One of the biggest problems with New Hampshire’s ruling class Concord swamp creatures, what we refer to whimsically as ‘The Five Families,’ is that without regard to a political party, they love them some Federal Money, and there is no such thing as too much.
When confronted with the very real strings attached to handouts from inside the Beltway, the pat response is that there are no strings. But there are always strings. Federal grants exist, just like welfare and other handouts, to create dependency while erasing the ability of states to exercise sovereignty. If enough of the budget is top-loaded with taxdollars laundered through the General Government, leverage is easily applied. Transgender policies in schools, or else? One of many examples from COVID.
And there is no such thing as one-time money. Those funds – robbed from taxpayers – come with rules that typically require the state to continue funding the program after the grant runs out or to enforce regs with all the in-perpetuity costs associated with managing it … forever (to which we can add the increased expense of compliance by businesses or citizens where applicable). And there are few programs as expensive and burdensome as EPA regs under any circumstance but especially in the guise of reducing CO2 or greening the planet, which is a contradiction if you are an actual scientist. CO2 greens the planet!
Another contradiction is our state motto (Live Free or Die) smothered with a pillow by the whores in Concord who then (I’ll let you finish that sentence in your mind). They are beside themselves with glee about being “awarded” a new grant from the EPA.
New Hampshire has been awarded a Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to update the state’s climate action plan to reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses. EPA is administering this CPRG Program as part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. The CPRG program has two phases: planning and implementation.
The goals of the New Hampshire CPRG Program are to:
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions while supporting the creation of good jobs and lowering energy costs for families.
- Empower community-driven solutions in neighborhoods overburdened from pollution and impacts of climate change by directly seeking input from those communities. Under Justice40 guidance, the program’s goal is to have 40% of overall benefits flow to these communities.
- Deliver cleaner air by reducing harmful air pollution in places where people live, work, play and go to school.
Planning
In the current planning phase, NHDES will use awarded funds from EPA for development of a Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) and a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP). The PCAP is due on March 1, 2024, and will focus on identification of actionable measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and an analysis of some benefits. Completion of this initial plan is a necessary prerequisite to allow our state to compete for $4.6 billion in implementation grants described below. The CCAP is due on August 15, 2025, and will build upon the information in the PCAP but will include more in-depth analysis of benefits, projections of future reductions and more detailed study of future implementation options.
Implementation
In the second phase of the program, entities identified in the PCAP may apply for implementation grants. Implementation grant applications are due April 1, 2024. There will be a total of $4.6 billion available nationally for implementation, and grant applications will be evaluated by EPA on a competitive basis.
Engagement
The EPA has made clear that meaningful community engagement is essential
for this planning process and accessing funding for the implementation grants that follow (i.e., support for local ideas, policies and programs to reduce pollution and build more equitable and resilient communities). Learn more on the EPA website.
Meaningful community engagement. Yes, I think our readers should get engaged with NH DES. And what do they think that looks like?
Meaningful Community Engagement
Each climate action plan requires meaningful community engagement. The design and initial efforts to identify climate action priorities must actively involve the participation of people who live in communities that experience a disproportionate burden of environmental hazards that affect their quality of life – linked to the following sectors. There is much to talk and engage about across New Hampshire! See EPA Technical Assistance for more information.
- Transportation.
- Electricity generation and/or use.
- Natural and working lands.
- Industry.
- Agriculture.
- Commercial and residential buildings.
- Waste and materials management.
- Wastewater.
Process for Engagement
- Assessment Phase: Clarifying engagement and workplan goals while identifying partners, interested parties, their interests and resources.
- Design Phase: Work with and engage interested parties and partners to plan the engagement process.
- Engagement Phase: Begin to implement the engagement plan by holding community conversations across New Hampshire with a mix of stakeholders, including and emphasizing people who are from communities most affected by greenhouse gases and air pollution in New Hampshire. The focus comes from guidance put forth by the EPA
Community engagement activities that will focus on building relationships and opportunities for people to voice their ideas are being scheduled between October 2023 and February 2024. Per EPA guidance, we will seek to:
- Develop a strategy with community involvement that outlines the benefits and disbenefits that the local community will receive and defines when and how community engagement will occur throughout and beyond the entirety of the project.
- Identify relevant community members (those with interest or influence, and those who will be affected), and what they care about or bring to the table.
- Develop a plan, with community involvement, that lays out the goals, challenges, potential solutions and methods to measure progress, and manners for continued engagement.
- Outline a strategy to understand, engage, and evaluate the full landscape of community interests and resources moving forward.
Interested? I think at least a few legislators should check it out in the interest of protecting their citizens from federal overreach. Maybe the Executive Council?
“If you are interested in joining a list for the community conversations between December 2023 and February 2024, please fill out your information here in this notification sign-up form.”
Some concerns might be how there is no reason to reduce CO2, or that doing so is detrimental to the planet, NH businesses, the tax base, and affordable quality living, they printed this money, and it has added to inflation, maybe just send it back. You know the drill. And don’t forget to look for the strings.
| NH DES
