{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://amo.house.gov/press-release/ri-delegation-announces-over-306000-to-help-rhode-island-s-craft-beverage-sector-prevent-pollution", "RI Delegation Announces Over $306,000 to Help Rhode Island's Craft Beverage Sector Prevent Pollution", "2024-10-31", "2024", "2024-10", "Democrat", "House", "RI", "Gabe Amo", "A000380", "amo.house.gov", "amo", "https://amo.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "BOSTON \u2013 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management has been selected to receive $306,441 in grants to provide technical assistance to businesses to develop and adopt pollution prevention (P2) practices in local communities.\n\nThe Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management has been selected to receive $306,441. Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) will provide P2 technical assistance to Rhode Island\u2019s craft beverage sector with an emphasis on reducing environmental and health impacts for businesses and disadvantaged communities. As part of the BetterBev New England Green Craft Beverage Recognition Program, RIDEM will continue to work with other New England P2 technical assistance providers to assist craft beverage producers in implementing environmentally friendly practices which save energy, conserve water, minimize wastewater, avoid toxic or hazardous chemicals and reduce greenhouse gases.\n\n\u201cEvery community deserves clean air, safe water, and a healthy environment\u2014and pollution prevention grants help achieve that by reducing waste at the source. By adopting smarter and innovative practices that limit the use of toxic materials and conserve resources, these investments are helping our partners to support New England businesses to cut costs, grow sustainably, and protect the environment,\u201d said EPA Regional Administrator David W. Cash. \u201cThanks to the Biden-Harris Administration, together we\u2019re creating lasting benefits for local economies and ensuring that environmental progress and economic growth go hand in hand and reach all communities, including those that need it most. That's Investing in America.\u201d\n\n\u201cRhode Island is home to a growing number of excellent craft brewers,\u201d said U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. \u201cThis investment will help small brewers cut costs, save energy, and prevent pollution to cleanly produce some of the nation\u2019s best craft beers.\u201d\n\n\u201cEvery Rhode Islander deserves to breathe clean air and drink clean water,\u201d said U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner. \u201cThis federal funding will help remove pollution and toxins from the environment while helping businesses save money on energy costs \u2014 a win-win.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I\u2019m glad that this funding through the Environmental Protection Agency will help reduce pollution and waste for Rhode Island\u2019s thriving craft beverage sector to save energy, conserve water, reduce toxic waste, and shrink its carbon emissions footprint,\u201d said Congressman Gabe Amo.\n\n\u201cDEM is grateful to receive this funding from EPA to continue growing our partnership with Rhode Island\u2019s craft breweries through our Green Breweries Program, which provides technical assistance to local breweries to help improve performance and reduce environmental impacts,\u201d said Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Director Terry Gray. \u201cI always enjoy locally grown, locally harvested, and locally brewed products, and this award will help the Ocean State\u2019s breweries continue implementing green practices and receive well-deserved recognition through the BetterBev program.\u201d\n\nIn total, EPA announced 48 selectees across the country that will collectively receive nearly $19 million in grants to support states, Tribal Nations, and U.S. territories in providing technical assistance to businesses to develop and adopt pollution prevention (P2) practices in local communities. Thanks to President Biden\u2019s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, nearly half of the funds awarded this year were made available with no cost share/match requirement.\n\nPollution prevention, also known as P2 or source reduction, is any practice that reduces, eliminates, or prevents pollution at its source prior to recycling, treatment, or disposal. Preventing pollution at the source rather than managing waste afterwards is an important way to support American business\u2019 efforts to reduce costs, while protecting communities from exposure to toxic chemicals and conserving natural resources. These practices are essential for protecting health, improving environmental conditions\u2013including in and around disadvantaged communities\u2013and preserving natural resources like wetlands, groundwater sources, and other critical ecosystems.\n\nBetween 2011-2022, EPA\u2019s Pollution Prevention program issued over 500 grants totaling more than $54 million, which have helped businesses identify, develop, and adopt P2 approaches. These approaches have resulted in 31.9 billion kWh in energy savings, eliminated 20.8 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, saved 52 billion gallons of water, reduced 1 billion pounds of hazardous materials, and saved businesses more than $2.3 billion.\n\nThe agency expects to award funds once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied. Once awarded, selected grantees will document and share P2 best practices that they identify and develop through these grants, so that others can replicate these practices and outcomes. Each selected grantee will also develop at least one case study during the grant period on P2 practices that are new or not widely known or adopted, or where detailed information on the P2 practices could benefit other businesses or P2 technical assistance providers.\n\nThe grants funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be fully funded upon being awarded, with individual grant awards as high as $350,000. Grants that are a part of the traditional P2 grants program will be funded over a two-year funding cycle and require a cost share/match of fifty percent. EPA\u2019s Pollution Prevention Grant Program advances President Biden\u2019s Justice40 Initiative which set a goal to deliver 40% of the overall benefits from certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. The full list of selections can be found below, and the selected project summaries can be found on EPA\u2019s Pollution Prevention website.\n\nBackground\n\nPresident Biden\u2019s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law made a historic $100 million investment in EPA\u2019s P2 Program, more than doubling the funding for P2 grants. The first round of 39 awards funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was announced in September 2022 and the second round of 24 awards was announced October 2023.\n\nThe list of selections can be found below, and the selected project summaries can be found on EPA\u2019s Pollution Prevention website.\n\nRead more about P2 and EPA\u2019s P2 Grant Program.\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://amo.house.gov/press-release/ri-delegation-announces-over-306000-to-help-rhode-island-s-craft-beverage-sector-prevent-pollution"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.383414888754487, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}