News Releases from Region 03

EPA Announces Award of $21 Million in Funding for State and Tribal Environmental Priorities in WV

Funding to West Virginia will support priorities of three state agencies

PHILADELPHIA (March 4, 2020) –The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today the state of West Virginia is among the nation’s states and Tribes to receive a portion of $21 million in Multipurpose Grants for addressing their environmental priorities.  Three West Virginia agencies will use EPA’s multipurpose grant funding to complement existing environmental protection efforts. 

“EPA recognizes the important role of states and local governments in protecting the health and future of our communities,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Cosmo Servidio. “This funding enables partners like West Virginia to carry out activities that address their environmental and public health priorities.”

EPA’s Multipurpose Grant (MPG) program for States and Tribes supports states, tribes and territories in addressing high-priority environmental issues. Recognizing that environmental challenges differ due to variations in geography, population density, and other factors, this program provides EPA’s co-regulator partners with the flexibility to target funds to their highest priority efforts to protect human health and the environment.  With this grant funding, states and tribes are supporting a range of projects, including: addressing contaminants such as PFAS and lead, streamlining permitting processes, performing inspections, updating air and water monitoring equipment, testing radon in schools, and conducting outreach and education in areas such as pesticides application and harmful algal blooms.

The Multipurpose Grants awarded to West Virginia include:

• WV Department of Agriculture:

  • $53,039 – The Department plans to purchase a much-needed soil analyzer to increase its soil testing accuracy, capacity, and efficiency.

• WV Department of Health and Human Resources

  • $60,284 – The Department will use this funding to conduct outreach in Zone 1 counties to realtors, building contractors, local policy and decision makers, hospitals and homeowners to promote radon testing and recommend radon mitigation in homes.

• WV Department of Environmental Protection

  • $82,000 – The Department will use the funding to purchase air monitoring equipment.

  • $42,804 – The Department will use the funding to complete Phase I and Phase II environmental assessments at priority brownfield sites in areas impacted by flooding in 2016.