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EPA and CEC Partners announce winners of the NAPECA grant program / $1.2 million in community grants awarded to environmental projects across North America

Release Date: 03/06/2014
Contact Information: Carissa Cyran, [email protected], 202-564-4363, 202-564-4355; En español: Lina Younes, [email protected], 202-564-9924, 202-564-4355

Montreal – U.S. EPA, Environment Canada, and the Mexico Ministry for Environment and Natural Resources, awarded $1.2 million in grants under the Council of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) North American Partnership for Environmental Community Action (NAPECA) program. These grants will support communities in addressing a wide range of environmental challenges across North America.

The NAPECA initiative was created in 2010 by the environment ministers of the three North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) countries that compose the CEC. The NAPECA was established to encourage innovative and model environmental initiatives at the community level across North America in support of trilateral environmental priorities.

“Empowering communities across North America to address environmental issues is at the core of EPA’s Environmental Justice efforts,” said Jane Nishida, Acting Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of International and Tribal Affairs, “The NAPECA program is a unique example of how EPA works with our North American partners to support a broad base of local organizations, indigenous communities, academic institutions, and environmental groups in delivering environmental programs across North America.”

Six of the 18 grant recipients are from the United States. These grants include efforts to: support wastewater treatment in indigenous communities; promote improved nutrition local communities by developing locally-grown sustainable produce; and protect water quality at beaches in the Tijuana/California border region in the U.S.

For more information on the CEC and a list of recipients under the NAPECA program, visit the NAPECA program homepage.