Monday, April 29, 2024
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Saturday, April 27, 2024
Friday, April 26, 2024
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Tulsa Man Sentenced for Meth Conspiracy, Illegal Firearm
PRESS RELEASE
Tulsa Man Sentenced for Meth Conspiracy, Illegal Firearm
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Tulsa, Oklahoma, man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine in southwest Missouri after law enforcement officers seized approximately 29 pounds of methamphetamine, approximately $57,000, and several firearms.
Jeffrey L. Hughley, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
On Nov. 6, 2023, Hughley pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
Hughley admitted that he was a courier during the conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Barry, Stone, Polk, Lawrence, Greene, Jasper, Newton, and Christian Counties from Nov. 1, 2020, to April 28, 2022. Hughley delivered more than 4.5 kilograms of pure methamphetamine to co-defendant Brian E. Hall, 46, of Aurora, Mo.
Hughley was arrested on April 28, 2022, when he drove to Hall’s residence. Law enforcement officers searched his black Toyota Camry and found 10 garbage bags in the trunk that contained a total of 22 pounds of pure methamphetamine. Officers also found a loaded Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol in the floorboard of the front passenger seat.
Hughley was arrested after law enforcement officers had executed a search warrant at Hall’s residence as part of an ongoing methamphetamine investigation. Officers seized seven pounds of methamphetamine from Hall’s residence, as well as a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol, approximately $57,000 in cash, and drug paraphernalia used for the packaging and sale of methamphetamine.
A co-conspirator told investigators that Hughley had delivered large quantities of methamphetamine to Hall’s residence on at least four occasions. Each time he dropped off methamphetamine, he also picked up cash from Hall to return to an individual in Oklahoma. The co-conspirator told investigators that Hughley was supposed to pick up $57,000 from Hall on the night of his arrest.
According to court documents, Hughley made multiple trips to multiple states to distribute methamphetamine for which he was paid thousands of dollars. In April 2022, Hughley purchased a drone for $5,730 for a leader of the drug-trafficking organization. Hughley and a co-conspirator discussed using the drone to smuggle contraband into a prison facility.
Hughley operated a business, God’s Gifted Athletes, where he provided strength training to young athletes in his community. The government’s sentencing memorandum noted the devastating impact of methamphetamine use on youth and families. According to the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare, children whose parents use methamphetamine have an increased risk of exposure to parental violence, placement into foster care, and living in environments that do not have adequate resources to meet their basic needs.
The amount of methamphetamine Hughley trafficked to Barry County in only four trips (while in possession of a firearm) was enough to supply four doses (0.25 grams per dose) of methamphetamine to every man, woman, and child in the community.
Hughley is the second defendant sentenced in this federal indictment, in which 20 defendants have been charged. Hall pleaded guilty on March 22, 2023, and awaits sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team, the Barry County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, the Stone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, COMET (the Combined Ozark Multi-Jurisdictional Enforcement Team), the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, the Polk County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, the Ottawa County, Ok., Sheriff’s Department, the Bolivar, Mo., Police Department, the Cassville, Mo., Police Department, the Kimberling City, Mo., Police Department, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
EPA Announces a $425,000 Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Grant to Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation
US EPA News Release:
EPA Announces a $425,000 Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Grant to Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation
DALLAS, TEXAS (April 25, 2024) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is announcing the Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation (CELF) is receiving $425,616 to advance their goal of cultivating a society of individuals with a deep understanding of the dynamic interdependencies between human and natural systems. This project will develop the next generation of environmental justice advocates, equipped with Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) skills to protect local watersheds and enhance climate resilience through school-community collaboration.
“Science, technology, engineering, arts, and math have always been the core of student education, and with this funding we will see students use these skills to develop innovative climate resilience strategies in collaboration with their communities,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “The Greater Houston area faces multiple challenges including extreme weather, environmental justice, and the energy transition. Diverse ways of knowing will be needed, so it is crucial that we help equip the next generation with knowledge in all of these disciplines. I would like to thank our partners for this event, especially the Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation for prioritizing children’s health and education.”
“I am thrilled that the EPA is investing in the children of Houston, inspiring the next generation of environmental justice leaders to build safe and healthy neighborhoods for all,” said Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia. “From field trips into our local waterways to fun, hands-on experiments about air quality and water testing, these federal funds are going to have a lasting impact on the students and teachers in low-income areas in my district.”
"Having the support of the EPA in advancing this important work is key to demonstrating that the U.S. is serious about pursuing a clean and healthy environment for all of us. In awarding this grant, the EPA is recognizing the critical roles that teachers, students, and impacted communities play in defining what a more sustainable future can look like,” said Executive Director Tara Ocansey of Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation.
“This project will help area students explore the world around them while nurturing their interest in environmental sustainability and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects, which aligns perfectly with the mission of Rice’s Office of STEM Engagement,” said Carolyn Nichol, Director of the Rice Office of STEM Engagement. “The students will connect with Rice researchers, grad students and scientists to help collect data and interpret it, and there will be additional opportunities to engage their teachers on our campus. We’re extraordinarily grateful for this support from the EPA.”
“The Galveston Bay Foundation has worked for almost 37 years to preserve and enhance the Galveston Bay region through our efforts in habitat restoration, land conservation, water protection, environmental advocacy, and environmental STEM education. This project directly correlates with our education goals to instill knowledge and appreciation of the Galveston Bay ecosystem, inspire participants to break down barriers and open themselves to new experiences, and empower students to become life-long advocates for a resilient Galveston Bay. Along with connecting with students during field data collection, we look forward to hosting teacher and administrator professional development retreats at our Trinity Bay Discovery Center in Beach City where educators will have the ability to explore and experience Galveston Bay in a whole new way while learning how to incorporate place-based education in their classrooms. Providing such experiences to their teachers ensures that this learning will extend far beyond the life of this grant,” said Cindy Wilems, Director of Education, Galveston Bay Foundation.
The Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation launched in 2003 with the mission to establish sustainability as an integral part of every child's K-12 learning experience. Since initiating their program for Houston in 2019, CELF Houston’s Education for Sustainability and Civic Science programs have reached over 1,000 teachers and administrators, and over 36,000 students in Texas. This latest project will engage Title 1 middle and high schools in economically disadvantaged communities of Greater Houston and will deliver training focused on facilitating data collection and analysis while raising awareness of watershed stewardship strategies and solutions. The project will last three years and include several school districts, such as Channelview Independent School District, Aldine Independent School District, Houston Independent School District, and Pasadena Independent School District. CELF will also collaborate with several core partners such as Channelview ISD, Galveston Bay Foundation, and Rice University to engage with several community partners and parents through public educations events. The overall goal of this project is for students to use their skills and knowledge to contribute on local environmental justice issues and propose future climate resilience strategies for their communities.
The Greater Houston area has experienced major flooding events in recent years and has a significant number of underserved communities. Underserved communities are prone to disproportionate levels of pollution and climate change issues. With this funding and with CELF’s assistance, we are providing the resources for the next generation to identify pollution problems and develop innovation solutions that can be solved by community collaboration.
This grant reflects President Biden’s Investing in America commitment to tackling environmental justice and the climate crisis. Many communities with environmental justice concerns carry a disproportionate environmental and human health burden from environmental injustices. As part of Investing in America, EPA Region 6 announced over $1.4 billion that went directly into environmentally high-risk communities, which has created jobs, preserved critical natural resources, and encouraged environmental practices to maintain climate resilience.
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
TOMORROW: EPA to Announce a $425,000 SWIFR Grant for the Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation
US EPA News Release:
TOMORROW: EPA to Announce a $425,000 SWIFR Grant for the Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation
DALLAS, TEXAS (April 24, 2024) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance will be joined by Lisa Gianukos, the Texas Program Director of the Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation (CELF) (CELF), Carolyn Nichol the Director of the Rice Office of STEM Engagement, Matthew Cushing the Executive Director of STEM Engagement for Rice University, and Cindy Wilems of the Galveston Bay Foundation to celebrate EPA’s grant of $425,616 to CELF to develop a project that trains the next generation of environmental justice advocates.
Members of the media are invited to attend, please RSVP to R6Press@epa.gov.
DATE: Thursday, April 25th
LOCATION: Rice University 6100 Main St. Houston, TX 77005
TIME: 10:00 – 11:00 AM
WHO:
- Dr. Earthea Nance, Regional Administrator, EPA Region 6
- Lisa Gianukos, Texas Program Director, Childrens Environmental Literacy Foundation (CELF)
- Matthew Cushing Executive Director of STEM Engagement, Rice University
- Eric Villareal, Superintendent, Channelview Independent School District
- Cindy Wilems, Galveston Bay Foundation
- Office of Rep. Sylvia Garcia, US Congress, TX-29
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Biden-Harris Administration Announces the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources will Receive $156,120,000 to Deliver Residential Solar, Lowering Energy Costs and Advancing Environmental Justice
US EPA News Release:
Biden-Harris Administration Announces the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources will Receive $156,120,000 to Deliver Residential Solar, Lowering Energy Costs and Advancing Environmental Justice
EPA announces selectees under Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund grant competition to deliver solar to low-income and disadvantaged households through the President’s Investing in America agenda
DALLAS, TEXAS (April 23, 2024) - As the Biden-Harris Administration celebrates Earth week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources has been selected to receive $156,129,000 through the Solar for All grant competition to develop long-lasting solar programs that enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed residential solar. This award is part of the historic $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which was created under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to lower energy costs for families, create good-quality jobs in communities that have been left behind, advance environmental justice, and tackle the climate crisis.
“Today we’re delivering on President Biden’s promise that no community is left behind by investing $7 billion in solar energy projects for over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The selectees will advance solar energy initiatives across the country, creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, saving $8 billion in energy costs for families, delivering cleaner air, and combating climate change.”
The Louisiana SFA Program will launch a new resilient solar initiative, focused on low-income and disadvantaged communities, to deploy solar, energy storage, and enabling upgrades on single-family and multi-family homes. The program will also develop coordinated low-cost and easy-to-access financing options to reach those otherwise left out of the clean energy economy, including new equitable loan programs for community resilience hubs, resilient schools, and disadvantaged businesses. Louisiana will provide long-term sustainable support to projects successfully deployed, grow a strong workforce to support a new clean and resilient economy in the state, and center communities in the planning and deployment of this effort. This approach will help overcome barriers to adoption that have been identified by communities, such as unfamiliarity with solar, distrust, language barriers, and complex administrative processes.
The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources’s grant is among 49 state-level awards EPA announced totaling approximately $5.5 billion, along with six awards to serve Tribes totaling over $500 million, and five multistate awards totaling approximately $1 billion.
A complete list of the selected applicants can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All website.
The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All of the funds awarded through the Solar for All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
EPA estimates that the 60 Solar for All recipients will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. This $7 billion investment will generate over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions cumulatively, from over four gigawatts of solar energy capacity unlocked for low-income communities over five years. Solar and distributed energy resources help improve electric grid reliability and climate resilience, which is especially important in disadvantaged communities that have long been underserved.
Solar for All will deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to creating high-quality jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union for workers across the United States. This $7 billion investment in clean energy will generate an estimated 200,000 jobs across the country. All selected applicants intend to invest in local, clean energy workforce development programs to expand equitable pathways into family-sustaining jobs for the communities they are designed to serve. At least 35% of selected applicants have already engaged local or national unions, demonstrating how these programs will contribute to the foundation of a clean energy economy built on strong labor standards and inclusive economic opportunity for all American communities.
The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All of the funds awarded through the Solar For All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
The 60 selected applicants have committed to delivering on the three objectives of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: reducing climate and air pollution; delivering benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities; and mobilizing financing to spur additional deployment of affordable solar energy. Solar for All selected applicants are expanding existing low-income solar programs and launching new programs. In at least 25 states and territories nationwide, Solar for All is launching new programs where there has never been a substantial low-income solar program before. In these geographies, Solar for All selected applicants will open new markets for distributed solar by funding new programs that provide grants and low-cost financing for low-income, residential solar.
Review and Selection Process Information
The 60 applicants selected for funding were chosen through a competition review process. This multi-stage process included review from hundreds of experts in climate, power markets, environmental justice, labor, and consumer protection from EPA, Department of Energy, the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs, Department of Treasury, Department of Agriculture, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, Department of Defense, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Department of Energy’s National Labs – all screened through ethics and conflict of interest checks and trained on the program requirements and evaluation criteria. Applications were scored and selected through dozens of review panels and an interagency senior review team.
EPA anticipates that awards to the selected applicants will be finalized in the summer of 2024, and selected applicants will begin funding projects through existing programs and begin expansive community outreach programs to launch new programs in the fall and winter of this year. Selections are contingent on the resolution of all administrative disputes related to the competitions.
Informational Webinars
EPA will host informational webinars as part of the program’s commitment to public transparency. EPA has scheduled a public webinar for the Solar for All program, and registration details are included below. Information on other GGRF webinars can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Engagement Opportunities webpage.
Solar for All webinar: Monday, April 29, 2024, 4:00pm – 4:30pm ET. Register for the April 29 meeting.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces the state of New Mexico will Receive Over $156 Million to Deliver Residential Solar, Lowering Energy Costs and Advancing Environmental Justice
US EPA News Release:
Biden-Harris Administration Announces the state of New Mexico will Receive Over $156 Million to Deliver Residential Solar, Lowering Energy Costs and Advancing Environmental Justice
EPA announces selectees under Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund grant competition to deliver solar to low-income and disadvantaged households through the President’s Investing in America agenda
DALLAS, TEXAS (April 23, 2024) - As the Biden-Harris Administration celebrates Earth week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the New Mexico Energy, Minerals & Natural Resources Department has been selected to receive $156,129,000 through the Solar for All grant competition to develop long-lasting solar programs that enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed residential solar. This award is part of the historic $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which was created under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to lower energy costs for families, create good-quality jobs in communities that have been left behind, advance environmental justice, and tackle the climate crisis.
“Today we’re delivering on President Biden’s promise that no community is left behind by investing $7 billion in solar energy projects for over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The selectees will advance solar energy initiatives across the country, creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, saving $8 billion in energy costs for families, delivering cleaner air, and combating climate change.”
To help overcome barriers to widespread adoption of distributed solar generation, the state of New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) and its partners will expand access to shared solar to bring the most isolated and off-grid residents online, and support grid resilience with on-site solar. The program is designed to meet low-income and disadvantaged communities, both owners and renters, where they are with direct grants and financing options for solar projects that decrease energy burden through household annual electric bill savings. The project will leverage New Mexico’s existing programs such as workforce development providers, community-based organizations, and government partners that understand and represent New Mexico’s diverse, majority-minority population.
EMNRD’s grant is among 49 state-level awards EPA announced totaling approximately $5.5 billion, along with six awards to serve Tribes totaling over $500 million, and five multistate awards totaling approximately $1 billion.
A complete list of the selected applicants can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All website.
The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All of the funds awarded through the Solar for All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
EPA estimates that the 60 Solar for All recipients will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. This $7 billion investment will generate over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions cumulatively, from over four gigawatts of solar energy capacity unlocked for low-income communities over five years. Solar and distributed energy resources help improve electric grid reliability and climate resilience, which is especially important in disadvantaged communities that have long been underserved.
Solar for All will deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to creating high-quality jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union for workers across the United States. This $7 billion investment in clean energy will generate an estimated 200,000 jobs across the country. All selected applicants intend to invest in local, clean energy workforce development programs to expand equitable pathways into family-sustaining jobs for the communities they are designed to serve. At least 35% of selected applicants have already engaged local or national unions, demonstrating how these programs will contribute to the foundation of a clean energy economy built on strong labor standards and inclusive economic opportunity for all American communities.
The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All of the funds awarded through the Solar For All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
The 60 selected applicants have committed to delivering on the three objectives of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: reducing climate and air pollution; delivering benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities; and mobilizing financing to spur additional deployment of affordable solar energy. Solar for All selected applicants are expanding existing low-income solar programs and launching new programs. In at least 25 states and territories nationwide, Solar for All is launching new programs where there has never been a substantial low-income solar program before. In these geographies, Solar for All selected applicants will open new markets for distributed solar by funding new programs that provide grants and low-cost financing for low-income, residential solar.
Review and Selection Process Information
The 60 applicants selected for funding were chosen through a competition review process. This multi-stage process included review from hundreds of experts in climate, power markets, environmental justice, labor, and consumer protection from EPA, Department of Energy, the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs, Department of Treasury, Department of Agriculture, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, Department of Defense, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Department of Energy’s National Labs – all screened through ethics and conflict of interest checks and trained on the program requirements and evaluation criteria. Applications were scored and selected through dozens of review panels and an interagency senior review team.
EPA anticipates that awards to the selected applicants will be finalized in the summer of 2024, and selected applicants will begin funding projects through existing programs and begin expansive community outreach programs to launch new programs in the fall and winter of this year. Selections are contingent on the resolution of all administrative disputes related to the competitions.
Informational Webinars
EPA will host informational webinars as part of the program’s commitment to public transparency. EPA has scheduled a public webinar for the Solar for All program, and registration details are included below. Information on other GGRF webinars can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Engagement Opportunities webpage.
Solar for All webinar: Monday, April 29, 2024, 4:00pm – 4:30pm ET. Register for the April 29 meeting.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Arkansas’ Hope Enterprise Corporation to Receive over $62 Million to Deliver Residential Solar, Lowering Energy Costs and Advancing Environmental Justice
US EPA News Release:
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Arkansas’ Hope Enterprise Corporation to Receive over $62 Million to Deliver Residential Solar, Lowering Energy Costs and Advancing Environmental Justice
EPA announces selectees under Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund grant competition to deliver solar to low-income and disadvantaged households through the President’s Investing in America agenda
DALLAS, TEXAS (April 23, 2024) - As the Biden-Harris Administration celebrates Earth week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the Hope Enterprise Corporation in Arkansas has been selected to receive $62,250,000 through the Solar for All grant competition to develop long-lasting solar programs that enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed residential solar. This award is part of the historic $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which was created under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to lower energy costs for families, create good-quality jobs in communities that have been left behind, advance environmental justice, and tackle the climate crisis.
“Today we’re delivering on President Biden’s promise that no community is left behind by investing $7 billion in solar energy projects for over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The selectees will advance solar energy initiatives across the country, creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, saving $8 billion in energy costs for families, delivering cleaner air, and combating climate change.”
Hope Enterprise Corporation (HEC) will advance affordable and resilient solar energy access for low-income and disadvantaged households across Arkansas, using several approaches. The first strategy targets the development of a residential rooftop solar leasing market in areas served by the state’s investor-owned utilities, aiming to ensure savings for every low-income household while enhancing the local solar installer ecosystem. The second approach focuses on multifamily buildings, seeking to lower energy costs for low-income tenant households through strategic financial mechanisms and partnerships with local housing developers. All strategies hinge upon innovative financing, strategic partnerships, and HEC’s experience and expertise in serving disadvantaged communities in the state.
The Hope Enterprise Corporation’s grant is among 49 state-level awards EPA announced totaling approximately $5.5 billion, along with six awards to serve Tribes totaling over $500 million, and five multistate awards totaling approximately $1 billion.
A complete list of the selected applicants can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All website.
The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All of the funds awarded through the Solar for All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
EPA estimates that the 60 Solar for All recipients will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. This $7 billion investment will generate over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions cumulatively, from over four gigawatts of solar energy capacity unlocked for low-income communities over five years. Solar and distributed energy resources help improve electric grid reliability and climate resilience, which is especially important in disadvantaged communities that have long been underserved.
Solar for All will deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to creating high-quality jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union for workers across the United States. This $7 billion investment in clean energy will generate an estimated 200,000 jobs across the country. All selected applicants intend to invest in local, clean energy workforce development programs to expand equitable pathways into family-sustaining jobs for the communities they are designed to serve. At least 35% of selected applicants have already engaged local or national unions, demonstrating how these programs will contribute to the foundation of a clean energy economy built on strong labor standards and inclusive economic opportunity for all American communities.
The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All of the funds awarded through the Solar For All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
The 60 selected applicants have committed to delivering on the three objectives of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: reducing climate and air pollution; delivering benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities; and mobilizing financing to spur additional deployment of affordable solar energy. Solar for All selected applicants are expanding existing low-income solar programs and launching new programs. In at least 25 states and territories nationwide, Solar for All is launching new programs where there has never been a substantial low-income solar program before. In these geographies, Solar for All selected applicants will open new markets for distributed solar by funding new programs that provide grants and low-cost financing for low-income, residential solar.
Review and Selection Process Information
The 60 applicants selected for funding were chosen through a competition review process. This multi-stage process included review from hundreds of experts in climate, power markets, environmental justice, labor, and consumer protection from EPA, Department of Energy, the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs, Department of Treasury, Department of Agriculture, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, Department of Defense, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Department of Energy’s National Labs – all screened through ethics and conflict of interest checks and trained on the program requirements and evaluation criteria. Applications were scored and selected through dozens of review panels and an interagency senior review team.
EPA anticipates that awards to the selected applicants will be finalized in the summer of 2024, and selected applicants will begin funding projects through existing programs and begin expansive community outreach programs to launch new programs in the fall and winter of this year. Selections are contingent on the resolution of all administrative disputes related to the competitions.
Informational Webinars
EPA will host informational webinars as part of the program’s commitment to public transparency. EPA has scheduled a public webinar for the Solar for All program, and registration details are included below. Information on other GGRF webinars can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Engagement Opportunities webpage.
Solar for All webinar: Monday, April 29, 2024, 4:00pm – 4:30pm ET. Register for the April 29 meeting.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Two Texas Groups will Receive Over $405 Million to Deliver Residential Solar, Lowering Energy Costs and Advancing Environmental Justice
USEPA News Release:
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Two Texas Groups will Receive Over $405 Million to Deliver Residential Solar, Lowering Energy Costs and Advancing Environmental Justice
EPA announces selectees under Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund grant competition to deliver solar to low-income and disadvantaged households through the President’s Investing in America agenda
DALLAS, TEXAS (April 23, 2024) - As the Biden-Harris Administration celebrates Earth week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the Texas Solar For All Coalition will receive $249.7 million and the Clean Energy Fund of Texas will receive $156.120 million through the Solar for All grant competition to develop long-lasting solar programs that enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed residential solar. This award is part of the historic $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which was created under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to lower energy costs for families, create good-quality jobs in communities that have been left behind, advance environmental justice, and tackle the climate crisis.
“Today we’re delivering on President Biden’s promise that no community is left behind by investing $7 billion in solar energy projects for over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The selectees will advance solar energy initiatives across the country, creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, saving $8 billion in energy costs for families, delivering cleaner air, and combating climate change.”
“This is a game-changing opportunity for us," said Harris County Administrator Diana Ramirez. "The grant allows us to deliver better, more reliable, and more cost-effective power to our communities. What a fantastic way to celebrate Earth Day!”
“We are grateful to the EPA for selecting this multifaceted project as part of the Inflation Reduction Act and the Solar For All program,” said Billy Briscoe, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the Clean Energy Fund of Texas. “This partnership with minority serving institutions of higher education will lower energy burden for low-income communities, jumpstart the green economy with the creation of jobs through workforce training programs, and provide energy resiliency after a climate event.”
The Texas SFA Coalition includes Texas municipalities serving the low-income and disadvantaged community population (over 11 million people). The Texas SFA program will leverage federal funds, tax credits, and other sources to provide financial assistance and access to private capital to support residential multifamily and single family solar, battery storage, and energy efficiency deployments to improve community well-being and resilience to power system failures. The Texas program will support workforce training to serve low-income and disadvantaged residents, support minority-and women-owned businesses, and collaborate with community-based organizations. The coalition’s SFA programs can be extended within the member jurisdictions and expanded to other parts of Texas during and beyond the SFA grant period.
The Clean Energy Fund of Texas (TxCEF), in partnership with the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University (BCECJ; jointly, CEFBC), will deploy technical assistance, private capital, and grants to minority-serving institutions. Together, these organizations will facilitate the development of residential-serving community solar projects in low-income and disadvantaged communities on the frontlines of energy policy and grid vulnerability challenges. Projects will drive expected emissions reductions, household utility bill savings, generate direct shared revenues through community ownership, and mobilize private capital. Projects will deploy solar and energy storage, delivering grid and community benefits by powering community resilience centers. These outcomes will deliver the benefits of greenhouse gas and air pollution-reducing projects to American communities. Based in Texas, TxCEF will operate in 19 states across the United States South and Southeast.
The grants are among 49 state-level awards EPA announced totaling approximately $5.5 billion, along with six awards to serve Tribes totaling over $500 million, and five multistate awards totaling approximately $1 billion.
A complete list of the selected applicants can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All website.
The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All of the funds awarded through the Solar for All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
EPA estimates that the 60 Solar for All recipients will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. This $7 billion investment will generate over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions cumulatively, from over four gigawatts of solar energy capacity unlocked for low-income communities over five years. Solar and distributed energy resources help improve electric grid reliability and climate resilience, which is especially important in disadvantaged communities that have long been underserved.
Solar for All will deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to creating high-quality jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union for workers across the United States. This $7 billion investment in clean energy will generate an estimated 200,000 jobs across the country. All selected applicants intend to invest in local, clean energy workforce development programs to expand equitable pathways into family-sustaining jobs for the communities they are designed to serve. At least 35% of selected applicants have already engaged local or national unions, demonstrating how these programs will contribute to the foundation of a clean energy economy built on strong labor standards and inclusive economic opportunity for all American communities.
The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All of the funds awarded through the Solar For All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
The 60 selected applicants have committed to delivering on the three objectives of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: reducing climate and air pollution; delivering benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities; and mobilizing financing to spur additional deployment of affordable solar energy. Solar for All selected applicants are expanding existing low-income solar programs and launching new programs. In at least 25 states and territories nationwide, Solar for All is launching new programs where there has never been a substantial low-income solar program before. In these geographies, Solar for All selected applicants will open new markets for distributed solar by funding new programs that provide grants and low-cost financing for low-income, residential solar.
Review and Selection Process Information
The 60 applicants selected for funding were chosen through a competition review process. This multi-stage process included review from hundreds of experts in climate, power markets, environmental justice, labor, and consumer protection from EPA, Department of Energy, the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs, Department of Treasury, Department of Agriculture, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, Department of Defense, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Department of Energy’s National Labs – all screened through ethics and conflict of interest checks and trained on the program requirements and evaluation criteria. Applications were scored and selected through dozens of review panels and an interagency senior review team.
EPA anticipates that awards to the selected applicants will be finalized in the summer of 2024, and selected applicants will begin funding projects through existing programs and begin expansive community outreach programs to launch new programs in the fall and winter of this year. Selections are contingent on the resolution of all administrative disputes related to the competitions.
Informational Webinars
EPA will host informational webinars as part of the program’s commitment to public transparency. EPA has scheduled a public webinar for the Solar for All program, and registration details are included below. Information on other GGRF webinars can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Engagement Opportunities webpage.
Solar for All webinar: Monday, April 29, 2024, 4:00pm – 4:30pm ET. Register for the April 29 meeting.
Monday, April 22, 2024
Sunday, April 21, 2024
Saturday, April 20, 2024
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
Monday, April 15, 2024
Saturday, April 13, 2024
Friday, April 12, 2024
Another Co-founder of Medical Charity in St. Joseph Pleads Guilty to $8 Million Fraud Scheme
PRESS RELEASE
Another Co-founder of Medical Charity in St. Joseph Pleads Guilty to $8 Million Fraud Scheme
Monday, April 8, 2024
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Another co-founder of a so-called Christian health care sharing ministry in St. Joseph, Mo., pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in an $8 million wire fraud conspiracy that cheated hundreds of members, and to making false statements on a personal tax return.
James L. McGinnis, 77, of St. Joseph, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to a federal information that charges him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of making false statements on a tax return.
McGinnis co-founded Medical Cost Sharing, a tax-exempt organization, and served as its chief operating officer from 2014 through December 2022.
Craig Anthony Reynolds, 62, of St. Joseph, another co-founder of Medical Cost Sharing, pleaded guilty to the same charges in a separate but related case on Nov. 14, 2023. Reynolds incorporated and ran Medical Cost Sharing as its president and chief executive officer from 2014 through December 2022.
McGinnis and Reynolds each admitted that he and his co-conspirators used false and fraudulent promises to market Medical Cost Sharing as a “Health Care Sharing Ministry” to defraud hundreds of “ministry members.” They collected more than $8 million in member “contributions,” yet paid only 3.1 percent in health care claims so that they could personally profit and take most of the members’ contributions for themselves.
McGinnis and Reynolds pocketed at least $5,168,268 from the member contributions from December 2015 through December 2022. Thus, McGinnis and Reynolds took at least 64 percent of total member contributions for their personal profit.
McGinnis and Reynolds marketed Medical Cost Sharing as a “Christian Health Care Sharing Ministry” through insurance brokers, radio stations, social media, and its website. Medical Cost Sharing sales materials promoted its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt designation, advertising that it was different from for profit health insurance. The Medical Cost Sharing website claimed, “while we are not an insurance company, many think of us as a Christian Health Insurance, or Christian Medical Insurance because, like conventional insurance plans, we help you pay your healthcare costs. We help you protect your family. But unlike these corporate, profit based plans, we are a healthcare sharing ministry … your healthcare costs are shared with other Christians enrolled in our medical sharing plans.”
Medical Cost Sharing promised its member that if they paid monthly “contributions,” Medical Cost Sharing would pay claims after the members’ “personal responsibility” (deductible) was met.
In reality, McGinnis and Reynolds admitted, Medical Cost Sharing rarely paid members’ health care claims. Sometimes Medical Cost Sharing would pay a part of a claim if the member filed a complaint with their state attorney general and/or hired an attorney to represent them against Medical Cost Sharing.
Medical Cost Sharing paid no claims at all from Feb. 22, 2021, through December 2022, although it collected a total of nearly $1.2 million in dues in 2021 and 2022.
On Dec. 13, 2022, federal agents served search warrants on the Medical Cost Sharing business location and the residences of McGinnis and Reynolds and seized property generated from Medical Cost Sharing proceeds. Medical Cost Sharing continued to try to collect membership dues after the search and seizure warrants. On Dec. 27, 2022, the court entered a temporary restraining order that prohibited Medical Cost Sharing, McGinnis, and Reynolds, from continuing to perpetrate a fraudulent scheme and from processing Medical Cost Sharing member payments, among other actions.
In addition to the wire fraud conspiracy, McGinnis also pleaded guilty today to making false statements on a personal tax return. McGinnis admitted that he filed a return that claimed he had no taxable income in 2019. Reynolds actually received at least $140,881 in taxable income in 2019.
Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, McGinnis must pay restitution to Medical Cost Sharing member victims and to the IRS. McGinnis also must forfeit to the government any property obtained from the wire fraud conspiracy and a money judgment representing all proceeds obtained from the scheme.
Under federal statutes, McGinnis is subject to a sentence of up to 23 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen D. Mahoney, Patrick Daly, and John Constance. It was investigated by the FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation.
FBI Website for Victims of Medical Cost Sharing Fraud
Those who believe they are victims of this fraud and wish to receive restitution for any losses suffered as a result may provide their information through the MCS Victim Information Page that has been established by the FBI.
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Tuesday, April 9, 2024
EPA Announces $1.4M Settlement with Sasol Chemicals for Alleged Chemical Accident Prevention Violations at Westlake, La., Facility
USEPA News Release:
EPA Announces $1.4M Settlement with Sasol Chemicals for Alleged Chemical Accident Prevention Violations at Westlake, La., Facility
DALLAS, TEXAS (April 8, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently finalized a settlement with Sasol Chemicals (Sasol) over alleged violations of the chemical accident prevention provisions of the Clean Air Act at the company’s facility in Westlake, Louisiana. Under the settlement, Sasol will pay more than $1.4 million in civil penalties and correct violations related to an October 2022 fire at the facility, as well as those found during a compliance evaluation in 2021. The facility is adjacent to the Mossville community, which Administrator Michael Regan visited on his Journey to Justice tour.
“The Mossville community has organized and fought for generations to protect their families from environmental impacts to people’s health and EPA is ready to build on that work by holding companies like Sasol accountable,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “Sasol and other industrial polluters must prioritize the safety of the fenceline community and their workers by following all chemical accident-prevention laws.”
Residents of the historic community of Mossville, founded by formerly enslaved people in the 1790s, live on the fence line of Sasol Chemicals and close to many other industrial facilities. Families here experience a daily pollution burden from these facilities, and many have been affected by cancer and other serious diseases. Administrator Michael Regan visited Mossville and other environmental justice communities on his Journey to Justice tour to listen to their stories and concerns. Through the resolution of this case, EPA is furthering the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to advancing environmental justice by enforcing stronger safety requirements for industrial facilities and requiring new measures to protect communities.
From January through July 2021, EPA conducted a Virtual Partial Compliance Evaluation (VPCE) of the Sasol facility under chemical accident prevention requirements of the Clean Air Act, including Section 112(r) and the General Duty Clause. On October 15, 2022—during the process to settle alleged violations found during the evaluation—a fire occurred at Sasol that resulted in a shelter-in-place order for the Westlake area. The settlement announced today addresses violations from the evaluation and the fire.
Under the settlement, Sasol will pay a civil penalty of $1,441,712.00. Sasol will also undertake several actions to resolve alleged violations, such as improving systems and procedures to assure timely completion of the Process Hazardous Analysis recommendations, improving inspections and procedures to maintain mechanical integrity of process equipment, addressing and resolving overdue compliance audits findings, improving safety systems designed to detect potential hazards, updating written and operating procedures to ensure the safe conducting of work activities, and improving implementation practices of operating procedures at the facility.
The injunctive relief in the settlement aligns with new amendments to the Risk Management Program announced on March 1, 2024, that require stronger measures for prevention, preparedness, and public transparency. The “Safer Communities by Chemical Accident Prevention Rule” protects the health and safety of all communities by requiring industry to prevent accidental releases of dangerous chemicals that could cause deaths and injuries, damage property and the environment, or require surrounding communities to evacuate or shelter-in-place. The rule requires regulated facilities to perform a safer technologies and alternatives analysis, and in some cases, facilities will be required to implement reliable safeguard measures. Under this settlement, Sasol will develop and implement safe work practices for the pressure testing of related process equipment to avoid further chemical accidental releases like the fire and shelter-in-place that occurred on October 15, 2022.
Improving compliance with Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act Amendments is part of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative of chemical accident risk reduction. Under Section 112(r), EPA publishes regulations and guidance for chemical accident prevention at facilities that use certain hazardous substances. These regulations and guidance are contained in the Risk Management Program rule, which requires facilities that use extremely hazardous substances to develop a Risk Management Plan which:
- identifies the potential effects of a chemical accident,
- identifies steps the facility is taking to prevent an accident, and
- spells out emergency response procedures should an accident occur.
To learn more about the Clean Air Act’s accident prevention provisions, see https://www.epa.gov/rmp.
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