All News Releases By Date

 

North and Northeast Portland Community to Benefit from $210,950 EPA Grant Aimed at Reducing Toxic Risks

Release Date: 10/24/2008
Contact Information:

(Portland, Oregon – October 24, 2008) People in Inner North and Northeast Portland will be better able to protect themselves from toxic chemicals thanks to a $210,950 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Elin Miller, EPA's Regional Administrator, announces the Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) grant award to Josiah Hill III Clinic (JHC) today at the Peninsula Park Community Center, located at 700 North Rosa Parks Way, in North Portland.

Josiah Hill Clinic will use the funding for outreach campaigns and healthy environment checkups. They will work with their partner organizations on issues such as reducing toxins, environmentally friendly, that is, “green” business practices, and green alternatives for maintenance and building. This is the second stage of grant funding for JHC, allowing their member organizations and partners to build upon existing programs and to pilot new efforts.

"CARE grants are about empowering communities," said EPA’s Miller. "Josiah Hill Clinic and their partners truly benefited the people of Northeast Portland under their previous Cully neighborhood Healthy Futures Collaborative project. With this CARE grant, they will reach even more people with information about green products and how to reduce their risk of exposure to toxins in and around their homes."

The projects JHC will conduct include:

• Community organizing and training along with healthy environment checkups in partnership with Multnomah County Environment Health;
• Developing a local benefit analysis of green housing and working with property owners and managers of multi-family housing to encourage the use of green, or less toxic products in partnership with Enterprise Community Partners; and
• Developing a local business inventory to identify access sources for green products and services that residents and property owners may utilize as they take actions to reduce chemicals and toxins.

The partners for the JHC grant include; Multnomah County Environmental Health, Metro, Portland State University, North/Northeast Business Association, Enterprise Community Partners, and Inner North & Northeast neighborhood residents.

“We look forward to continuing to involve volunteers and neighborhood leaders as we provide education to protect children from toxins and advocate for healthier housing,” stated Erin McNally, Executive Director for JHC.

EPA’s CARE program, originally launched in 2005, has grown from a network of 12 communities to nearly 68 projects. Over the past four years EPA has provided $10.4 million to fund CARE projects. The common theme of CARE projects is to help community groups build collaborative partnerships at the local level between residents, businesses, organizations and local and state governments.

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

For additional information about Josiah Hill III Clinic, visit: http://www.jhillclinic.org/

###
Subscribe to automatically receive Region 10 News Releases via email at:
http://service.govdelivery.com/service/subscribe.html?code=USEPA_C19