cy announced a suite of final rules to reduce pollution from fossil fuel-fired power plants in order to protect all communities from pollution and improve public health without disrupting the delivery of reliable electricity. These rules, finalized under separate authorities including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, will significantly reduce climate, air, water, and land pollution from the power sector, delivering on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to protect public health, advance environmental justice, and confront the climate crisis.

By announcing these final rules at the same time, EPA is following through on the commitment that Administrator Michael S. Regan made to industry stakeholders at CERAWeek 2022 to provide regulatory certainty as the power sector makes long-term investments in the transition to a clean energy economy. The standards are designed to work with the power sector’s planning processes, providing compliance timelines that enable power companies to plan in advance to meet electricity demand while reducing dangerous pollution.

“Today, EPA is proud to make good on the Biden-Harris Administration’s vision to tackle climate change and to protect all communities from pollution in our air, water, and in our neighborhoods,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “By developing these standards in a clear, transparent, inclusive manner, EPA is cutting pollution while ensuring that power companies can make smart investments and continue to deliver reliable electricity for all Americans.”

“This year, the United States is projected to build more new electric generation capacity than we have in two decades – and 96 percent of that will be clean,” said President Biden’s National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi. “President Biden’s leadership has not only sparked an unprecedented expansion in clean electricity generation, his leadership has also launched an American manufacturing renaissance. America is now a magnet for private investment, with hundreds of billions of dollars committed and 270,000 new clean energy jobs created. This is how we win the future, by harnessing new technologies to grow our economy, deliver environmental justice, and save the planet for future generations.”

The suite of final rules includes:

• A final rule for existing coal-fired and new natural gas-fired power plants that would ensure that all coal-fired plants that plan to run in the long-term and all new baseload gas-fired plants control 90 percent of their carbon pollution.  
• A final rule strengthening and updating the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) for coal-fired power plants, tightening the emissions standard for toxic metals by 67 percent and finalizing a 70 percent reduction in the emissions standard for mercury from existing lignite-fired sources. 
• A final rule to reduce pollutants discharged through wastewater from coal-fired power plants by more than 660 million pounds per year, ensuring cleaner water for affected communities, including communities with environmental justice concerns that are disproportionately impacted.
• A final rule that will require the safe management of coal ash that is placed in areas that were unregulated at the federal level until now, including at previously used disposal areas that may leak and contaminate groundwater.

Delivering Public Health Protections for Communities, Providing Regulatory Certainty for the Industry, and Ensuring the Power Sector Can Provide Reliable Electricity for Consumers

Finalizing these four rules delivers on the Administration’s commitment to providing health protections for all communities, including communities with environmental justice concerns, many of which are located near power plants. At the same time, EPA is providing a predictable regulatory outlook for power companies, including opportunities to reduce compliance complexity, and clear signals to create market and price stability. Administrator Regan outlined this approach in 2022 when he committed to transparency and open dialogue so that state and federal energy regulators, power companies, and grid operators have clear information on which to base decisions.

EPA conducted regulatory impact analyses for each rule, showing that this suite of standards will deliver hundreds of billions of dollars in net benefits. EPA also performed a sensitivity analysis exploring the combined effect on the power sector of the carbon pollution, air toxics, and water rules, as well as EPA’s recent rules for the transportation sector. The projections regarding changes in electricity supply and demand align with recent reports from the Department of Energy (DOE) and National Renewable Energy Laboratory and peer-reviewed research in showing that the sector can meet growing demand for electricity and provide reliable, affordable electricity at the same time as it reduces pollution in accordance with these rules to protect health and the planet.

With the announcement today, the power sector can make planning decisions with a full array of information. In fact, the agency’s analysis indicates that issuing these rules at the same time is likely to create more efficiency for facilities that are now able to evaluate compliance steps together rather than only for each rule in isolation. Therefore, adding the cost of the rules modeled independently would likely reflect an overestimate of total costs.

“The new rules to clean up air pollution from power plants are good news for everyone, especially if there is a power plant near where you work, live or study. The American Lung Association applauds Administrator Regan and the entire team of professionals at the EPA for their resolute commitment to public health and environmental justice,” said Harold Wimmer, President and CEO of the American Lung Association. “Burning fossil fuels in power plants harms people’s lungs, makes kids sick and accelerates the climate crisis. The stronger clean air and climate protections will save lives.”

“These rules call on utilities and states to be full partners in making this transition fair for energy workers and communities,” said BlueGreen Alliance Executive Director Jason Walsh. “It also complements the historic federal investments made by the Biden-Harris administration and the previous Congress, which provide a toolbox of critical investments targeted to the workers and communities experiencing the economic impacts of energy transition.”

Stronger Carbon Pollution Standards for New Gas and Existing Coal Power Plants

EPA’s final Clean Air Act standards for existing coal-fired and new natural gas-fired power plants limit the amount of carbon pollution covered sources can emit, based on proven and cost-effective control technologies that can be applied directly to power plants. The regulatory impact analysis projects reductions of 1.38 billion metric tons of carbon pollution overall through 2047, which is equivalent to preventing the annual emissions of 328 million gasoline cars, or to nearly an entire year of emissions from the entire U.S. electric power sector. It also projects up to $370 billion in climate and public health net benefits over the next two decades.

The rule addresses existing coal-fired power plants, which continue to be the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector, and ensures that new natural gas combustion turbines, some of the largest new sources of greenhouse gases being built today, are designed using modern technologies to reduce climate pollution.

The climate and health benefits of this rule substantially outweigh the compliance costs. In 2035 alone, the regulatory impact analysis estimates substantial health co-benefits including:

• Up to 1,200 avoided premature deaths
• 870 avoided hospital and emergency room visits
• 1,900 avoided cases of asthma onset
• 360,000 avoided cases of asthma symptoms
• 48,000 avoided school absence days
• 57,000 lost workdays

The final emission standards and guidelines will achieve substantial reductions in carbon pollution at reasonable cost. The best system of emission reduction for the longest-running existing coal units and most heavily utilized new gas turbines is based on carbon capture and sequestration/storage (CCS) – an available and cost-reasonable emission control technology that can be applied directly to power plants and can reduce 90 percent of carbon dioxide emissions from the plants.

Lower costs and continued improvements in CCS technology, alongside tax incentives from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act that allow companies to largely offset the cost of CCS, represent recent developments in emissions controls that informed EPA’s determination of what is technically feasible and cost-reasonable. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also includes billions of dollars to advance and deploy CCS technology and infrastructure. EPA projects that the sector can comply with the standards with negligible impact on electricity prices, thanks to cost declines in CCS and other emissions-reducing technologies. EPA analysis also finds that power companies can comply with the standards while meeting grid reliability, even when considering increased load growth.

The final rule includes requirements to help ensure meaningful engagement with affected stakeholders, including communities with environmental justice concerns, overburdened by pollution and climate change impacts, as well as the energy communities and workers who have powered our nation for generations. The standard also requires states to provide transparent data on compliance pathways and timelines through the state planning process, ensuring that workers and communities have the best-available information to plan for changes in the sector. President Biden’s Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization has identified historic resources for energy communities to invest in infrastructure, deploy new technologies that can help clean up the electric power sector, support energy workers, and spur long-term economic revitalization. The final rule also follows guidance from the Council on Environmental Quality to ensure that deployment of CCS technologies is done in a responsible manner that incorporates the input of communities and reflects the best available science.

In addition to finalizing these rules, EPA has opened a non-regulatory docket and issued framing questions to gather input about a comprehensive approach to reduce GHG emissions from the entire fleet of existing gas combustion turbines in the power sector. EPA is committed to expeditiously proposing GHG emission guidelines for these units, as part of a comprehensive approach to the regulation of climate, toxic and air pollution from combustion turbines. 

To view the fact sheet for this rulemaking visit EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Standards and Guidelines for Fossil Fuel-Fired Power Plants webpage.

Strengthening Mercury and Air Toxics Standards

EPA is strengthening and updating the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) for coal-fired power plants, achieving important hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions reductions and ensuring that the standards reflect the latest advancement in pollution control technologies. This final rule under the Clean Air Act is the most significant update since MATS was first issued in February 2012, building on highly successful and cost-effective protections.

EPA projects the final rule will reduce emissions of mercury and non-mercury metal HAPs, such as nickel, arsenic, and lead. Controlling these emissions from power plants improves public health for all Americans by reducing the risk of fatal heart attacks, cancer, developmental delays in children, and also reduces adverse environmental impacts. The final rule will also result in substantial co-benefits, including reductions in emissions of fine particulate matter (“soot”), sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and carbon dioxide nationwide. These public health improvements are especially important for children and communities with environmental justice concerns and others who regularly consume fish that accumulate high levels of pollutants from power plants.  

The final rule reduces the mercury emissions limit by 70 percent for lignite-fired units and reduces the emissions limit that controls for toxic metals by 67 percent for all coal plants—while also requiring the use of continuous emission monitoring systems to provide real-time, accurate data to regulators, facility operators, and the public to ensure that plants are meeting these lower limits and that communities are protected year-round from pollution exposure.

EPA projects that the final MATS limits will result in the following emissions reductions in the year 2028: 

• 1,000 pounds of mercury
• At least 7 tons of non-mercury HAP metals
• 770 tons of fine particulate matter (PM2.5)
• 280 tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx)
• 65,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2)

EPA’s final rule projects $300 million in health benefits and $130 million in climate benefits over the 10-year period from 2028-2037. Reductions in non-mercury HAP metal emissions are expected to reduce exposure to carcinogens such as nickel, arsenic, and hexavalent chromium, for residents living in the vicinity of these facilities.

To view the fact sheet for this rulemaking visit EPA’s Mercury and Air Toxics Standards webpage.

Stronger Limits on Water Pollution from Power Plants

EPA is strengthening wastewater discharge standards that apply to coal-fired power plants, finalizing a rule that follows the latest science and applies EPA’s longstanding authority under the Clean Water Act to reduce discharges of toxic metals and other pollutants from these power plants into lakes, streams, and other waterbodies. When implemented, this action will annually prevent more than 660 million pounds of pollution per year from being discharged to our nation’s waters—protecting freshwater resources that provide sources of drinking water for communities, support economic development, enhance outdoor recreation, and sustain vibrant ecosystems.

Power plants that burn coal to create electricity use large volumes of water. When this water is returned to lakes, streams, and other waterbodies it can carry pollutants, including mercury, arsenic, selenium, nickel, bromide, chloride, and iodide, and nutrient pollution. Exposure to these pollutants can harm people and ecosystems by contaminating drinking water sources, recreational waters, and aquatic life.

EPA’s final rule establishes technology-based discharge standards—known as Effluent Limitation Guidelines (ELGs)—that will apply to four types of wastewater:

• Flue gas desulfurization wastewater
• Bottom ash transport water
• Combustion residual leachate
• “Legacy wastewater” that is stored in surface impoundments (for example, coal ash ponds)

The agency’s final rule includes implementation flexibilities for power plants. For example, the final rule creates a new compliance path for electricity generating units that permanently stop burning coal by 2034. These units will be able to continue meeting existing requirements instead of the requirements contained in this final regulation. In a separate action finalized last year, EPA updated but maintained an existing provision allowing units to comply with less stringent standards if they will permanently stop burning coal by 2028.

Following rigorous analysis, EPA has determined that this final rule will have minimal effects on electricity prices. EPA’s analysis shows that the final rule will provide billions of dollars in health and environmental benefits each year. These water quality, health, and environmental improvements will benefit environmental justice communities that are disproportionately affected by pollution from coal-fired power plants.

To view the fact sheet for this rulemaking visit EPA’s Steam Electric Power Generating Effluent Guidelines webpage.

Latest Action to Protect Communities from Coal Ash Contamination

Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, EPA is finalizing a rule to protect communities and hold polluters accountable for controlling and cleaning up the contamination created by the disposal of coal combustion residuals (CCR or coal ash), which can cause serious public health risks. The agency is finalizing regulations that require the safe management of coal ash at inactive surface impoundments at inactive power plants and historical coal ash disposal areas.

Coal ash is a byproduct of burning coal in power plants that, without proper management, can pollute waterways, groundwater, drinking water, and the air. Coal ash contains contaminants like mercury, cadmium, chromium, and arsenic which are associated with cancer and various other serious health effects. EPA’s final rule expands protections for the communities and ecosystems near active and inactive coal burning power plants, ensuring that groundwater contamination, surface water contamination, fugitive dust, floods and impoundment overflows, and threats to wildlife are all addressed.

Inactive coal ash surface impoundments at inactive facilities, referred to as “legacy CCR surface impoundments,” are more likely to be unlined and unmonitored, making them more prone to leaks and structural problems than units at facilities that are currently in service. To address these concerns, EPA established safeguards for legacy coal ash surface impoundments that largely mirror those for inactive impoundments at active facilities, including requiring the proper closure of the impoundments and remediating coal ash contamination in groundwater. EPA analysis shows the final rule will reduce existing disproportionate and adverse effects on communities with environmental justice concerns.

In addition, through implementation of the 2015 CCR rule, EPA found “historic” disposal units that are leaking and contaminating groundwater at currently regulated power plants, but which were exempt under the original 2015 regulations. These are areas where coal ash was placed directly on the land, such as coal ash in surface impoundments and landfills that closed prior to the effective date of the 2015 CCR Rule and inactive CCR landfills. This final rule extends a subset of EPA’s existing CCR requirements to these historic disposal units that will ensure any contamination from these areas is remediated, and will prevent further contamination. These requirements will apply to all active CCR facilities and inactive facilities with legacy CCR surface impoundments.

EPA does not expect this rule to affect the current operations of power plants, and therefore anticipates no impacts to electricity generation or grid reliability. This rule reflects the Administration’s commitment to reduce pollution from the power sector while providing long-term regulatory certainty and operational flexibility.

To view the fact sheet for this rulemaking visit EPA’s Legacy Coal Combustion Residuals Surface Impoundments and CCR Management Units webpage.

Agency (CalEPA) today released a two-year action plan to collaboratively address environmental justice issues across California by enforcing laws that protect public health and the environment.

In 2021, EPA and CalEPA signed a five-year, first-of-its-kind agreement to expand joint federal-state activities for reducing pollution burdens, increasing environmental compliance and improving public health outcomes in overburdened California communities. In late 2022, the agencies released a 2023 Action Plan, and today they are releasing a 2024/25 action plan under the initial agreement, which builds on feedback from community partners and helps guide the agencies’ shared civil and criminal enforcement approaches through 2025.

“We are proud to continue this groundbreaking partnership with CalEPA to help ensure cleaner air, water and land for underserved communities across California,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “Enforcement of environmental laws has an enormous potential to address environmental justice issues, and working collaboratively with a committed state partner like CalEPA allows both agencies to focus our resources more narrowly on addressing community priorities.” 

“CalEPA has long committed to working closely with community partners to understand and best respond to enforcement and compliance challenges impacting their health and wellbeing. We are excited to continue our first-of-its-kind partnership with U.S. EPA and leverage our shared resources to improve air, water, and soil quality and hold corporate polluters accountable,” said CalEPA Secretary Yana Garcia.

Focal areas under the 2024/2025 Environmental Justice Enforcement Action Plan include:

• A renewed commitment to enhanced, sustained engagement with the five community forums in Los Angeles, Fresno County, Kern County, the Eastern Coachella Valley and the Bayview-Hunters Point community in San Francisco, which were piloted under the 2023 action plan.
• Continued use of rapid response task forces.
• Increased transparency and access to environmental compliance information for the public.
• Strengthened connections, including enhanced opportunities for information sharing across communities and improved communication among program areas within agencies.

Through partnerships in each of these areas, EPA and CalEPA start with a community-first approach for strategic targeting and enforcement. The agencies convene monthly meetings to understand community concerns, follow up on all complaints, work across environmental areas (e.g., air, soil, water) and levels of government to seek solutions, and regularly communicate with the forum’s participants regarding their progress and any challenges. EPA and CalEPA may use civil and criminal enforcement tools at their disposal to determine the most appropriate actions to hold facilities accountable or, when needed, refer them to the most appropriate authority.

Local successes and commitments from this partnership include:

• Response to fire at Radius Recycling in Oakland – In August 2023, a fire was reported at Radius Recycling (formerly known as Schnitzer Steel) in Oakland. After the fire was extinguished, the community had questions about persisting environmental threats from the incident. In response, EPA and CalEPA set up a rapid response task force to coordinate and expedite investigations, negotiate corrective actions, and demand accountability for environmental non-compliance. It also compiled and consolidated information and distributed it to regulators and to the public. The task force now serves as the prototype for the agencies’ new rapid response task force tool.
• Illegal Dumping in Fresno County – Communities in Fresno, like many across the state, are burdened by illegal dumping. After learning from community members about a large and longstanding illegal dumpsite in Lanare, an unincorporated community in Fresno County, EPA and CalEPA engaged the relevant state and local agencies to remove and clean up the illegal dumpsite. These efforts wrapped up in February of 2023. Under the federal-state partnership, as part of ongoing action to enhance and sustain engagement with community forums, the agencies continue to partner with the Fresno IVAN (Investigating Violations Affecting Neighborhoods) to address illegal dumping elsewhere in the county.
• Del Amo Action Committee Participation in Emergency Response Drill – The Del Amo Action Committee, a key community partner in Los Angeles, has long expressed concerns about JCI Jones, a chemical facility located immediately adjacent to residential neighborhoods in Torrance, California. Residents wanted to have a voice in emergency response planning, in the event of a chemical release. Acting on these requests, EPA and CalEPA worked with JCI Jones and local emergency responders to conduct an emergency response drill with community participation. As a result, the community is working on an emergency response plan for their community that they expect to release by early 2025.
• Alameda Corridor in Los Angeles – As part of EPA’s national priority enforcement initiatives, the Agency has committed to identifying and taking action in focus areas with environmental justice concerns across the country. One of those areas is the Mid-Alameda Corridor in Los Angeles, a 35-square-mile area with nearly half a million residents. EPA will engage with environmental and community groups in the area to receive input on challenges and investigate specific facilities or areas of concern. EPA will partner with relevant California state and local partners as part of this effort.

Read the 2024/2025 Environmental Justice Enforcement Action Plan on EPA’s website.

Read about implementation of the previous Action Plan on CalEPA’s website.

Learn about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

d the launch of the nearly $1 billion Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program to fund the replacement of certain polluting heavy-duty vehicles with zero-emission vehicles. Funded through the Inflation Reduction Act under President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, EPA will award competitive grants for projects that will reduce climate and air pollution from heavy-duty vehicles, support good-paying jobs and improve air quality for communities across the country, particularly those overburdened by air pollution.

“President Biden and his entire administration are working to ensure every community can breathe clean air. EPA’s Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program will slash climate and air pollution and enhance the country’s infrastructure by funding the deployment of zero-emissions vehicles and installation of supporting infrastructure,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The program’s historic investment in zero-emission vehicles will secure our nation’s position as a global leader in clean technologies that address the impacts of climate change.”

“In addition to all the progress we’re making to electrify light-duty vehicles, today's funding from the EPA will catalyze projects that bring electric school buses, garbage trucks, and delivery vans to neighborhoods across America—reducing pollution in our communities and creating good-paying manufacturing jobs,” said John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy.

The 2024 Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program will support the adoption and deployment of eligible Class 6 and 7 zero-emission vehicles while also funding zero-emission vehicle fueling infrastructure and workforce development and training. Across the nation, over 3 million Class 6 and Class 7 vehicles are currently in use, spanning a wide variety of vehicle types and vocations, including school buses, refuse haulers, and utility and delivery trucks.

The Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program will help advance the President’s commitment to environmental justice and the Justice40 Initiative, which sets the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments in climate, clean energy, and other areas flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution, including air pollution.  

In the United States, the transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, and a leading source of health-harming pollution. Most of the vehicles eligible for replacement are powered by internal combustion engines that pre-date recent EPA emission standards. These vehicles emit harmful pollutants like nitrogen oxide, fine particulate matter, and greenhouse gases. Pollution from these vehicles is associated with respiratory and cardiovascular disease, among other serious health problems. Children, older adults, those with preexisting cardiopulmonary disease, and those of lower socioeconomic status are particularly vulnerable and are at a higher risk for these health impacts.

The implementation of the 2024 Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program is designed to help applicants across the country transition to zero-emission vehicles and reduce air pollution, which will result in improved health outcomes, less noise pollution, and the creation of good-paying clean energy jobs.

To meet the needs of diverse potential recipients and encourage participation in this grant opportunity, EPA is providing two separate sub-program competitions under this single Notice of Funding Opportunity:

• The School Bus Sub-Program for applicants replacing school buses.
• The Vocational Vehicles Sub-Program for applicants replacing non-school bus Class 6 and 7 vehicles – including box trucks, refuse haulers, dump trucks, street sweepers, delivery trucks, bucket trucks, and utility trucks.

EPA anticipates approximately 70% of available funding will be for projects under the School Bus Sub-Program and approximately 30% of available funding will be for projects under the Vocational Vehicles Sub-Program.

Eligible applicants for both competitions include States, municipalities (including school districts), Indian Tribes, territories, and nonprofit school transportation associations. EPA anticipates awarding at least 15 grants to eligible applicants from Tribes and territories. Additionally, the Inflation Reduction Act statute requires that at least $400 million of the program’s funding go to projects that will serve one or more communities dealing with significant pollution as defined by EPA’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

This funding opportunity builds on the success of previous programs implemented by EPA, including the historic Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) program, which reduces harmful emissions from older diesel engines, and the Clean School Bus Program, which funds clean and electric school buses under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Additionally, EPA recently announced the launch of the $3 billion Clean Ports Program to help tackle emissions from ports, including the movement of heavy-duty vehicles both in and out of communities surrounding U.S. ports.

The deadline to apply for the 2024 Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program is July 25, 2024. EPA expects to announce awards by the end of this year.

To learn more about the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program, applicant eligibility, selection process, and informational webinar dates, please visit the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program webpage.

Questions may also be directed to cleanhdvehicles@epa.gov.

For further information and to stay up to date on matters related to our office, sign up for the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles listserv.

f the nearly $1 billion Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program to fund the replacement of certain polluting heavy-duty vehicles with zero-emission vehicles. Funded through the Inflation Reduction Act under President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, EPA will award competitive grants for projects that will reduce climate and air pollution from heavy-duty vehicles, support good-paying jobs and improve air quality for communities across the country, particularly those overburdened by air pollution.

“President Biden and his entire administration are working to ensure every community can breathe clean air. EPA’s Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program will slash climate and air pollution and enhance the country’s infrastructure by funding the deployment of zero-emissions vehicles and installation of supporting infrastructure,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The program’s historic investment in zero-emission vehicles will secure our nation’s position as a global leader in clean technologies that address the impacts of climate change.”

"In addition to all the progress we’re making to electrify light-duty vehicles, today's funding from the EPA will catalyze projects that bring electric school buses, garbage trucks, and delivery vans to neighborhoods across America—reducing pollution in our communities and creating good-paying manufacturing jobs," said John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy.

The 2024 Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program will support the adoption and deployment of eligible Class 6 and 7 zero-emission vehicles while also funding zero-emission vehicle fueling infrastructure and workforce development and training. Across the nation, over 3 million Class 6 and Class 7 vehicles are currently in use, spanning a wide variety of vehicle types and vocations, including school buses, refuse haulers, and utility and delivery trucks.

The Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program will help advance the President’s commitment to environmental justice and the Justice40 Initiative, which sets the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments in climate, clean energy, and other areas flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution, including air pollution.   

In the United States, the transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, and a leading source of health-harming pollution. Most of the vehicles eligible for replacement are powered by internal combustion engines that pre-date recent EPA emission standards. These vehicles emit harmful pollutants like nitrogen oxide, fine particulate matter, and greenhouse gases. Pollution from these vehicles is associated with respiratory and cardiovascular disease, among other serious health problems. Children, older adults, those with preexisting cardiopulmonary disease, and those of lower socioeconomic status are particularly vulnerable and are at a higher risk for these health impacts.

The implementation of the 2024 Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program is designed to help applicants across the country transition to zero-emission vehicles and reduce air pollution, which will result in improved health outcomes, less noise pollution, and the creation of good-paying clean energy jobs.

To meet the needs of diverse potential recipients and encourage participation in this grant opportunity, EPA is providing two separate sub-program competitions under this single Notice of Funding Opportunity:

• The School Bus Sub-Program for applicants replacing school buses.
• The Vocational Vehicles Sub-Program for applicants replacing non-school bus Class 6 and 7 vehicles – including box trucks, refuse haulers, dump trucks, street sweepers, delivery trucks, bucket trucks, and utility trucks.

EPA anticipates approximately 70% of available funding will be for projects under the School Bus Sub-Program and approximately 30% of available funding will be for projects under the Vocational Vehicles Sub-Program.

Eligible applicants for both competitions include States, municipalities (including school districts), Indian Tribes, territories, and nonprofit school transportation associations. EPA anticipates awarding at least 15 grants to eligible applicants from Tribes and territories. Additionally, the Inflation Reduction Act statute requires that at least $400 million of the program’s funding go to projects that will serve one or more communities dealing with significant pollution as defined by EPA’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

This funding opportunity builds on the success of previous programs implemented by EPA, including the historic Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) program, which reduces harmful emissions from older diesel engines, and the Clean School Bus Program, which funds clean and electric school buses under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Additionally, EPA recently announced the launch of the $3 billion Clean Ports Program to help tackle emissions from ports, including the movement of heavy-duty vehicles both in and out of communities surrounding U.S. ports.

The deadline to apply for the 2024 Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program is July 25, 2024. EPA expects to announce awards by the end of this year.

To learn more about the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program, applicant eligibility, selection process, and informational webinar dates, please visit the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program webpage.

Questions may also be directed to cleanhdvehicles@epa.gov.

For further information and to stay up to date on matters related to our office, sign up for the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles listserv.

iefs Conference have each been selected to receive $62,450,000 through the Solar for All grant competition to develop long-lasting solar programs that enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed residential solar. These awards are part of the historic $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which was created under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to lower energy costs for families, create good-quality jobs in communities that have been left behind, advance environmental justice, and tackle the climate crisis.  

Alaska Energy Authority’s program will deploy solar photovoltaic infrastructure across the state. The program will span from urban, residential projects to community-scale, rural projects across Alaska. Implementation of solar infrastructure will reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the state while providing low-income and disadvantaged communities access to renewable energy. This program will not only offer Alaskans further access to renewable energy, but also provide funding to develop the local Alaskan workforce. The program will stimulate the solar industry in the state, mobilize financing and private capital to advance additional deployment of greenhouse gas and air pollution-reducing projects.    
  

“President Biden committed to making the largest investment in our nation’s history to combat global climate change. Our announcement today ensures every community has a green energy future,” said EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller. “This funding will be used to supercharge the deployment of solar power in communities, create jobs, make our power grid more resilient, and lower the cost of energy for every household.” 

The grant to Alaska Energy Authority is among 49 state-level awards EPA announced today totaling approximately $5.5 billion, along with six awards to serve Tribes totaling over $500 million, and five multistate awards totaling approximately $1 billion. 

Tanana Chiefs Conference was also selected to receive $62,450,000. The Alaska Tribal SFA is a partnership between three organizations to provide comprehensive access to the benefits of SFA Tribal residents of Alaska. Tanana Chiefs Conference, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, and Alaska Housing Finance Corporation each have developed programs that will provide Tribal residents throughout Alaska the opportunity to benefit from solar. Alaska maintains over 40% of the nation’s Federally Recognized Tribes and is the state with the highest proportion of Alaska Native and American Indian residents (19.6%) in the nation. Whether a Tribal member owns a house with sufficient capacity to manage distributed generation, or a Tribal member lives in a community that operates a tiny isolated microgrid where rooftop solar isn’t feasible—all Tribal residents of Alaska will have the opportunity to benefit from this project.   

A complete list of the selected applicants can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All website. 

EPA estimates that the 60 Solar for All recipients will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. This $7 billion investment will generate over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions cumulatively, from over four gigawatts of solar energy capacity unlocked for low-income communities over five years. Solar and distributed energy resources help improve electric grid reliability and climate resilience, which is especially important in disadvantaged communities that have long been underserved.  

Solar for All will deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to creating high-quality jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union for workers across the United States. This $7 billion investment in clean energy will generate an estimated 200,000 jobs across the country. All selected applicants intend to invest in local, clean energy workforce development programs to expand equitable pathways into family-sustaining jobs for the communities they are designed to serve. At least 35% of selected applicants have already engaged local or national unions, demonstrating how these programs will contribute to the foundation of a clean energy economy built on strong labor standards and inclusive economic opportunity for all American communities.  

The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All of the funds awarded through the Solar for All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050. 

The 60 selected applicants have committed to delivering on the three objectives of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: reducing climate and air pollution; delivering benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities; and mobilizing financing to spur additional deployment of affordable solar energy. Solar for All selected applicants are expanding existing low-income solar programs and launching new programs. In at least 25 states and territories nationwide, Solar for All is launching new programs where there has never been a substantial low-income solar program before. In these geographies, Solar for All selected applicants will open new markets for distributed solar by funding new programs that provide grants and low-cost financing for low-income, residential solar. 

Review and Selection Process Information 

The 60 applicants selected for funding were chosen through a competition review process. This multi-stage process included review from hundreds of experts in climate, power markets, environmental justice, labor, and consumer protection from EPA, Department of Energy, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Treasury, Department of Agriculture, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, Department of Defense, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Department of Energy’s National Labs – all screened through ethics and conflict of interest checks and trained on the program requirements and evaluation criteria. Applications were scored and selected through dozens of review panels and an interagency senior review team.  

EPA anticipates that awards to the selected applicants will be finalized in the summer of 2024, and selected applicants will begin funding projects through existing programs and begin expansive community outreach programs to launch new programs in the fall and winter of this year. Selections are contingent on the resolution of all administrative disputes related to the competitions. 

Informational Webinars 

EPA will host informational webinars as part of the program’s commitment to public transparency. EPA has scheduled a public webinar for the Solar for All program, and registration details are included below. Information on other GGRF webinars can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Engagement Opportunities webpage. 

Solar for All webinar: Monday, April 29, 2024, 4:00pm – 4:30pm ET. Register for the April 29 meeting 

n>Virginia Department of Energy has been selected to receive more than $156 million through the Solar for All grant competition to develop long-lasting solar programs that enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed residential solar. This award is part of the historic $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which was created under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to lower energy costs for families, create good-quality jobs in communities that have been left behind, advance environmental justice, and tackle the climate crisis.

The SFA: Virginia Energy Program (SAVE) will seek to enable energy savings and increase resilience by expanding access to solar and solar plus storage funding for low-income and disadvantaged communities. SFA funds will be used to transform the low-income solar market in Virginia by leveraging additional private capital and supporting solar business formation and expansion. SAVE will address existing market barriers to solar development by reducing upfront costs, enabling broader access to leasing and power purchase agreements, increasing access to financing for low-income homeowners, and removing barriers to interconnection.

“Today we’re delivering on President Biden’s promise that no community is left behind by investing $7 billion in solar energy projects for over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The selectees will advance solar energy initiatives across the country, creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, saving $8 billion in energy costs for families, delivering cleaner air, and combating climate change.” 

“The health and economic benefits of renewable energy should be accessible to every community” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “With today’s announcement, the Biden-Harris administration is investing almost $700,000,000 across the mid-Atlantic, enabling low-income and disadvantaged communities to make the transition to clean and affordable energy, while also reducing our impact on the world’s climate.”

Virginia Department of Energy is among 49 state-level awards EPA announced today totaling approximately $5.5 billion, along with six awards to serve Tribes totaling over $500 million, and five multistate awards totaling approximately $1 billion.

A complete list of the selected applicants can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All website.

EPA estimates that the 60 Solar for All recipients will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. This $7 billion investment will generate over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions cumulatively, from over four gigawatts of solar energy capacity unlocked for low-income communities over five years. Solar and distributed energy resources help improve electric grid reliability and climate resilience, which is especially important in disadvantaged communities that have long been underserved.

Solar for All will deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to creating high-quality jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union for workers across the United States. This $7 billion investment in clean energy will generate an estimated 200,000 jobs across the country. All selected applicants intend to invest in local, clean energy workforce development programs to expand equitable pathways into family-sustaining jobs for the communities they are designed to serve. At least 35% of selected applicants have already engaged local or national unions, demonstrating how these programs will contribute to the foundation of a clean energy economy built on strong labor standards and inclusive economic opportunity for all American communities.

The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All of the funds awarded through the Solar For All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.

The 60 selected applicants have committed to delivering on the three objectives of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: reducing climate and air pollution; delivering benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities; and mobilizing financing to spur additional deployment of affordable solar energy. Solar for All selected applicants are expanding existing low-income solar programs and launching new programs. In at least 25 states and territories nationwide, Solar for All is launching new programs where there has never been a substantial low-income solar program before. In these geographies, Solar for All selected applicants will open new markets for distributed solar by funding new programs that provide grants and low-cost financing for low-income, residential solar.

Review and Selection Process Information

The 60 applicants selected for funding were chosen through a competition review process. This multi-stage process included review from hundreds of experts in climate, power markets, environmental justice, labor, and consumer protection from EPA, Department of Energy, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Treasury, Department of Agriculture, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, Department of Defense, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Department of Energy’s National Labs – all screened through ethics and conflict of interest checks and trained on the program requirements and evaluation criteria. Applications were scored and selected through dozens of review panels and an interagency senior review team.

EPA anticipates that awards to the selected applicants will be finalized in the summer of 2024, and selected applicants will begin funding projects through existing programs and begin expansive community outreach programs to launch new programs in the fall and winter of this year. Selections are contingent on the resolution of all administrative disputes related to the competitions.

Informational Webinars

EPA will host informational webinars as part of the program’s commitment to public transparency. EPA has scheduled a public webinar for the Solar for All program, and registration details are included below. Information on other GGRF webinars can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Engagement Opportunities webpage.

Solar for All webinar: Monday, April 29, 4:00pm – 4:30pm ET. Register for the April 29 meeting.

a rule that strengthens its process for conducting risk evaluations on chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). These improvements to EPA’s processes advance the goals of this important chemical safety law, ensure that TSCA risk evaluations comprehensively account for the risks associated with a chemical, and provide a solid foundation for protecting public health, including workers and communities, from toxic chemicals. The rule also includes changes to enhance environmental protections in communities overburdened by pollution, complementing the Biden-Harris Administration’s ambitious environmental justice agenda.

“Everything we do to protect our nation, including workers and communities, from toxic chemical exposures must be comprehensive and grounded in strong science,” said Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff. “This rule charts the path for our risk evaluations to ensure we meet the core objective to protect public health under our nation’s premier chemical safety law, which will in turn lead to rules that workers and communities can count on to keep them safe.”

The 2016 TSCA amendments require that EPA establish a procedural framework rule on the process for conducting chemical risk evaluations. TSCA risk evaluations are the basis for EPA’s risk management rules that protect people and the environment from harmful chemicals. Although EPA finalized a risk evaluation framework rule in 2017, that rule was challenged in court. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit remanded several provisions of the rule back to the agency for reconsideration. Another aspect of the litigation, related to the policy to categorically exclude the consideration of exposures from breathing polluted air or drinking contaminated water, was deemed not ripe for review by the court.

EPA’s final rule includes revisions made to respond to the court’s ruling, as well as several changes to improve EPA’s process for TSCA risk evaluations, including:

• Consideration of real-world exposure scenarios such as multiple exposure pathways (e.g., in air and water) to the same chemical, and combined risks from multiple chemicals when EPA has the scientific information to do so, which may be particularly important for communities who face greater exposures or susceptibilities to chemicals than the rest of the general population.  
• A requirement that risk evaluations are comprehensive in scope and do not exclude conditions of use or exposure pathways.
• Clarifications to ensure EPA appropriately considers risks to all workers in its risk evaluations.
• Consideration of chemical uses that may be required for national security or critical infrastructure by other Federal agencies.
• Assurance the agency will continue to use the best available science to conduct risk evaluations, that decisions are based on the weight of the scientific evidence and that risk evaluations will be peer reviewed in accordance with both federal and EPA guidance.
• Discussion of chemical-specific fit-for-purpose approaches that allow for varying types and levels of analysis so that risk evaluations focus less rigorously on the conditions of use that are expected to pose low potential risk and can reliably be completed within the timeframes required by the statute.
• A clear requirement for risk evaluations to culminate in a single risk determination on the chemical substance, rather than on individual chemical conditions of use in isolation, and improved communications regarding the uses that significantly contribute to the unreasonable risk.
• New procedures and criteria for whether and how EPA will revise scope and risk evaluation documents, to improve transparency.
• Adjustments to the process for submission and review of manufacturer requests for risk evaluations of chemicals to better align with the process and timeline associated with EPA-initiated risk evaluations, while also ensuring that the agency can use the authorities provided under the law for gathering any needed additional information on such chemicals.
• A requirement that risk evaluations must explicitly consider overburdened communities when identifying potentially exposed and susceptible populations as relevant to the risk evaluation.

EPA announced many of the changes included in the final rule in 2021 and has incorporated them into TSCA risk evaluation activities over the past three years. EPA then proposed a revised procedural framework rule in October 2023 and, after carefully considering public comment on the proposed rule, released today’s final rule. The procedures outlined in the rule apply to all risk evaluations initiated 30 days after the date of publication of the final rule or later. For risk evaluations that are currently in process, EPA expects to apply the new procedures to those risk evaluations to the extent practicable, taking into consideration the statutory requirements and deadlines.

Learn more about the TSCA risk evaluation process.

lebrates Earth week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources has been selected to receive $156,129,000 through the Solar for All grant competition to develop long-lasting solar programs that enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed residential solar. This award is part of the historic $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which was created under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to lower energy costs for families, create good-quality jobs in communities that have been left behind, advance environmental justice, and tackle the climate crisis.

“Today we’re delivering on President Biden’s promise that no community is left behind by investing $7 billion in solar energy projects for over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The selectees will advance solar energy initiatives across the country, creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, saving $8 billion in energy costs for families, delivering cleaner air, and combating climate change.” 

The Louisiana SFA Program will launch a new resilient solar initiative, focused on low-income and disadvantaged communities, to deploy solar, energy storage, and enabling upgrades on single-family and multi-family homes. The program will also develop coordinated low-cost and easy-to-access financing options to reach those otherwise left out of the clean energy economy, including new equitable loan programs for community resilience hubs, resilient schools, and disadvantaged businesses. Louisiana will provide long-term sustainable support to projects successfully deployed, grow a strong workforce to support a new clean and resilient economy in the state, and center communities in the planning and deployment of this effort. This approach will help overcome barriers to adoption that have been identified by communities, such as unfamiliarity with solar, distrust, language barriers, and complex administrative processes.

The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources’s grant is among 49 state-level awards EPA announced totaling approximately $5.5 billion, along with six awards to serve Tribes totaling over $500 million, and five multistate awards totaling approximately $1 billion.

A complete list of the selected applicants can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All website.

The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All of the funds awarded through the Solar for All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.

EPA estimates that the 60 Solar for All recipients will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. This $7 billion investment will generate over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions cumulatively, from over four gigawatts of solar energy capacity unlocked for low-income communities over five years. Solar and distributed energy resources help improve electric grid reliability and climate resilience, which is especially important in disadvantaged communities that have long been underserved.

Solar for All will deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to creating high-quality jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union for workers across the United States. This $7 billion investment in clean energy will generate an estimated 200,000 jobs across the country. All selected applicants intend to invest in local, clean energy workforce development programs to expand equitable pathways into family-sustaining jobs for the communities they are designed to serve. At least 35% of selected applicants have already engaged local or national unions, demonstrating how these programs will contribute to the foundation of a clean energy economy built on strong labor standards and inclusive economic opportunity for all American communities.

The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All of the funds awarded through the Solar For All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.

The 60 selected applicants have committed to delivering on the three objectives of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: reducing climate and air pollution; delivering benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities; and mobilizing financing to spur additional deployment of affordable solar energy. Solar for All selected applicants are expanding existing low-income solar programs and launching new programs. In at least 25 states and territories nationwide, Solar for All is launching new programs where there has never been a substantial low-income solar program before. In these geographies, Solar for All selected applicants will open new markets for distributed solar by funding new programs that provide grants and low-cost financing for low-income, residential solar.

Review and Selection Process Information

The 60 applicants selected for funding were chosen through a competition review process. This multi-stage process included review from hundreds of experts in climate, power markets, environmental justice, labor, and consumer protection from EPA, Department of Energy, the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs, Department of Treasury, Department of Agriculture, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, Department of Defense, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Department of Energy’s National Labs – all screened through ethics and conflict of interest checks and trained on the program requirements and evaluation criteria. Applications were scored and selected through dozens of review panels and an interagency senior review team.

EPA anticipates that awards to the selected applicants will be finalized in the summer of 2024, and selected applicants will begin funding projects through existing programs and begin expansive community outreach programs to launch new programs in the fall and winter of this year. Selections are contingent on the resolution of all administrative disputes related to the competitions.

Informational Webinars

EPA will host informational webinars as part of the program’s commitment to public transparency. EPA has scheduled a public webinar for the Solar for All program, and registration details are included below. Information on other GGRF webinars can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Engagement Opportunities webpage.

Solar for All webinar: Monday, April 29, 2024, 4:00pm – 4:30pm ET. Register for the April 29 meeting.

Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), or visit our homepage.

span lang="ZH-TW" xml:lang="ZH-TW" xml:lang="ZH-TW">—今天（4 月 23 日），EPA 宣布成立 Environmental Justice Clearinghouse（環境正義資訊交換中心），這是首個集結所有環境正義相關資源的線上中心。根據拜登總統重振國家對全民環境正義承諾的行政命令，環境正義資訊交換中心將協助大眾在線上取得聯邦與非聯邦資源，以此作為拜登與賀錦麗政府遠大的環境正義計畫的舉措之一。

「推動拜登與賀錦麗政府的遠大環境正義計畫，需要大家一同決心締結更穩固的關係，以及解決方案導向的計畫。環境正義資訊交換中心提供開創性的資源指南，旨在幫助我們實現全機構共同的環境正義目標。」—The Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights（環境正義與外部公民權利辦公室）首席副總德瑞莎·賽葛維亞 (Theresa Segovia) 表示。「建立容易存取的線上資訊庫，可確保所有環境正義相關人士和倡議者只需動動手指即可輕鬆取得全國資源。且在納入美國人民的建議後，這項資訊庫將變得更加強大。」

EPA 環境正義與外部公民權利辦公室會持續在資訊交換中心增添資訊，也歡迎大眾提供意見和任何資訊以供審查，以及可收錄其中的潛在資訊。

環境正義資訊交換中心所列的初步資源由各聯邦政府機構提交，包含資金補助機會、篩選與製圖工具還有技術協助。環境正義資訊交換中心提供可搜尋的分類，以簡化結果，讓大眾能更有效率也更輕鬆地存取環境正義相關資訊。 

「拜登總統要求聯邦政府上下打破資源和資訊藩籬，幫助社群追求環境正義。EPA 的環境正義資訊交換中心將成為實用的線上工具，整合多種資訊來源，讓所有對環境正義有興趣者，皆可在網站上找到資源。」White House Council on Environmental Quality（白宮環境品質委員會）聯邦環境正義官員雅隆·L·懷特-紐斯姆 (Jalonne L. White-Newsome) 博士說道。

請造訪 EPA 網站，查看環境正義資訊交換中心或提交潛在資源。

背景

2023 年 4 月 21 日，拜登總統簽署了重振國家對全民環境正義承諾的 14906 號行政命令，其中包括成立「環境正義資訊交換中心」，此為公開的線上全政府資訊交換中心，其中收錄的環境正義相關資料不僅兼具文化和語言適當性且容易取得，包括：

• White House Environmental Justice Interagency Council（白宮環境正義跨部門委員會）成員的環境正義相關活動資訊。
• 協助有環境正義疑慮的社群培養公眾參與能力的技術支援、工具和資源等資訊。
• 白宮環境正義跨部門委員會或其成員制定的訓練素材，可協助個人與員工理解和落實環境正義活動。
• EPA 局長與白宮環境正義跨部門委員會協調後認為適當的任何其他資訊。

詳細瞭解 EPA 在推動環境正義方面的措施。

參閱白宮環境正義跨部門委員會以及拜登-賀錦麗政府的整體政府環境正義承諾。

如需環境正義資金補助機會、活動與網路研討會的最新資訊，請將自己加入環境正義與外部公民權利辦公室的郵寄名單，方法為寄送空白電子郵件至 join-epa-ej@lists.epa.gov。在 X（前身為推特）上追蹤 @EPAEnvJustice。

cted to receive $86,600,000 through the Solar for All grant competition to develop long-lasting solar programs that enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed residential solar. This award is part of the historic $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which was created under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to lower energy costs for families, create good-quality jobs in communities that have been left behind, advance environmental justice, and tackle the climate crisis.  

The Oregon SFA Coalition (OSFAC) will leverage existing solar technology incentives and support platforms through a coordinated program delivery system, designed specifically to meet the needs of low-income households and residents of disadvantaged communities in Oregon. Together, OSFAC members will enable solar installations at single-family households with little to no upfront customer cost and provide point of sale rebates for multifamily buildings that provide tangible benefits to low-income residents. The program will also support financial and technical assistance to develop Consumer Owned Utility Territories’ Community Solar projects in areas outside of OCSP coverage, as well as workforce development activities. This diversified approach will maximize use of existing resources and the breadth and diversity of households served throughout the state.  

“President Biden committed to making the largest investment in our nation’s history to combat global climate change. Our announcement today ensures every community has a green energy future,” said EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller. “This funding will be used to supercharge the deployment of solar power in communities, create jobs, make our power grid more resilient, and lower the cost of energy for every household.” 

The grant to the Oregon Department of Energy is among 49 state-level awards EPA announced today totaling approximately $5.5 billion, along with six awards to serve Tribes totaling over $500 million, and five multistate awards totaling approximately $1 billion. 

 “The Oregon Department of Energy is thrilled to be part of a coalition bringing significant solar dollars to our state,” said ODOE Director Janine Benner. “While past programs have helped expand access to solar for many Oregonians, it has been a challenge to lower the costs enough to ensure low-income households and other disadvantaged communities could participate. Solar for All can make this happen.” 

A complete list of the selected applicants can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All website. 

EPA estimates that the 60 Solar for All recipients will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. This $7 billion investment will generate over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions cumulatively, from over four gigawatts of solar energy capacity unlocked for low-income communities over five years. Solar and distributed energy resources help improve electric grid reliability and climate resilience, which is especially important in disadvantaged communities that have long been underserved.  

Solar for All will deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to creating high-quality jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union for workers across the United States. This $7 billion investment in clean energy will generate an estimated 200,000 jobs across the country. All selected applicants intend to invest in local, clean energy workforce development programs to expand equitable pathways into family-sustaining jobs for the communities they are designed to serve. At least 35% of selected applicants have already engaged local or national unions, demonstrating how these programs will contribute to the foundation of a clean energy economy built on strong labor standards and inclusive economic opportunity for all American communities.  

The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All of the funds awarded through the Solar for All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050. 

The 60 selected applicants have committed to delivering on the three objectives of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: reducing climate and air pollution; delivering benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities; and mobilizing financing to spur additional deployment of affordable solar energy. Solar for All selected applicants are expanding existing low-income solar programs and launching new programs. In at least 25 states and territories nationwide, Solar for All is launching new programs where there has never been a substantial low-income solar program before. In these geographies, Solar for All selected applicants will open new markets for distributed solar by funding new programs that provide grants and low-cost financing for low-income, residential solar. 

Review and Selection Process Information 

The 60 applicants selected for funding were chosen through a competition review process. This multi-stage process included review from hundreds of experts in climate, power markets, environmental justice, labor, and consumer protection from EPA, Department of Energy, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Treasury, Department of Agriculture, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, Department of Defense, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Department of Energy’s National Labs – all screened through ethics and conflict of interest checks and trained on the program requirements and evaluation criteria. Applications were scored and selected through dozens of review panels and an interagency senior review team.  

EPA anticipates that awards to the selected applicants will be finalized in the summer of 2024, and selected applicants will begin funding projects through existing programs and begin expansive community outreach programs to launch new programs in the fall and winter of this year. Selections are contingent on the resolution of all administrative disputes related to the competitions. 

Informational Webinars 

EPA will host informational webinars as part of the program’s commitment to public transparency. EPA has scheduled a public webinar for the Solar for All program, and registration details are included below. Information on other GGRF webinars can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Engagement Opportunities webpage. 

Solar for All webinar: Monday, April 29, 2024, 4:00pm – 4:30pm ET. Register for the April 29 meeting 

### 

een selected to receive $56,540,000 through the Solar for All grant competition to develop long-lasting solar programs that enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed residential solar. This award is part of the historic $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which was created under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to lower energy costs for families, create good-quality jobs in communities that have been left behind, advance environmental justice, and tackle the climate crisis.  

Idaho's SFA Program will expand economic and environmental benefits of solar to low-income, tribal, and disadvantaged communities across the state. This will be achieved through a community-designed program that addresses market and non-market barriers to residential solar through outreach, workforce development, and technical and financial assistance. The program will leverage and mobilize additional capital to maximize the number of households served through single family residential and multifamily residential solar projects, delivering significant electricity bill savings along with other meaningful benefits such as enhanced resilience, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and a more inclusive and skilled workforce.  

“President Biden committed to making the largest investment in our nation’s history to combat global climate change. Our announcement today ensures every community has a green energy future,” said EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller. “This funding will be used to supercharge the deployment of solar power in communities, create jobs, make our power grid more resilient, and lower the cost of energy for every household.” 

The grant to Bonneville Environmental Foundation is among 49 state-level awards EPA announced today totaling approximately $5.5 billion, along with six awards to serve Tribes totaling over $500 million, and five multistate awards totaling approximately $1 billion.   

“The Solar for All funding announced today represents a critical turning point in our country’s ability to include every community in the transition to clean energy," said Todd Reeve, CEO - Bonneville Environmental Foundation. “This program builds a new and needed foundation for jobs, economic development, and more resilient communities that will usher us into a bright and sustainable future.” 

A complete list of the selected applicants can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All website. 

EPA estimates that the 60 Solar for All recipients will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. This $7 billion investment will generate over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions cumulatively, from over four gigawatts of solar energy capacity unlocked for low-income communities over five years. Solar and distributed energy resources help improve electric grid reliability and climate resilience, which is especially important in disadvantaged communities that have long been underserved.  

Solar for All will deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to creating high-quality jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union for workers across the United States. This $7 billion investment in clean energy will generate an estimated 200,000 jobs across the country. All selected applicants intend to invest in local, clean energy workforce development programs to expand equitable pathways into family-sustaining jobs for the communities they are designed to serve. At least 35% of selected applicants have already engaged local or national unions, demonstrating how these programs will contribute to the foundation of a clean energy economy built on strong labor standards and inclusive economic opportunity for all American communities.  

The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All of the funds awarded through the Solar for All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050. 

The 60 selected applicants have committed to delivering on the three objectives of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: reducing climate and air pollution; delivering benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities; and mobilizing financing to spur additional deployment of affordable solar energy. Solar for All selected applicants are expanding existing low-income solar programs and launching new programs. In at least 25 states and territories nationwide, Solar for All is launching new programs where there has never been a substantial low-income solar program before. In these geographies, Solar for All selected applicants will open new markets for distributed solar by funding new programs that provide grants and low-cost financing for low-income, residential solar. 

Review and Selection Process Information 

The 60 applicants selected for funding were chosen through a competition review process. This multi-stage process included review from hundreds of experts in climate, power markets, environmental justice, labor, and consumer protection from EPA, Department of Energy, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Treasury, Department of Agriculture, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, Department of Defense, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Department of Energy’s National Labs – all screened through ethics and conflict of interest checks and trained on the program requirements and evaluation criteria. Applications were scored and selected through dozens of review panels and an interagency senior review team.  

EPA anticipates that awards to the selected applicants will be finalized in the summer of 2024, and selected applicants will begin funding projects through existing programs and begin expansive community outreach programs to launch new programs in the fall and winter of this year. Selections are contingent on the resolution of all administrative disputes related to the competitions. 

Informational Webinars 

EPA will host informational webinars as part of the program’s commitment to public transparency. EPA has scheduled a public webinar for the Solar for All program, and registration details are included below. Information on other GGRF webinars can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Engagement Opportunities webpage. 

Solar for All webinar: Monday, April 29, 2024, 4:00pm – 4:30pm ET. Register for the April 29 meeting 

### 

lang="RU" xml:lang="RU" xml:lang="RU">— Сегодня, 23 апреля, Агентство по охране окружающей среды США (АООС) объявило о создании Справочно-информационного портала по вопросам экологической справедливости – первой в своем роде онлайн-коллекции ресурсов, посвященных проблеме экологической справедливости. Созданный в соответствии с указом президента Байдена об активизации приверженности нашей страны экологической справедливости для всех Справочно-информационный портал по вопросам экологической справедливости призван обеспечить общественности доступ к федеральным и нефедеральным онлайн-ресурсам в рамках амбициозной программы Администрации Байдена-Харрис по обеспечению экологической справедливости.

«Воплощение в жизнь амбициозной программы Администрации Байдена-Харрис по обеспечению экологической справедливости требует совместной приверженности налаживанию тесного сотрудничества и реализации программ, ориентированных на решение экологических проблем. Справочно-информационный портал по вопросам экологической справедливости – это принципиально новое справочное пособие, призванное помочь нам достичь общеорганизационных целей в области экологической справедливости», – Тереза Сеговия, первый заместитель помощника директора Управления по вопросам продвижения экологической справедливости и защиты гражданских прав. «Наличие легкодоступной информационной онлайн-библиотеки позволит всем участникам и сторонникам экологической справедливости иметь под рукой ресурсы со всей страны. И она будет только расширяться благодаря инициативам американского народа».

Управление по вопросам продвижения экологической справедливости и защиты гражданских прав АООС будет непрерывно пополнять справочно-информационный ресурс новыми материалами и приветствует любые инициативы со стороны общественности для рассмотрения и возможного включения.

Изначально в Справочно-информационный портал по вопросам экологической справедливости были включены ресурсы, представленные федеральными ведомствами, включая возможности финансирования, инструменты анализа и планирования, а также техническую помощь. В Справочно-информационном портале по вопросам экологической справедливости предусмотрены категории для поиска, что упрощает получение результатов для общественности и обеспечивает более эффективный и доступный процесс получения информации, касающейся экологической справедливости. 

«Президент Байден поручил всему федеральному правительству устранить барьеры на пути к ресурсам и информации, которые помогают сообществам добиваться экологической справедливости. Справочно-информационный портал АООС по вопросам экологической справедливости станет полезным онлайн-инструментом, объединяющим многочисленные источники информации, чтобы все, кто проявляют интерес к проблеме экологической справедливости, могли найти материалы на одном сайте», – отметила д-р Джалонн Л. Уайт-Ньюсом, главный федеральный специалист по вопросам экологической справедливости Совета Белого дома по качеству окружающей среды.

Посетите веб-сайт АООС, чтобы ознакомиться со Справочно-информационным порталом по вопросам экологической справедливости или представить потенциальный ресурс.

Предпосылки

21 апреля 2023 года президент Байден подписал Указ № 14906 «Об активизации приверженности нашей страны экологической справедливости для всех», который предусматривал создание Справочно-информационного портала по вопросам экологической справедливости в качестве общедоступного, общеправительственного справочного онлайн-ресурса, содержащего доступные и приемлемые в культурном и языковом отношении материалы, касающиеся экологической справедливости, в том числе:

• Информацию о деятельности членов Межведомственного совета Белого дома по вопросам экологической справедливости, направленной на решение вопросов, связанных с экологической справедливостью.
• Информацию о технической помощи, инструментах и ресурсах для оказания помощи сообществам, сталкивающимся с проблемами экологической справедливости, в создании потенциала для вовлечения общественности.
• Копии учебно-методических материалов, разработанных Межведомственным советом Белого дома по вопросам экологической справедливости или его членами с целью помочь отдельным лицам и сотрудникам разобраться в вопросах экологической справедливости и осуществлять деятельность в этой области.
• Любую другую информацию, которую Администратор АООС сочтет необходимой, в координации с Межведомственным советом Белого дома по вопросам экологической справедливости.

Подробнее об экологической справедливости в АООС можно узнать здесь.

Узнайте больше о Межведомственном совете Белого дома по вопросам экологической справедливости и об общеправительственной приверженности Администрации Байдена-Харрис к принципам экологической справедливости.

Чтобы получить актуальную информацию о возможностях финансирования, мероприятиях и вебинарах по вопросам экологической справедливости, подпишитесь на рассылку Управления по вопросам продвижения экологической справедливости и защиты гражданских прав, отправив пустое электронное письмо по адресу: join-epa-ej@lists.epa.gov. Следите за нами в социальной сети X (бывший Twitter) @EPAEnvJustice.

nt with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Oregon and Washington for the Bradford Island National Priorities List site cleanup.

The agreement includes an enforceable schedule for USACE to conduct the cleanup. It also includes a public comment period that begins April 24 and concludes June 10.

The agreement follows Bradford Island’s addition to the National Priorities List in 2022. The NPL is the list of Superfund sites of national priority among the known or threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants throughout the United States and its territories. EPA, with Oregon and Washington, will oversee the work and USACE will remain the federal agency responsible for implementing the cleanup on behalf of the United States.

The agreement defines a clear dispute resolution process where, in the event EPA and USACE are unable to reach agreement on the selection of a remedy, EPA is authorized to select the remedy following exhaustion of the dispute resolution process. It also specifies that EPA concurrence is required on important site work, key remedial documents throughout the site investigation and cleanup process, and cleanup decisions. Under the agreement, USACE committed to requesting any funds needed to perform work necessary to complete the investigation and cleanup process.

“This agreement supports all parties working together to expeditiously investigate and address contamination at the Bradford Island site and reflects the federal government’s trust and treaty responsibilities to Tribal Nations,” said EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller. “We remain committed to ensuring that Tribal Nations have a seat at the table throughout this collective effort to help protect the Columbia River and we are looking forward to advancing a timely response to contamination and reducing risks to people’s health and the environment."

Bradford Island, located in the Columbia River, is part of the Bonneville Dam complex operated by USACE. USACE historical operations at the site resulted in waste disposal on the island and in the Columbia River that resulted in contamination of soil, groundwater, stormwater, sediments and biota. Contaminants at Bradford Island include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metals, and other hazardous substances. Cleanup of the site will address contamination that poses risk to human health and the environment.

“We are excited the Federal Facilities Agreement is signed," said Portland District Commander Col. Larry "Dale" Caswell, Jr. "This Agreement, which includes specific milestones, is a roadmap for all parties as we continue to move forward in the cleanup of Bradford Island. We appreciate the involvement of the Agreement parties, Tribes and representatives of the community which makes this work possible.”

Due to high levels of PCBs in fish and shellfish in the vicinity of the island, the Oregon Health Authority and Washington Department of Health issued a resident fish advisory recommending that no one eat resident fish from the Bonneville Dam area between Bradford Island and Ruckel Creek, which is one mile upstream.

“Oregon DEQ is pleased that the Federal Facility Agreement for the Bradford Island Superfund site has been signed by the respective agencies," said Director of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Leah Feldon. "We look forward to hearing feedback through Tribal consultation and public comments, so that this important project can move forward.”

“This is an important milestone for protection of the Columbia River,” said Director of the Washington Department of Ecology Laura Watson. “We’re looking forward to new energy and resources going toward the cleanup of this highly contaminated site, and to seeing a cleaner river with healthier salmon and resident fish.”

The site is a traditional hunting and fishing ground for seven Tribal nations, some with treaty-protected rights. The enforceable schedule detailed in the site management plan supports cleanup of the site in a comprehensive and timely manner. Two Tribes have also entered into Memorandums of Understanding with USACE and EPA to ensure a meaningful participation role in the Superfund remedial process. These are the first such MOUs between Tribal Nations and USACE at a federal facility NPL site.

“Cleaning up the land and water at Bradford Island is long overdue, but must be done properly and to the highest standards,” said Yakama Nation Tribal Chairman Gerald Lewis. “We look forward to working with our federal and state partners to ensure that happens.”

Public comment period and next steps

The agreement announced today has a 45-day public comment period from April 24 to June 10. The public is invited to review the agreement and submit comments. More information is available at EPA’s Bradford Island website.

Upon completion of the comment period and review of the public comments, EPA and USACE will consider whether changes should be made to the agreement and will develop a responsiveness summary to address significant public comments received.

Technical assistance grant and community involvement opportunities

On April 1, EPA awarded a $50,000 Technical Assistance Grant to Columbia Riverkeeper to help community members participate in cleanup decision making at Bradford Island.

"Columbia Riverkeeper is committed to holding polluters accountable and fighting for clean water and healthy communities. We are dedicated to providing people who are impacted by the Army Corps' pollution with accurate and clear information about the long-needed cleanup at the Columbia River’s newest Superfund Site," said Kate Murphy, senior community organizer at Columbia Riverkeeper. "Partnering with a technical advisor will facilitate our ability to help community members to feel confident engaging in the process and understanding the complexities of cleaning up polychlorinated biphenyls, heavy metals, and other contaminants in the area. A safe and healthy Columbia River is not only possible, it's critical."

TAGs provide funding to community groups to contract their own, independent technical advisor to interpret and explain technical reports, site conditions, as well as the proposed cleanup plan and other documents related to the cleanup process. Columbia Riverkeeper is now working to procure their independent technical advisor via a Request for Proposals.

For more information about Columbia Riverkeeper’s search for a technical advisor and their overall work, please visit Columbia Riverkeeper’s website or email info@columbiariverkeeper.org.

Restoration Advisory Board

USACE has established a Restoration Advisory Board to improve public participation by involving the community in the restoration process. Dedicated members of interested community groups and Tribal members have been participating as members since early 2023. Everyone is welcome to attend monthly Restoration Advisory Board meetings. Restoration Advisory Board members will review and comment on plans and activities relating to the ongoing environmental studies and restoration activities at Bradford Island. Restoration Advisory Board members will have the opportunity to provide input on activities that will accelerate the restoration.

For more information about the Bradford Island cleanup actions, site cleanup actions to date, and the Restoration Advisory Board, visit the USACE Bradford Island website.

History of the site

Since 1998, USACE has been leading the investigation and cleanup efforts at Bradford Island. USACE has completed actions to remove electrical equipment and some contaminated sediment from the river and has also conducted several studies aimed at characterizing sources of contamination in the river and upland portions of the site. EPA received requests from multiple parties to place Bradford Island on the NPL, including the Confederated Tribes of the Yakama Nation, Oregon, Washington and community and environmental groups.

For more information, visit EPA’s Bradford Island website.

I" xml:lang="VI" xml:lang="VI">— Hôm nay, ngày 23 Tháng Tư, Cơ Quan Bảo Vệ Môi Trường Hoa Kỳ (EPA) đã công bố Cơ Sở Dữ Liệu Công Lý Môi Trường, một sự thu gom tài nguyên trực tuyến đầu tiên thuộc loại này liên quan đến công lý môi trường. Được Chỉ Đạo bởi Tổng Thống Biden Sắc Lệnh Hành Pháp về việc Hồi Sinh Cam Kết của Quốc Gia Chúng Ta về Công Lý Môi Trường cho Tất Cả Mọi Người, Cơ Sở Dữ Liệu Công Lý Môi Trường sẽ giúp công chúng tiếp cận trực tuyến các nguồn tài nguyên liên bang và phi liên bang như một phần trong chương trình nghị sự công lý môi trường đầy tham vọng của Chính Quyền Biden-Harris.

“Việc thực hiện chương trình nghị sự về công lý môi trường đầy tham vọng của Chính Quyền Biden-Harris đòi hỏi sự cống hiến chung để xây dựng các mối quan hệ bền chặt và các chương trình hướng tới giải pháp. Cơ Sở Dữ Liệu Công Lý Môi Trường là một hướng dẫn tài nguyên mang tính biến đổi được xây dựng để giúp chúng tôi hoàn thành các mục tiêu công lý môi trường trên toàn cơ quan của mình,” Theresa Segovia, Phó Trợ Lý Giám Đốc Văn Phòng Công Lý Môi Trường và Quyền Dân Sự Đối Ngoại cho biết. “Việc có một thư viện thông tin trực tuyến, dễ dàng truy cập sẽ đảm bảo rằng các nguồn lực từ khắp đất nước luôn nằm trong tầm tay của tất cả các bên liên quan và người bênh vực công lý môi trường. Và nó sẽ chỉ trở nên mạnh mẽ hơn nhờ những gợi ý từ người dân Mỹ.”

Văn Phòng Công Lý Môi Trường và Quyền Dân Sự Bên Ngoài của EPA sẽ tiếp tục bổ sung thông tin cho cơ sở dữ liệu trên cơ sở luân phiên và hoan nghênh ý kiến ​​đóng góp cũng như mọi ý kiến ​​đệ trình từ công chúng để xem xét và có tiềm năng đưa vào.

Các nguồn lực sơ bộ được liệt kê trên Cơ Sở Dữ Liệu Công Lý Môi Trường được đệ trình bởi các cơ quan từ khắp chính phủ liên bang, bao gồm các cơ hội tài trợ, công cụ sàng lọc, và lập bản đồ cũng như hỗ trợ kỹ thuật. Cơ Sở Dữ Liệu Công Lý Môi Trường có các đặc trưng danh mục có thể tìm kiếm để đơn giản hóa kết quả cho công chúng nhằm đảm bảo quy trình truy cập thông tin liên quan đến công lý môi trường hiệu quả và dễ tiếp cận hơn. 

“Tổng Thống Biden đã giao nhiệm vụ cho toàn bộ chính phủ liên bang nhằm phá bỏ các rào cản đối với các nguồn lực và thông tin giúp cộng đồng theo đuổi công lý môi trường. Cơ Sở Dữ Liệu Công Lý Môi Trường của EPA sẽ là một công cụ trực tuyến hữu ích tổng hợp nhiều nguồn thông tin để những người quan tâm đến công lý môi trường có thể tìm thấy các tài nguyên trên một trang web,” Tiến Sĩ Jalonne L. White-Newsome, Giám Đốc Tư Pháp Môi Trường Liên Bang Của Hội Đồng Nhà Trắng về Chất Lượng Môi Trường Cho Biết.

Truy cập trang web của EPA để xem Cơ Sở Dữ Liệu Công Lý Môi Trường hoặc gửi nguồn tài nguyên tiềm năng.

Quá Trình

Vào ngày 21 Tháng Tư, 2023, Tổng Thống Biden đã ký Sắc Lệnh Hành Pháp 14906 Hồi Sinh Cam Kết Của Quốc Gia Chúng Ta về Công Lý Môi Trường cho Tất Cả Mọi Người, trong đó bao gồm việc thành lập Cơ Sở Dữ Liệu Công Lý Môi Trường để trở thành Cơ Sở Dữ Liệu công cộng, đặt nền tảng trên internet, của cơ sở dữ liệu toàn chính phủ, bao gồm các tài liệu phù hợp về mặt văn hóa và ngôn ngữ và có thể truy cập được liên quan đến công lý môi trường bao gồm:

• Thông tin mô tả hoạt động của các thành viên Hội Đồng Liên Cơ Quan Công Lý Môi Trường của Nhà Trắng nhằm giải quyết các vấn đề liên quan đến công lý môi trường.
• Thông tin về hỗ trợ kỹ thuật, công cụ và nguồn lực để hỗ trợ các cộng đồng có quan ngại về công lý môi trường trong việc xây dựng năng lực cho cộng đồng tham gia.
• Bản sao tài liệu đào tạo do Hội Đồng Liên Cơ Quan Công Lý Môi Trường của Nhà Trắng hoặc các thành viên của Hội đồng này phát triển để giúp các cá nhân và nhân viên hiểu và thực hiện các hoạt động công lý môi trường.
• Bất kỳ thông tin nào khác được Quản trị viên EPA cho là phù hợp, phối hợp với Hội Đồng Liên Cơ Quan Công Lý Môi Trường của Nhà Trắng.

Tìm hiểu thêm về công lý môi trường tại EPA.

Đọc về Hội Đồng Liên Cơ Quan Công Lý Môi Trường của Nhà Trắng và cam kết của toàn chính phủ của Chính Quyền Biden-Harris đối với công lý môi trường.

Để biết thông tin cập nhật về các cơ hội tài trợ, sự kiện và hội thảo trực tuyến về Công Lý Môi Trường, hãy đăng ký danh sách của Văn Phòng Công Lý Môi Trường và Quyền Dân Sự Bên Ngoài bằng cách gửi một email trống tới: join-epa-ej@lists.epa.gov. Theo dõi chúng tôi trên X (trước đây là Twitter) @EPAEnvJustice.

y, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced settlement of a multi-media case against a Maryland oil recycling facility. Petroleum Recovery and Remediation Management, Inc. (PMI) will pay a $230,000 penalty to settle alleged Clean Air Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and Clean Water Act violations at its Baltimore, Maryland facility.  

Included violations are related to processing, recycling and disposal of waste oil material including operation of bulk storage tanks, with concomitant risks of emissions of hazardous air pollutants, among other risks to human health and the environment.

The processing facility, located at 5200 and 5218 Curtis Avenue, receives, separates, and stores petroleum contaminated hazardous and non-hazardous waste materials, including liquids, sludge and solids for disposal, processing and recycling.

Prior to this settlement, PMI and EPA entered a compliance order requiring PMI to take actions to come into compliance with the CAA, RCRA, and CWA. The Facility now only stores used oils and diesel fuels, no longer receives volatile liquids and no longer has the processing equipment that was the main cause of the underlying violations.

The facility is in an area of potential Environmental Justice concern. Protecting communities with potential EJ concerns is a shared goal and responsibility of EPA and our partner agencies, including the Maryland Department of the Environment. EPA conducts joint planning with states and other co-regulators and, whenever possible, endeavors to perform enforcement and compliance work in partnership with them.