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Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition/Technical Advisory Group awarded $100K to help improve the health of the Duwamish Valley

Release Date: 11/01/2011
Contact Information: Sally Hanft, EPA’s Region 10 CARE Program, 206-553-1207, [email protected] Tony Brown, EPA Public Affairs, 206-553-1203, [email protected]

(SEATTLE – Nov 1, 2011) Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition/Technical Advisory Group (DRCC/TAG) is the recipient of a Community Action for a Renewed Environment grant (CARE) for $100,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. DRCC/TAG will use the grant to work with Duwamish Valley communities to understand and reduce risks due to toxic pollutants and environmental concerns from all sources.

Through this CARE cooperative agreement DRCC/TAG will:

• Invite residents, businesses, local governments and stakeholders to form a partnership committed to improving the local community’s health
• Identify sources of environmental exposure and associated health profile
• Conduct a consensus-based prioritization of health risks and assets the community partnership will work to reduce or enhance
• Develop strategies to reduce or eliminate the priority risks in order to improve the health of the entire Duwamish Valley community

“Soil contamination, outdoor and indoor air pollution, and poor water quality are just some of the environmental problems in the Duwamish Valley,” said Dennis McLerran, EPA Regional Administrator in Seattle. “This CARE grant will help DRCC/TAG take the necessary steps to improve the health of the Duwamish Valley community.”

“We at DRCC/TAG look forward to finding solutions today that will let the communities and businesses in Duwamish River Valley thrive in the future,” said James Rasmussen, DRCC/TAG Coordinator.

This community includes some of the most ethnically diverse and lowest income neighborhoods in Seattle.

This year EPA is marking the award of the 100th CARE grant as this EPA program continues to enable and assist communities across the country to better understand, address, and deal with their environmental problems through local partnerships.

Since 2005, CARE communities have leveraged EPA grant funding dollar-for-dollar with in-kind donations. They have engaged 1,700 partners, visited 4,000 homes, met with 2,800 businesses and worked with 6,000 youth. They are addressing EPA priorities and goals on climate change, improving air quality, assuring the safety of chemicals, cleaning up their communities, and protecting America’s waters. Ninety percent of CARE projects are in communities with environmental justice concerns.

EPA Region 10 has awarded $1.6 million in funds for CARE projects since 2005.

For additional information about EPA’s CARE program, visit: https://www.epa.gov/care/
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