News Releases from Region 06

EPA Awards up to $120,000 to south Louisiana Non-profit

DALLAS – (Oct 6, 2016) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Mary Queen of Viet Nam Community Development Corporation are addressing environmental justice issues in south Louisiana through a competitive cooperative agreement. The community-based non-profit will receive up to $120,000 to support a two-year project.

“These community-based organizations will build resilience in their local community, ultimately diminishing the effects of climate change and water pollution, said EPA regional administrator Ron Curry.  “This EJ agreement will aid local efforts to address environmental issues and help make a difference for local residents.”

The project will address stormwater management and pollution reduction in the Bayou Michoud area. Specifically, the group will create, design and implement a demonstration riparian buffer which can replicate pollution reduction in the Gulf.

EPA selected nine additional recipients nationwide to receive about $1.2 million. The community-based organizations will use EPA’s Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving model to execute a wide array of project plans. The plans are aligned with EPA’s priorities for making a visible difference in communities, protecting America’s waters, taking action on toxics and chemical safety, and addressing climate change and improving air quality. The neighborhoods and communities participating in these projects have been impacted by environmental harms plaguing their local areas.

EPA’s Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement program provides funding for non-profit and tribal organizations to partner with stakeholders from across industry, government, and academia to develop and implement solutions that significantly address environmental and/or public health issues in America’s low income and minority communities.

Please visit: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/environmental-justice-collaborative-problem-solving-cooperative-agreement-2 for a full description of the 2016 Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement projects.

More information about EPA’s Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement Program can be found on the Office of Environmental Justice EJ Grants webpage:
https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/environmental-justice-grants-funding-and-technical-assistance
 

# # #