The objective of this grant program is to provide financial assistance to pennsylvania dept of environmental protection (padep) to apply for and receive from the EPA the primary enforcement…

The Environmental Protection Agency Region 3 awarded the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection $1.93 million on January 1, 2026, under the Underground Injection Control Program Grants: Class VI Carbon Sequestration Wells (CFDA 66.486) to develop and obtain primary enforcement authority for a UIC Class VI wells program.

The grant funds a five-year workplan through December 31, 2030, covering eligible activities to establish and operate a UIC Class VI primacy program in Pennsylvania. Initial activities include informing state legislators and laying the foundation for Class VI program development, leading to Pennsylvania's adoption of state law and regulations for submission to EPA as part of a primacy application package. Upon obtaining Class VI primacy from EPA, the grant will fund ongoing outreach to industry operators to promote pollution prevention and compliance with chemical and pesticide safety regulations, review of monitoring data, evaluation of operator compliance with chemical reporting requirements from facility construction and operational closure phases, and enforcement activities when necessary.

The primary deliverable is development and submission of an EPA-approvable Class VI primacy application. Expected outcomes include state-level statutes and regulations that prevent increases in environmental impacts, identify resource issues, and protect public health from UIC Class VI facility development and operations. The work is performed in Pennsylvania. No subawards are included in this assistance agreement. The funding derives from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58, November 15, 2021).

The objective of this grant program is to provide financial assistance to pennsylvania dept of environmental protection (padep) to apply for and receive from the EPA the primary enforcement authority ('primacy') of the underground injection control (UIC) class VI wells program of the federal safe drinking water act. This grant is funded from the infrastructure investment and jobs act (public law 117-58, NOV. 15, 2021). The assistance will provide money to pay the expenses incurred by padep under a workplan of five years for eligible assistance activities related to the establishment and operation of a UIC class VI primacy program. Activities:the activities to be performed under this grant include initial activities which are designed to inform state legislators and set the foundation and direction for class VI program development activities, which ultimately lead to pennsylvania's adoption of state law and state rules which IT can then submit to EPA as part of a package of documents for granting of primary enforcement authority (primacy). After obtaining class VI primacy from EPA, further activities funded by this grant will include outreach to industry operators to promote pollution prevention and compliance with chemical and pesticide safety regulations, review of monitoring data, evaluation of operator compliance with chemical reporting requirement from facility construction and operation to closure, and, when necessary, enforcement.subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:the primary deliverable for this grant is a the development and submission of an EPA-approvable class VI primacy application. The expected outcomes include state-level statutes and regulations that prevent any increase in environmental impacts, identify resource issues, and protect public health risks from UIC class VI facility development and operational activities. Outputs include guidelines and regulations for operators to identify already overburdened communities, develop and implement project communication plans, and mitigate public concerns and health risks. The intended beneficiaries are the people of pennsylvania and visitors to the commonwealth who rely on continued safe access to underground sources of drinking water.