At the Overbrook Environmental Education Center (OEEC), we know how hard it is to run an equity-centered community-based organization.
In 2019, the acre of land on Lancaster Ave that the OEEC acquired to make into a green oasis was analyzed for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), metals and more. We knew the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could help us through their brownfields program, which was designed to ensure that any cleanup complies with federal and state laws.
Fortunately for us, we had enough experience and time on our hands to investigate cleanup requirements and to meet people who could help us navigate the programs at the EPA. After a long journey of filling out paperwork, revising our grant request and then waiting, we finally received the assistance needed to propose a cleanup and design strategy that ensured our site would transition from brown to green.
Back then, we could have benefited from a program like the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTAC) program, the recently launched federal initiative of the EPA and the Department of Energy.
The TCTAC program was formed to help community organizations who work to help their communities prevent and remediate pollution; promote workforce development tied to air pollution and greenhouse gas reductions, climate adaptation and resiliency; reduce indoor air pollution; mitigate climate- and heat-related health issues; and facilitate engagement of disadvantaged communities in governmental processes.
If you run an EJ organization, you know the obstacles to success are significant. There is never enough time, money and expertise to tackle the problems the way you would like. The federal government recognized this when they passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the largest environmental funding in the history of the country. They knew that EJ organizations on the frontlines and fencelines are doing great work, but might not have the infrastructure in place to become a legally-recognized nonprofit, or to fill out the grant paperwork. They knew that resources were needed to get these essential organizations ready to apply for grants, and that is what inspired the TCTAC program.
The Overbrook Environmental Education Center is proud to be part of this program, and we are here to help.
So, whether your community organization is seeking to clean up potentially hazardous substances, monitor air quality in your community, or any number of energy and environmental enhancement projects, we want you to know that the TCTAC program can assist you with this work.
This publication aims to serve as a resource for technical assistance, grant opportunities and community engagement that strengthens your capacity to tackle the challenging environmental and climate issues in our communities.
