A $30,000 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant to the Coral Bay Community Council will help the organization further its goal of cleaning up the Coral Bay area, according to CBCC President Sharon Coldren.
“People are throwing litter in the guts,” Coldren said.
She said the grant money will pay for administrative costs to run a program for youth volunteers from area churches to organize cleanups. The youths will also make a video about their experience.
Coldren said the Community Council applied for the grant in January.
The money comes under EPA’s Environmental Justice Small Grant program aimed at increasing community awareness about health risks and environmental hazards posed by the illegal dumping of solid waste into drainage ditches.
“Coral Bay is a precious resource in need of help,” EPA regional administrator Judith A. Enck said in a press release. “The pollutants that leach out of these ditches, along with the waste itself, is threatening the environment, marine life and the health of the members of this community. This grant will help the Coral Bay Community Council address the risks posed from dumping garbage into ditches.”
The grant was awarded to bolster programs designed to take direct action against the dumping of solid waste into ditches in and around the community. Nearby coastal waters surrounding the Coral Bay community are at risk from the improper dumping, the EPA said in its press release.
According to the press release, EPA grants like this one help community organizations conduct research, implement environmental education programs, and develop solutions to health issues that harm both humans and the environment. EPA’s Environmental Justice Small Grants further EPA’s commitment to making a visible difference in communities across the nation.
