Grant Funding Available for Air Pollution Reduction

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) has declared the availability of funding for grants to reduce air pollution. The grants are overall worth $3 million. The funding will be dedicated to air pollution mitigation programs specifically in disadvantaged communities.

The grants will help New York work toward achieving the goals defined in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act), which include decarbonization and net-zero emissions.

About the Disadvantaged Community Air Mitigation Grant

Setting a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is important, as air pollution affects the health and safety of the public. It has been shown that air pollution is related to several health concerns, such as asthma and other respiratory diseases.

The newly announced $3 million in funding is being offered through the Disadvantaged Community Air Mitigation Grant. This program will offer support to projects that aim to decrease air pollution. Awardees should also assess the efficacy of these mitigation strategies, so those that prove successful can be implemented on a wider scale.

Importance of the Community Air Monitoring Initiative

The Disadvantaged Community Air Mitigation Grant funding will directly support the next phase of New York’s Community Air Monitoring Initiative—this portion of the initiative involves the formulation of methods to reduce air pollution in disadvantaged communities, which is the exact kind of work that the grant funding is intended to support.

The upcoming second phase of the Community Air Monitoring Initiative (in which air quality improvement techniques will be developed) follows the recently completed monitoring phase. Data collected from existing air monitoring programs are available in the form of Story Maps on NYSDEC’s website (https://arcg.is/1q1Lqv0). There, you can view the locations where these tests have been conducted and more information about the methods used for air monitoring. This information will be crucial for developing effective air pollution mitigation measures.

Read Walden’s recent blog on the Community Air Monitoring Initiative if you are interested in learning more!

How Can I Apply?

Applications for Disadvantaged Community Air Mitigation Grant funding must be submitted by January 29, 2025. The application, as well as additional information, is available here (under the heading “Air Pollution Mitigation Grant”). Submissions must be made electronically through the SFS Grants Management System.

Walden’s grant writing team has successfully applied to a variety of different funding programs for our clients. If you are interested in learning more about the Disadvantaged Community Air Mitigation Grant (or any other relevant opportunities that align with your needs), contact us at 516-548-2974.