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星期四, 2月 02, 2023
拜登總統1/24日發函向悼念1/21日加州蒙特公園逝者群眾致意
麻州公共衛生廳撥款10萬元給4環境正義社區組織 該善大眾健康
Massachusetts Public Health Officials Award $100,000 to Address Environmental and Climate Justice
Funding supports ongoing efforts to address health equity in communities hardest hit by COVID-19
BOSTON (February 2, 2023) – The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) announced $100,000 in funding to four organizations working to improve public health in Environmental Justice communities. This effort furthers DPH’s commitment to promote health equity by reducing harmful levels of exposure to environmental hazards in communities disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
These funds are part of a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grant awarded to DPH’s Bureau of Environmental Health to build on efforts to detect, prevent, and control environmental hazards through investing in evidence-based decision-making tools, workforce training, and community outreach. DPH will pilot collaborations with four organizations that work directly in underserved Environmental Justice communities:
- La Colaborativa, Chelsea – will address the environmental health impacts of poor housing conditions by expanding its “Up to Code Toolkit,” a multilingual web-based toolkit for residents to document housing code violations and hazardous living conditions.
- Everett Community Growers, Everett – will build on its “Heat, Health, and Housing – Organizing for Resident-led Strategies for Development Without Displacement” project, a series of community workshops focused on developing climate-resilient solutions that do not lead to gentrification and displacement.
- Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts, Springfield – will expand on its “Healthy Air Network Project,” a community air quality data collection collaboration, by developing educational materials for the public about risks and ways to reduce exposure.
- Southeast Asian Coalition of Central Massachusetts, Inc., Worcester – will increase awareness of environmental and public health issues that affect Southeast Asian and other immigrant, refugee, and asylee communities through the Environmental and Public Health Education program.
Each organization will receive $25,000 between January and June 2023 to implement interventions aimed at reducing environmental exposures and potential health impacts. DPH will provide technical assistance and solicit grantee feedback to inform the development of analytical tools, resources, and collaborative networks to better address environmental and climate justice issues across Massachusetts.
“This award underscores our ongoing efforts to prioritize and address disparities in social determinants of health, which include environmental health,” said Public Health Commissioner Margret Cooke. “These four projects will provide us with valuable insight into how community-level interventions may be leveraged to build environmental health capacity across the state.”
For this pilot, DPH sought proposals from organizations providing services to a select group of municipalities that have borne the disproportionate burden of both COVID-19 and exposure to environmental health hazards.
This funding is supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a larger financial assistance award totaling $500,000. The remaining funds will be used to support project management, online public health workforce training focused on specific environmental hazards in Massachusetts, and to develop guidance to provide a framework for identifying people or populations who are the most vulnerable in Environmental Justice communities and develop best practices to achieve equitable health outcomes.
麻州公共設施廳批准降低瓦斯供應費率 預計3月民眾有感
Department of
Public Utilities Approves Reductions to
Winter Gas Supply Rates
Approval will result
in lower utility bills for Massachusetts gas customers over the winter
months
BOSTON — The Massachusetts
Department of Public Utilities (DPU) has approved reductions in gas supply
rates for most gas customers across the Commonwealth. On average, the decreases
will result in a monthly bill decrease of about 4-5% for a typical residential
heating customer.
Beginning on February 1, 2023, customers served by The Berkshire Gas Company, Liberty Utilities, Fitchburg Gas and Electric Light Company d/b/a Unitil, Boston Gas Company d/b/a National Grid, and NSTAR Gas Company d/b/a Eversource Energy can expect lower winter gas supply rates, which will be reflected in the utility bills that customers receive in March. The decreases, which are attributable to changes in the market-based price of natural gas over the course of the winter period, result in a lower gas supply rate.
“Our administration is focused on reducing costs for Massachusetts residents and businesses,” said Governor Maura Healey. “We are exploring every possible tool to ease burdens, from reductions in energy costs, fuel assistance, nutritional support, and more. With these reduced energy prices, small businesses can grow, and more families will be able to put food on the table and roofs over their heads.”
“Families and businesses need relief, and our administration is heartened to see a downward trend in natural gas prices,” added Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Our team is working with great urgency to push out fuel assistance, improve efficiency, and identify ways to boost financial support for our residents.”
“This reduction in energy costs comes not a moment too soon for Massachusetts residents struggling to get by,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “But this adjustment is also an important reminder that we need to urgently and equitably transition away from volatile fossil fuels, which continue to threaten the financial security of our communities. The Healey-Driscoll Administration is moving swiftly to build a clean energy future to save costs and support our businesses.”
“These reductions in winter gas supply rates will offer some much-needed relief to gas ratepayers this winter,” said Department of Public Utilities Acting Chair Cecile Fraser. “We continue to direct the utilities to work with the families and businesses across the Commonwealth through energy efficiency and fuel assistance programs to help alleviate the burdens of energy costs.”
Under federal law, natural gas is
sold in a competitive market. The Massachusetts
gas distribution companies are required to purchase gas on their customers’ behalf at the market
price and pass that cost on to their customers without profit to the
companies. The DPU requires all gas distribution companies
to revise their gas supply rates, known as the
cost of gas adjustment factor, or
“GAF”, whenever the companies will materially over- or
under-collect costs from customers. Due to declining natural gas prices in the
competitive market, the companies will decrease their GAF for gas consumed
between February 1, 2023, and April 30, 2023. Each gas distribution company’s
gas supply rates change at least every November 1 and May 1. Customers can shop
for their own electric supplier through the DPU’s Energy Switch website: www.energyswitchma.gov.
波士頓華埠居民會2月例會討論4議程 居民關心安全、噪音，垃圾及交通問題
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| 波士頓華埠居民會2月份往上會議有將近40人出席。 |
華人前進會社區組織元鄺寶蓮和華埠土地信託基金會助理主任吳晰在會中協助居民提問，表達了居民們對安全、噪音、垃圾及交通是否可能阻塞等問題的關切。
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| 綠路主任Chris Cook報告更新照明設備工程。 |
綠路主任Chris
Cook當晚親自出席會議，以示尊重居民會。他還特地情商波士頓市議會議長的助理盧善柔代為翻譯。他說綠路正斥資100萬元改善沿路燈光，預定下星期一來到陳毓禮、黃杏蓉公園施工，更新照明設備，以增加燈光亮度，改善地方安全。該燈光亮度可以調節。Chris
Cook說明，整個施工過程約需二個月，施工期間會圍上藩籬，但該地區的無線網路服務不受影響。
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| 綠路照明設備工程示意圖。 |
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| 素素餐廳店東李素娥(右)在羅燕玲(左)陪同中出席居民會。 |
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| 素素餐廳分店座落位置。 |
由於辦公室市場目前充滿挑站，該公司正在把華盛頓街1000號這座辦公大樓改建為只做安全度列為第一及第二級的實驗室。目前該棟大樓內仍有許多州政府的辦公室，該公司將待所有辦公室遷出後，進行改建工程，預定2025年完工。為了做個好鄰居，該公司不但會整修大樓外的人行道等設施，還將提供估計不少於250萬元的社區福利。
該項土地發展及用途變更計畫，預定2023年冬遞交給波士頓計畫發展局 (BPDA)，並待波士頓重建局指派影響諮詢小組後，於2023年春、夏開始進一步討論。
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| 波士頓援救任務 (Boston Rescure Mission) 主管John G. Samaan。 |
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| 華人前進會社區組織員鄺寶蓮(左)和華埠居民會主席黃國威在會中提問。 |
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| BioMed 地產公司由資深項目經理Ashley Myslinski。 |
星期三, 2月 01, 2023
波士頓市2月3至5日進入緊急寒冷狀態 BCYF週五、六開放供民眾取暖
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