$120,000 in grant funds available from EPA

By Shannon Weidemann (McKone) on Wednesday, February 10th, 2021 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories

OREGON – (Release by Environmental Protection Agency) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that $120,000 in grant funding is now available for local organizations to support projects that build community health and resilience in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The Region 10 Healthy, Resilient and Sustainable Communities grant program will support Northwest communities as they develop and implement pollution prevention or sustainable materials management systems that help make their communities safer, healthier, and more resilient.

Grant awards of $30,000 to $60,000 will be available for up to four community projects. Eligible entities include Region 10 states, local governments, city or township governments, independent school district governments, state-controlled institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, nonprofit private institutions of higher education, community-based grassroots organizations, and federally recognized tribes and intertribal consortia. Applications for grant awards must be submitted by April 30, 2021.

EPA will be hosting two information webinars on February 25th and March 3rd for prospective applicants to learn more about the grant opportunity, submission requirements and review criteria for this new opportunity for states, local governments, federally recognized tribes and others. For more information: www.epa.gov/healthy-resilient-and-sustainable-communities-grants-region-10.

EPA is seeking applications for projects that support Pollution Prevention (P2) and Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) through research, investigation, study, demonstration, education and training. EPA’s P2 and SMM programs support efforts and projects to help build community health by reducing the use, release, and exposure to toxic chemicals; using life cycle approaches to reduce the health and environmental impacts of materials use; and employing upstream solutions that reduce the need and cost of environmental cleanup and pollution management.

EPA is particularly interested in applications for projects that offer hands-on practical P2 tools, information or innovative P2 approaches to measurably improve public health and the health of the environment, by reducing the use of hazardous substances, reducing toxic pollutants, supporting water and energy efficiency, and reducing business costs. P2 projects can include, but are not limited to training and pollution prevention outreach to help businesses and communities to reduce the use of hazardous chemicals, water, and energy including EPA’s Safer Choice, ENERGY STAR, and WaterSense programs.

EPA is also seeking SMM project proposals to promote waste prevention, waste minimization, and recovery and reuse of materials. SMM projects could include supporting market development for salvaged construction materials. Other projects could include reducing wasted food through outreach and tools for schools such as EPA’s School Food Share program, state, local and tribal governments, and private businesses following EPA’s food recovery hierarchy. SMM projects could also include outreach to public or private buyers of materials or products about buying packaging products with recycled content, or investigating process innovations, e.g., reusable packaging systems or zero packaging.