Editing Rhode Island (section)

==Environment==
===Environmental legislation===
[[File:Block_Island_Wind_Farm.jpg|thumb|The [[Block Island Wind Farm]] is the first commercial offshore wind farm in the United States.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Schlossberg|first=Tatiana|date=2016-12-14|title=America's First Offshore Wind Farm Spins to Life|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/14/science/wind-power-block-island.html|access-date=2021-05-26|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=May 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526060353/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/14/science/wind-power-block-island.html|url-status=live}}</ref>]]
On May 29, 2014, Governor Lincoln D. Chafee announced that Rhode Island was one of eight states to release a collaborative Action Plan to put 3.3&nbsp;million zero-emission vehicles on its roads by 2025. The plan's purpose is to reduce [[greenhouse gas]] and smog-causing emissions. The plan promotes [[zero-emissions vehicle]]s and investments in the infrastructure to support them.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dem.ri.gov/zevplanmou.pdf |title=Multi-State ZEV Action Plane: ZEV Program Implementation Task Force |date=May 2014 |website=dem.ri.gov |access-date=August 19, 2021 |archive-date=August 19, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819084946/http://www.dem.ri.gov/zevplanmou.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2014, Rhode Island received grants of $2,711,685 from the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]] to clean up [[Brownfield land|Brownfield sites]] in eight locations. The grants provided communities with funding to assess, clean up, and redevelop contaminated properties, boost local economies, and leverage jobs while protecting public health and the environment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6d651d23f5a91b768525735900400c28/2611642cd33b697185257ce6005001ee!OpenDocument|title=EPA Awards $17.5 Million to Clean Up Brownfield Sites in New England; Funds help protect health, the environment and Revitalize communities|access-date=December 24, 2014|archive-date=December 24, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141224024521/http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6d651d23f5a91b768525735900400c28/2611642cd33b697185257ce6005001ee!OpenDocument|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2013, the "Lots of Hope" program was established in the City of Providence to focus on increasing the city's green space and local food production, improve urban neighborhoods, promote healthy lifestyles and improve environmental sustainability. Supported by a $100,000 grant, the program will partner with the City of Providence, the Southside Community Land Trust, and the Rhode Island Foundation to convert city-owned vacant lots into productive urban farms.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.providenceri.com/sustainability/providence-environmental-initiative-will-transform|title=Providence Environmental Initiative Will Transform Vacant City-Owned Parcels into Urban Farms|access-date=December 24, 2014|archive-date=December 24, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141224024808/https://www.providenceri.com/sustainability/providence-environmental-initiative-will-transform|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2012, Rhode Island passed bill S2277/H7412, "An act relating to Health and Safety – Environmental Cleanup Objectives for Schools", informally known as the School Siting Bill. Sponsored by Senator [[Juan Pichardo]] and Representative [[Scott A. Slater|Scott Slater]], and signed into law by the governor, it made Rhode Island the first US State to prohibit school construction on Brownfield sites where toxic vapors can potentially affect indoor air quality. It also creates a public participation process whenever a city or town considers building a school on any other kind of contaminated site.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cleanwateraction.org/press/rhode-island-first-state-nation-prohibit-school-construction-vapor-intrusion-brownfield-sites |title=Rhode Island First State in Nation to Prohibit School Construction on Vapor Intrusion Brownfield Sites – Clean Water Action |access-date=December 24, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141224021559/http://www.cleanwateraction.org/press/rhode-island-first-state-nation-prohibit-school-construction-vapor-intrusion-brownfield-sites |archive-date=December 24, 2014}}</ref>

On April 14, 2021, the 2021 Act on Climate ,a very significant climate legislation, was signed.<ref>{{cite web |title=Act on Climate |url=https://climatechange.ri.gov/act-climate |website=State of Rhode Island, Climate Change |access-date=27 October 2024}}</ref>
===Environmental monitoring===
The {{Visible anchor|Invasive Plant Atlas of New England}} monitors [[invasive weed]]s throughout New England.<ref name="Information-Networks">
 {{cite journal |author1=Annie Simpson |author2=Catherine Jarnevich |author3=John Madsen |author4=Randy Westbrooks |author5=Christine Fournier |author6=Les Mehrhoff |author7=Michael Browne |author8=Jim Graham |author9=Elizabeth Sellers |year=2009 |title=Invasive species information networks: collaboration at multiple scales for prevention, early detection, and rapid response to invasive alien species |journal=[[Biodiversity (journal)|Biodiversity]] |volume=10 |issue=2 & 3 |pages=5–13 |doi=10.1080/14888386.2009.9712839 |bibcode=2009Biodi..10b...5S |s2cid=84730109}}
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