EPA announces $19 million environmental and climate justice community change grant to Lane County, OR

EPA announces $19 million environmental and climate justice community change grant to Lane County, OR

July 25, 2024

SEATTLE- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $19,555,386 in environmental and climate justice community change grant funding for Lane County, Oregon and United Way of Lane County. Lane County's grant application is among 21 applications selected to receive funding to help disadvantaged communities tackle environmental and climate justice challenges through projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity.

Lane County and United Way of Lane County will invest in six facilities to create a network of community resilience hubs to support residents during emergencies, such as wildfires and heat waves. They also will build the capacity of local organizations providing resilience services; train medical and non-medical volunteers to help in emergencies; and equip the hubs with adequate supplies. They will work to expand and improve the county's emergency response planning and implementation network to support an all-of-community response during and after a severe event. The project also will assess the feasibility of installing solar and energy storage on the resilience hubs.

"We're proud to announce the first round of Community Change grant selections to support environmental justice and more equitable communities," said EPA Regional Administrator Casey Sixkiller. "This funding from the Biden-Harris Administration's Inflation Reduction Act will help mitigate impacts from wildfire smoke and heat events. By funding these community-driven solutions, we are supporting local environmental priorities that will make a meaningful difference in supporting public health and environmental quality."

"This news is especially timely and relevant, given the wildfires burning in Lane County and the evacuation alerts those blazes are generating in multiple communities," said Senator Ron Wyden. "I'm glad the Inflation Reduction Act that I worked to pass is producing these crucial investments to help Lane County keep people safe during wildfires and other emergencies that threaten lives and properties."

"Ensuring Oregonians and communities across the region are safe and prepared when disasters strike is critical," said Senator Jeff Merkley. "This EPA funding for Lane County and the United Way of Lane County to realize a network of resilience hubs-complete with training, equipment, and more-will prove essential for community members during weather events from devastating wildfires to extreme heat. It's climate-smart investments from the Inflation Reduction Act like this that will help our local governments and agencies save lives during the worst conditions."

"This $19 million investment from the EPA's Community Change Grants Program is critical to supporting disaster and weather resilience in Lane County," said Representative Val Hoyle. "This means Lane County and United Way of Lane County will have more resources to build out their volunteer response during emergencies, leading to stronger relief efforts."

"We are thrilled to be one of the first communities to be selected for the EPA Community Change Grant," said Commissioner Laurie Trieger, Chair of the Lane County Board of Commissioners. "This $20 million investment enables us to establish a resilience hub network across Lane County to directly benefit residents, metro and rural alike, on good days and bad."

These selected applications are the first to come under the Community Change Grants Program's rolling application process designed to ensure that applicants have ample time to prepare and take advantage of this historic resource. The Community Change Grants Program Notice of Funding Opportunity is still accepting applications through November 21.

EPA will continue to review applications and announce selections on a rolling basis and encourages applicants to submit applications as soon as they completely meet the program requirements. EPA will be making additional selections for the remainder of 2024. EPA also encourages interested applicants to apply for technical assistance as soon as possible, as the last day to request new technical assistance is August 16.

Learn more about the Community Change Grants and Technical Assistance: https://www.epa.gov/inflation-reduction-act/inflation-reduction-act-community-change-grants-program

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