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Crow Tribe earns EPA environmental justice grant

Release Date: 09/19/2013
Contact Information: U.S. EPA: Richard Mylott, 303-312-6654; Crow Tribe of Indians: 406-638-4102

Tribe to focus on water quality and public health

(Denver, Colorado – September 19, 2013) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing the Crow Tribe on the Crow Reservation in south-central Montana with a 2013 Environmental Justice Small grant. The Tribe will receive $28,500 to educate residents and reduce exposure to water contamination.

The Crow Tribe is among 39 non-profit and tribal organizations nationwide receiving a total of $1.1 million in competitive grants to address environmental justice issues. The grants will enable the organizations to develop solutions to local health and environmental issues in low-income, minority and tribal communities overburdened by harmful pollution.

The Crow Tribe will use the EPA grant to develop a Water Quality Education program and establish a sustainable approach for addressing health issues associated with water pollution and educate the community on preventative measures to mitigate the effects of contamination. The Crow Tribe seeks to address fecal contamination issues at a sacred, medicinal spring located on the reservation. The spring is culturally significant to the Tribe, is used for recreational and ceremonial practices, and poses a significant threat to the health and safety of tribal members.

“EPA’s Environmental Justice Small Grants are making a visible difference in communities across the country,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “These grants help build capacity, raise awareness, and equip communities with the tools to address environmental challenges – from climate change impacts to brownfields and water pollution. I’m proud to continue to promote these important grants and advance EPA’s long-term commitment to our community stakeholders.”

The 2013 grants support activities that address a range of community concerns such as reducing exposure to indoor environmental asthma triggers, restoring and protecting waterways, educating child care professionals on ways to prevent lead poisoning, and reducing pesticide use in child care facilities.

Environmental justice is defined as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race or income, in the environmental decision-making process. Since 1994, EPA’s environmental justice small grants program has supported projects to address environmental justice issues in more than 1,400 communities. The grant awards represent EPA’s commitment to promoting community-based actions to address environmental justice issues.

In the fall of 2013, EPA will issue a Request for Proposals for the FY 2014 Collaborative Problem Solving Grants. A schedule of pre-application community stakeholder teleconference calls will be announced at that time.

2013 EJ Small Grant recipients and project descriptions: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/resources/publications/grants/ej-smgrants-recipients-2013.pdf

More information about EPA’s Environmental Justice Small Grants program: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/grants/ej-smgrants.html