A Northwest Indiana lawmaker hopes federal funding to help communities prepare for climate change will help reverse environmental justice issues.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is making $1.8 billion available through its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant and Flood Mitigation Assistance program. Forty-percent of that funding is set aside for "disadvantaged and marginalized communities that suffer heavily from pollution."
Now, State Representative Carolyn Jackson (D-Hammond) is urging eligible local communities to apply for that money. In a statement, she says her district "has long been overburdened by pollution and environmental hazards," but it "seems to be continuously overlooked," when it comes to getting help.
She points to delays in fully cleaning up lead contamination at the Federated Metals site near the Hammond-Whiting border.
