DEC Announces $3 Million Grant Funding Now Available to Reduce Air Pollution

In celebration of the conclusion of Climate Week, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar today announced approximately $3 million in grants is now available to plan and implement ambient air pollution mitigation strategies. Air mitigation projects are intended to further the goals of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act) and DEC's historic Community Air Monitoring Initiative in disadvantaged communities historically overburdened by climate change and pollution throughout New York.

"DEC is proud to support Governor Kathy Hochul's commitment to making positive change that advances environmental justice, reduces health disparities, and improves the overall well-being of the most vulnerable New Yorkers," DEC Interim Commissioner Mahar said. "The grants announced today will support projects that empower disadvantaged communities while bolstering the State's efforts to mitigate air pollution under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act."

Ambient air pollution can compromise human health, the environment, and communities in many ways. Air pollution is associated with human health effects including heart attacks, asthma attacks, bronchitis, hospital and emergency room visits, work and school days lost, restricted activity days, respiratory symptoms, and premature mortality. Disadvantaged communities are home to more sources of air pollution and have higher rates of negative health outcomes than the rest of the state. Air pollution also causes quality of life impacts at the community level.

First announced by Governor Kathy Hochul in 2021, DEC launched the statewide Community Air Monitoring Initiative led by DEC is the largest air monitoring initiative ever undertaken in New York. DEC collaborated with local residents and community stakeholders to collect data that will help develop strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other sources of air pollution in areas with high air pollution burdens.

The Disadvantaged Community Air Mitigation Grant is being offered to support the next steps of the Community Air Monitoring Initiative and other effective actions to reduce air pollution and exposure within disadvantaged communities and support the development of statewide mitigation strategies. The focus for grantees should be on mitigation projects and evaluating their effectiveness so that successful strategies can be replicated in communities across the state. Projects should be designed to reduce or mitigate air pollution in areas that have evidence of air burdens. Mitigation techniques can be varied, and multiple techniques can be implemented. The grants can also support local planning efforts to reduce pollution, develop local action plans, or local health intervention programs. New Yorkers can learn more about air quality in disadvantaged communities and throughout the state on DEC's Statewide Community Air Monitoring Initiative webpage.

The deadline to apply for funding is 3 p.m. on Jan. 29, 2025. Questions regarding this grant opportunity will be accepted through Jan. 15, 2025. All questions and answers will be uploaded on a rolling basis on DEC's Environmental Justice Grant Programs webpage.

For a complete list of guidelines and more information, contact DEC's Office of Environmental Justice at 518-402-8556, [email protected], or online at DEC's Environmental Justice web page. Funding for this grant opportunity is provided from the state Environmental Protection Fund with dollars designated to Environmental Justice.

New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Plan 

New York State's climate agenda calls for an orderly and just transition that creates family-sustaining jobs, continues to foster a green economy across all sectors and ensures that a minimum of 35 percent, with a goal of 40 percent, of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities. Guided by some of the nation's most aggressive climate and clean energy initiatives, New York is advancing a suite of efforts - including the New York Cap-and-Invest program (NYCI) and other complementary policies - to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 and 85 percent by 2050 from 1990 levels. New York is also on a path toward a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and economy-wide carbon neutrality by mid-century. A cornerstone of this transition is New York's unprecedented clean energy investments, including more than $28 billion in 61 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the State, $6.8 billion to reduce building emissions, $3.3 billion to scale up solar, nearly $3 billion for clean transportation initiatives and over $2 billion in NY Green Bank commitments.

These and other investments are supporting more than 170,000 jobs in New York's clean energy sector as of 2022 and over 3,000 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, New York also adopted zero-emission vehicle regulations, including requiring all new passenger cars and light-duty trucks sold in the State be zero emission by 2035. Partnerships are continuing to advance New York's climate action with more than 400 registered and more than 150 certified Climate Smart Communities, over 500 Clean Energy Communities, and the State's largest community air monitoring initiative in 10 disadvantaged communities across the State to help target air pollution and combat climate change.