>Today, Aug. 22, as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the five selected recipients of $34 million in grant funding to address indoor air pollution in schools. These five selected applications will fund proposed initiatives to monitor and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and indoor air pollution at schools from kindergarten through grade 12 in low-income, disadvantaged, and Tribal communities across the country. These grants to protect children’s health are made possible through the President’s Inflation Reduction Act, the largest investment in climate action and environmental justice in history.
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EPA anticipates that grants to the five selected applicants will be finalized and awarded in the fall of 2024 once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied and that selected applicants will begin their projects shortly thereafter.
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With today’s announcement, the Biden-Harris Administration is driving climate action, improving public health, and supporting educational achievement of our children, especially those who attend school in disadvantaged communities. These projects will help schools develop and implement comprehensive indoor air quality plans through training, education, capacity building and research and demonstration projects.

>The awards under the Grant Funding to Address Indoor Air Pollution at Schools will advance environmental justice and equity considerations, and align with the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which sets a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.

>Approximately one-sixth of the U.S. population attends or works in roughly 130,000 schools around the country and half of all K-12 students attend schools that do not have indoor air quality management plans or programs in place. Air quality in schools is of particular concern because children’s developing organ systems are often more sensitive to environmental stressors, and children are frequently more heavily exposed to toxic substances in the environment than are adults. Children breathe more air in proportion to their body weight than adults.

>There is substantial evidence that comprehensive management of indoor air quality in schools improves student academic performance and attendance, reduces the spread of airborne illnesses like COVID-19, lengthens the lifespan of building systems, and lowers greenhouse gas emissions from schools while providing significant cost savings through lower energy consumption.

List of recipients for this round of funding in the press release. Statement from EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe:

>“Children spend so much of their day in school. It is critical for their health and academic success that schools have clean and healthy air,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “These grants will put schools in the best position to improve attendance and academic achievement, while addressing the unique and disproportionate health impacts that children in overburdened communities face as a result of indoor air quality challenges.”

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In other press releases:

* [EPA Awards $25.5M in New Grants to Combat Impact of Climate Change on Drinking Water Infrastructure](https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-awards-255m-new-grants-combat-impact-climate-change-drinking-water-infrastructure)

* [EPA Announces Clean School Bus Funding of Nearly $8 million for Alief ISD as Part of the Investing in America Agenda](https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-announces-clean-school-bus-funding-nearly-8-million-alief-isd-part-investing)

* [St. Charles Mesa Water District to receive $175K EPA water infrastructure grant](https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/st-charles-mesa-water-district-receive-175k-epa-water-infrastructure-grant)

* [EPA Awarding $7.3 Million in California to Combat Impacts of Climate Change on Drinking Water Infrastructure](https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-awarding-73-million-california-combat-impacts-climate-change-drinking-water)

* [Recruiter for Mexican Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced in El Paso to 20 Years in Federal Prison](https://www.dhs.gov/hsi/news/2024/08/21/recruiter-mexican-drug-trafficking-organization-sentenced-el-paso)

* [Washington State Man Arrested on Felony and Misdemeanor Charges for Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach](https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/washington-state-man-arrested-felony-and-misdemeanor-charges-actions-during-jan-6-0)

* [Texas Woman Pleads Guilty to Felony and Misdemeanor Charges for Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach](https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/texas-woman-pleads-guilty-felony-and-misdemeanor-charges-actions-during-jan-6-capitol)

* [Two Men from Texas and Virginia Arrested on Felony and Misdemeanor Charges for Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach](https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/two-men-texas-and-virginia-arrested-felony-and-misdemeanor-charges-actions-during-jan-6)

* [President of UMI Learning Center Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison, Ordered to Pay $3.7 Million back in Stolen Childcare Benefits](https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/president-umi-learning-center-sentenced-27-months-prison-ordered-pay-37-million-back)