Virginia Department of Environmental Quality will receive approximately $150 million through two Climate Pollution Reduction Grants to implement community-driven solutions that tackle the climate crisis, reduce air pollution, advance environmental justice, and accelerate America’s clean energy transition, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The Virginia DEQ’s selected application, submitted as a coalition with Virginia Energy, will receive more than $99 million through a competitive grant program for projects that will capture and convert or reuse methane emissions from coal mines and landfills. The project will also establish a partnership with other state agencies to fund a competitive grant program for food rescue and composting programs at agencies, colleges and university campuses across Virginia.

Additionally, the Virginia DEQ will also serve as a coalition member in another selected application led by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. The coalition is set to receive more than $420 million, with approximately $50 million allocated for Virginia DEQ to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through carbon sequestration projects on natural and working lands, including coastal wetlands, peatlands, and forests.

Inclusion of a proposed project that will reduce methane emissions at coal mines and landfills was of particular note to U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA). 

“Reducing methane emissions is critical to ensuring clean air and protecting our communities from the effects of climate change,” said U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA). “I’m glad this federal funding is headed to Virginia.” 

U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (VA-11) said: “Today’s announcement of $150 million for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality is just the latest in a long line of investments this Administration has made to help communities like ours respond to and prepare for the threat of climate change.”

“I am pleased that Virginia will be taking advantage of EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program – one of the successful climate initiatives to come out of the Biden-Harris Administration and the Inflation Reduction Act, which I strongly supported in Congress,” said U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (VA-8).

EPA made its selections through a rigorous grants competition that was designed to be fair and impartial. The Agency reviewed nearly 300 applications that were submitted by entities from across the country and requested a total of nearly $33 billion in funding.