This action approves an award in the amount of $3,000,000 to support the alabama department of environmental management (adem) to develop a comprehensive, economy-wide climate mitigation plan or…

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded a $3,000,000 Cooperative Agreement to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) under the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program (CFDA 66.046). The funding will support ADEM in developing a comprehensive, economy-wide climate mitigation plan or updating an existing plan in collaboration with local air pollution control districts, municipalities, and tribal governments across Alabama. Key activities include:

• Developing, updating, and evaluating plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance carbon sinks
• Conducting meaningful engagement with low-income and disadvantaged communities
• Delivering priority and comprehensive climate action plans that quantify pollution reductions
• Building staff capacity, conducting workforce analysis, and improving community engagement and air quality

ADEM will coordinate with various state and local stakeholders to produce the climate action plans and other deliverables over the 4-year program period. The intended beneficiaries are residents and visitors across Alabama, including those in low-income and disadvantaged areas.

Activities

Include the development, updating, and evaluation of plans to reduce climate pollution (i.e., to reduce GHG emissions and/or enhance carbon sinks). Adem will coordinate with numerous entities to develop the planning documents, including the alabama department of economic and community affairs, the alabama clean fuel coalition, county departments of health, planning organizations, universities, relevant state agencies, and other public stakeholders. Adem's environmental justice committee, along with other stakeholders, will be involved in identifying low-income disadvantaged areas of alabama and a low-income and disadvantaged communities' benefits analysis will be conducted to help set priorities. Anticipated deliverables will be produced and submitted over the course of the 4-year program period, including: a priority climate action plan (pcap), a comprehensive climate action plan (ccap), and a status report. Expected outcomes include a pcap and ccap that identifies tons of pollution (ghgs and CO-pollutants) reduced over the lifetime of the measures; tons of pollution (ghgs and CO-pollutants) reduced annually; and tons of pollution (ghgs and CO-pollutants) reduced with respect to low-income and disadvantaged communities. Improved staff capacity to implement policies to address climate change, a workforce planning analysis, enhanced community engagement, improved ambient air quality, benefits to health, increased public awareness, and high-quality jobs with an emphasis on workers from underserved populations. The intended beneficiaries include residents and visitors across the state of alabama, including those in low-income and disadvantaged areas. Activities:.subrecipient:funds will be administer to municipal support programs. Benefits from GHG reduction measures may include but are not limited to; CO-pollutant emission reductions (criteria air pollutants and air toxics), increased climate resilience, improved access to services and amenities, jobs created and workforce development and decreased energy costs from energy efficiency improvements. During the development of this plan, there will be ongoing processes and meetings. Quarterly reporting is required for the cprg, and two quarterly reports will be due during the development of the pcap. Interagency meetings, stakeholder meetings and meetings with municipal partners will be held on an alternating bimonthly schedule. DEM's environmental justice committee along with other stakeholders will be involved in identifying low-income disadvantaged areas of alabama. Adem will contact the community leaders to disseminate information to the affected community. In-person community meetings will be held. Information related to the needs of the community will either be gathered at the in-person meetings or through contact with the spokesperson for each community group. Outcomes:.