EPA Announces Over $1 Million in Grants to Help Businesses in Nevada Prevent Pollution

EPA Announces Over $1 Million in Grants to Help Businesses in Nevada Prevent Pollution

November 26, 2024

SAN FRANCISCO - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected the University of Nevada, Reno, and Western Nevada College for a total of $1,050,000 in grants for technical assistance to businesses to develop and adopt pollution prevention (P2) practices benefitting communities and workers throughout Nevada.

EPA announced 48 selectees nationwide who will collectively receive nearly $19 million in grants to support states, Tribal Nations, and U.S. territories in providing technical assistance to businesses to develop and adopt P2 practices in local communities. Thanks to President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, nearly half of the funds awarded this year were made available with no cost share/match requirement.

"By reducing pollution in communities across Nevada these grants will help bring about clear gains in public health," said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. "EPA is proud to support these projects to prevent pollution at its source, protect workers from exposure, and advance environmental justice."

The Nevada P2 grant selectees are:

• University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) ($350,000): Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, UNR's Business Environmental Program will spearhead a series of educational webinars for auto repair shops on spray gun cleaners and cleaning equipment, alternative basecoats, primers, and topcoats and dust reduction and control practices. The program provides technical assistance to reduce worker exposure to dust and solvents high in volatile organic compounds such as methyl ethyl ketone, toluene, xylene, methylene chloride, and n-propyl bromide used in different automotive processes. The program will also collaborate with the Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center to expand P2 West, the annual multi-region conference for P2 professionals.
• Western Nevada College (WNC) ($700,000): WNC and greenUP!'s program will provide technical assistance on safer alternatives to food and beverage, chemical, automotive, aerospace, and metal manufacturing businesses in communities harmed by environmental justice issues. Already, their program has identified a preliminary list of PFAS used in motor vehicle air conditioning systems, centrifuge chillers, foam insulation for walls, furniture, bedding, and aerosol cleaner. This is important as studies showthat PFAS exposure may lead to negative reproductive, metabolic, immune system, and developmental effects on humans.

"Western Nevada College and greenUP! greatly appreciate the funding from EPA to run pollution prevention projects in Nevada and to support our green business program network," said J. Kyle Dalpe, President. "WNC is committed to climate action in our state, and these programs funded by EPA enable us to make a difference in Nevada communities."

Why It Matters for Nevada

Pollution prevention, also known as P2 or source reduction, is any practice that reduces, eliminates, or prevents pollution at its source before recycling, treatment, or disposal. P2 practices are essential for protecting health, improving environmental conditions-including in and around disadvantaged communities-and preserving natural resources like wetlands, groundwater sources, and other critical ecosystems. Pollution prevention enables Nevada businesses to reduce costs, protect communities and workers from toxic chemical exposures, and conserve natural resources.

Between 2011 and 2022, EPA's Pollution Prevention program issued over 500 grants totaling over $54 million,which have helped businesses identify, develop, and adopt P2 approaches. These approaches have resulted in 31.9 billion kWh in energy savings, eliminated 20.8 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, saved 52 billion gallons of water, reduced 1 billion pounds of hazardous materials, and saved businesses more than $2.3 billion.

EPA will award funds after selectees satisfy the legal and administrative requirements. Selectees will then document and share P2 best practices identified and developed through these grants for others to replicate to expand positive health and safety outcomes. Each selectee will develop at least one case study on P2 practices that could benefit other businesses or P2 technical assistance providers.

Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the P2 grants will be fully funded once awarded, with individual grant awards as high as $350,000. Grants awarded through the traditional P2 grants program will be funded over a two-year funding cycle and require a cost share/match of fifty percent.

EPA's Pollution Prevention Grant Program advances President Biden's Justice40 Initiative which set a goal to deliver 40% of the overall benefits from certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.

Background

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invested a historic $100 million in EPA's P2 Program. EPA announced the first round of 39 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law awards in September 2022and the second round of 24 awards in October 2023.

EPA's Pollution Prevention websiteincludes the selected project summariesas well as more information on P2 and EPA's P2 Grant Program.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.