Deadline: 06-Aug-21
The Environmental Protection Agency is seeking applications for its Building Community Resilience through the Reduction and Prevention of Nonpoint Source Pollution.
This funding opportunity is intended to generate applications for innovative demonstration projects that reduce nonpoint source pollution and enhance community resilience using green 10 infrastructure (GI) practices.
Green infrastructure is a cost-effective, resilient approach to managing wet weather impacts that provides many community benefits.
While single-purpose gray storm water infrastructure— conventional piped drainage and water treatment systems—is designed to move urban storm water away from the built environment, green infrastructure reduces and treats storm water at its source while delivering environmental, social, and economic benefits.
Nonpoint source pollution such as storm water runoff can carry trash, bacteria, heavy metals, and other pollutants to tributaries and into the Gulf of Mexico.
As a result, polluted runoff can degrade water quality and result in negative consequences to ecosystems and human health.
Funding Information
- EPA expects to provide approximately $2 million for 4 to 6 projects in this funding opportunity.
- The maximum amount of federal funds that will be awarded for any project in this funding opportunity is $500,000.
- Proposed project periods may be up to three years.
- Award Ceiling: $2,000,000
Outputs
The following are potential project outputs:
- Estimated reduction in nutrients and other pollutants via monitoring or modeling
- Number of habitat acres enhanced, protected or restored
- Number of communities that enhanced their knowledge or identify risk management actions related to climate and stormwater vulnerabilities
- Estimated volume of stormwater runoff captured and/or increased infiltration (if applicable)
- Education events/presentations (report number of events and participants)
Outcomes
One or more required:
- Acres of habitat enhanced, protected or restored over the life of the project with quarterly milestones clearly reflected. An initial baseline must be included to provide an accurate view of progress
- Improvement in at least one water quality parameter in a water body and/or segment over the life of the project with quarterly milestones clearly reflected. Applicant should evaluate the baseline conditions as a part of their project to provide an accurate view of progress.
- Examples of water quality parameters that could be demonstrated in a water quality improvement project include but are not limited to: excess nutrients, turbidity (and/or total suspended solids), dissolved oxygen, pH, and temperature.
- Change in willingness to adopt, fund, and implement green infrastructure practices as a result of project outreach resulting in more resilient stormwater management and communities. The applicant should include a description of their method for evaluating the change in willingness to adopt green infrastructure practices in their application. For example, number of projects that overcome barriers (including a description of the barriers) to green infrastructure adoption as a result of project outreach and number of communities that benefit from more resilient stormwater management.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applications will be accepted from governmental entities, including state agencies, interstate agencies, Indian tribes, local governments, institutions of higher learning (i.e., colleges and universities), and non-profit organizations are eligible to apply for funding under this RFA. School districts or high schools designated as one of the eligible entities above are eligible.
- For-profit organizations are not an eligible entity for this funding opportunity. Additionally, non-profit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engage in lobbying activities as defined in Section 3 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 are not eligible to apply.
- To be eligible for this funding opportunity, 12 projects must take place in the Gulf of Mexico watershed AND in the five Gulf States (AL, FL, LA, MS, TX)
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=333929