News Releases from Region 01
EPA Grant Will Help Protect Health in Vermont
Grants Address Children's Health Concerns including Asthma and Exposure to Lead
BOSTON – A Vermont organization was awarded $25,000 by the US Environmental Protection Agency to fund a community project addressing environmental and public health issues. The project will reduce environmental risks, protect and improve human health, and improve the quality of life for communities and residents of the state.
The Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District, which received the funding for its for its "Food Waste Reduction for Greener Schools" project is among the 16 projects across New England recently awarded a total of $387,861 through the 2018 Healthy Communities Grant Program.
"EPA is very pleased to be working with local community groups to address specific environmental concerns that are important to people in New England,"said EPA New England Regional Administrator Alexandra Dunn. "Many of the projects being funded by EPA across New England will help address concerns for children's health, such as this important project, and other projects that address asthma triggers and exposure to lead."
Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District's project will involve students, food service and operations staff, teachers, and administrators in public schools in working to reduce wasted food in classrooms and cafeterias as well as the amount of food waste sent to landfills. The project will organize audits to see what is wasted in participating schools in central Vermont and provide training, education and assistance to address wasted food and to divert more of it. Information gathered through the audits will determine how much of the waste is inedible as well as what can be done to divert edible surplus food and to support menu and other changes, like composting, that will reduce food waste sent to landfills. Project partners include: Abbey Group, Bradford Elementary School, Barre Town Middle/Elementary School, Williamstown Elementary School, Williamstown Middle/High School, Union Elementary School, Main Street Middle School, Montpelier High School, and East Montpelier Elementary School.
Background
EPA New England's Healthy Communities Grant Program combines resources from several EPA programs to strategically address the environmental and public health issues burdening New England communities. Contributing programs include Air Quality Outreach, Assistance & Pollution Prevention, Asthma and Indoor Air, Children's Environmental Health, Clean, Green and Healthy Schools Initiative, Toxics and Pesticides, Urban Environmental Program, and Water Infrastructure (Stormwater, Wastewater, and Drinking Water). The program has competitively selected projects that will: assess, understand, and reduce environmental and human health risks; increase collaboration through community-based projects; build institutional and community capacity to understand and solve environmental and human health problems; advance emergency preparedness and resilience; and achieve measurable environmental and human health benefits in communities across New England.
The projects that have been awarded funding must meet several criteria including: (1) location in /or directly benefit one or more of the EPA's identified Target Investment Areas; and (2) identify how the proposed project will achieve measurable environmental and/or public health results in one or more of the EPA's identified Target Program Areas. In 2018, the Target Investment Areas included: Areas Needing to Create Community Resilience; Environmental Justice Areas of Potential Concern; and Sensitive Populations. Target Program Areas included: Clean, Green and Healthy Schools; Community and Water Infrastructure Resilience; Healthy Indoor Environments; and Healthy Outdoor Environments.
For more information about the Healthy Communities Grant Program and/or additional details about the projects, please visit https://www3.epa.gov/region1/eco/uep/hcgp.html.