For Immediate
Release: August 26, 2021
Media Contact: Soledad
Calvino, 415-972-3512, Calvino.maria@epa.gov
American Samoa EPA Awarded $200,000 for
Environmental Justice Projects under the American Rescue Plan
PAGO PAGO — The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a $200,000 grant to the
American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency (AS-EPA) to address air quality
issues across the island of Tutuila. Stay-at-home orders tied to the COVID-19
pandemic have led to an increase in open burning on Tutuila, with negative
consequences for air quality. The funds come from the American Rescue Plan and
are being awarded as a grant under EPA’s State Environmental Justice
Cooperative Agreement (SEJCA) program. Awards made through this program are the
first competitive grants from the EPA focusing directly on the unequal impacts
the COVID-19 pandemic has had on communities of color, low-income communities,
and other vulnerable populations.
“The U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI) face some of the greatest
environmental and COVID-related burdens,” said Acting Regional Administrator Deborah Jordan.
“We are pleased to support American Samoa’s efforts to address these challenges
and congratulate them for being the first USAPI to receive a SEJCA award.”
AS-EPA will use this American Rescue Plan funding to address underserved
residents’ increased exposure to outdoor pollutants caused by open burning,
which has been practiced more frequently due to local stay-at-home orders. The
project will strategically install four air quality monitoring stations across
the island of Tutuila to measure real time air quality. Data will assist in
inter-agency collaborations for making informed decisions and plans to improve
air quality on the island. The air quality information will also be used in an
educational program about the negative health and environmental impacts of
burning yard waste compared to the positive benefits of composting.
"I would like to thank Acting Regional Administrator Deborah Jordan and
the entire team at the EPA Region 9 for their continuous support of the USAPI
and especially American Samoa's environmental programs. Being the first USAPI
jurisdiction to receive a SEJCA award is a testament to the hard-working staff
we have here at the AS-EPA Air & Land Division and I commend them for
conquering this challenge,” said
AS-EPA Director Fa'amao
O. Asalele, Jr. “Understanding air pollution and its impacts
will allow communities and organizations to work together to strike a balance
between social good, economic growth and environmental implications associated
with developments that cause air pollution. In doing so, this will promote healthy
communities and create conditions that are supportive of
developing and improving a sustainable framework of clean air
investments and policies in American Samoa. My staff and I look forward to
working with US EPA Region 9 and our local partners on the implementation of
this very important project.”
Nationwide, projects supported by this funding include training, development
of citizen-science tools, pollution monitoring, and educational campaigns to
enable environmental justice advocates, scientists, and decision-makers to
address pollution and create thriving communities. The American Rescue Plan Act
of 2021 was signed into law on March 11, 2021. It provides funds to address
health outcome disparities from pollution and the COVID–19 pandemic. To learn more
about the American Rescue Plan, visit: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1319/text
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