In Providence, Rhode Island, the port authority concluded the Volkshafen in 2024 to celebrate some great victories. With a strong coalition of community partners and after a grant of $ 27,000 of the Justice40 initiative, the basic organization successfully campaigned for a new change in the city's comprehensive plan, which now prohibits the development of new power plants with fossil fuels and other uxic facilities in the port.
The port of Providence was often geared towards environmental complaint efforts. The residents of the area, mostly weak and colored people, are exposed to dangerous and toxic materials every day. According to a study by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, they also represent the majority of medical emergencies in connection with asthma.
While the PPA usually stays away from the federal money to support its efforts on the basis of the complicated application process, Monica Huertas, director of PPA, said her experience as part of the initiative of the Justice40 of the Biden Administration 40.
Justice40-von Trump was equipped for 40 percent of federal financing in numerous programs in low-income districts and color communities that are disproportionately violated by climate change and environmental injuries.
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“I didn't even know that it was a federal grant because it was so easy for us to just get the money,” she said. “You knew our organization. They knew what we were doing. “It was as if the government was finally supporting small organizations, she said.
“I think a lot of people thought that bidges as soon as he signed (the law to reduce inflation) … that it would be set in stone,” said Huertas.
But the floor no longer feels solid. In view of Trump's cuts towards the environmental protection authority and the general uncertainty in connection with the future of efforts to ensure environmental justice, the application process for grants has developed into a horror history, said Huertas.
The PPA is currently applying for environmental justice for New England Grant, which is financed by the EPA to distribute 48 million US dollars to projects over three years, which according to its website should satisfy “previous, current and future environmental and judicial challenges”.
After Trump announced cuts at the EPA, in particular on programs for environmental justice, Huertas received no information about whether the EJ would still be available for New England Grant. The program extended its application deadline on February 14 to March 7th due to the “recent confusion” caused by the financing freezing.
EJ for new England employees try to navigate further developing information about financing freezing. Carolyn Lin, director of the New England Environmental Justice Throring Communities Technical Assistance Center, who supports those who want to apply to an EJ New England grant, said they decided to do without “more clarity and final information about the future of the grant.
Huertas has also tried to renew the unique entity indicator of the PPA, which is necessary to apply for the grant. While the number has to be renewed annually, Huertas said that she had never had any problems before this year. Every time she tries to renew her number, she receives a message that the number is invalid. “So it is these little things that let you ask, what's going on?” she said.
“I will still apply because I have done everything, but I have no hopes at all,” said Huerats.
The PPA has been “very successful in the past five years,” said Huertas, and more money would make it possible for her to hire more employees to focus on studying and creating guidelines at the local level.
The PPA is committed to an environmental law law in Rhode Island, which “would restrict the cumulative effects of dirty companies in the port by preventing new companies that contribute to the existing pollution,” said Senator Tiara Mack, which is to be introduced to legislation, which will soon be introduced.
The legislative template at the state level would also benefit the communities in Pawtucket and Newport to the communities, added Mack.
When asked about the attempt to adopt this legislation under Trump's hostility to environmental equality, Mack said: “Whatever you call the work, it doesn't change. And I think many people are ready to do this work under different names. ”
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Julia Vaz
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Julia Vaz is a senior at Brown University with a focus on political science and modern culture and media. She headed the Brown Daily Herald's Environment department before acting as the managing director of Newsroom and Vice President. She also practiced for Heatmap News and researched the efforts of the climate adjustment. At ICN, she plans to report on topics on environmental justice and climate policy. She was born and grew up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.