Feb. SRRTTF meetings/biofilm news story/EPA grant

Upcoming SRRTTF meetings: (conf. call number 605-313-5141, 723394#)
PMF work group: Feb. 4 at 11 am (conf. call)
TSCA work group: Feb. 5 at 10 am (conf. call)
Education & Outreach work group: Feb. 11 at 10 am (Spokane Regional Health District)
The next SRRTTF meeting will be held Wednesday, Feb. 26 from 8:30 am – 12:00 pm at Liberty Lake Sewer & Water District – 22510 E Mission Ave., Spokane, WA
(For additional info. contact lara@whitebluffsconsulting.com)

Crosscut has written an article “10 of the Wildest Discoveries Washington Scientists Made in 2019” which includes Siana Wong and Brandee Era-Miller’s work on the PCB biofilm project.

Take a look at number 4! https://crosscut.com/2019/12/10-wildest-discoveries-washington-scientists-made-2019

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking grant applications from states and federally-recognized tribes to promote pollution prevention (P2) in businesses across the country. Through these grants, the agency hopes states and tribes, along with colleges, universities and intertribal consortia, will develop and provide information, training and tools to businesses to help them reduce costs and the use of water, energy and other natural resources.

EPA anticipates awarding approximately $9.38 million in total federal pollution prevention grant funding over a two-year funding cycle ($4.69 million in FY 2020 funds and $4.69 million in FY 2021 funds). Individual grant awards could be in the range of $40,000-$500,000 for the two-year funding period or between $20,000 – $250,000 funded per year.

Proposals are due by March 31, 2020

EPA Announces Grant Opportunity for Pollution Prevention Technical Assistance

San Francisco – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking grant applications from states and federally-recognized tribes to promote pollution prevention (P2) in businesses across the country. Through these grants, the agency hopes states and tribes, along with colleges, universities and intertribal consortia, will develop and provide information, training and tools to businesses to help them reduce costs and the use of water, energy and other natural resources.

“Pollution prevention grants are important tools that help support innovative solutions to reducing pollution,” said EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Assistant Administrator Alexandra Dapolito Dunn. “The results of work done under these grants have created best practices that are helping to advance economic growth, increase sustainability and protect the environment.”

EPA anticipates awarding approximately $9.38 million in total federal pollution prevention grant funding over a two-year funding cycle ($4.69 million in FY 2020 funds and $4.69 million in FY 2021 funds). Individual grant awards could be in the range of $40,000-$500,000 for the two-year funding period or between $20,000 – $250,000 funded per year.

For these grants, EPA emphasizes the importance of grantees documenting and sharing P2 best practices that are identified and developed through these grants, so that others can replicate these practices and outcomes. Each grantee will be required to develop at least one case study during the grant period on P2 practices that are new or not widely known or adopted, or where detailed information on the P2 practices could benefit other businesses or P2 technical assistance providers.

Grant applications should focus on at least one of the following P2 priority areas, also referred to as National Emphasis Areas (NEAs) that support several of the Agency’s Smart Sectors:  

  1. NEA #1: Food and Beverage Manufacturing and Processing
  2. NEA #2:  Chemical Manufacturing, Processing and Formulation
  3. NEA #3:  Automotive Manufacturing and Maintenance
  4. NEA #4:  Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing and Maintenance
  5. NEA #5:  Metal Manufacturing and Fabrication

EPA’s national P2 Program will host two informational webinars for potential applicants and interested stakeholders. The first webinar will be held on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 from 2:00 – 3:30 pm EDT. To register, please go to: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8522288642270023693.

This webinar will review information about the P2 Grant program and the application process to help potential applicants submit a high-quality application to EPA for consideration.  Time will be provided on the webinar for questions and answers. 

The second webinar will be held on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 from 2:00 – 3:30 pm EDT to review and answer questions on the NEAs for this grant competition cycle. To register, please go to: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4696774328423521549.

The webinar registration links will work best when using the Google Chrome browser.  Please consult the solicitation for further details.

Proposals are due by March 31, 2020. Additional information is available on www.grants.gov, under Funding Opportunity Announcement EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-001.

Read more about P2 and the P2 Grant Program.

Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on Twitter.


Grant opportunity/Upcoming SRRTTF meetings

Terry Husseman Account (THA) Grants – Application Announcement

Application Period Opens: January 2, 2020 at 8:00 a.m.; Application Period Closes: February 4, 2020 at 5:00 p.m.

Please visit the: Terry Husseman Account (THA) Website to review the 2020 Funding Guidelines.

Overview of the Terry Husseman Account (THA) Funding Opportunity

THA grants support locally sponsored on-the-ground projects that restore or enhance the natural environment. Typical projects address water quality issues and fish and wildlife habitat protection or enhancement in or adjacent to waters of the state, such as streams, lakes, wetlands, or the ocean.

Projects that develop and implement aquatic land geographic information systems (GIS) that support restoration or enhancement of the natural environment are also eligible and may be proposed.

On-the-ground projects that address an environmental emergency may be eligible. An environmental emergency is defined as a risk to the natural environment as a result of a natural or man-made disaster.

On-the-ground projects of statewide significance may be proposed that use innovative approaches or technologies that could be applied in multiple watersheds throughout Washington, and result in a significant improvement to the natural environment.

To be considered, projects must provide primary benefits to public resources (land or water stewardship) and affiliated infrastructure.

Grant Award Amounts
Grant awards are up to a maximum of $50,000. The typical grant award ranges from $10,000 to $25,000.

Available Funding
Funding levels vary. Awards depend on revenue from water quality penalties and available regional sub-account levels.

Match
There are no recipient match or cost-share requirements. THA grants provide 100 percent of the project Total Eligible Cost. However, contributing funds may be used to demonstrate stakeholder support and may increase competitiveness of an application. 

THA grant funds can be used to meet match requirements for other Washington State grant programs, such as:

  1. Ecology’s Water Quality Combined Financial Assistance Program Nonpoint Activity grants(Section 319 EPA federal fund source, and Centennial State Building Construction Account fund source).
  2. Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) grants. 

Grant Timeline
Projects typically run 12 to 18 months.

Application deadline
Completed grant applications must be submitted via Ecology’s Administration of Grants and Loans (EAGL) online grant system by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 4, 2020. **

Application evaluation period and notice of award decision
Applications will be reviewed, evaluated, and scored by a team of regional Ecology evaluators. Regional priorities are established at the beginning of each funding cycle.

Applicants will be notified by a Regional Fund Coordinator (RFC) of the award decision, no later than Tuesday, March 31, 2020. If a project is chosen for funding, the anticipated start date of the agreement will be June 1, 2020, or thereafter.

2020 Funding Cycle Timeline

Date Program Milestone
Thursday, January 2, 2020 EAGL grant application opens at 8:00 a.m.
Tuesday, February 4, 2020 EAGL grant application closes at 5:00 p.m.**
Wednesday, February 5 – Wednesday, February 12, 2020 Application screening.
Thursday, February 13 – Monday, March 16, 2020 Evaluation period for EAGL grant applications.
On or before Tuesday, March 31, 2020 Regional Fund Coordinators send funding decision notices to applicants.
On or before Friday, April 10, 2020 Regional Directors send award letters to applicants, identifying Ecology Project Manager (PM) and Financial Manager (FM) assignments.
April – May 2020 Ecology PM and FM work with grant recipients to develop the agreement.
June 1, 2020, or thereafter. Agreement start date of funded projects.

** Applications for on the ground projects that address an Environmental Emergency may be submitted at any time. An environmental emergency is a risk to the natural environment as a result of a natural or man-made disaster. The project must meet all of the application criteria.

** Applications for on the ground projects that have a Statewide Significance may be submitted at any time. A project of statewide significance is one that proposes innovative approaches or technologies that could be applied in multiple watersheds throughout Washington, and would result in a significant improvement to the natural environment. The project must meet all of the application criteria.

Questions
Please contact me, or a Regional Fund Coordinator, if you have additional questions after reading through the Terry Husseman Account (THA) Funding Guidelines.
Thank you.

Amy Krause
| Grants Technical Assistance Lead | Shorelands and Environmental Assistance (SEA) Program |
|WA State Department of Ecology | ( 360.407.7107 )
| Mailing Address: P.O. Box 47600; Olympia, WA  98504-7600 |
| Street Address: 300 Desmond Drive; Lacey, WA 98503-1274 |

Upcoming SRRTTF Meetings: (conf. call number 605-313-5141, 723394#)
TSCA conf. call: January 8, 2020 @ 10 am
Education & Outreach: January 21, 2020 @ 10 am – Spokane Regional Health District
The next SRRTTF meeting will be a conference call on January 22, 2020 @ 1:30 pm

SRRTTF Fish work group meeting/Other upcoming mtgs.

The Fish sampling work group will have a meeting this next Monday, August 26.

Location:
WDFW Region 1 Headquarters
2315 N. Discovery Place
Spokane Valley, WA 99216
Time: 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Call in number if you cannot attend in person: 360-407-3780, 380231#
Agenda: SRRTTF Fish Working Group Meeting agenda 8-26-19

Other upcoming work group meetings: (conf. call number – 605-313-5141, 723394#)
TSCA conference call- September 4 at 10 am
Education and OutreachSeptember 10 at 10 am held at Spokane Regional Health District office
Data Management conference call – September 12 at 3 pm

The next SRRTTF meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 27 from 1:30 – 5:00 pm at Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District.

Please contact lara@whitebluffsconsulting.com for additional information