{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/connecticut-congressional-delegation-announce-10-million-award", "Connecticut Congressional Delegation Announce $10 Million Award to University of Connecticut to Help Local Communities Address Environmental Justice Challenges", "2024-10-30", "2024", "2024-10", "Democrat", "House", "CT", "John B. Larson", "L000557", "larson.house.gov", "larson", "https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "East Hartford, CT \u2013 Today, the Connecticut Congressional delegation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that the University of Connecticut\u2019s (UConn) Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (TCTAC) is open and accepting requests from communities and organizations across New England for technical assistance to help address local environmental justice challenges. EPA selected UConn to establish one of 17 TCTACs across the country and awarded UConn $10 million to support this work for five years.\n\nUConn\u2019s TCTAC will provide critical support to overburdened communities in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont and federally recognized Tribes in New England. The assistance will help local communities navigate the federal grant application process, strengthen their capacity for community engagement, and ensure they can benefit from funding opportunities from the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.\n\n\u201cI am thrilled to see UConn\u2019s Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center open and available to communities interested in accessing the suite of programs, benefits, and funding made available by the Biden Administration.\u201d said Rep. John B. Larson. \u201cThe entire Connecticut Congressional delegation has worked together to secure federal funding and enact new incentives to unleash clean energy in our communities, strengthen public health, and make our state\u2019s infrastructure more resilient to climate change. This technical assistance center is a vital resource for ensuring that all people across New England can equitably advocate for their environmental interests. I will continue to work with UConn and our state and local partners to accomplish these goals and ensure a healthy environment for generations to come.\u201d\n\n\u201cToo often, communities with the most pressing environmental justice concerns have been left behind due to barriers in accessing federal funding,\u201d said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. \u201cUConn\u2019s technical assistance center is a game-changer for New England and will provide greater access to services to ensure overburdened and underserved communities and our Tribal nations can access historic investments to address generational environmental and health disparities.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs Connecticut\u2019s flagship university, UConn takes pride in service to our communities and helping to prepare them for the environmental challenges they face in the present and the future,\u201d said Pamir Alpay, UConn Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship. \u201cWith the EPA\u2019s generous support, we are proud to extend our expertise and resourcefulness to support environmental justice throughout the cities, towns, and Tribes of New England.\u201d\n\nSenator Richard Blumenthal said: \u201cArmed with this $10 million, UConn will support communities fighting to restore and preserve environmental resources. Aid from experienced experts will be particularly important to underserved areas facing economic and health inequities. This supremely smart investment benefits our entire state.\u201d\n\n\u201cCommunity leaders and grassroots organizations are the driving force behind Connecticut\u2019s conservation efforts, but too often, these small groups find it nearly impossible to navigate the bureaucratic red tape to access federal grants and programs,\u201d said Senator Chris Murphy. \u201cI\u2019m proud to see the federal government partnering with UConn to help ensure every community can fully benefit from the Biden-Harris Administration\u2019s historic investments in environmental justice.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe University of Connecticut\u2019s Technical Assistance Center is here to help communities across the state and region address the effects of climate change and prepare for a clean energy future,\" said Rep. Joe Courtney. \u201cThis is particularly important in helping organizations unlock and use funding from the federal Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act that my colleagues and I championed in Congress. Under President Maric's highly skilled leadership and her strong background in energy sciences, the mission of the Assistance Center is in good hands.\u201d\n\nUConn will partner with the following organizations to engage with local communities:\n\nEnvironmental Protection Network will provide region-wide support for community capacity building to address challenging health and environmental injustices, offer technical assistance, education and outreach, and conduct community engagement.\n\nGroundwork USA affiliates in Bridgeport, Conn., Lawrence, Mass., and Providence R.I., will coordinate outreach to urban-based community organizations and help tailor technical assistance to meet the diverse needs of urban communities.\n\nNew England Rural Health Association in Vermont will coordinate outreach to rural community-based organizations via its more than 600 members and provide technical assistance to address environmental and energy needs as well as public transit, broadband and cell service.\n\nUniversity of Massachusetts Boston\u2019s Institute for New England Native American Studies will coordinate the outreach to Tribes and Native non-profit organizations across the region and tailor location-based technical assistance to meet each tribe\u2019s unique needs.\n\nUniversity of Southern Maine\u2019s New England Environmental Finance Center will provide sustainable solutions to fund and finance environmental and climate priorities and technical assistance to address climate adaptation and water infrastructure needs.", 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://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/connecticut-congressional-delegation-announce-10-million-award"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6309828497469425, "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"}