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Marquette County project among group getting state grants

The project is one of 43 across the state that will receive funding
SooLeader Staff
GreenCemetary
Stock image shows Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia, a public cemetery located on a scenic bluff of the Wilmington River, east of Savannah, Georgia. The cemetery became famous when it was featured in the 1994 novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt, and in the movie, directed by Clint Eastwood, based on the book.[4] It is the largest of the city's municipal cemeteries, containing nearly 160 acres (0.65 km2).

NEWS RELEASE
MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, GREAT LAKES, AND ENERGY
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Today, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) announced 43 grants to community organizations, local governments, nonprofit organizations, Tribes, schools, and childcare centers for equity- and place-based grants that will improve public health, monitor pollution, clean up contamination, enhance indoor air quality for children, and more.

The grants, made possible by a $20 million investment in Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s bipartisan Fiscal Year 2024 budget, were awarded through the Office of the Environmental Justice Public Advocate (OEJPA) to improve public health and reduce environmental burdens in Michigan communities with Environmental Justice concerns.

“From upgrading housing and reducing exposure to lead to expanding access to greenspace and protecting our waters, today’s investments will make a real difference in people’s lives,” said Governor Whitmer. “These grants are another step forward in my commitment to ensure that all communities – regardless of their zip code – have access to clean air, safe water, a healthy environment, and can thrive in their communities. I’m committed to working with anyone to invest in people, drive projects, and uplift places across the state to ensure that anyone can ‘make it’ in Michigan.”

The OEJPA received 189 applications with close to $80 million in requests for grant funding illustrating the demand for investments in communities across the state.

“The State is committed to working to drive projects and investments that support the communities that need them most,” said Phil Roos, EGLE Director. “EGLE’s Environmental Justice Impact Grants will improve the lives of residents in communities across the state, supporting projects that will reduce pollution, improve health outcomes, and strengthen communities. These investments are a key component of the state’s commitment to addressing longstanding environmental injustices and strengthening communities.”

Of the 43 awarded grants, community improvement projects topped the list of funded projects, followed by initiatives to better monitor pollution, clean up and redevelop contaminated properties, and better protect children in school and daycare facilities. Projects will have impact in communities throughout the state, including Detroit, Otsego, Flint, Baraga County, and Kalamazoo.

The entire list of projects is available here. Following are examples of the awards from each category:

  • Community Improvement Project — Climate Resilient SW Detroit Homes. Provide a variety of home upgrades, including air sealing, mold removal, indoor air quality improvements, appliance replacements, and more for residents in Southwest Detroit.
  • Community Improvement Project — YesRX. Improve access to free cancer medication and help manage cancer medication waste serving tribal residents in Michigan across 57 counties.
  • Community Improvement Project — Flint In-home Plumbing. The City of Flint will partner with the Greater Flint Health Coalition and Local Initiatives Support Corporation to abate in-home lead and galvanized plumbing in homes that have previously tested positive for lead.
  • School and Day Care Indoor Air Quality — Child Care Resource and Referral of Kalamazoo. Improve childcare facilities and home-based childcare with indoor air quality improvements and more.
  • School and Day Care Indoor Air Quality — Improved Air Quality and Equality. Covert Elementary School aims to reduce environmental health burdens for the students and families of Covert Public Schools and Van Buren ISD’s early education and migrant students by upgrading its antiquated mechanical and Building Management System.
  • Remediation and Redevelopment — People Helping People of Pulman. Remediate arsenic and lead contaminated soil transforming 2.5 acres into safe, green recreational spaces.
  • Remediation and Redevelopment — The Hackley Community Care Project in Muskegon Heights will redevelop a vacant brownfield property to transform a blighted area on the remediated property into a vibrant center for health, education, and economic development.
  • Pollution Monitoring — Baseline Metals Survey. The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community will develop a tool allowing their Natural Resources Department to evaluate for changes to stream metals concentrations.

“It is exciting to announce the 43 recipients of this $20 million investment designed to have real impacts in communities with environmental justice concerns,” said Regina Strong, head of the Office of the Environmental Justice Public Advocate. “The Environmental Justice Impact grants are the state’s first and represent a real acknowledgement that funding is needed to address historical inequities and improve communities. Although we are not able to invest in all the projects seeking grant funds, the OEJPA will continue to advocate for improvements and encourage investments that will help communities both survive and thrive.”

Additional efforts to support communities with Environmental Justice concerns

  • Governor Whitmer created the OEJPA by executive order to serve as an internal and external advocate and catalyst of ensuring that Environmental Justice is prioritized and integrated throughout state programs and in communities across the state and to address Environmental Justice concerns and complaints.
  • The State has committed to Justice40, a policy which ensures that at least 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain state and federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities. For example, the vast majority of EGLE’s State Revolving Funds that support water infrastructure projects are invested in disadvantaged and historically underinvested in communities.
  • The OEJPA, the Office of Climate and Energy, and the Michigan Infrastructure Office worked collaboratively to support Michigan communities by providing resources to help them leverage federal funding, including the Justice 40 Accelerator and the Climate Justice Challenge.
  • MiEJScreen1.0 was launched earlier this year as the state’s first environmental justice screening tool. The tool was developed by the OEJPA with collaborative input from the Michigan Advisory Council on Environmental Justice and the State’s Interagency Environmental Justice Response Team, and from the community.

Additional information on the OEJPA can be found here.

For more information about other EGLE initiatives, click here.

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