Plan to use ProvPort funds for college scholarships criticized by environmental justice groups

PROVIDENCE – College scholarships aren’t inherently controversial. But a plan to create a new one for the city's disenfranchised communities has drawn criticism.

That’s because the funds would be generated by the nonprofit operator of the city's deepwater port, which has polluted its neighbors for years.

Though the plan for the scholarships has widespread City Council support, environmental justice advocates say the use of the money would be misplaced.

Here's where the funds are coming from

When ProvPort's 30-year, much-debated tax deal was approved two years ago, it came with the agreement that 1% of ProvPort's revenue – or at least $120,000 a year – would be funneled into a "community benefit fund" for projects targeting environmental justice, job training and recreation.

Councilman Pedro Espinal wants to put the funds into scholarships for high school graduates specifically in Wards 10 and 11 - South Providence and Washington Park. Both wards run along the water.

Mixed reactions emerging to scholarship fund

The scholarships come by way of a proposed change to an existing ordinance. The amendment was introduced in January, shortly after the new council was sworn in, and was referred to the Finance Committee, where it will be vetted.

Already, it has the support of 10 City Council members, nearly the entire body.

But when residents heard about the idea at a community meeting this month, not everyone was enthused.

"I'm disappointed in the Council leadership that they would consider taking from the overall general at-large community and diverting the funding to a scholarship fund for perpetuity, for 30 years," said Linda Perri, president of the Washington Park Neighborhood Association. "That's a lot of money that does not go to the frontline community – the hardest hit, the environmentally affected residents."

Perri said she is "not anti-scholarship at all," but doesn't want to see the entire community benefits fund go to scholarships.

"I can certainly understand her point of view, and that’s well taken," said Espinal. "But I think that comes from perhaps not fully understanding the concept of what I'm trying to do and the use of the funds."

Espinal said his ordinance amendment gives a purpose to the funding, and that the use is appropriate "because this will fall under the category of labor and job training," which is a permissible use of the money.

As stated in the city ordinance that established ProvPort's tax agreement, community benefits "shall mean benefits including but not limited to, racial and environmental justice, economic and environmental impact, labor, job training, port/neighborhood relations, parks, and recreation infrastructure as provided in the Master Plan."

Though critics aren't raising outright opposition to scholarships, they want to see the money used for public health initiatives in those communities, which has suffered with pollution generated by the port and emissions from nearby Interstate 95. Data from the Rhode Island Department of Health shows 14.6% to 22.1% of children ages 2 to 17 in these port communities have an asthma claim.

Monica Huertas, executive director of the People's Port Authority, an environmental justice group, said she feels that "scholarship programs, while beneficial, may not directly address the immediate environmental justice needs of our community."

"Instead of solely focusing on scholarships, we would like to see a more comprehensive approach that includes investments in environmental remediation projects, health care services, job training programs in sustainable industries, and community-led initiatives aimed at addressing environmental injustices," Huertas said.

April Brown, director of the Racial and Environmental Justice Committee, another advocacy group of which Huertas is a manager, said the community benefits fund isn't getting enough money to begin with.

If it must be given to education, Brown said it should go to schools constructed on contaminated sites and schools right near the port.

"It should also be put in a flexible education fund rather than one specified only for college scholarships given there are multiple alternative opportunities that our students may want to take," Brown said.   

How would the scholarship fund work? Guidelines still unclear

Espinal's proposal would create a board to set guidelines for the administration of the scholarships, which will total no more than $5,000 each. That board would include himself, Ward 11 Councilwoman Mary Kay Harris, a ProvPort representative, principals of local high schools and a representative from Johnson & Wales University, which is the only university in the port community.

More: 'We're choking': How an air quality study is mapping which PVD neighborhoods have the worst air

Espinal will hold a community meeting to discuss the matter on Feb. 27 at the Washington Park Community Center at 6 p.m.

Correction: A previous version of this story said the community benefits funds were for any ward in Providence. They are for communities impacted by the port.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: ProvPort community benefit fund may be used for scholarships