EPA awards Nebraska $307 million grant to reduce pollution in agriculture, other industries

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy announced on Monday that it received a sizable grant from the Environmental Protection Agency.

The department was awarded a $307 million Climate Pollution Reduction Grant, its largest federal grant ever.

The EPA selected 25 applications for the grant, which it said aims to tackle climate change, improve air quality and advance environmental justice.

NDEE will use the money to start voluntary programs to bolster all sectors of Nebraska’s economy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“This award provides exciting opportunities for our state,” Thad Fineran, interim director of NDEE, said in a press release. “By implementing the measures outlined in Nebraska’s priority action plan, we can reduce emissions, create high quality jobs, support rural and urban communities and bolster our economy sustainably.”

Projects may include efficiency measures to reduce energy costs, incentives for sustainable agriculture practices, and advanced livestock waste management, among others.

“Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers are among the most innovative and sustainable in the world,” Gov. Jim Pillen said in the release. “These federal funds will help more farmers make more money by supporting the continued implementation of the best management practices, establishing mechanisms to reward those practices, and expand investment in others that will protect our environment.”

Over the next few weeks, NDEE will negotiate a final grant agreement and workplan with the EPA.

“We are grateful to the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy for their diligent efforts in securing these vital funds and to the Biden-Harris Administration and EPA for making them available,” Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird said in the release. “This significant federal investment will bolster the efforts of Lincoln and other local governments across our state as we work with our residents and businesses to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, spur new clean energy jobs, and ensure a more sustainable future for all.”