Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Headlines
*EPA to Assist Water Utilities in Bolstering Climate Resilience and Readiness
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is providing up to $600,000 in training and technical assistance to help
water utilities in more than 20 communities bolster their climate change resilience and readiness. Drinking water,
wastewater and stormwater utilities will participate in a multi-year program to prepare for potential impacts from
climate change. Communities will receive technical assistance in using EPA's Climate Resilience Evaluation and
Awareness Tool, software that helps users identify assets, threats and adaptation options to help reduce risk from
climate change. Region 7 Communities receiving assistance from EPA include: Blair, Neb.; Fredericktown, Mo.; and
Hillsboro, Kan.
and durability of solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies. This funding will support projects aimed at improving product
testing and increasing module quality and performance by providing the solar energy community and investors with
access to improved predictive models, relevant accelerated testing techniques, and more reliable PV modules that will
ultimately increase PV system investments.
*Deadline for the 2015 EJ Small Grants Request for Applications Extended to January 9, 2015
The deadline for submitting applications for EPA's 2015 Environmental Justice Small Grants (EJSG) Program has
been extended to January 9, 2015. The EJSG Program provides funding for eligible applicants for projects that
address local environmental and/or public health issues within an affected community. The EJSG Program is
designed to help eligible non-profit organizations and Tribal communities understand and address exposure to
multiple environmental harms and risks at the local level.
*EPA Now Accepting Proposals for the 2014 Environmental Education Grants Program Due February 2,
2015
Under the Environmental Education Grants Program, EPA seeks grant proposals from eligible applicants to support
environmental education projects
that promote environmental awareness and stewardship and help provide people with the skills to take responsible
actions to protect the environment.
This year the EE Grants Program anticipates issuing two Requests for Proposals (RFPs). Proposals under the 2014
EE Model Grants RFP are now
being accepted through February 2, 2015. Additional information on a 2014 EE Local Grants RFP will be posted in
early winter.
*HUD Offers $30 Million Choice Neighborhoods Grants to Help Transform Communities Due February 9,
2015
U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julin Castro recently announced funding available to help
local communities across the country to redevelop severely distressed public and HUD-assisted housing and
transform surrounding neighborhoods. HUD is offering grants of up to $30 million through its Choice Neighborhoods
Implementation Program to support locally driven solutions for transforming neighborhoods struggling to address poor
quality housing, inadequate schools, poor health, high crime, and lack of capital.
Wells Fargo and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Environmental Solutions for Communities 2015 Grant
Program $2.5 million Due December 10
Wells Fargo and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation are seeking applications to promote sustainable communities
by supporting highly visible projects that link economic development and community well-being to the stewardship
and health of the environment.
Energy Department Announces New Grant Topics to Help Small Businesses Develop Clean Energy
Technologies Letters of Intent Due December 15
The Energy Department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) recently announced nine topics
and 26 new subtopics under its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Technology Transfer (STTR)
programs that will help small businesses develop and deliver market- driven clean energy technologies
Sustainable and Holistic Integration of Energy Storage and Solar PV (SHINES) Funding Announcement
Concept Papers Due December 16
The Sustainable and Holistic Integration of Energy Storage and Solar PV (SHINES) funding opportunity
announcement (FOA) seeks projects enabling the development and demonstration of integrated, scalable, and cost effective technologies for solar that incorporate energy storage and work seamlessly to meet both consumer needs
and the needs of the electricity grid.
EPA Calls for Nominations for 20 th Annual Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award Due December 31
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced its call for nominations for the 2015 Presidential
Green Chemistry Challenge Awards for companies or institutions that have developed a new process or product that
helps protect public health and the environment. Nominations for innovative technologies in six categories are due to
the agency by December 31, 2014.
Apply Now for Free Technical Assistance from Project for Public Spaces and Livability Solutions Due
January 9, 2015
Project for Public Spaces is excited to announce that you can now apply for free technical assistance to address
these challenges. We will be offering technical assistance with our partners at Livability Solutions thanks to a grant
from the EPAs Office of Sustainable Communities Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities Program.
Request for Applications: EPA-NIH Centers of Excellence on Environmental Health Disparities Research
Due January 9, 2015
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announce the Request
for Applications (RFA) for EPA-NIH Centers of Excellence on Environmental Health Disparities Research, which
seeks proposals for innovative and multi-disciplinary research to advance understanding, to promote mitigation
strategies and/or prevention of environmentally driven health disparities and to improve access to healthy and
sustainable environments for vulnerable populations.
Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program 2015 Request for Proposals Announced Due
February 2, 2015
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), USDA Forest Service (USFS), the US Fish and Wildlife Service
(USFWS), the Corporation for National and Community Service, FedEx, Southern Company, Bank of America and
PG&E are pleased to solicit applications for the 2015 Five Star/Urban Waters Restoration Program which is managed
by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). The grant program is offered in conjunction with the Urban
Waters Federal Partnership which gives priority to projects located in underserved, environmentally overburdened
communities.
especially minority- and woman-owned small businesses that seek to move their cutting-edge technologies to market.
*Construction and Demolition Waste Recycling Webinar Day 2 December 9, 10-2 p.m. CST
In cooperation with WasteCap Resource Solutions, WasteCap Nebraska is sponsoring a webinar training course for
Construction and Demolition Waste Recycling. This event is partially funded by a grant from Nebraska Department of
Environmental Quality Litter Reduction and Recycling Grant and Ayars & Ayars Inc., which allows WasteCap to offer
the webinar at no charge.
*SMM Web Academy Webinar Series: Recycling Right: Tactics and Tools for Effective Residential Outreach
(Part One) December 9, 12-1:30 p.m. CST
This webinar will present tips, tactics and tools to improve residential recycling, with an emphasis on harmonizing
approaches and outreach materials.
*Portfolio Manager Office Hours, Focus Topic: Benchmarking Mixed Use Properties December 11, 1-2:30
p.m. EST
Portfolio Manager "Office Hours" is a live webinar that gives all users an opportunity to ask their questions directly to
EPA in an open forum. In 2014, Office Hours will be held once a month. We will plan to spend the first 20-30 minutes
of each session discussing a specific focus topic.
*Residential Energy Efficiency Deep Dive December 11, 3-4 p.m. EST
The first in a two-part series, this webinar will share best practices from the more than 40 competitively selected state
and local governments that participated in the U.S. Department of Energys (DOEs) Better Buildings Neighborhood
Program.
*Natural Gas Vehicles: Role of Government, Policymaking and Strategy Process December 15, 1-2 p.m. EST
This webinar looks at the policy choices that have led to success (or lack thereof) of natural gas vehicle (NGV) market
development in various nations. Examples of infrastructure concepts and strategies to expand the natural gas fueling
network (fossil and biogas) are provided.
ELI Presents: Green Infrastructure in Action: Examples, Lessons Learned & Strategies for the
Future December 16, 12-1:30 p.m. EST
Discussion will focus on lessons learned with regard to GI implementation, the evaluation and maintenance of green
projects following completion, and the growing trend in the use of GI following enforcement actions. (50$ fee for non
ELI members)
*Upcoming Webinar: Using TRI to Better Understand Risks of Industrial Pollution December 16, 12-1:30 p.m.
EST
Please join the Dillard University Deep South Center for Environmental Justice and EPA's TRI Program for a free
webinar. Presenters will discuss identifying ways to apply TRI data to research on environmental health,
environmental justice, and disaster response
Improving Quality: Reducing Curbside Contamination December 16, 2-3 p.m. EST
How do local programs Improve Quality and Reduce Curbside Contamination? Join CVP and other municipal, MRF
and marketing experts as they further define the issues and offer specific action items that you can implement right
now.
*Best Practices in Energy Data Collection and Tracking in the Public Sector December 18, 2-3:30 p.m. EST
Hosted by the Energy Department's Weatherization and Intergovernmental Programs Office (WIPO), this webinar will
cover a step-by-step guide with best practices from state and local governments and school districts across the
country.
Grants.gov Information Sessions for Applicants
EPA is partnering with Grants.gov program managers at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
to provide Grants.gov Informational Sessions for applicants that include an overview of the registration process as
well as how to use the Grants.gov web application. Please note that we are also holding some training sessions
specifically geared towards Tribes that can be found here.
December 16, 2-3 p.m. EST
To Register: Click here
January 13, 2015, 2-3 p.m. EST
To Register: Coming Soon!
February 10, 2015, 2-3 p.m. EST
To Register: Coming Soon!
proposing to strengthen air quality standards to within a range of 65 to 70 parts per billion (ppb) to better protect
Americans health and the environment, while taking comment on a level as low as 60 ppb. Studies indicate that
exposure to ozone at levels below 75 ppb -- the level of the current standard -- can pose serious threats to public
health, harm the respiratory system, cause or aggravate asthma and other lung diseases, and is linked to premature
death from respiratory and cardiovascular causes.
*New Climate Resilience Toolkit Helps Communities Prepare for a Changing World
The Whitehouse recently launched the first phase of the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit called for in President
Obama's Climate Action Plan. The U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit is a website developed by the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other Federal agencies. The Toolkit offers information from across the
federal government in one easy-to-use location so that Americans are better able to understand the climate-related
risks and opportunities impacting their communities and take steps to improve their resilience.
*2015 National Environmental Justice Conference and Training Program - Call for PowerPoint/Video
Presentations for the Youth/Emerging Leaders Summit Due December 12
As part of its Youth/Emerging Leaders Summit, the 2015 National Environmental Justice Conference and Training
Program (NEJC) planners are inviting individuals or groups, ages 15 to 25, to submit PowerPoint or Video
presentations, not to exceed fifteen (15) minutes in length, related to environmental justice in their respective
communities.
a first-hand witness of the usefulness of these practices. Growing up in Ethiopia, I saw community bathrooms and
water wells properly maintained only when communities were appropriately consulted and empowered. I notice
parallel situations in my []
*EPA Greenversations Blog Post: Kids Deserve Safe Drinking Water at School and at Home By Dr. Francine
St-Denis
I love watching my boys playing outside. After running around, theyll bound up to the nearest water fountain for a
drink of water. Nothing seems to beat the fascination my boys and most young kids seem to have with water
fountains. It could be that the bubbling stream of water []
*EPA EJ Blog: Sampling the Garden Soil By Cliff Villa
Check out our latest blog post. Cliff Villa explains how Region 10 in partnership with local non-profits, state and local
government, and others offered soil testing in communities for residents concerned about soil pollution in their
gardens. Building on EPA Region 3's successful "Soil Kitchen" events, the My Garden - West Eugene project
distributed sampling kits among residents who then brought samples to the My Garden event for testing.
DOT is making available funding to develop innovative programs and activities in public transportation that address
the human resources needs of public transportation operators, as well as build pathways to long-term careers in the
public transportation industry.
Tech Fair for Tool Developers and Providers - January 30, 2015
The Tech Fair is the place to find cutting-edge tools for scenario-planning, opportunity mapping, crowdsource
planning, and community engagement. It takes place during the New Partners for Smart Growth conference.
Summer Internship with Environmental Health Services - Applications Due February 11, 2015
Applications are now being accepted for a 10-week summer environmental internship for students majoring in
Environmental Health.
This digest is being provided by EPA Region 7 for informational purposes only.
This digest contains links to information, agencies, sites, and organizations outside of the EPA website.
EPA is not responsible for third party links.
EPA does not endorse third party organizations or agencies.