EPA awards $30,000 Environmental Justice Grant to project studying mercury levels in fish from SC’s Gill Creek

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently awarded 40 Environmental Justice Small Grants totalling $1.2 million, including a $30,000 grant for South Carolina’s Gills Greek Watershed Association to study the potential of mercury exposure for those fishing from the creek.

"EPA’s environmental justice grants help communities across the country understand and address exposure to multiple environmental harms and risks at the local level," EPA Office of Environmental Justice Director Matthew Tejada said. "Addressing the impacts of climate change is a priority for EPA and the projects supported by this year’s grants will help communities prepare for and build resilience to localized climate impacts."

The project, titled “Exposure to mercury through subsistence fishing: Assessment and outreach in underserved communities in Gills Creek Watershed, SC," will benefit the South Carolina communities of Arthurtown, Washington Park, Little Camden, Starlite, Eastway Park, Sims, and Bluff Estates. It will entail testing fish caught in Gills Creek for mercury and educating the public on the potential health effects of mercury exposure.

The Environmental Justice Small Grants program seeks out projects that help low-income communities overburdened with environmental challenges, addressing those issues and also educating and empowering residents.