The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the availability of nearly $24 million in grants to support states, U.S. territories, and Tribes in providing technical assistance to businesses to develop and adopt pollution prevention practices. The funding is available through two Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) for EPA’s Pollution Prevention program, with approximately $14 million in grants available at no cost share/match requirement, thanks to funding made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“Pollution prevention practices are an important and cost-effective strategy to protect communities and the environment by helping businesses prevent pollution before it’s even created,” said EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Deputy Assistant Administrator for Pollution Prevention Jennie Romer. “Thanks to the historic investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA is helping to spur economic growth by expanding and accelerating the practices that are win-wins for human health, the environment and American businesses.”
The United States produces billions of pounds of pollution each year and spends billions of dollars per year controlling it. Pollution prevention, also known as P2 or source reduction, is any practice that reduces, eliminates, or prevents pollution at its source prior to recycling, treatment, or disposal. Preventing pollution at the source rather than managing waste afterwards is an important way to support American businesses while reducing exposure to toxic chemicals in communities and conserving natural resources. These practices are essential for protecting health, improving environmental conditions–including in and around disadvantaged communities–and preserving natural resources like wetlands, groundwater sources, and other critical ecosystems.
Two grant opportunities are being announced today:
- $14 million P2 Grant Opportunity: The $14 million NOFO is the third of five annual installments of P2 grant funding provided by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This opportunity does not include the fifty percent grantee funds matching requirement required by traditional P2 grants, increasing access to the funding for all communities. Grants supported with Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds will be fully funded at the time grants are awarded (rather than receiving funding in installments). The maximum amount of each grant is $350,000.
- $9.94 million P2 Grant Opportunity: The $9.94 million NOFO is part of the traditional P2 grants program that has been administered by the Agency for over 25 years. The funding is over a two-year funding cycle with individual grant awards up to $700,000 for the two-year funding period or $350,000 funded per year and includes a cost share/match requirement of fifty percent.
EPA’s Pollution Prevention Grant Program is advancing President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. For both grant funding opportunities, EPA is encouraging applicants to address environmental justice in their project(s) to help transform disadvantaged communities, as identified by the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, into healthy, thriving communities capable of addressing the environmental and public health challenges they have historically faced, as well as current and future challenges.
EPA’s P2 Hub Resources Center webpage includes links to resources for grantees including webinars, writing guidance, networking tools, and helpful templates. Additionally, EPA’s P2 Grant Partner Connection List can be used by potential applicants and partners to identify each other and create partnerships.
Grant applications will need to address at least one of six National Emphasis Areas (NEAs) which were established to generate the most beneficial economic, environmental and health impacts when applying P2 practices, and to facilitate sharing of information among grantees working on similar issues:
- Food and Beverage Manufacturing and Processing
- Chemical Manufacturing, Processing and Formulation
- Automotive Manufacturing and Maintenance
- Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing and Maintenance
- Metal Manufacturing and Fabrication
- Supporting Pollution Prevention in Indian Country and for Alaska Native Villages
Eligible applicants include states, state entities such as universities, U.S. territories and possessions, and federally recognized Tribes and intertribal consortia. Applicants are strongly encouraged to consider partnering with others in the P2 stakeholder community to strengthen their ability to provide P2 technical assistance to businesses and facilitate the development, adoption and dissemination of P2 solutions.
Applications are due by May 17, 2024. Additional information is available on grants.govunder Funding Opportunity Announcements EPA-HQ-OCSPP-OPPT-FY2024-001 and EPA-I-HQ-OCSPP-OPPT-FY2024-002. Please consult the solicitation for further details.
EPA will host three informational webinars for potential applicants and interested stakeholders. The webinars 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 during the webinars for questions from participants.
March 26, 2024, 2-3:30 p.m. ET Register here.
March 27, 2023, 2-3:30 p.m. ET for Tribal entities Register here.
April 11, 2023, 2-3:30 p.m. ET Register here.
Background
EPA’s Pollution Prevention Program has issued nearly 500 grants between 2011-2021, totaling more than $54 million, which have helped businesses identify, develop and adopt P2 approaches. The results include 20.8 million metric tons of greenhouse gases eliminated, 52 billion gallons of water saved, 1 billion pounds of hazardous materials reduced, and $2.3 billion in savings for business.
President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law made a historic $100 million investment in EPA’s P2 Program, more than doubling the funding for P2 grants. The first round of 39 awards funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was announced in September 2022 and the second round of 24 awards was announced October 2023. These grants are supporting businesses to tackle pollution at the community level. For example, a P2 grant to Kansas State University funded projects to prevent pollution including in disadvantaged communities, by identifying simple, cost-effective ways Kansas companies - in industries ranging from aerospace to flour milling - could save more than $400,0000.
Similarly, EPA’s traditional P2 grants have helped strengthen economic growth while cutting pollution. For example, under an EPA P2 grant, the Washington State Department of Ecology helped a metal finisher cut more than 50,000 pounds of hazardous materials from its production even while its production volume tripled. A grant to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency helped an employee-owned manufacturing company reuse coolant, saving up to $30,000 annually and reducing coolant waste by 11,000 gallons.
Read more about P2 and the P2 Grant Program.