SEATTLE (Dec. 12): Yesterday, EPA announced two new grant awards to address health disparities in the Yakima Valley.
During a press conference in Granger, Washington, EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller announced a $1 million dollar grant to the Washington State Department of Health. Beginning next month, the three-year project will work to increase education and outreach around groundwater and air quality in the Yakima Valley by connecting community members to resources, information and tools.
Additionally, EPA announced a grant for $1,896,439 to the University of Washington to create a research center which aims to identify communities that are disproportionately affected by environmental hazards.
“Residents of the Lower Yakima Valley, especially lower-income residents and communities of color, are bearing the burdens of pollutants,” said EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller. “We’re focused on addressing environmental justice concerns in Yakima Valley, which has helped guide our approach to sustained actions over time to improve health outcomes in this community.”
EPA also hosted a grant funding workshop for potential applicants in the region, providing the latest information on grant and technical assistance available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. Additionally, state and other federal agencies were present to discuss their available funding and assistance.
“For too long Washington’s low-income communities and communities of color including in the Yakima valley have borne the disproportionate cost of pollution in the climate crisis. The problem compounds when these communities can't access state and federal programs in place to address the issue,” said Washington Governor Jay Inslee in a pre-recorded video message to event attendees. “That's what today is about, connecting communities to resources so that we can build a clean energy future together.”
Learn more about the Environmental Justice Showcase Community in Yakima Valley.
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Press Contact: EPA R10 Press Office (r10_Press_team@epa.gov)