NY.gov Portal State Agency Listing Search all of NY.gov
D E C banner
D E C banner

Environmental Justice Community Impact Grant Program

Congratulations to the recipients of the 2011 Environmental Justice Community Impact Grants!

This year, 123 community organizations from around the state applied for funding. Detailed reviews by DEC staff resulted in 24 grant awards totaling $1,002,424. Individual awards range from $5,180 to $50,000. A wide variety of projects will be supported this year, including community gardens and green infrastructure, air and water quality monitoring, waste recycling in public housing, lead poisoning prevention, building deconstruction and recycling, expansion of an urban aquaponics facility, and environmental education for urban and Native American youth. Thank you to everyone who applied, and we look forward to working with our new partners to improve the environmental health of New York's communities.

Recipients of the 2011 Environmental Justice Community Impact Grants

New York City

The Morningside Heights/West Harlem Sanitation Coalition, Inc. - Manhattan - $25,000 - for expansion of an existing residential recycling program and comprehensive education of public housing residents on management of household waste and integrated pest management.

Gowanus Canal Community Development Corporation - Brooklyn - $49,991 - for design and construction of a green infrastructure pilot project to absorb stormwater runoff from a local street into the Gowanus Canal.

The Newtown Creek Alliance - Brooklyn and Queens - $39,848 - for development and testing of handheld air pollution monitoring devices for use by trained community members.

Brooklyn Food Coalition - Brooklyn - $48,843 - for development of vegetable gardens and nutrition education programs in schools in low-income neighborhoods of Brooklyn.

Roots of Peace Community Garden - Staten Island - $5,180 - for expansion of a community garden in a low-income neighborhood of Staten Island.

West Harlem Environmental Action, Inc. (WE ACT for Environmental Justice) - Manhattan - $28,200 - for a large scale household education project in lead testing.

The Point Community Development Corporation - Bronx - $50,000 - for completion of a green roof with environmental education and meeting facilities.

Eastern Queens Alliance, Inc. - Queens - $50,000 - for a community education project to teach local residents to effectively advocate for improved environmental conditions in their neighborhood.

Bronx River Alliance, Inc. - Bronx - $50,000 - for development and support of environmental science curricula and water quality monitoring along the Lower Bronx River.

United Community Centers, Inc. - Brooklyn - $49,908 - for creation of a community garden in a large urban vacant lot and related community education.

Northeast Brooklyn Housing Development Corp. - Brooklyn - $44,995 - for an assessment of neighborhood open space and restoration of two community gardens.

Hudson Valley

Poughkeepsie Farm Project - Poughkeepsie - $49,942 - for a community education project to use a current community garden an plan and develop new gardens in the community.

Groundwork Hudson Valley - Yonkers - $13,090 - for improvements to open space and green infrastructure and community education in four public housing communities in Yonkers.

Capital District and North Country

Green Tech Charter High School - Albany - $10,367 - for construction of green infrastructure to capture stormwater runoff from school buildings.

Akwesasne Boys and Girls Club - Mohawk Community of Akwesasne in Franklin County - $49,756 - for development of an education program for Mohawk youth about traditional uses of furbearing mammals and environmental threats to those species.

Central New York

North East Area Development, Inc. - Rochester - $42,060 - for deconstruction of abandoned buildings in a low-income community of Rochester and reuse of the recovered building materials.

Onondaga Earth Corps and Partnership for Onondaga Creek - Syracuse - $49,967 - for the creation of environmental education and youth leadership and job training programs in low-income neighborhoods of Syracuse.

Volunteers Improving Neighborhood Environments (VINES) - Binghamton - $50,000 - for repair of urban farms that were damaged by the flooding of Tropical Storms Irene and Lee, and expansion of the farms to benefit community residents.

Western New York

Massachusetts Avenue Project - Buffalo - $50,000 - for expansion of a successful urban aquaculture and hydroponics (aquaponics) program and related community education.

Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper - Buffalo - $50,000 - for an extensive series of projects involving water quality and shoreline monitoring, subsistence angler education, and youth training; continuation of a successful project funded by a 2008 Environmental Justice Community Impact Research Grant.

Grassroots Gardens of Buffalo - Buffalo - $50,000 - for expansion of a successful series of workshops for residents and organizations in Buffalo's West Side on community gardens and urban agriculture.

Salamanca Healthy Homes Committee - Salamanca - $50,000 - for an extensive household lead testing program in homes throughout Salamanca.

Groundwork Buffalo - Buffalo - $45,277 - for construction of a community garden and related community education programs.

Valley Community Association - Buffalo - $50,000 - for continuation of environmental education, water quality monitoring and a community recycling program at Valley Community Association's facility on the Buffalo River.


More about Environmental Justice Community Impact Grant Program: