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Seven Projects Selected Under 2007 State Innovation Grant Competition
Seventeen States responded to this year's State Innovation Grant Competition representing nine EPA Regions. Collectively, the pre-proposals totalled $3.75M in requests. The seven project pre-proposals selected in the State Innovation Grant Program's 2007 competition represent a diversity of project types from a variety of geographic areas. These projects cover five EPA Regions (1, 2, 4, 5 and 10) and include three Environmental Results Program (ERP) projects, one Environmental Management Systems (EMS) project, one Performance Track (PT) project, and two projects featuring a combination of ERP and PT.
The projects will total almost $1.62 million when the awards are finalized. The seven projects selected are:
- Rhode Island (ERP) - will apply the Environmental Results Program to approach to construction storm water management for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4). RIDEM will develop an integrated system of compliance assistance, self-certification, and performance measurement that incorporates best management practices to control erosion and sedimentation from construction sites greater than one acre. The project will help construction operators to meet the Phase II storm water control requirements.
- Maine (ERP), in partnership with Massachusetts and potentially other learning states - will develop a voluntary Environmental Results Program for paved surface stormwater management. Partner States will target the program at parking lots in heavily developed areas affecting impaired Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)-assigned watersheds.
- New York (ERP) - will use the Environmental Results Program model to improve the environmental performance of three small business sectors, including auto body shops and printers. ERP will be a central means by which NYSDEC and other New York agencies will implement new legislation calling for innovative approaches to compliance assistance that promotes pollution prevention and energy efficiency among small businesses.
- Washington (ERP/PT) - will develop a comprehensive Sustainable Washington Program which combines the Environmental Results Program model with a new state voluntary leadership and sustainability program (VLP) - A State Performance Track-like program. The goals of this integrated approach are to improve sector compliance, encourage entities to move voluntarily beyond compliance towards sustainability, and produce measurable environmental results. The ERP component will focus on the auto body/auto refinishing sector in three priority watersheds.
- Kentucky (ERP/PT) - will expand the membership of Kentucky's environmental leadership program. , KY EXCEL, to more than 500 entities; encourage at least 40% of KY EXCEL members to commit to performing waste reduction projects at their facilities, and; establish compliance assistance resources for use in an Environmental Results Program pilot project focused on wastewater treatment facilities and properties with regulated underground storage tanks (USTs) to build environmental leadership skills.
- Tennessee (PT) - will address water quality impacts resulting from the State's ongoing construction boom by helping Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) establish an integrated approach to water resources management. The TNDEC will develop a performance-based leadership program for the sector, adopting criteria and incentives, and a formal "excellence" recognition and awards program that will enable MS4 facilities to become "qualifying local programs" under their permits.
- Wisconsin (EMS) - will promote whole farm Environmental Management Systems as a tool for multi-media environmental improvement among dairy farms of all sizes (regulated and unregulated) in the Lakeshore Basin region of the State. The project will link dairy farmers to the Green Tier Environmental Excellence program and Agricultural Watershed Improvement Network, and help the State address the significant impacts caused by agricultural runoff to both surface and groundwater.