$30 million headed toward Arizona tribes environmental efforts

(The Center Square) — Thirty million dollars in the Inflation Reduction Act is headed toward environmental efforts for tribal communities in Arizona.

The funding for the Hopi tribe and the Salt River Pima Indian Community is intended to help with air quality efforts on the reservations.

The “Hopi Coal to Solar Transition” is being awarded $20.1 million, and the Salt River Pima’s effort to reduce greenhouse gas is getting $9.7 million.

“As Arizona continues to face the impacts of climate change, these grants in pollution reduction and clean energy infrastructure are critical to protecting our communities and environment,” Sen. Mark Kelly said in a statement. “Arizona’s Tribal communities have long been at the forefront of developing effective solutions to the climate crisis, and I’m proud that Inflation Reduction Act funds will continue to support that important work.

More specifically, the funding came from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program and its “environmental justice” effort to give money to support governments.

In total, the EPA touted $300 million in grants nationwide last week for 34 different “tribal and territorial” entities for its Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program. Thirty-three tribes had the applications succeed, and the federal government hopes that the efforts will cut emissions by 7 million metric tons by 2050, according to a news release. The $300 million is only from the most recent round of grants, as the program was designated $5 billion.

“The Tribal and territory leaders selected today will fund innovative projects that improve air quality, deliver cleaner affordable electricity, and create economic and workforce opportunities that can be scaled up and replicated across Tribal lands and U.S. territories,” EPA administrator Michael Regan said in a statement.

Grant announcements stemming from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 are frequently doled out. Proponents argue the legislation provided necessary recovery and investments in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, while critics argue that the high price tag on the bills accelerated the pace of inflation in the United States.