West Virginia Environmental News

$2.7 Million Available to Local Communities to Reduce Toxic Exposure

Release date: 02/09/2007

Contact Information: Dave Ryan, (202) 564-4355 / ryan.dave@epa.gov

(Washington, D.C. - Feb. 9, 2007) EPA today announced that $2.7 million is available to support community-based partnerships in reducing risks from toxics in local communities.

EPA will award about $2.7 million in two types of cooperative agreements through the Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) program.

Level I cooperative agreements will help establish community-based partnerships and set priorities for reducing risks from toxics in a community. Examples of past projects include addressing water quality in Puget Sound, helping to rebuild St. Bernard Parish in Louisiana, helping the Cherokee Nation deal with toxic waste, and reducing air toxics in Tucson. EPA anticipates awarding eight to 10 cooperative agreements under Level I, ranging from $75,000 to $100,000.

Level II cooperative agreements are for communities that already have undertaken a comprehensive process to assess risks from all sources of toxics, formed a broad-based collaborative, have identified risk reduction priorities and are ready to implement risk reduction strategies. EPA expects to award six to eight cooperative agreements, ranging from $150,000 to $300,000.

A range of community groups may apply for funding, including county and local governments, tribes, non-profit organizations and universities. EPA will conduct three conference calls, Feb. 20 and 26 and March 1, for prospective applicants to ask questions about the application process. Applications are due April 9, 2007.

The CARE program, which began in 2005, helps to build broad-based local partnerships for reducing risks from toxic pollutants that come from numerous sources.

Contact a West Virginia environmental lawyer today and get a free consultation!

	Did You Know?
	SARA is the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (1986) Federal law reauthorizing and expanding the jurisdiction of CERCLA. Signed into law October 17, 1986. Title III of SARA is known as the Emergency Planning and Community Right- to-Know Act of 1986. It is a revision and extension of CERCLA.SARA is intended to encourage and support local and state emergency planning efforts. It provides citizens and local governments with information about potential chemical hazards in their communities. SARA calls for facilities that store hazardous materials to provide officials and citizens with data on the types (flammables, corrosives, etc.); amounts on hand (daily, yearly); and their specific locations.