Lehigh Valley qualifies for $1M grant to fight pollution, help environment
$1 million is coming to the Lehigh Valley from the EPA to develop a climate action plan.
"It sets out goals and then objectives and action steps for things we can achieve," said Becky Bradley, Executive Director of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, which was awarded the grant. "One of the things we're looking at is de-carbonization in the industrial sector, specifically around transportation."
Bradley says originally, the Lehigh Valley just missed the cut off to qualify for the funding, but four states - Iowa, Florida, Kentucky, and South Dakota - rejected the funding.
"EPA then took the resources from those states and then just went down one metro after the other and we were second in line," Bradley said.
In Pennsylvania, the grants were only awarded to the Lehigh Valley, as well as the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh regions.
The grant and final plan then gives the region access to apply for more climate change funds from the $4.6 billion in climate measures included in the Inflation Reduction Act.
"We do need to coordinate between local communities, state entities, and the federal government, and have a really good plan with very clear goals," said Flora Cardoni, who directs the Climate Program for Penn Environment.
She says last year, the Lehigh Valley had 51 days of elevated air pollution, most of which is caused by industrial transportation like trucking.
The funding could not only make air cleaner, but also protect the region from extreme weather.
"We often say Pennsylvania is becoming hotter and wetter," Cardoni said.
The specific plan on industrial de-carbonization needs to be submitted by next March. Then, the Planning Commission will have several years to come up with a more broad climate plan for the region.