Million dollars to support new Flagstaff climate change resilience hubs, senators announce
Amillion dollars is heading to Flagstaff to support climate change adaptation efforts, Arizona Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly announced Wednesday.
The money, flowing in from the Inflation Reduction Act, will go to support three new community-led resilience hubs that work to increase emergency preparedness through safe heating, cooling and clean-air centers.
“Too often, small and rural communities in Arizona get overlooked for projects that provide clean air and drinking water,” Kelly said in a statement. “With this investment, Flagstaff will have more tools to protect the environment and improve quality of life for its residents.”
The funds were awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement and Environmental Justice Government-to-Government programs, which prioritizes resources for communities that have historically suffered from underinvestment to ensure access to clean air, water and climate resilience.
The hubs will help collect and distribute air quality information and improve health outcomes for residents affected by wildfire smoke and dust, and provide resources that meet the unique community-identified needs.
The Environmental Justice Government-to-Government program provides funding at the state, local, territorial and tribal levels to support government activities that lead to measurable environmental or public health impacts in communities disproportionately burdened by environmental harms.
“I worked hard to shape the historic energy and climate law to ensure it meets Arizona’s unique needs. Thanks to our work, we’re proudly delivering $1 million to the City of Flagstaff to invest in drought, wildfire and climate resilience – ensuring it remains a safe and healthy place to call home for generations to come,” Sinema said in a statement.