Yonkers project receives $100K environmental justice grant

An environmental justice project designed to help Yonkers-area residents was the sole Westchester/Hudson Valley endeavor to receive funds as part of the newly announced Environmental Justice Community Air Monitoring Capacity Building grants

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced $898,365 in grants were being allocated.

“These capacity building grants will bolster the ongoing work of the State’s Community Air Monitoring Initiative, underway now in 10 disadvantaged communities across New York State,” said Seggos. “DEC will continue to address climate change under our nation-leading Climate Act by providing support and resources for community-led initiatives to develop solutions, working hand-in-hand with our partners in communities to reduce pollution and improve quality of life for New Yorkers.”

Groundwork Hudson Valley received $100,000 for “SW Yonkers Air Quality (AQ) Education Campaign and Planning Project,” which the DEC described as a project to “expand efforts to inform this Environmental Justice area about the critical relationship between climate change, air pollutants, and individual and community health risks and create a community-based air quality monitoring plan.”