Department Of Environment & Conservation Tennessee

The Department of Environment & Conservation Tennessee (TDEC), a U.S. state government entity headquartered in Nashville, acts as a federal grant recipient across environmental, conservation, and natural resource programs, receiving more than $2.63 billion in obligated federal funding across 731 awards (84% prime recipient, 16% sub-recipient). TDEC operates almost exclusively in the grant space rather than as a federal contractor; its six federal contracts are small, routine purchases totaling $2.5 million in potential value for air permit fees and natural heritage database subscriptions. The state agency does not compete for federal contracts under any set-aside category.

TDEC's federal grant footprint centers on environmental infrastructure and management. The Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 dominates the portfolio, funding drinking water and clean water state revolving funds (SRFs), clean water revolving fund capitalization grants, and multi-media environmental program support. Representative EPA grants include $89.756 million (Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, CFDA 66.468, lead service line replacement, October 2024) and $35.787 million (Clean Water State Revolving Fund capitalization grant under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, CFDA 66.458, September 2025). The Department of the Interior supports geologic mapping and land and water conservation fund projects through the U.S. Geological Survey (geologic mapping, critical mineral borehole data, CFDA 15.810) and National Park Service (outdoor recreation facility development, CFDA 15.916). The Federal Emergency Management Agency funds dam safety programs (National Dam Safety Program, CFDA 97.041). The Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service funds TDEC's natural heritage database subscription and online tool housing (two awards totaling $38.750 thousand). TDEC also receives grant sub-awards from the Tennessee Department of Health (Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, CFDA 93.283) and Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (disaster relief and pandemic-related reimbursements).

Customer concentration is heavily weighted to EPA Region 4 (328 awards combined with parent EPA agency). EPA funding alone covers 69% of awards by count and dominates dollars obligated. FEMA runs second by award count (91 awards), though dollar values are not separately reported. National Park Service, the Department of Interior, and the USGS together account for roughly 84 awards. TDEC's grant work is distributed across water quality improvement, drinking water protection, historic preservation, endangered species conservation, abandoned mine land reclamation (Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, CFDA 15.252), and climate resilience planning (Climate Pollution Reduction Grants, CFDA 66.046). Across recent awards, TDEC administers state revolving loan funds—passing through funding to municipalities, public water systems, and other sub-recipients for infrastructure projects—and implements its own environmental permitting, monitoring, and regulatory programs in partnership with federal agencies.

Activity has remained stable, averaging 44–54 grants per year over the past five years. Forty awards (combined potential value $2.5 million) reach ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months and face recompete risk. TDEC's role as a state environmental agency means most federal funding flows through it as pass-through dollars to local and regional entities; the agency itself delivers technical assistance, oversight, and regulatory administration in support of EPA, DOI, and USDA environmental objectives.