Environmental Justice
WEBINAR | Community Change Grants for Climate Focused Projects
Tuesday, July 2nd, 2024 at 1pm EST
In this webinar you'll learn about the Environmental Protection Agency's new Community Change Grants program which supports community driven environmental projects. This historic funding of $1 million - $20 million is available for communities with concerns related to air, water, and soil quality as well as building climate response strategies, clean energy transitions, and transforming former mine land. Funding is available for "disadvantaged communities" based on a number of criteria that can be determined through easy-to-use online screening tools. Join us to learn about who is eligible, relevant project areas, and what goes into the application process.
Presenter: Tyler McDaniel, CEDIK Environmental Justice Program Coordinator
What is Environmental Justice?
Environmental justice is a movement that prioritizes the involvement and needs of communities in decision-making or activities that affect their local environments during the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws or policies. To build healthy and resilient communities the process focuses on the meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of income, race, color, national origin, disability, or tribal affiliation. Through environmental justice initiatives, communities practice planning and decision making to fully protect them from disproportionate and adverse health impacts related to environmental risks or hazards.
Examples of EJ Concerns and Actions:
- Poor air, water, and soil quality
- Exposure to environmental hazards
- Climate change resilience (preparation and response)
- Clean energy transitions
- Transforming former mine land
Our Environmental Justice Opportunities
We are the Kentucky office of REACT4EJ, the EPA Region 4 Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (TCTAC). This enables us to support communities and organizations already doing environmental justice work around the state. Our support includes providing technical assistance through guidance on navigating grant applications and systems, developing strong proposals, assisting with community engagement, providing facilitation for communities, and connecting people with broader resources or partnerships. By ensuring direct access to resources for communities we are removing barriers and improving accessibility for communities with environmental justice concerns.
