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EPA ANNOUNCES GRANT TO KEWEENAW BAY INDIAN COMMUNITY TO REDUCE HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH CONTAMINANTS IN FISH

Release Date: 11/07/2013
Contact Information: Joshua Singer, 312-353-5069, [email protected]

For Immediate Release No. 13-OPA054

EPA ANNOUNCES GRANT TO KEWEENAW BAY INDIAN COMMUNITY TO REDUCE HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH CONTAMINANTS IN FISH

(BARAGA) Nov. 7, 2013— U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 Administrator Susan Hedman today announced a $30,000 Environmental Justice grant to the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community at a tribal council meeting in Baraga, Michigan. KBIC will use the grant to survey tribal fish consumption habits and to reduce health risks associated with contaminants in fish.

“EPA’s Environmental Justice grants provide resources to communities disproportionately impacted by public health and environmental problems,” Hedman said. “KBIC will use this grant to help tribal members reduce health risks associated with consumption of fish that contain mercury and other harmful contaminants."

"We believe that KBIC members may consume fish at higher rates than the overall population due to cultural practices and subsistence lifestyles,” said Lori Ann Sherman, KBIC Natural Resources Director. “This project will allow us to collect data for KBIC through a fish consumption survey which will ultimately lead to decisions which are more protective of tribal member health."

This year, EPA announced competitive grants totaling $1.1 million to 39 non-profit and tribal organizations working to address environmental justice issues nationwide.

2013 EJ Small Grant recipients and project descriptions: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/resources/publications/grants/ej-smgrants-recipients-2013.pdf

More information about EPA’s Environmental Justice Small Grants program: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/grants/ej-smgrants.html