Federal Grant Award Summary

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9 awarded a Formula Grant of $136,628 to the Navajo Nation Tribal Government, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026, under the State Underground Water Source Protection program (CFDA 66.433). This award provides full federal funding to support the Navajo Nation's Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program in protecting underground drinking water sources from contamination by injection activities, particularly Class II wells used for oil and natural gas production. The Navajo Nation, which relies on groundwater as its primary drinking water source, will utilize these funds to develop and maintain comprehensive inventories of injection systems, establish and manage compliance databases for underground injection well activities, implement UIC permitting activities, conduct enforcement programs, and deliver environmental education and training initiatives to the public.

The anticipated outcomes of this grant include enhanced protection of drinking water wells from UIC activities, improved data management of public UIC information, and increased public understanding of UIC operations to facilitate greater community engagement with the program. No subawards have been included in this assistance agreement. This award supports the EPA's broader commitment to fostering the development and implementation of Underground Injection Control programs under the Safe Drinking Water Act, with the grant addressing critical infrastructure and environmental protection needs across the Navajo Nation's expansive tribal lands.