Sorensen Announces Nearly Half a Million Dollars to Improve Air and Water Quality for Bloomington-Normal Residents
BLOOMINGTON, IL – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are announcing $499,784 for a project to grow more trees in Bloomington and Normal, which will improve air and water quality, protect residents against summer heat, and lower household energy costs.
“Extreme weather has plagued our region, making it difficult for Illinoisans to live comfortably—especially during the summer months,” said Sorensen. “Trees are vital to our communities. They improve air quality, help lower energy costs, sequester carbon, and help prevent flooding by managing stormwater. I am proud to see Ecology Action Center in Normal receive this investment to develop ways to mitigate the impact of extreme weather by growing more trees in Central Illinois so we can build a more sustainable region for future generations.”
“The Ecology Action Center is excited to lead a partnership including Illinois State University, McLean County Health Department, United Way of McLean County, Bloomington-Normal NAACP, and other groups to identify climate change related vulnerabilities of environmental justice area residents in our community. Using this information, our team will create an EJ Climate Adaptation plan through a collaborative stakeholder process. Simultaneously, we will increase tree equity in environmental justice areas in Bloomington-Normal, planting trees in urban areas in order to improve air pollution filtration, carbon sequestration, and cooling of summer temperatures,” said Michael Brown, Director of Ecology Action Center.
This funding was awarded as part of the EPA’s Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving (EJCPS) Program to Ecology Action Center, based in Normal, to administer the project. The initiative seeks to increase tree equity in urban areas within Bloomington and Normal to reduce temperatures during extreme heat events, increase filtration of pollutants, and sequester carbon emissions in a cost-effective manner.
The EJCPS program provides financial assistance to eligible organizations working to address local environmental or public health issues in their communities.
Congressman Eric Sorensen is the first openly LGBTQ person elected to represent Illinois at the federal level and is a member of the New Democrat Coalition. He serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Prior to serving in Congress, Sorensen was a local meteorologist in Rockford and the Quad Cities for nearly 20 years. His district includes Illinois’ Quad Cities, Rockford, Peoria, and Bloomington-Normal.
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