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News Releases from Region 01

EPA Grants Available to Improve the Environment and Public Health in New England Communities

04/09/2015
Contact Information: 
David Deegan (deegan.dave@epa.gov)
918-1017

BOSTON - EPA is making grant money available for New England communities to reduce environmental risks, protect and improve human health and improve the quality of life.

EPA New England's Healthy Communities Grant Program is currently accepting initial proposals for projects that will benefit one or more New England communities. EPA plans to award a total of approximately 10-15 cooperative agreements, each up to a maximum of $25,000, with the exception of projects identifying the Southeast New England Coastal Watershed Restoration Target Program Area which may request up to a maximum of $200,000.

Eligible applicants include state and local governments, public nonprofit institutions or organizations, private nonprofit institutions or organizations, quasi-public nonprofit institutions or organizations, Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments, K-12 schools or school districts; and non-profit organizations (e.g. grassroots and/or community-based organizations).

The Healthy Communities Grant Program will achieve this through identifying and funding projects that:

  • Target resources to benefit communities at risk [areas at risk from climate change impacts, environmental justice areas of potential concern, sensitive populations (e.g. children, elderly, tribes, urban/rural residents, and others at increased risk), and Southeast New England coastal watersheds].
  • Assess, understand, and reduce environmental and human health risks.
  • Increase collaboration through partnerships and community-based projects.
  • Build institutional and community capacity to understand and solve environmental and human health problems.
  • Advance emergency preparedness and ecosystem resilience.
  • Achieve measurable environmental and human health benefits.

Eligible projects under this program must be located in and/or directly benefit one or more of the "target investment areas" and identify how the proposed project will achieve measurable environmental and/or public health results in one or more of the five "target program areas."

In 2015, "Target Investment Areas" include: 1) Areas at Risk from Climate Change Impacts, 2) Environmental Justice Areas of Potential Concern, 3) Sensitive Populations, and/or 4) Southeast New England Coastal Watersheds. "Target Program Areas" include: 1) Capacity-Building on Environmental and Public Health Issues; 2) Clean, Green, and Healthy Schools; 3) Community and Water Resource Resilience; 4) Healthy Indoor Environments; 5) Healthy Outdoor Environments; and/or 6) Southeast New England Coastal Watershed Restoration. A description of these target areas can be found in the 2015 Application Guidance.

There is a two-step process for selecting proposals. The program requires the submission of an Initial Project Summary as a first step; then applicants with the highest quality proposals will be invited to submit full proposals for consideration. The deadline to submit an Initial Project Summary is April 30, 2015.

To help answer questions from prospective applicants, the Healthy Communities Grant Program will host conference calls on April 16 and April 21, 2015. These information sessions are optional, but RSVP's are required. A registration form can be found in the Application Guidance.

More information on EPA's New England Healthy Community Grants: www.epa.gov/region1/eco/uep/hcgp.html

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NOTE: Edited on 4/13/2015 - corrected date that Initial Project Summaries are due is April 30, 2015.