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Current/Most Recent State Innovation Grant Competition
Three Projects Selected Under the 2008 State Innovation Grant Competition
Twelve States responded to this year’s State Innovation Grant Competition representing seven EPA Regions. Collectively, the pre-proposals totaled over $3.147 million. Nine of the twelve pre-proposals met the threshold criteria and other requirements identified in the solicitation and went forward in the evaluation process. The three projects selected request a total $825,000 in Federal funds, with funding matches from these states totaling over $428K. While representing a diversity of project types, each of the awards addresses the overall theme of the solicitation ("innovation in permitting"), and the focus areas of Environmental Results Programs (ERP), Environmental Management Systems (EMS) or other integrated approaches.
The three projects proposed for funding from this year's competition are (alphabetically):
Missouri - the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, in partnership with the State of Illinois, proposes to develop a Comprehensive Regional Multi-pollutant Air Quality Management Plan for the St. Louis metropolitan area. The plan will integrate all existing State Implementation Plan (SIP) requirements and address a broad range of issues related to climate, growth, transportation, energy efficiency and hazardous air pollutant exposures. It features strong collaboration among two states, two EPA Regions, and multiple agencies. ($275K)
Narragansett Bay Commission - the Commission, in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and the University of Rhode Island, proposes to use EMS and ERP to create a Sustainable Energy Management System for Rhode Island’s wastewater treatment facilities. The EMS will focus on improving energy efficiency; an ERP will be developed to reduce the oil and grease coming in to the facilities from restaurants and food processing operations with the goal of turning this waste into a renewable fuel source. The Commission is eligible under the solicitation because it has re-delegated authority (from Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management) for the state's NPDES pre-treatment permitting program. ($275K)
New Hampshire - the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services proposes to test the use of incentives such as early technical assistance and integrated/coordinated permitting to encourage adoption of better development practices. The project will integrate storm water and other permits for the construction sector with the goal of development that produces fewer air, water, and ground water impacts and energy and water savings. ($275K)
NCEI and the EPA Regions will work with the states to ensure the successful completion of the states’ final award packages in June so that actual awards can by made this fiscal year. NCEI will host a grants workshop in mid-May in Washington DC for state project managers and the Regions' designated project officers to equip them with information critical to completing a successful final work plan for each selected project.