TACOMA, Wash. – The City of Tacoma has secured a $667,500 grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology’s Air Quality in Overburdened Communities Program. This grant is supported with funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act (CCA). The CCA supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health.
The Washington State Department of Ecology is working to improve air quality in Washington communities that are historically overburdened with health, social, and environmental inequities and are highly impacted by criteria air pollution, such as ozone and fine particles. It has identified sixteen Overburdened Communities Highly Impacted by Air Pollution across the state and offered grant funding to help address air quality in these communities and to participating Tribes.
The City received grant funding to offer approximately 450 electric bike vouchers and distribute 350 air purifiers in these neighborhoods. Program details are still being finalized, and a spring rollout is anticipated. This April, the Washington State Department of Transportation is launching WE-Bike, a statewide e-bike instant rebate program. The City will use Washington State Department of Ecology grant funding to offer additional e-bike instant rebates to Tacoma residents living in overburdened communities. The City is planning events to share information about these opportunities and support Tacoma residents who apply for and/or receive the e-bikes and purifiers.
More details regarding the City’s E-Bike Rebate Pilot Program are available at cityoftacoma.org/ebikes. More information about the Air Purifier Program is available on the City’s Air Quality Monitoring page.
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