The Environmental Protection Agency is seeking applications for its Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund (LISCIF).
Donor Name: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 09/12/2022
Size of the Grant: up to $5 million
Grant Duration: 5 years
Details:
Since the federal Clean Water Act became law in 1972, investments in water pollution control programs have led to measurable improvements in the water quality of Long Island Sound (the Sound). Obvious sources of pollution were controlled through permit programs. Tidal wetlands were protected, wastewater treatment plants improved, and industrial discharges controlled. However, to fully restore the health of the Sound, a cooperative effort focusing on the overall ecosystem was needed. As a result, EPA, New York, and Connecticut formed the Long Island Sound Study (LISS) in 1985, a bi-state partnership consisting of federal and state agencies, user groups, concerned organizations, and individuals dedicated to restoring and protecting the Sound. In 1994, the LISS developed a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) to protect and restore Long Island Sound. This plan was revised in 2015 with 20 ambitious ecosystem targets to drive further progress through 2035. The 2015 revision identified three underlying principles to integrate into all LISS efforts: 1) resiliency to climate change, 2) long-term sustainability, and 3) environmental justice. In 2020 LISS formalized the Environmental Justice Work Group (EJWG), which meets quarterly and includes a subgroup focused on outreach and engagement with underserved communities.
Goals
Environmental justice (EJ) 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 no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the adverse environmental and human health risks or harms resulting from industrial, governmental, 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.
Funding Information
EPA expects to make one award for up to $5 million to an applicant to conduct the Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund competitive grant program over a five-year period, subject to the availability of appropriated funding and Agency priorities.
Eligibility Criteria
- In accordance with Assistance Listing 66.437, eligible applicants under this RFA are state, local, and tribal governments; institutions of higher education; nonprofit institutions and organizations; and interstate agencies. Consistent with the definition of nonprofit organization at 2 C.F.R. § 200.1, the term nonprofit organization means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or other organization that is operated mainly for scientific,
- educational, service, charitable, or similar purpose in the public interest and is not organized primarily for profit; and uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or expand the operation of the organization. The term includes tax-exempt nonprofit neighborhood and labor organizations. Note that 2 C.F.R. §(s) as defined by 2 C.F.R. § 200.1, public or nonprofit Institutions of Higher Education are, nevertheless, eligible to submit applications under this RFA. For-profit colleges, universities, trade schools, and hospitals are ineligible.
- For-profit organizations and private businesses, federal agencies, and individuals are not eligible to apply; additionally, non-profit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engage in lobbying activities as defined in Section 3 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 are not eligible to apply.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
