EPA Administrator announces $3 Billion Clean Port Program during visit to Port of Wilmington
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — EPA Administrator Michael Regan announced the Clean Ports program as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda during an event at the Port of Wilmington on Wednesday.
Regan said the funds will be used to buy new equipment and support clean air and water programs at ports across the country.
“I am excited to announce that the EPA is launching our $3 billion Clean Ports program,” Regan said. “We’ll fund zero emissions port equipment and infrastructure upgrades while supporting both climate and air pollution reduction strategies at all of our US ports and we know that the port here will be leading on that national front.”
Governor Roy Cooper said the funding is a welcome addition to work that’s already underway.
“Today’s announcement will help build on what we’re already doing in North Carolina,” Cooper said. “Getting to carbon zero emissions, fighting climate change and pollution, and creating clean energy jobs that are putting money in pockets of North Carolina families.”
$2.8 billion would be made available to buy zero-emission equipment, while $150 million would be available for clean air and water planning programs.
Ports and other agencies and even businesses that utilize ports can apply for funds, with a deadline of May 28th.
An exact date for when funds would be awarded and made available to ports is not yet known.
With regards to the clean air programs, some Sunset Park residents are blaming Enviva for sawdust routinely blanketing their homes and cars.
The Department of Environmental Quality released a statement last week saying some of the debris is coming from another company at the port, Basaga International.
WWAY reached out to Enviva today for comment about whether they would apply for funds from the Clean Port program.
They said in part, quote:
“We are very pleased to learn that the EPA is taking additional steps to support projects that will help to improve our peers’ emissions control technologies and bring them to operate at the same standards that we have been abiding by for years. At Enviva, we make significant investments in our plants and ports, striving to make them the most environmentally controlled facilities in the industry, with best-in-class emissions control technology to minimize any impact from our operations on neighbors and communities.”
WWAY reached out to Basaga International with the same question and is awaiting their response.
