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Omaha Healthy Kids Receives $200,000 EPA Grant

The Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance was recently awarded a $200,000 environmental education grant by the EPA.

Chris Whitley, Spokesman for the US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7, says the funds will be used to develop a comprehensive program directed at Latino residents. 

The Grassroots Latino Environmental Education program, or GLEE, is designed to reach the city’s Spanish-speaking Latino community at the grassroots level.

"Households will learn more about indoor environmental issues, things like toxic chemical safety, indoor air quality, healthy housing, just fundamental information but helpful and essential information that figures into health and overall quality of life.”

Whitley says statistics show underserved populations, with a lack of education about environmental issues, tend to face bigger and more profound risks from environmental hazards than other populations.  

He says the grant was highly competitive with only 10 grants available for the entire country.