02F65701

**Description:** This agreement provides funding under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

The project will focus on several key areas in the city of Houston:

Contamination and pollution mitigation: The project will identify regions at risk of contaminated surface soil redistribution and non-point source pollution runoff.

Nature-based solutions will be designed and implemented to remediate contamination and reduce exposure in these areas.

Habitat restoration: It will identify locations where non-native grasses can be replaced with Southeast Texas native grasses.

This will involve removing non-natives and planting and maintaining native species.

Detention pond installation: A detention pond will be established in a neighborhood where the need and location have already been identified by Houston Public Works.

All three activities will enhance ecosystem services, including heat mitigation and flood control.

Additionally, the city of Houston will implement Strategy 4, which includes the installation of microgrids and solar farms to improve community energy resilience.

**Activities:** The activities include 1.1. Community engagement and assessment: Utilize community testimonies and localized surface water modeling to identify areas at high risk of contamination from runoff.

Remediation effort: Design and implement nature-based solutions to remediate contamination and reduce exposure in the identified at-risk areas.

Detention pond installation: Construct a detention pond in the area across from Tuffly Park in Houston, TX, located within the Fifth Ward.

Nature-based enhancements: Implement enhancements such as tree plantings and the introduction of native grasses to support ecosystem services around the constructed detention pond.

Solar farm installation: Hire a technical consultant to assist with solar farm activities, aiming to negotiate free or reduced-price solar energy for community residents.

Collaborate with our state partner, the Black United Fund of Texas (BUFTX), to connect community members with city resources and services.

Civic engagement and resilience building: Establish a local civic group led by Black United Fund to provide a platform for dialogue among community residents and organizations, addressing pressing issues collectively.

Black United Funds will create a sub-award program for local community-based and faith-based organizations to promote resilience within the community.

Additionally, they will offer sub-awards to combat illegal dumping.

**Subrecipient:** Black United Fund of Texas (BUFTX): Is the statutory partner for this grant.

They will serve as a bridge between the other project partners and the community residents, and use community voices to guide project activities.

This will include: Hosting regular community events to directly interface with the community to ensure we are aligned with their vision for the community; establishing a community-based organization sub-award program.

University of Houston (UH) Department of Civil Engineering: They will identify areas at risk for the re-distribution of contaminated surface soil and non-point source pollution runoff, and then design and implement nature-based solutions to remediate contamination and limit exposure in these areas.

This process will involve modeling that consists of overland sediment deposition/erosion using both Hydrological Simulation Program-Fortran (HSPF) in Better Assessment Science Integrating Point and Nonpoint Sources (BASINS) and Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC) at the catchment/sub-watershed and at the census block level, respectively, for contaminated sites in the community.

Houston Wilderness (HW): HW will utilize the results of UH's modeling to conduct the super tree, native grass, and bioswale plantings in the community, in locations with the greatest impact.

HW estimates to plant about 10,000 super trees, 8 acres of native grasses, and 5-6 bioswales over the course of the project.

City Of Houston

2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS 2.1 - PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS AT THE FEDERAL, TRIBAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVELS S - CROSS AGENCY STRATEGY S.1 - ENSURE SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY AND SCIENCE-BASED DECISION MAKING S - CROSS AGENCY STRATEGY S.1 - ENSURE SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY AND SCIENCE-BASED DECISION MAKING 6 - SAFEGUARD AND REVITALIZE COMMUNITIES 6.1 - CLEAN UP AND RESTORE LAND FOR PRODUCTIVE USES AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES 2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS 2.1 - PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS AT THE FEDERAL, TRIBAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVELS 4 - ENSURE CLEAN AND HEALTHY AIR FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 4.1 - IMPROVE AIR QUALITY AND REDUCE LOCALIZED POLLUTION AND HEALTH IMPACTS 5 - ENSURE CLEAN AND SAFE WATER FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 5.1 - ENSURE SAFE DRINKING WATER AND RELIABLE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE 5.2 - PROTECT AND RESTORE WATERBODIES AND WATERSHEDS 6 - SAFEGUARD AND REVITALIZE COMMUNITIES 6.2 - REDUCE WASTE AND PREVENT ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION 5 - ENSURE CLEAN AND SAFE WATER FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 5.1 - ENSURE SAFE DRINKING WATER AND RELIABLE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE 2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS 2.2 - EMBED ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS INTO EPA’S PROGRAMS, POLICIES, AND ACTIVITIES 5 - ENSURE CLEAN AND SAFE WATER FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 5.1 - ENSURE SAFE DRINKING WATER AND RELIABLE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE 2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS 2.1 - PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS AT THE FEDERAL, TRIBAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVELS S - CROSS AGENCY STRATEGY S.1 - ENSURE SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY AND SCIENCE-BASED DECISION MAKING S - CROSS AGENCY STRATEGY S.1 - ENSURE SCIENTIFIC INT

66.616 - Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grant Program

EPA Region 6: Dallas [EPA - RO]

Houston, Texas 77020 United States

Single Zip Code

Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program (EPA-R-OEJECR-OCS-23-04)

Termination This project grant was reported as terminated by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in July 2025. See All
Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been shortened from 02/29/28 to 05/01/25.