This agreement will provide financial assistance to the recipient for the implementation of its program to ensure that underground sources of drinking water are protected from endangering injection…

EPA Region 5 awarded the State of Ohio Office of Budget and Management, doing business as Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, $236,002 under the State Underground Water Source Protection formula grant (CFDA 66.433) effective October 1, 2025.

The award funds Ohio EPA's underground injection control program to protect underground sources of drinking water from endangering injection activities. Ohio EPA will develop and maintain inventories of injection systems, develop and maintain databases housing compliance information on underground injection well activities, implement permitting activities, and implement enforcement programs. For federal fiscal year 2026, Ohio EPA's specific goals include identifying and closing large capacity cesspools and motor vehicle waste disposal wells, and ensuring return to compliance within 180 days for all Class I injection wells that lose mechanical integrity.

The award covers the period October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026, with place of performance in Ohio. The funding fulfills the primacy agreement between EPA and Ohio EPA, with special emphasis on UIC program development and Class V injection well activities. Additional funding from state Class I injection well fees will support Class I injection well program obligations.

This agreement will provide financial assistance to the recipient for the implementation of its program to ensure that underground sources of drinking water are protected from endangering injection activities, in which treated waste water is injected into the ground between impermeable layers of rock formation. The environmental results from achieving the goals spelled out above will be to prevent contamination of underground sources of drinking water to levels harmful to human health. This will, through protection of underground sources of drinking water, prevent water transmitted illnesses from contaminated drinking water as well as reduce the cost to communities in having to treat ground water to drinking water standards. The funding provided in FFY2026 UIC grant will be used to fulfill the primacy agreement between U.S. EPA and ohio EPA, with special emphasis on UIC program development and class v injection well activities. Additional funding provided by state class i injection well fees will be used to fulfill the program obligations for class i injection wells defined within the statute that establishes those fees. The primary goals for federal fiscal year (FFY) 2026 (october 1, 2025, to september 30, 2026) will be consistent with the goals established to protect drinking water by U.S. EPA in their strategic plan. Ohio EPA's goals for FFY 2026 are: - identify large capacity cesspools, and motor vehicle waste disposal wells and close them (SDW-8). - ensure the return to compliance within 180 days of all class i injection wells that lose mechanical integrity (SDW-7).activities:the activities to be performed include the development and maintenance of inventories of injection systems; the development and maintenance of databases housing compliance information on underground injection well activities; the implementation of permitting activities; and the implementation of enforcement programs. Specifically, the state performs program administration, surveillance, field inspections, monitoring, compliance evaluation and enforcement, permitting, assistance/information/education and outreach, training, data management, mechanical integrity testing (MIT) of existing class i wells, and land BAN coordination. Subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:the anticipated outcome is that underground sources of drinking water are protected from underground injection activities by regulating the disposal of brine and other wastes resulting, obtained, or produced in conjunction with the exploration, drilling, or production of oil and gas, or solution mining salt. The expected outcomes include to prevent contamination of underground sources of drinking water to levels harmful to human health. This will, through protection of underground sources of drinking water, prevent water transmitted illnesses from contaminated drinking water as well as reduce the cost to communities in having to treat ground water to drinking water standards. The intended beneficiaries include residents of the state of ohio.