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HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 24-1788 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 24-1788 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council January 9, 2024 Page 1 of 2 i i7 Y SUBJECT: CLIMATE POLLUTION REDUCTION GRANT (CPRG) AND NCTCOG rrn REGIONAL AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN UPDATE The purpose of this Informal Report is to provide an update on federal Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) funding opportunities for North Texas. Background The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 included $4.6 billion in grant funding for the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) CPRG program which launched in 2023. The CPRG program includes two grant phases: planning and implementation. Urban centers and state governments across the U.S. are actively working to develop priority climate action plans which must be submitted to EPA by March 1 , 2024. In Texas, the State of Texas (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) and 6 metropolitan statistical areas are developing respective plans. The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) is the designated lead agency for the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) plan. NCTCOG received $1 M in September 2023 to begin regional plan development; this plan will be known as the DFW Air Quality Improvement Plan (AQIP). The City of Fort Worth has supported NCTCOG in this regional collaboration with a letter of support, participation in plan development workgroups; advancing communications and outreach; and identifying local project and strategies which can be included in the AQIP. Requests for City of Fort Worth projects and strategies have been supported by city leadership and distributed to all City departments. Plan Development and Next Steps After the AQIP is developed and submitted to EPA, NCTCOG will apply for implementation grant funding up to $500 million for the North Texas region. Implementation grant applications are due by April 1 , 2024. If awarded, these funds will be used to implement select regional and local measures identified within the AQIP. Regional plan elements can be implemented through the NCTCOG and its partners; local plan elements can be implemented by local governments through subgrants or subawards. If awarded, implementation funds are expected by Summer 2025. Regional Transportation Council and NCTCOG Executive Board actions on the AQIP are expected in February 2024; action on the implementation grant application is expected in March 2024. Additional regional planning efforts are expected to continue through 2024 and early 2025. Public Input Opportunities All North Texas residents can complete an online survey: https://www.publicinput.com/dfwAQIP- survey or attend NCTCOG open house meetings. Fort Worth will host an open house on Thursday, January 18, 2024 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at the Hazel Harvey Peace Center for Neighborhoods, 818 Missouri Ave., 76104. Learn more: https://www.publicinput.com/nctcog-cprq. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 24-1788 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council January 9, 2024 Page 2 of 2 i i7 Y SUBJECT: CLIMATE POLLUTION REDUCTION GRANT (CPRG) AND NCTCOG rrn REGIONAL AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN UPDATE Table 1. Example CPRG Planning Strategies by Sector Sector Measures Replace heavy-duty vehicles with newer ones to improve emission. Improve/Increase walkability to include trails or sidewalks. Transportation Support weather-responsive traffic/roadway management. Build infrastructure to support the use of low-emission fleet vehicles (e.g., electric vehicle charging stations). Promote public transportation or alternative energy use. Increase local farm-to-market efforts. Agriculture, Increase public green spaces and access to greenspace. Forestry & Land Incorporate urban heat island mitigation strategies. Use Expand urban tree canop y;py; riparian areas. Implement energy-conserving landscaping or xeriscape. Increase energy management technologies. Retrofit buildings to increase energy savings. Energy Upgrade facilities with renewable energy (e.g., solar) Utilize energy storage technologies and diversify sources. Provide/encourage incentives (e.g., green buildings) Expand water storage and water re-use capacity. Capture fugitive emissions from wastewater treatment. Water & Implement stormwater collection programs and promote use Wastewater of green infrastructure. Divert biosolids from wastewater treatment into waste-to- energy s stems. Capture landfill gas and use as energy (i.e., biogas). Divert organic waste from landfills into waste-to-energy Solid Waste systems. Increase waste diversion (e.g., expanded recycling efforts). Implement low-waste construction methods. Promote waste as resources (e.g., composting). For questions on the information in this report, please call: Cody Whittenburg, Environmental Services Interim Director: (817) 392-5455 or Kelly Porter, Asst. Transportation & Public Works Director: (817) 392-7259. David Cooke City Manager ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS