News Releases from Region 04
Mississippi Awarded $2.15 Million EPA Grant for Environmental Programs
ATLANTA – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded a $2,147,507 grant to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) to help protect human health and the environment. The amount is part of a performance partnership grant, which is given to states and other local governments that have authority to implement environmental programs. EPA has previously awarded MDEQ $9,724,156 in performance partnership grants this fiscal, bringing the total to $11,871,663 with the latest award.
“EPA is providing funds directly to Mississippi so that the state may determine how best to address its unique and critical environmental challenges,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “EPA grants to our partners like MDEQ give states the flexibility to protect their resources and grow their economy while solving real environmental problems in local communities.”
This grant will help protect citizens and the environment in Mississippi by supporting the state’s efforts to reduce air and water pollution, improve waste management, restore brownfields to productive use, and promote pollution prevention, sustainability and the conservation of natural resources. MDEQ will use a portion of the funds to ensure safe public drinking water supplies, address wastewater concerns and non-point sources of water pollution, and restore and protect wetlands. The grant will also aid in improving the accessibility of public environmental information.
Performance partnership grants are important tools for EPA to provide financial assistance to states and tribes. These grants allow recipients to use EPA awards with greater flexibility for priority environmental problems or program needs, streamline paperwork and accounting procedures to reduce administrative costs, and try cross-program initiatives and approaches that were difficult to fund under traditional category grants.
EPA’s foundational laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, allow EPA to delegate authority to the States or local governments to implement and enforce those laws. These delegated entities may also develop their own regulations if they are more stringent than federal requirements.
About EPA: www.epa.gov/
About MDEQ: www.deq.state.ms.us
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