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Trump's promise of 'very big deal' with Zelensky undercut by officials' widespread doubts over Ukraine's resources; Faith leaders call out inhumane heat conditions in U.S. prisons; Texans encouraged to 'decarbonize' buildings to fight climate change; the state of animal waste regulations in Virginia.

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Senate Republicans say they'll change the House's budget resolution. Trump questions whether he called the Ukrainian president a 'dictator' ahead of his White House visit, and environmental groups question EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin's call for deregulation.

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The federal funding freeze has left U.S. farmers in limbo about their future farm projects, tourists could find public lands in disarray when visiting this summer, while money to fight rural wildfires is in jeopardy.

EPA grants $1 million to South Bronx groups for climate justice, resiliency

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Thursday, August 15, 2024   

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly described a different EPA grant. The grant amount and purpose have been corrected here. (3:26 p.m. MDT, Aug. 14, 2024)


The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the South Bronx a $1 million grant to help environmentally burdened communities tackle environmental and climate justice issues.

Local environmentalists say it couldn't have come at a better time. The grant funds projects that are designed to reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity.

The Bronx River Alliance and Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice will implement the grant. Siddhartha Sánchez, executive director of the Alliance, said they want to give residents the skills to prepare for climate change and such associated impacts as flooding, power blackouts and excessive heat.

"So, the idea that this is not decided 'top-down' also applies to the organizations," Sánchez said. "We're trying to make sure this is not 'grass tops,' as they say, but grassroots, and really getting input from the most impacted communities throughout the Bronx."

A Bronx Climate Justice Task Force will be convened to ensure that disadvantaged communities will be able to fully participate in planning and implementing decisions about coastal adaptation, habitat restoration and related local, state, and federal infrastructure projects.

Sánchez insisted Bronx communities will be given a meaningful voice in the government decision-making processes. He noted that the community feels it has been neglected in the past, but is heartened by the possibilities the program will bring.

"I think this investment represents hope," he added. "It represents a new way of engaging with federal, state and city issues, projects and proposals, not just reactively and responsively to existing proposals but also solutions."

He points out the projects will involve three components: community engagement, planning and advocacy. Each is designed to address historical gaps in equity and mitigate critical environmental and climate injustices.


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