvUMAy2cROYgPtPmcwNaK0Dui3Pd6dhsKyXgmJ1rXWvErXW28u5SKpChY2RXWq8hduOjRbpawpF94WhvLIhEPq6fWmB2qYN-2F0-2FgdsgEMnxkEYfcpRfhds20kSDQ2vkGCgvM7uVVCHF-2BidVQ-3D-3D
OEJECR will also host over a dozen informational webinars while the NOFO is
open, with the first being held on December 7, 2023. These webinars will
address questions as well as facilitate the formation of partnerships and
information sharing. More information the webinars can be found here:
To learn more about the Community Change Grants:
http://url6130.epa.mediaroom.com/ls/click?upn=-2BroytcZInNRyuFbAvAoN5S-2BJfyXTYEnYIwX0DSWOFuiXkh9zw-2BTnQ2QZy09BGlVkNQlDr7GCb-2BU25Uq6B003MXk6Jfc9S0O8wmqSRI7Pftac8DVEdhZ3IYHNMaZfzK88j-2FLb67sEMWjDY2tBv-2BCwag-3D-3DBnr2_mLoYh0p4AWg4foFr5HgrZ1QioQ33bLwdnQ-2BsYGKFX9mApcfdQmv0-2Bvkdf9kq-2BlYjG6zoHAF-2BKsPNOMgK4LFxnRTs2JCFCzZ93xrgHpneQfDurHGHI4qhyj175hDvjyYYyT9MXBLGYr2693K-2BVGgqLhVKIjOSDHYYfqO5h0kJGUOq6tF9O-2BjwZHMXlw-2Fcpi-2FlTuYrMo39nuLTvYk-2FOfxO0ZKcMVgvtydZa4ESxO-2BkOM23vdjJ5YXijxwgX-2BnXeq-2FjujDyz1P1BTK-2Fg4lx-2Fs-2BicQ-3D-3D
To learn more about environmental justice at EPA, visit:
http://url6130.epa.mediaroom.com/ls/click?upn=-2BroytcZInNRyuFbAvAoN5ZuYX6vffI2i2ge2unjwd7-2BGlvhudsQXUZ3a7PkyloIkfJAmrKK-2BL4SHT7KdwDupAQ-3D-3DxyRJ_mLoYh0p4AWg4foFr5HgrZ1QioQ33bLwdnQ-2BsYGKFX9mApcfdQmv0-2Bvkdf9kq-2BlYjG6zoHAF-2BKsPNOMgK4LFxnRTs2JCFCzZ93xrgHpneQfBLCWatcTWLKj4bt2nvPiIlv0ntME7exYX4LbU4bnvTY3no89mG-2F2bVKo6XqHOAi7KgZuycyDFg6t55TBw9-2FstdIfzRBfDp5nYthJ4aa2WLrRRwPYU9gBD1JHc-2B3pRKT6uxSrSmJcmmBTWIpOVaGmyap4RQ8DaZWf5WOhiqC7-2Bhtg-3D-3D
To learn more about IRA funding at EPA, visit:
http://url6130.epa.mediaroom.com/ls/click?upn=-2BroytcZInNRyuFbAvAoN5S-2BJfyXTYEnYIwX0DSWOFuiXkh9zw-2BTnQ2QZy09BGlVkuFly38UX9s-2FO4kZGkPm-2F3g-3D-3DOX4__mLoYh0p4AWg4foFr5HgrZ1QioQ33bLwdnQ-2BsYGKFX9mApcfdQmv0-2Bvkdf9kq-2BlYjG6zoHAF-2BKsPNOMgK4LFxnRTs2JCFCzZ93xrgHpneQfA4QYT6z6vFGIrjajOAlWegMAENq3wSI7Z6yMdJWgPq6BMYe8fU3wRbU1-2FhvcURB1Za1ZJliiEIt91U-2F6UWSxHpcqArh9lNLusJ62spGWqcI1d-2BerVqhCHSFSaSZ0aZMo05rFIizDxhspf51PPFw63vZc5JDY5lxntg79u8kiTN6A-3D-3D
For up-to-date information about the NOFO, including information on the
webinars, subscribe to the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil