EPA-R1-HC-2024_Final_7.3.24.pdf

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

REGION I, NEW ENGLAND

2024 HEALTHY COMMUNITIES GRANT PROGRAM

Announcement Type: Request for Applications - Initial Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-R1-HC-2024 Assistance Listing Number: 66.110 Action Date: Applications due on November 1, 2024

Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

July 8, 2024 Healthy Communities Application Guidance is released.

July 8 – Nov. 1, 2024 Eligible grant recipients develop and complete their applications.

July 17, 2024 Aug. 14, 2024 Sep. 10, 2024 Oct. 2, 2024

Healthy Communities Grant Program hosts information sessions via webinar. Webinars are open to all to discuss the grant program. See Section IV.D for information on registering for a session.

Nov. 1, 2024 Application submissions must be received by 11:59 PM via Grants.gov or by email to R1hcgrants@epa.gov.

Nov. 2024 – Jan. 2025 Application package submissions are reviewed and evaluated.

Jan. 2025 Applicants will be contacted via telephone if their application is being considered for funding. Some applicants may be asked to make minor revisions to their proposed project work plans. Formal letters will be sent to all applicants to notify them of the status of their submissions.

Feb. 2025 EPA New England expects to formally announce 2024 Healthy Communities Grant Program recipients.

This application guidance includes the following information:

Section I Funding Opportunity Description Section II Award Information Section III Eligibility Information Section IV Application and Submission Information Section V Application Review Information Section VI Award Administration Information Section VII Agency Contact Attachments Application Material Templates and Checklist https://www.grants.gov/ mailto:R1hcgrants@epa.gov

SECTION I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Program Description The Healthy Communities Grant Program was launched in 2003 and supports EPA’s mission by integrating many EPA New England (Region 1) programs including Air Quality Outreach; Asthma and Indoor Air; Children’s Environmental Health; Air Pollution in Schools and the Clean, Green and Healthy Schools Initiative; Energy Efficiency Program; Environmental Justice Program; Pollution Prevention; Sustainable Materials Management; Toxics and Pesticides; and Water Infrastructure (Stormwater, Wastewater, and Drinking Water). The goal of the program is to combine available resources and best identify competitive projects that will achieve measurable environmental and public health results in communities across New England. Eligible applicants are invited to apply to EPA New England for funding consideration under this competitive grant program. The Healthy Communities Grant Program anticipates awarding approximately 15 cooperative agreements from these project applications in 2024.

The Healthy Communities Grant Program is a competitive grant program for EPA New England to fund direct work with communities to support EPA’s mission to reduce environmental risks, protect and improve human health and improve quality of life. The Healthy Communities Grant Program will achieve these goals by identifying and funding projects that:

• Target resources to benefit communities at risk (environmental justice areas of potential concern and/or sensitive populations [e.g., children, elderly, tribes, urban and rural residents, and others at increased risk]).

• Assess, understand, and reduce environmental and human health risks.

• Increase collaboration through partnerships and community-based projects.

• Build institutional and community capacity to understand and solve environmental and human health problems.

• Achieve measurable environmental and human health benefits.

The mission of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is to protect human health and to safeguard the natural environment (air, water, and land) upon which life depends. EPA's purpose is to ensure that:

• All Americans are protected from significant risks to human health and the environment where they live, learn and work.

• National efforts to reduce environmental risk are based on the best available scientific information.

• Federal laws protecting human health and the environment are enforced fairly and effectively.

• Environmental protection is an integral consideration in U.S. policies concerning natural resources, human health, economic growth, energy, transportation, agriculture, industry and international trade, and these factors are similarly considered in establishing environmental policy.

• All parts of society (e.g., communities, individuals, businesses, state and local governments, Tribal governments) have access to accurate information to effectively participate in managing human health and environmental risks.

• Environmental protection contributes to making our communities and ecosystems diverse, sustainable and economically productive.

• The U.S. plays a leadership role in working with other nations to protect the global environment.

EPA New England takes these broad goals and applies them directly to service the needs of New England residents in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and federally recognized Tribes in New England. Within the broad landscape of these states and Tribes, EPA New England recognizes that not all communities share the same environmental and public health conditions. For example, in urban, rural and environmental justice communities throughout New England, residents are exposed to a multitude of environmental and public health hazards, ranging from lead in paint, soil and drinking water to rats on vacant lots to asthma aggravated by poor indoor and ambient air quality.

Another concern in New England is the ability to successfully manage large-scale water quality problems on a watershed basis when governance institutions are based on home rule and local control. All communities need to plan for and address community resiliency to prepare and adapt to extreme weather events (e.g., flooding, drought, hot and cold temperature extremes) and climate change. Cumulative environmental impacts are difficult to assess and address because of limited data, independent planning across state and municipal jurisdictions, and limited capacity to implement integrated projects. Measures that would positively affect water quality considerations are challenged by the lack of common goals and an effective platform to measure program effectiveness and track improvements. Cumulatively, the effects of these hazards on urban residents and other sensitive populations such as children, the elderly and Tribal populations are compounded by issues including environmental injustice, limited economic development opportunities and social ills. Some suburban and rural communities also face significant risks from industrial, commercial, agricultural or transportation activities in or near their communities. These types of conditions result in disproportionate health risks to residents and stress on the quality of the air, water and land.

To maximize effectiveness and resources, many EPA New England programs are working in partnership to improve environmental conditions for residents across New England. EPA New England’s Air Quality Outreach; Asthma and Indoor Air; Children’s Environmental Health; Air Pollution in Schools and the Clean, Green and Healthy Schools Initiative; Energy Efficiency;

Environmental Justice; Pollution Prevention; Sustainable Materials Management; Toxics and Pesticides; Tribal and Water Infrastructure Programs (Stormwater, Wastewater and Drinking Water) are working together to competitively identify projects that will achieve measurable environmental and public health results in Target Investment Areas and Target Program Areas across New England (see Section I.B, Target Investment Areas & Target Program Areas, for more details). These participating programs share a focus on preventing and reducing environmental and human health risks and/or advancing ecosystem resilience. Staff and leadership from each of these programs will jointly review and select projects for funding using the criteria listed in Section V of this announcement.

Please read the descriptions below to learn more about each participating program. More information on each participating program’s activities, projects and accomplishments is available on the EPA New England website.

• Air Quality Outreach: The Air Quality Outreach program aims to increase public awareness of air quality issues so that people can take steps to protect their health and reduce their contribution to air pollution. For example, EPA works with state air agencies to provide real-time air pollution levels, as well as forecasts, to warn residents of poor air quality in their area. EPA also works with states to mitigate wood smoke pollution by promoting measures that individuals can take to reduce emissions from residential wood burning. These measures include encouraging the change-out of old wood burning appliances for newer, more efficient models and tips for better burning practices that result in more efficient use of wood, lower emissions and safer burning.

• Asthma and Indoor Air: The Asthma Program supports asthma and healthy environmental interventions that promote the management of asthma and the reduction of asthma triggers and other indoor air pollutants, assists with the training of asthmatics, their families and healthcare professionals on asthma trigger management and the effectiveness of comprehensive asthma management programs. In addition, the Asthma Program promotes healthy homes training opportunities; encourages the support and development of sustainable home intervention programs; promotes sustainable financing for home intervention programs; and promotes awareness of primary prevention for asthma.

Collaboration among stakeholders is encouraged if it provides a means to reduce the burden of asthma on a regional level.

• Children’s Environmental Health Program: The Children’s Environmental Health Program has the fundamental goal to ensure that all EPA actions and programs address the unique vulnerabilities of children and to support projects and activities that have a durable impact to protect children’s environmental health across many stakeholders, including the intersection of children’s health and climate change and environmental justice.

• Clean, Green and Healthy Schools Initiative: Under the Energy Independence and Security

Act of 2007, Title IV, Subtitle E, Healthy High-Performance Schools, the Clean, Green and Healthy Schools Initiative is integrated across all EPA programs to address children’s environmental health at K-12 schools and to improve school environmental health through EPA resources, including the EPA School Siting Guidelines and EPA State School Environmental Health Guidelines, including the Tools for Schools program. Also, Section 60106 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provides funding for grants to monitor and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other air pollutants at schools in low-income and disadvantaged communities.

• Energy Efficiency Program: ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the EPA and the

Department of Energy (DOE) that has worked with residents and businesses to reduce air pollution through energy efficiency since 1992. ENERGY STAR and its partners have http://www.epa.gov/region01 helped American families and businesses save more than $500 billion in energy costs over the lifetime of the program.

• Environmental Justice Program: The Environmental Justice Program is focused on the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin or income, with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies. This goal will be achieved when everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards, and equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn and work. Region 1’s program focuses on providing tools, resources and assistance to overburdened and underserved communities in our six New England States – Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut – and federally recognized Tribal Nations.

• Pollution Prevention: The Pollution Prevention Program is designed to provide technical assistance to businesses and their facilities to help them develop and adopt source reduction practices. Pollution Prevention includes any practice that reduces the amount of any hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant from entering any waste stream or otherwise being released into the environment prior to recycling, treatment or disposal.

Pollution prevention techniques aim to reduce the amount and/or toxicity of pollutants or contaminants entering the environment, to reduce the use of water, energy and other raw materials and to lower business costs. These practices reduce hazardous substances, pollutants and contaminants.

• Sustainable Materials Management: Sustainable materials management (SMM) is a systemic approach to using and reusing materials more productively over their entire life cycle to find new opportunities to reduce environmental impacts, conserve resources and reduce cost. A circular economy reduces material use, redesigns materials to be less resource intensive, and recaptures “waste” as a resource to manufacture new materials and products. In 2024, the New England SMM program has three priority areas: the built environment, sustainable food management and sustainable packaging. The built environment focus is to conserve materials and develop community resiliency to climate change through construction, maintenance and end-of-life management of roads, buildings and infrastructure. The sustainable management of food seeks to reduce wasted food and its associated impacts over the entire life cycle, starting with the use of natural resources, manufacturing, sales and consumption and ending with decisions on recovery or final disposal. Sustainable packing looks to increase the quantity and quality of materials recovered from municipal solid waste and develop critically important collection and processing infrastructure.

• Toxics and Pesticides: The Toxics Program regulates and provides oversight over a variety of different toxic chemicals (e.g., lead, asbestos, mercury, PCBs, etc.) regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The Pesticides Program regulates and provides oversight over registration and use of pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).

https://www.epa.gov/circulareconomy

• Water Infrastructure Program (Stormwater, Wastewater, and Drinking Water): The Water Program works with regulated entities including municipalities, wastewater systems and drinking water systems to protect the environment and public health. Through regulations, technical assistance, outreach, funding and training, EPA’s Water Program works with federal, state and local partners to sustain the adequacy and integrity of water infrastructure in communities throughout New England. The Water Program has placed an emphasis on working with communities to assess vulnerabilities and adapt stormwater, wastewater and drinking water infrastructure to ensure these critical services will be maintained, even in extreme weather events. An additional focus is working locally in partnerships with water utilities to identify private lead pipes and other contaminant threats and build capacity to apply for and manage state and federal funds for mitigation.

Statutory Authority: The Healthy Communities Grant Program consists of activities authorized under one or more of the following EPA research and development grant authorities listed under Clean Air Act, Section 103(b)(3); Clean Water Act, Section 104(b)(3); Safe Drinking Water Act, Sections 1442(a) and (c); Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, Section 20; Solid Waste Disposal Act, Section 8001; Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10; Marine Protection, Research, & Sanctuaries Act, Section 203; and Indian Environmental General Assistance Program Act.

Although some funding for grants to monitor and reduce GHG emissions and other air pollutants at schools in low-income and disadvantaged communities may be provided under Section 60106 of IRA, this funding will be awarded under the authority of Clean Air Act, Section 103(b)(3).

The statutory authorities for this program restrict the use of assistance agreements to (1) conduct research, investigations, experiments, demonstrations, surveys and studies related to the causes, effects (including health and welfare effects), extent, prevention and control of air and/or water pollution; (2) develop, expand or carry out a program (that may combine training, education and employment) for occupations relating to the public health aspects of providing safe drinking water;

(3) conduct research, development, monitoring, public education, training, demonstrations and studies on toxic substances; (4) conduct and promote the coordination of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, public education programs and studies relating to solid waste (e.g., health and welfare effects of exposure to materials present in solid waste and methods to eliminate such effects); (5) conduct research, development, monitoring, public education, training, demonstrations and studies on pesticides; (6) conduct research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys and studies relating to the minimizing or ending of ocean dumping of hazardous materials and the development of alternatives to ocean dumping; (7) conduct research with respect to the detection, assessment and evaluation of the effects on and risks to human health due to hazardous substances and detection of hazardous substances in the environment; and (8) conduct research, evaluation, testing, development and demonstration of alternative or innovative treatment technologies which may be utilized in hazardous waste response actions. In all, these statutory authorities support research, training, studies, experiments, demonstrations, community organizing, and education projects. This funding cannot be used to support implementation projects.

Demonstrations must involve new or experimental technologies, methods or approaches, and it is encouraged that the results of these projects be disseminated so that others can benefit from the knowledge gained. A project that is accomplished through the performance of routine, traditional or established practices, or a project that is simply intended to carry out a task rather than transfer information or advance the state of knowledge, however worthwhile the project might be, is not considered a demonstration project.

To learn more about additional requirements for authorized activities, applicants are encouraged to attend a Healthy Communities Grant Program information session. Please see Section IV.E Information Sessions for further details.

B. Target Investment Areas, Target Program Areas, EPA Strategic Plan Linkage, & Anticipated

Outcomes/Outputs

To qualify as eligible projects under the Healthy Communities Grant Program, proposed projects must meet the following criteria: (1) be located in and/or directly benefit one or more of the Target Investment Areas described below; and (2) identify how the proposed project will achieve measurable environmental and/or public health results in one or more of the Target Program Areas described below.

The Healthy Communities Grant Program seeks to fund projects that are in and/or directly benefit one or more of the Target Investment Areas: Areas near Ports that are being Redeveloped to Support Offshore Wind and Related Industries; Geographic Priority Areas or Sectors in Northern & Southern New England; Environmental Justice Areas of Potential Concern; and/or Sensitive Populations in one or more of the EPA New England States of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont and/or Tribal lands. Every application must clearly identify and explain how the project will link to one or more of the Target Investment Areas listed and described below.

Target Investment Areas: Areas near New England Ports that are being Redeveloped to

Support Offshore Wind and Related Industries; Environmental Justice Areas of Potential Concern; Geographic Priority Areas or Sectors in Northern & Southern New England; and Sensitive Populations

a. Areas near New England Ports that are being Redeveloped to Support Offshore Wind and

Related Industries: For the purposes of this grant program, these areas are defined as any communities near a New England port where there are known, active or planned redevelopment opportunities including, but not limited to, offshore wind or other industrial development. To qualify under this Target Investment Area, applicants must provide a description of the characteristics of the community or communities in or near a New England port, briefly describe port activities and/or services, describe the environment and/or public health challenges facing the area, and provide an explanation of known, active or planned redevelopment activities (e.g., offshore wind or other industrial development).

b. Environmental Justice Areas of Potential Concern: For the purposes of this grant program, these areas are defined as communities, neighborhoods, geographic areas or Tribes in New England that potentially have been disproportionately affected by environmental and/or public health burdens in a defined geographic area. EPA New England is committed to promoting and supporting environmental justice, which is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies. Fair treatment means that no group of people, including any racial, ethnic or socioeconomic group, should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, municipal and commercial operations or policies. Meaningful involvement means people have an opportunity to participate in decisions about activities that may affect their environment and/or health; the public's contribution can influence the regulatory agency's decision; community concerns will be considered in the decision-making process; and decision makers will seek out and facilitate the involvement of those potentially affected. To qualify under this Target Investment Area, applicants must provide a description of the characteristics of the population and challenges facing the community, neighborhood or Tribe benefitting from the proposed activity, an identification of the potential environmental and health burdens experienced, and an explanation of how the proposed project will address the identified burdens to demonstrate that their project will provide fair treatment and meaningful involvement to members of communities, neighborhoods or Tribes in New England that have been disproportionately affected by environmental and health burdens.

c. Geographic Priority Areas or Sectors in Northern & Southern New England: For the purposes of this grant program, this Target Investment Area refers to areas and populations that are overburdened and underserved, including areas with mobile homes and/or manufactured housing in Northern New England states where drinking water quality and/or indoor or outdoor air quality may be an issue, including Portland, ME; Lewiston, ME;

Burlington, VT; Winooski, VT; Nashua, NH and Manchester, NH. It also includes areas in Southern New England that are overburdened and underserved with cumulative environmental and/or public health impacts including, but not limited to, Chelsea, MA; New Bedford, MA; Central Falls, RI; Providence, RI; Pawtucket, RI; New Haven, CT; Bridgeport, CT; and Hartford, CT. To qualify under this Target Investment Area, applicants must use data and information from sources including, but not limited to, EJ Screen, the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) and/or other sources to explain how the proposed project will address and directly benefit one or more of the priority geographic areas and/or sectors described above.

d. Sensitive Populations: For the purposes of this grant program, “Sensitive Populations” refers to populations including infants, children and/or others at increased risk that are more susceptible to the effects of pollution and/or places where sensitive populations are located or spend significant time (e.g., homes, schools, day cares, etc.). This also includes schools and daycare facilities in areas with environmental justice concerns and programs that serve residents who experience food insecurity or who may not have stable housing.

EPA’s mission is to protect human health and the environment. However, health-based environmental standards are generally based on risks to healthy adult males, not sensitive populations. Infants and children are more susceptible to the effects of pollution because pound-for-pound they eat, drink and breathe more than adults, and their brains and https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice https://www.epa.gov/ejscreen https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/en/#3/33.47/-97.5 https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/en/#3/33.47/-97.5 nervous systems are still growing and developing. Tribal members may be more susceptible to risks because of traditional cultural practices and traditions including, but not limited to, fishing and hunting practices and potential exposure to many sources of environmental pollution on Tribal lands. To qualify under this Target Investment Area, applicants must clearly describe how the proposed project will benefit and help protect sensitive populations and areas where they live, learn, and play and reduce and/or minimize exposure to environment and/or public health risks.

Every application must also clearly identify how the proposed project will achieve measurable environmental and/or public health results in one or more of the Target Program Areas described below.

Target Program Areas: Capacity Building on Environmental and/or Public Health Issues;

Clean, Green, and Healthy Schools; Energy Efficiency; Healthy Indoor Environments; Healthy Outdoor Environments; Pollution Prevention; and Sustainable Materials Management

Outputs & Outcomes: Outputs refer to measurable quantitative or qualitative activities, efforts, deliverables or work products that the applicant proposes to undertake during the project period.

The anticipated outputs for Healthy Communities Grant Program cooperative agreements will vary from applicant to applicant but will be identified as "Project Deliverables" in the application narrative and work plan. All applicants will be expected to clearly identify their outputs depending on the Target Program Area(s) selected by the applicant and achieve them during the proposed project period. Grant recipients will be required to submit quarterly status reports about their progress towards achieving outputs once the project is implemented.

The anticipated outputs for Healthy Communities projects will vary depending on the scope of the project and linkage to one or more Target Program Area(s). Anticipated outputs for potential projects are organized by Target Program Area below.

Outcomes refer to the result, effect or consequence that will occur from carrying out the activities or outputs of the project. Outcomes may be environmental, behavioral, health-related or programmatic; should be quantitative; and may not necessarily be achievable during the project period. Short-term outcomes include, but are not limited to, increased learning, knowledge, skills, attitudes and motivation, and must occur during the proposed project period. The awards made under this announcement are expected to result in the general short-term outcomes identified below.

The anticipated short-term outcomes listed below are expected to reduce environmental risks to protect and improve human health and quality of life, creating healthy communities and ecosystems related to many of the goals in EPA’s Strategic Plan. Anticipated short-term outcomes include but are not limited to:

• Measurable improvements to environmental and/or ecosystem conditions and management including, but not limited to:

o Pounds of toxic or hazardous materials reduced, pounds of solid or hazardous waste reduced, gallons of water reduced, number of pounds or metric tons of greenhouse gas eliminated;

o Expanded state and nonprofit organization monitoring capacity and collection and communication of environmental data, adoption of riparian and headwaters protection strategies;

o Reduction in kilowatt hours of energy used;

o Adoption of strategies to address nutrients such as adoption of fertilizer use ordinances or laws;

o Increase in gallons of water conserved, increase in the number of pollution prevention assessments, lifecycle analyses, and/or lean manufacturing assessments conducted at businesses, institutions or local government facilities;

o Adoption of pollution prevention activities at businesses and/or communities; or o Increased strategies and resources for watershed-scale protection and/or restoration of key habitats and physical systems).

• Increased resources to benefit communities at risk.

• Increased access to information and tools that increase understanding and reduction of environmental and human health risks.

• Increased public understanding of chemicals at risk in their community.

• Improved institutional and community capacity to understand and solve environmental and human health problems.

• Measurable improvements in public health conditions including, but not limited to:

o Improvement in quality of life for asthmatics, including increased number of symptom-free days;

o Reduction in use of rescue medications;

o Reduction in number of missed school/work days;

o Reduction in number of emergency room visits, and/or hospital readmissions related to asthma; or o Other quantifiable measures including reductions in the number of lead poisoned children, decreased use of pesticides, increase in pounds of crops grown using integrated pest management.

In addition, projects may result in additional outcomes which will vary depending on the Target Program Area(s) identified by the applicant. Both the expected short-term outcomes identified above and any other expected outcomes should be defined in the Application Narrative and the Work Plan.

EPA also requires that grant applicants adequately describe environmental outputs and outcomes to be achieved under assistance agreements (see EPA Order 5700.7A1 Environmental Results under Assistance Agreements). Applicants must include specific statements describing the environmental results of the proposed project in terms of well-defined and quantified expected or projected outputs and, to the maximum extent practicable, well-defined outcomes that will demonstrate how the project will contribute to the priorities described below.

https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements

a. Capacity Building on Environmental and/or Public Health Issues: Projects that organize and convene community capacity-building events focused on increasing involvement in understanding or addressing the causes, effects, extent, reduction, prevention and/or elimination of at least one of the following environmental and public health issues:

indoor/ambient air quality, asthma, climate resiliency, clean school buses, energy efficiency and/or safe drinking water; train and educate groups of community stakeholders on methods to identify, reduce, prevent or eliminate exposures to pollution in air or drinking water; increase regional, state, Tribal, community and neighborhood access to environmental information, dialogue, collection and use of data (e.g. GIS mapping, risk evaluation, risk mitigation, collecting emissions data, etc.) and/or improve methods of risk characterization; increase collaboration among residents, businesses and municipal governments to address community environmental issues previously mentioned; and/or build new or strengthen existing coalitions to address schools, states or regional programs and at least one or more of the environmental and public health issue(s) previously mentioned.

Project Examples:

• Build a coalition of organizations to create an environmental justice network in a state, across states or throughout New England that can share information, support each other as a community of practice and connect communities with education, outreach and resources to improve local environment and public health conditions.

• Develop tools for citizen science and resident engagement focused on environmental justice. Undertake activities that enable citizen science around air and water quality, lead, PFAS and other contaminants, including in port areas, schools and/or areas with mobile or manufactured housing.

• Develop approaches, education and techniques to help homeowners, students and/or others at risk receive tools that help test environmental issues at home, such as air quality, lead exposure and other hazards and take actions to improve environmental and/or public health conditions.

• Build a coalition and/or engage local residents near a New England port community to support green transition and cleanups at ports. Design and deliver activities, events and training that allow for a wider range of practitioners to learn about and build skills to pursue workforce opportunities in ports related to the offshore wind industry and other development activities.

• Create and implement a local green job training program to support local training and job creation to support businesses and/or associated industries in or near one or more New England ports.

• Conduct an air monitoring and/or sensor projects on local air quality conditions that combine efforts to convey results to locally impacted community members.

• Conduct toxicity studies of depositional contaminants (mercury, cadmium, etc.)

in local food sources (fish, shellfish, game, plants, etc.) that convey results to locally impacted community members who consume those food sources.

• Provide education/outreach to specific community groups on consumer products with elevated VOCs or air toxics concerns and provide information on alternative options, and opportunities for the prevention and/or reduction of use.

• Conduct studies of PM pollution using PurpleAir sensors at targeted public transportation stations (train, bus, airport, etc.) and analyze passenger exposure while waiting at transit stations, as well as the health effects of such exposure.

Conduct outreach on the health impacts of PM pollution attributable to the combustion of fuel in vehicles, the wear of vehicle components (e.g., tires and brakes), the suspension of road dust, cigarette smoke and industrial emissions.

• Convene stakeholders and conduct a community assessment to evaluate and identify challenges/barriers on the electrification of school bus and/or other vehicle fleets for hard-to-reach communities (e.g., communities in rural, Tribal and environmental justice areas).

• Conduct wood smoke sensor community action and/or training in areas with localized high levels of PM/woodsmoke. Conduct targeted education to mitigate exposure through community-scale implementation of EPA BurnWise Program, which outlines best practices for reducing woodsmoke.

Example Outputs:

• Creation and implementation of effective education, outreach, demonstration and/or training tools to reach 1,000 local residents.

• Creation of 10 to 15 risk assessment and public consumption advisories for wild game, fish and/or plants based upon toxicity levels measured and analyzed.

• Reach 500 to 1,000 families, individuals or stakeholders through education, outreach, demonstrations, training, surveys and/or studies related to the causes, effects, extent, reduction, prevention or elimination of pollution in air and/or drinking water sources.

• Host multiple sessions targeting stakeholders to discuss transitioning the local school district to an electric bus fleet, identify specific barriers to implementation as well as suggestions on how to overcome the barriers, and a list of all necessary project partners that must be engaged to complete an electric bus project.

• Convene stakeholders and conduct a community assessment to evaluate and identify challenges/barriers on the electrification of school bus and/or other vehicle fleets for hard-to-reach communities (e.g., communities in rural, Tribal and environmental justice areas).

b. Clean, Green and Healthy Schools: Projects that focus on creating clean, green and healthy school environments and addressing environmental issues by developing school environmental quality plans that include standards for school building, design, construction, and renovation; identifying and mitigating ongoing air pollution hazards in low-income and disadvantaged communities; promoting EPA’s State School Environmental Health Guidelines, EPA’s Voluntary Guidelines for Selecting Safe School Location and their design, construction and renovation, EPA’s 3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water in Schools, and/or implementing replicable programs across New England that serve the environmental health needs of K-12 schools.

https://www.epa.gov/schools/about-state-school-environmental-health-guidelines https://www.epa.gov/schools/about-state-school-environmental-health-guidelines https://www.epa.gov/schools/view-download-or-print-school-siting-guidelines https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-09/documents/toolkit_leadschools_guide_3ts_leadschools.pdf

• Develop approaches to reducing air pollution at public schools, daycare facilities and/or senior homes.

• Engage students to increase learning and take actions around air pollution concerns at their schools, as well as other activities that can reduce exposures to air pollutants at schools, such as exploring filtration technology, increasing green space and/or analyses to inform actions that can improve student learning, health and indoor air quality or quality of life outcomes for seniors.

• Develop, improve upon existing and/or promote site-specific environmental health assessments, which can be used by schools to determine their environmental health baselines, identify issues of concern and help schools prioritize which environmental health problems to address and promote utilizing EPA developed guidelines to address environmental issues in siting, designing, construction, renovation and maintenance of schools.

• Provide training to school officials and/or childcare facility operators to raise awareness of the risks of lead poisoning and the importance of monitoring lead levels in school and/or childcare facility drinking water to identify and respond to any existing problems.

• Conduct a “cleaning for health” program promoting procurement of safer cleaning products and disinfectants and developing cleaning policies and procedures for programs that support the basic tenets of healthy environments at schools.

• Develop cleaning policies and procedures for programs that support the basic tenets of healthy environments at schools.

• Reduce exposure to pesticides and pests by promoting the use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies in these settings, e.g., strengthening the training and technical assistance components and advancing IPM techniques using EPA Tools for Schools action kits and Model Pesticide Safety and IPM Guidance Policy for School Districts.

• Provide technical assistance to support reducing, diverting or minimizing wasted food and other recyclable commodities in the K-12 school sector utilizing EPA’s waste management hierarchy and wasted food scale.

• Conduct training courses for school staff on the latest EPA guidance on indoor air quality, specifically on asthma triggers and transmissible diseases in a school environment.

• Develop and deliver communications, advertisements, events and educational materials designed to increase school facility management staff and health officer awareness and knowledge of indoor air quality (IAQ) and GHG issues, their impacts, practical solutions and local/state/federal resources to help address IAQ and GHG issues.

• Number of schools in urban, rural or suburban communities that receive school environmental health information (e.g., lead, asthma, exposure to toxic substances, etc.), participate in capacity-building exercises, and/or take action to become cleaner, greener and healthier.

• Number of school decision-makers who receive school environmental health information and/or participate in capacity-building exercises.

• Number of schools or school districts that take action to become cleaner, greener and healthier.

• Number of activities that improve indoor environments and reduce risk factors for asthma onset and/or exacerbations, including remediating water damage, improving HVAC systems and using materials and equipment that do not contain harmful chemicals.

• Number of activities that encourage training of educators, administrators and all staff about asthmagens to which they may be exposed in their workplaces (e.g., mold, sanitizers, cleaners, pest control products).

• Number of school staff trained on identifying asthma triggers and awareness of ventilation and filtration strategies in a school environment.

c. Energy Efficiency: Projects that promote energy efficiency and/or conservation by providing education, outreach and technical assistance on energy systems, weatherization and/or energy management best practices and policies.

Project Examples:

• Outreach materials or training tools for effective education, outreach and demonstration to reach target population.

• Trainings or workshops on opportunities for energy use reduction, including energy efficiency retrofits and improved energy management practices.

• Technical assistance to enable residents, business owners and other stakeholders to navigate existing resources and funding opportunities (e.g., provide support to apply for existing utility rebates or audits).

• Design an energy competition for local schools and students on energy savings through behavioral changes.

• Implement a light bulb change-out program in partnership with a local utility.

• Provide outreach opportunity to disseminate educational material on residential energy efficiency and weatherization.

• Convene roundtables for businesses to share best practices for energy efficiency and energy management.

• Creation of effective education, outreach, demonstration and/or training tools to reach target population.

• Number of families, individuals, businesses, industry sectors or stakeholders reached through education, outreach, demonstrations or trainings on opportunities for energy use reduction.

• Dollars saved by households, businesses, industry sectors or stakeholders through energy efficiency retrofits and improved energy management practices.

• Decreased percentage of household income or business costs spent on energy costs.

• Tons of air pollutants reduced through energy efficiency retrofits and improved energy management practices.

d. Healthy Indoor Environments: Projects that focus on reducing and/or preventing exposures of hazardous substances and environmental contaminants to the general public, focusing particularly on childhood health and other vulnerable populations. Examples of this include childhood lead poisoning mitigation through compliance assistance, outreach and education on lead-based paint regulations and/or small drinking water systems; reducing asthma triggers in the home and school environments; promoting integrated pest management;

promoting renewable energy; reducing childhood exposure to one or more toxins (lead, PCBs, dioxin, mercury, asbestos, pesticides, etc.) and promoting comprehensive healthy homes.

• Conduct outreach to prevent and/or manage asthma and asthma triggers in early education centers, day care centers, schools and residences through training opportunities, education and other resources to build capacity of impacted target populations.

• Design and conduct an education and outreach campaign to promote lead-safe indoor environments by minimizing risk of lead in the indoor environment, including risk from lead paint, lead dust and/or lead in drinking water.

• Design and conduct an integrated pest management project which reduces pesticide exposures for elderly populations (e.g., nursing homes, community centers, etc.)

• Design and conduct an education and outreach campaign to train businesses, facilities and/or individuals to promote compliance with the federal lead-based paint regulations.

• Design and conduct an education and outreach campaign to identify housing at risk for lead and/or other toxins and provide in-home education to families to improve children’s environmental health, such as a reduction of asthma triggers.

• Conduct training courses on indoor air quality for state and local health officials to improve environmental health in public buildings and prepare for emerging public health issues that could affect respiratory health.

• Number of families, caregivers, individuals, stakeholders or geographic areas serviced through education, outreach, training or intervention to reduce indoor air pollutants.

• Reduction in childhood asthma severity or other health impacts due to better management of asthma triggers.

• Number of professionals trained to deliver asthma management and care training

• Reduction in exposure to pesticides and/or toxic substances (e.g., lead, mercury, priority chemicals, etc.).

• Number of individuals or stakeholders reached with an education and outreach campaign to promote compliance with the federal lead-based paint regulations and/or reduce lead in drinking water.

• Design and conduct an education and outreach campaign to promote lead-safe drinking water.

• Identification of methods or techniques leading to a comprehensive healthy homes project which potentially improves and promotes children’s health by reducing indoor toxins including, but not limited to, mold, combustion by-products, lead, asbestos, pesticides, PCBs, dioxin and mercury.

• Number of children, families, individuals, stakeholders or geographic areas serviced or participating in efforts to reduce exposure to indoor pollutants such as mold, combustion by-products, lead, asbestos, pesticides, PCBs, dioxin and mercury.

• Pounds of municipal solid waste being diverted, reused, recycled or composted in an indoor environment and the impact on ambient air quality emissions.

• Reduced quantities (e.g., pounds) of pesticides or hazardous cleaning agents no longer used in target geographic area.

• Number of state and local health officials trained on the latest EPA policy and guidance to address indoor air quality issues and emerging environmental health issues that affect people in public spaces.

e. Healthy Outdoor Environments: Projects that focus on reducing and/or preventing exposure to toxics and pollutants in the air, soil and/or water by addressing the causes, effects, extent, reduction, prevention and/or elimination of pollution in rivers and/or other natural resources.

Project Examples:

• Create approaches, tools and techniques to protect residents’ health and reduce flood risks, especially educational activities and other work to help residents who experience pollution in their homes during and after floods in disadvantaged communities with combined sewer systems.

• Conduct activities to protect and/or improve water quality in areas with mobile and/or manufactured housing.

• Conduct monitoring to understand potential risks and address water quality issues in rural areas and take actions to restore, protect or improve well-based water sources in rural areas, including in areas with mobile and/or manufactured housing.

• Develop approaches to help residents learn about water quality issues they may face and offer technical assistance to help residents and owners access resources to address concerns.

• Develop and conduct workshops to educate communities on the health risks of wood smoke exposure and provide outreach materials promoting woodstove changeout programs and best burning practices.

• Develop and implement a sampling plan in partnership with the EPA regional laboratory using PM portable sensors to measure PM levels in one or more communities, focusing on areas potentially impacted by wintertime wood smoke.

• Design and conduct an education and outreach campaign to address polluted stormwater runoff and poor water quality. Use and promotion of green infrastructure opportunities to achieve pollution prevention is encouraged.

• Develop and conduct a multilingual education campaign for urban residents on exposure to toxins in urban rivers or other natural resources and ways to prevent or eliminate those exposures.

• Target reduction of combustion by-products, such as environmental tobacco smoke, wood smoke and smoke from burning of trash and brush through education and awareness campaigns.

• Assess business preparedness and/or provide outreach to businesses, particularly small businesses, that use hazardous substances to raise awareness about preventing release of hazardous substances and hazardous waste.

• Number of families, individuals, municipalities or stakeholders reached through education, outreach, demonstrations, training, surveys and/or studies related to the causes, effects, extent, reduction, prevention or elimination of pollution in soil, water and/or air.

• Creation of effective education, outreach, demonstration and/or training tools to reach target population.

• Number of wood smoke education kits distributed to communities.

• Design and conduct a study to assess PM concentrations in communities impacted…