| March 2020 |
Energy Efficiency, Solar, Lung Health, Electric Buses and Job Training Receive Funds
A press conference was held in Peoria February 20th for the public announcement of grants funded with $8.6 million in legal settlement funds from air pollution litigation regarding the Edwards coal-fired power plant. Projects receiving funding represent a wide range of ways to provide mitigation and reparations for areas most impacted by the years of air pollution. Terms of the settlement specified that $6.8 million would be directed to public health and environmental projects and $1.72 million would be applied to workforce development.
- The south side of Peoria, Bartonville, and Pekin will be the focus for energy efficiency upgrades for low-income homes.
- New solar installations will benefit an arts and cultural resource center serving the south side, east bluff and north valley area of Peoria; the Peoria Public Schools Woodruff Career Technical Center; and a new fire station that will be built on Western Avenue in the heart of zip code 61605.
- A consortium of public health groups including the Peoria City/County and Tazewell County health departments will provide extensive asthma education, diagnostic assistance, and help with home air quality with new lung health funding.
- Electric bus grants were announced for the Pekin and Hollis schools and for Peoria CityLink to use for zip code 61605 or the Peoria to Pekin public bus route.
- Seven job training and workforce development grants were given to assist impacted area residents on the south side of Peoria, Pekin and Bartonville and Edwards workers.
Criteria for the grant selection included numerous factors that were listed in the grant application with a key provision being the level of connection to communities of concern impacted by the pollution.
A list of all grant recipients is available on the Natural Resources Defense Council website.
Below is a video of the press conference.