Chickaloon Native Village Awarded Environmental Justice Small Grant

EJ Small Grant plan helps inform communities and build local climate resiliency

(Seattle, Washington - October 23, 2015) A $30,000 Environmental Justice Small Grant from the E.P.A. has been awarded to the Chickaloon Village Traditional Council for their plan titled: Promoting Environmental Justice, Public Health, and Climate Resiliency in Response to 3 Industrial-Scale Coal Mining Plans Suggested in the Fastest Growing Community in Alaska.

On October 26, Dr. Ruth Etzel from EPA's Office of Children's Health Protection will meet with the Chickaloon Traditional Village Council to declare the grant and discuss environmental concerns. During her visit to Chickaloon Native Village, Dr. Etzel will also spend time with the students, teachers and staff at the Ya Ne Dah Ah School to celebrate Children's Health Month.

"This EJ small grant will aid local efforts to raise awareness, address environmental issues and help make a difference for local residents," said David Allnutt, Director of E.P.A. Region 10's Office of Ecosystems, Tribal and Public Affairs. "We look forward to working with the Chickaloon Village Traditional Council as they identify and address risks to human health and the environment while building resilience to the effects of a changing climate."

"We are excited about this grant award as it will have benefits locally and regionally as well as internationally for the environment," said Traditional Chief Gary Harrison.

The grant will be used to educate local residents about the potential public health and environmental effects of coal mining. Community education and engagement in environmental decision-making to ensure protection of public health, air, water, fish and wildlife is a main focus. The plan aims to increase community awareness of the connection between coal surface strip mining and climate impacts. In addition, the plan will create a formal community stakeholder engagement plan, assess community concerns and goals, and develop a final Community Environmental Health Report to share with policy and decision makers.

Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race or income, in the environmental decision-making process. Since 1994, EPA's EJ Small Grants plan has supported Plans to address environmental justice issues in in excess of 1,400 communities that may be disproportionately affected by pollution. The grants represent EPA's continued commitment to expand the conversation on environmentalism and advance environmental justice in communities across the nation.

This grant was one of 40 EJ small grants awarded nationally in 2015 to support environmental justice work in local areas. More information is accessible in the national E.P.A. announcement.

For more information, including descriptions of previously awards, visit EPA's Environmental Justice Small Grants Plan.

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