(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency gave $177 million of taxpayers’ money to environmental groups, including those who publicly supported the Biden administration’s signature climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act.
According to a press release by EPA, the funding will be spread across 17 groups. Each group will receive a minimum of $10 million to serve as Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers [EJ TCTACs], help “underserved and overburdened communities” and access government funding to support environmental justice initiatives.
The groups that openly supported the Inflation Reduction Act are the National Wildlife Federation [NWF], WE ACT for Environmental Justice and the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice [DSCFEJ].
NWF fully supported the law, while the other two organizations offered more measured support, over concessions made to fossil fuels at the behest of Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W. Va. The Research Triangle Institute — a nearly billion-dollar nonprofit with a longstanding working relationship with the agency — will also serve as an environmental justice center.
“These EJ TCTACs are in direct response to feedback from communities and environmental justice leaders who have long called for technical assistance and capacity building support!” the EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights wrote in a tweet thread on Thursday.
“The EJ TCTAC program is partnered with [the Department of Energy] and is part of the Federal Interagency Thriving Communities Network to deliver on the Biden Administration’s Justice40 Initiative to ensure that 40% of the benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities,” the organization added.
According to the Daily Caller, the funding represents a significant boost to groups like the NWF and DSCFEJ. The NWF generated roughly $118 million in revenue in 2021. The DSCFEJ generated just $3.54 million in 2020.
“We know that so many communities across the nation have the solutions to the environmental challenges they face,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said.
“Unfortunately, many have lacked access or faced barriers when it comes to the crucial federal resources needed to deliver these solutions. Today we’re taking another step to break down these barriers.”
According to the EPA’s press release, the EPA has announced a combined $827 million in funding for environmental justice initiatives in 2023.
