To quote Larry Kudlow: Free market capitalism is the best path to prosperity! Matters of business and free enterprise are discussed on this blog. Included are company press releases, 3rd party news articles and videos, articles and videos pertaining to small business, and white collar crime.
Saturday, September 30, 2023
Friday, September 29, 2023
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
Monday, September 25, 2023
Sunday, September 24, 2023
Saturday, September 23, 2023
Friday, September 22, 2023
Thursday, September 21, 2023
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Availability of $4.6 Billion in Competitive Grants to Cut Climate Pollution as Part of Investing in America Agenda
EPA Press Office:
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Availability of $4.6 Billion in Competitive Grants to Cut Climate Pollution as Part of Investing in America Agenda
Announcement comes during Climate Week 2023
PHILADELPHIA (September 20, 2023) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched $4.6 billion in competitive grants to fund state, local, and Tribal programs and policies that cut climate pollution, advance environmental justice, and deploy clean energy solutions across the country. As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, a key pillar of Bidenomics, EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) competitions will enable community-driven solutions to the climate crisis, helping to accelerate America’s clean energy transition. The announcement comes during Climate Week 2023 in New York City – an annual gathering of civil society leaders, business leaders, students, and advocates who are committed to taking bold climate action.
The two new competitions are part of the second tranche of funding from EPA’s $5 billion Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program, which was created by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act – the largest climate investment in history. EPA has already made $250 million available to fund the development of climate action plans, and nearly all states, plus major cities opted in to receive these flexible planning resources. The $4.6 billion implementation grant competitions launched today will fund initiatives developed under the first phase of the program.
“Communities across the Mid-Atlantic Region will benefit as states and other partners use this historic funding to develop solutions to reduce the negative impacts of climate change and help create healthier, more resilient places to live, work and thrive,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “These grants are a significant investment in America and our future.”
State and local action is vital to deliver on President Biden’s commitment to reduce climate pollution by 50-52% by 2030. The CPRG program will enable states and local and tribal governments to take aggressive action to combat climate change by funding measures that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, especially measures that would bring economic and health benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities. This program will reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and other harmful air pollution for the health and wellbeing of everyone, including those most vulnerable to the flooding, heat waves, wildfires, and other destabilizing impacts of climate change on communities.
The CPRG program will also advance President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to ensure 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain climate, clean energy, and other Federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that have been marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Justice40 is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic commitment to environmental justice.
The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Competitions
EPA is announcing the availability of $4.6 billion across two implementation grant competitions, one general competition and one specifically for Tribes and territories. Under these competitions, eligible applicants will compete for CPRG implementation grants to fund measures in their state-, municipality-, Tribe-, or territory-specific climate action plans. As part of its evaluation of applications, EPA will prioritize measures that achieve the greatest amount of GHG emissions reductions.
In the grant competitions announced today, EPA describes how the agency intends to score applications and award the competitive funds to implementation grant recipients. EPA anticipates awarding approximately 30 to 115 grants ranging between $2 million and $500 million under the general competition. EPA also anticipates awarding approximately 25 to 100 grants ranging between $1 million and $25 million under the Tribes and territories competition.
The deadline to apply to the general competition is April 1, 2024. The deadline to apply to the Tribes and territories competition is May 1, 2024.
EPA estimates that the implementation grants will be awarded in Fall 2024 for the general competition and in Winter 2024-2025 for the Tribes and territories competition.
EPA has published the two official Notice of Funding Opportunities or NOFOs for these grants competitions on View Opportunity | GRANTS.GOV View Opportunity | GRANTS.GOV
Webinars
EPA will hold two informational webinars about the general competition on September 21 at 2:30 pm and October 3 at 3:00 pm (same content for both), and two informational webinars about the Tribes and territories competition on September 27 at 2:00 pm and October 5 at 1:00 pm (same content for both). All times are Eastern Time. These 1-hour webinars will provide more detailed information on the implementation grants competitions. Recordings of the webinars will be posted to the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants webpage.
Register for the September 21st webinar here.
More information on the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants
Sign up for notifications about the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program
Tuesday, September 19, 2023
Monday, September 18, 2023
Sunday, September 17, 2023
Saturday, September 16, 2023
Friday, September 15, 2023
Thursday, September 14, 2023
Wednesday, September 13, 2023
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
La EPA anuncia la aprobación de la certificación estatal de Luisiana, Nuevo México y Texas de los planes de aplicadores de pesticidas
USEPA News Release:
La EPA anuncia la aprobación de la certificación estatal de Luisiana, Nuevo México y Texas de los planes de aplicadores de pesticidas
DALLAS, TEXAS (12 de septiembre de 2023) – La Agencia de Protección Ambiental de Estados Unidos está finalizando normas más estrictas para las personas que usan Pesticidas de Uso Restringido (RUP) en los estados de Luisiana, Nuevo México y Texas. Los planes estatales actuales se han revisado para cumplir o superar los requisitos de seguridad mejorados en la Regla Final de Certificación de Aplicadores de Pesticidas (CPA) de 2017.
“El mal uso o la inobservancia de las normas de seguridad de los pesticidas puede afectar a las poblaciones vulnerables, por lo tanto, es imperativo que sigamos mejorando y manteniendo los requisitos de seguridad de los pesticidas”, explicó la administradora regional, Dra. Earthea Nance. “Con estas aprobaciones, la EPA está tomando medidas cruciales para reducir la exposición del medioambiente y salvaguardar la salud humana”.
Hay aproximadamente 66,000 aplicadores de pesticidas en Luisiana, Nuevo México y Texas certificados para usar RUP y un número estimado de 200,000 trabajadores agrÃcolas que pueden trabajar alrededor de RUP. Los aplicadores, el público y el medioambiente corren el riesgo de exponerse a los RUP manejados indebidamente o mal aplicados. Los Planes de Certificación Estatales revisados están destinados a mejorar la competencia de los aplicadores certificados de RUP y las personas que trabajan bajo su supervisión directa (aplicadores no certificados). La EPA espera que mejorar la competencia de los aplicadores certificados y no certificados ayudará a garantizar que los RUP se utilicen de acuerdo con las instrucciones indicadas en sus etiquetas y reducirá la exposición a pesticidas y las enfermedades entre los aplicadores, los trabajadores agrÃcolas, el público, las comunidades rurales y los niños, asà como a prevenir efectos adversos irrazonables para el medioambiente.
La EPA entiende la importancia y los peligros de los RUP, por lo tanto, ha verificado que estos tres planes estatales cumplen o exceden las regulaciones federales actualizadas y más estrictas. Las revisiones de estos planes incorporan solicitudes de larga data y preocupaciones de justicia ambiental de las comunidades, incluida una mejor capacitación para las personas que aplican RUP bajo supervisión directa, protección de menores y capacitación adicional para ciertas clases de pesticidas de alto riesgo. Principales áreas de mejora conforme a la CPA:
- Nuevas categorÃas: Ahora se exige un certificado para los RUP aéreos, de fumigación y de control de depredadores. Estos pesticidas de alto riesgo ahora requieren capacitación especÃfica debido a la dificultad de aplicarlos sin causar daños graves por la exposición fuera del objetivo.
- Edad mÃnima: Los aplicadores deben tener 18 años para aplicar los RUP (con exención de edad limitada (16) para algunos usos en granjas familiares por parte de aplicadores no certificados bajo la supervisión directa de un aplicador certificado).
- Cualificaciones de aplicadores no certificados: Quienes aplican los RUP bajo la supervisión directa de un aplicador certificado deben recibir capacitación de una manera que puedan entender. Los aplicadores deben verificar los registros de capacitación de quienes trabajan bajo su supervisión antes de aplicar los RUP.
- Recertificación: Las certificaciones son válidas por un máximo de cinco años. Antes no habÃa lÃmite federal.
De las 56 revisiones propuestas de planes presentadas por las autoridades certificadoras estatales y territoriales, 40 han sido aprobadas. La fecha lÃmite regulatoria para aprobar los planes de certificación revisados es el 4 de noviembre de 2023. La EPA continúa colaborando con los Departamentos Estatales de Agricultura para resolver los comentarios de la Agencia sobre los planes restantes. Para obtener más información sobre pesticidas y el proceso de certificación de la EPA, consulte nuestra página web dedicada.
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