Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement Program

 

The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (EJCPS) Cooperative Agreement Program provides funding to support community-based organizations in their efforts to collaborate and partner with local stakeholder groups (e.g., local businesses and industry, local government, medical service providers, and academia) as they develop and implement solutions that address environmental and/or public health issues for underserved communities. For purposes of this listing, the term underserved community refers to a community with environmental justice concerns and/or vulnerable populations, including people of color, low income, rural, tribal, indigenous, and homeless populations. Eligible projects must demonstrate use of the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Model to support their collaborative efforts during the project period. Applying organizations should have a direct connection to the underserved community impacted by the environmental harms and risks detailed in the workplan. The long-term goals of the EJCPS Program are to help build the capacity of communities with environmental justice concerns and to create self-sustaining, community-based partnerships that will continue to improve local environments in the future. Funding Priorities - Fiscal Year 2023: For the 2023 competition, EPA may give special consideration to high-ranking applications that focus on the following program priorities: 1) Rural Areas EPA may give special consideration to high-ranking proposals to be performed in rural areas as defined by the program. Rural areas, for the purposes of this competition, are defined as local areas with populations of 50,000 or less that have limited access to public or private resources commonly found in metropolitan areas. Applicants claiming rural status must provide sufficient detail (census data, population figures, descriptions of local resources, etc.) for EPA to validate the rural status of the underserved community. The goal of this special consideration is to encourage and increase project performance in rural areas in the EPA EJ Grants program. 2) Health Impact Assessments (HIA) HIA is a tool designed to investigate how a proposed program, project, policy, or plan may impact health and well-being and inform decision-makers of these potential outcomes before the decision is made. EPA may give special consideration to HIA projects that seek to determine the potential effects of a proposed decision on the health of underserved and vulnerable communities and the distribution of those effects within the communities. 3) Projects addressing Climate, Disaster Resiliency, and/or Emergency Preparedness The effects of climate change and extreme weather events tend to adversely impact the most vulnerable communities and populations disproportionately. Therefore, EPA may give special consideration to projects that address the needs of underserved and vulnerable communities that have been adversely impacted or are likely to be adversely impacted by natural disasters, including, but not limited to, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, floods, earthquakes, and future pandemics.

Active 66.306 Environmental Protection Agency B - Project Grants Fiscal Year 2016 Each of the recipients were awarded up to $120,000 to support two-year projects. The projects include such activities as identifying and reducing exposures to sources of air pollution; reducing lead exposure in homes of low-income residents; and managing stormwater runoff to support clean water and safer drinking water . Projects must use the Collaborative Problem Solving model, comprised of seven elements of a successful collaborative partnership, to address local environmental and/or public health issues. The FY 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act provided $21,000,000 ($20,809,000 with rescission applied) for EPA to issue grants to states and tribes to assist with implementing environmental programs. EPA provided $19,809,000 to states and territories to support implementation of air and state-led climate activities and other state-identified high priority activities. Based on EPA’s grant guidance, states are to direct at least 65% of their funding to support air work and may use up to 35% of their funding on other state-identified activities. EPA also provided $1,000,000 to tribes that have obtained authorization to develop water quality standards. All 56 states, territories, and the District of Columbia accepted their allocated share of multipurpose grant funding. Tribes are using multipurpose funding to complement and enhance implementation of their water quality standards programs in conjunction with existing Clean Water Act Section 106 activities.
Fiscal Year 2017 This program was not funded in FY 2017 due to budgetary limitations
Fiscal Year 2018 A few examples of some of the projects funded under this assistance listing include: 1) increasing the number of healthy residential housing units available and empowering those residents to access healthy housing; 2) a program composed of teams of young leaders serving to address environmental challenges in the community by working directly with a local collaborative initiative to plan and execute a demonstration project creating community engagement and an active portal empowering the community to report illegal dumping; 3) monitoring the disproportionate air and water quality hazards experienced by two historically African American neighborhoods and informing residents about the severity of those hazards and steps they can take to better protect themselves and their families from those environmental impacts; 4) creating coastal community collaborations between rural towns on a shoreline in order to develop and implement water quality improvements in the area; and 5) addressing water contamination by hiring a watershed group coordinator to organize activities, field trips and watershed education activities and trainings for collaborative members and the public, including the creation of an outreach plan and information materials, and conducting public meetings to establish broad-based, diverse membership.
Fiscal Year 2019 For information on accomplishments associated with the EJCPS program, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/case-studies-environmental-justice-collaborative-problem-solving-program
Fiscal Year 2021 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) selected 34 organizations to each receive up to $200,000 through the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement Program (EJCPS). Approximately $4.3 million of American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds will support projects that address health outcome disparities from pollution and the COVID–19 pandemic and that identify and address disproportionate environmental or public health harms and risks in minority populations or low-income populations through activities authorized by section 103(b) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7403(b)) and section 1442(c)(3) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–1(c)). An approximate amount of $2.5 million from EPA’s Fiscal Year 2021 annual appropriation for environmental justice (EJ) will fund additional community-based projects. Additional program accomplishments for 2021 can be found here: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/environmental-justice-collaborative-problem-solving-cooperative-agreement-5.
Fiscal Year 2022 In FY 2021/2022, EJCPS program awarded 34 cooperative agreements of up to $200,000 each for a total of $6,719,004 awarded nationwide.
Fiscal Year 2023 In Fiscal Year 2023, EJCPS program issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), EPA-R-OEJECR-OCS-23-01, on January 10, 2023, for $30,000,000 in estimated EPA funding. EPA received 365 applications in response to the NOFO before it closed on April 14, 2023. Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Section 20(a), as amended by P.L. 106-74
Clean Water Act, Section 104(b)(3)
Clean Air Act, Section 103(b)(3)
Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10(a), as amended by P.L. 106-74
Solid Waste Disposal Act, Section 8001(a)
Safe Drinking Water Act, Section 1442(c)(3)
Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act, Section 203
National Environmental Policy Act, Section 102(2)(F)
Clean Air Act, Section 138(b)(2)
EPA Appropriation Acts An eligible applicant must be one of the following: o incorporated non-profit organizations --including, but not limited to, community-based organizations, grassroots organizations, environmental justice networks, faith based organizations and those affiliated with religious institutions;* U.S. Territories o Freely Associated States (FAS) - including local governmental entities and local non-profit organizations in the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Palau. Applicant organizations claiming non-profit status must include documentation that shows the organization is either a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization as designated by the Internal Revenue Service; OR a non-profit organization recognized by the state, territory, or commonwealth in which it is located. For the latter, documentation must be on official state government letterhead. The following entities are INELIGIBLE to receive an award, but we encourage applicants to partner with these organizations, as appropriate: o Tribes and tribal governments o colleges and universities; o hospitals; o for-profit businesses; o state and local governments and their entities; o quasi-governmental entities (e.g., water districts, utilities)*; o national organizations and chapters of the aforementioned organizations**; oInternational organizations and chapters of the aforementioned organizations o Individuals o non-profit organizations supporting lobbying activities as defined in Section 3 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995; and*** * Generally, a quasi-governmental entity is one that: (1) has a close association with the government agency, but is not considered a part of the government agency; (2) was created by the government agency, but is exempt from certain legal and administrative requirements imposed on government agencies; or (3) was not created by the government agency but performs a public purpose and is significantly supported financially by the government agency. ** National organizations are defined as comprising of one centralized headquarters or principal place of business that creates and controls the mission, structure and work carried out by its chapters or affiliates. *** Funds awarded under this announcement may not be used to support lobbying activities or any activities related to lobbying or the appearance thereof. Subawards made to nonprofit organizations that lobby are not allowed. For certain competitive funding opportunities under this assistance listing, the Agency may limit eligibility to compete to a number or subset of eligible applicants consistent with the Agency's Assistance Agreement Competition Policy. Eligible beneficiaries are the Non-Profit Community Groups, US Territories, and Freely Associated States (FAS) as described under "Eligibility" and the residents of the communities they serve. List selected is not all inclusive. Applicants may be requested to demonstrate they have appropriate background, academic training, experience in the field, and necessary equipment to carry out projects. EPA may ask applicants or principal investigators to provide curriculum vitae and relevant publications Preapplication coordination is required. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. Executive Order 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs," applies to this assistance listing when a proposed financial assistance Federal financial assistance involves land use planning. EPA financial assistance programs and activities subject to intergovernmental review that have been selected for review under State single point of contact procedures are identified at https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-financial-assistance-programs-subject-executive-order-12372-and-section-204. Applicants for programs or activities subject to Intergovernmental Review that have not been selected for State single point of contact review must provide directly affected State, areawide, regional, and local entities at least 60 days to review their application following notification by EPA that the application has been selected for funding as provided by 40 CFR 29.8(a) and (c). Regarding pre-application assistance with respect to competitive funding opportunities under this assistance listing, EPA will generally specify the nature of the pre-application assistance, if any, that will be available to applicants in the competitive announcement. For additional information, contact the individual(s) listed as the "Agency Contact(s)" in the competitive announcement. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Applicants, except in limited circumstances approved by the Agency, must submit all initial applications for funding through Grants.gov. For competitive awards, EPA will review and evaluate applications in accordance with the terms, conditions, and criteria stated in the competitive announcement. Competitions will be conducted in accordance with EPA policies/regulations for competing assistance agreements. Deadline information will be provided in the competitive announcement. Approximately 150 days after the deadline for application submission. Assistance agreement competition-related disputes will be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures published in 70 FR (Federal Register) 3629, 3630 (January 26, 2005). Copies of these procedures may also be found at: https://www.epa.gov/grants/grant-competition-dispute-resolution-procedures. Disputes relating to matters other than the competitive selection of recipients will be resolved under 2 CFR 1500 Subpart E, as applicable. Not applicable. The evaluation and selection criteria for competitive awards under this assistance listing will be described in the competitive announcement. Projects can include activities related to the environment and issues impacting underserved communities. Types of projects eligible for funding include but are not limited to the following: Air Quality and Asthma Water Quality, Sampling, and Stormwater Issues Lead, Pesticide, and Toxic Substances Agriculture and Fishing Green Infrastructure Environmental Job Training Youth Development. Assistance agreement awards under this program may involve or relate to geospatial information. Geospatial information is information that identifies the geographic location and characteristics of natural or constructed features or boundaries on the earth, or applications, tools, and hardware associated with the generation, maintenance, or distribution of such information. This information may be derived from, among other things, GPS, remote sensing, mapping, charting, and surveying technologies, or statistical data. Further information regarding geospatial information may be obtained by viewing the following website: Geospatial Resources at EPA (https://www.epa.gov/geospatial). Performance Reports: Semi-annual progress reports require reporting on accomplishments of proposed project activities, outputs, and outcomes. Grants and cooperative agreements are subject to inspections and audits by the Comptroller General of the United States, the EPA Office of Inspector General, other EPA staff, or any authorized representative of the Federal government. Reviews by the EPA Project Officer and the Grants Specialist may occur each year. Recipients must keep financial records, including all documents supporting entries on accounting records and to substantiate changes in grants available to personnel authorized to examine EPA recipients grants and cooperative agreements records. Recipients must maintain all records until 3 years from the date of submission of final expenditure reports as required by 2 CFR 200.334. If questions, such as those raised because of audits remain following the 3-year period, recipients must retain records until the matter is completely resolved. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. Cooperative agreements will be awarded for a 3 to 5-year project period. Cooperative agreement award is fully funded at time of award and the recipient will draw down funds on an as needed basis. For a list of of Regional EJ Contacts, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/environmental-justice-your-community. Jacob Burney, Division Director, Grants Management Division
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. (Mail Code: 2202A)
Washington, DC 20460 US
Burney.Jacob@epa.gov
Phone: 202-564-2907 https://www.epa.gov/environmental-justice/environmental-justice-collaborative-problem-solving-cooperative-agreement-0 68-0108-0-1-304 (Cooperative Agreements (Discretionary Grants)) FY 22$6,719,004.00; FY 23 est $30,000,000.00; FY 24 est $30,000,000.00; FY 21$6,800,000.00; FY 20$2,100,000.00; FY 19$0.00; FY 18$1,200,000.00; FY 17$0.00; FY 16$20,809,000.00; - Individual awards in the past range from $100,000 to $300,000; average awards in the most recent past fiscal years have been $200,000 (Fiscal Year 2022). For Fiscal Year 2023, the total funding nationwide is estimated to be approximately $30,000,000, broken down as follows: Under Track 1, $25,000,000 for Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) proposing projects for up to $500,000 each. Approximately 50 awards for up to $500,000 each are anticipated under this track. Under Track 2, $5,000,000 for qualifying small CBOs (with 5 or fewer full-time employees) proposing projects for up to $150,000 each. Approximately 33 awards for up to $150,000 each are anticipated under his track. Between these two tracks, EPA anticipates awarding approximately 83 cooperative agreements nationwide, for a three-year performance period and are expected to be fully funded at time of award. Collaborative Problem-Solving cooperative agreements are subject to 2 CFR 200 and 1500 (EPA Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards); 40 CFR Part 33 (Participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in United States Environmental Protection Agency Programs). Fiscal Year 2016 Each of the recipients were awarded up to $120,000 to support two-year projects. The projects include such activities as identifying and reducing exposures to sources of air pollution; reducing lead exposure in homes of low-income residents; and managing stormwater runoff to support clean water and safer drinking water . Projects must use the Collaborative Problem Solving model, comprised of seven elements of a successful collaborative partnership, to address local environmental and/or public health issues. The FY 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act provided $21,000,000 ($20,809,000 with rescission applied) for EPA to issue grants to states and tribes to assist with implementing environmental programs. EPA provided $19,809,000 to states and territories to support implementation of air and state-led climate activities and other state-identified high priority activities. Based on EPA’s grant guidance, states are to direct at least 65% of their funding to support air work and may use up to 35% of their funding on other state-identified activities. EPA also provided $1,000,000 to tribes that have obtained authorization to develop water quality standards. All 56 states, territories, and the District of Columbia accepted their allocated share of multipurpose grant funding. Tribes are using multipurpose funding to complement and enhance implementation of their water quality standards programs in conjunction with existing Clean Water Act Section 106 activities.
Fiscal Year 2017 There were no projects funded during FY 2017.
Fiscal Year 2019 Examples of funded projects include: 1)Training and deploying a team of qualified workers in the green infrastructure and restoration job sectors in the local area. Workers built green infrastructure installations and led workshops to demonstrate the importance of green infrastructure in the area and to educate local community residents on the negative impacts of stormwater runoff into the local watershed. 2) A partnership between local residents, government, business leaders and universities to create an extensive community engagement plan including technical workshops to help residents understand how infrastructure impacts their health, which included developing a detailed scope of work to help the local city plan, design, and construct easily accessible, and safe bicycle and walking routes . 3) A project identifying and working with 20 communities negatively impacted by uranium contamination by testing wells for uranium and other pollutants and utilizing that data to promote collaborations with residents and local government to develop solutions for clean water in the area.
Fiscal Year 2020 Examples of the projects awarded in FY2020 include, but are not limited to: 1) Creating a model for engagement, capacity and leadership promotion in vulnerable, underserved neighborhoods in for the purposes of planning and advocacy around storm water, flooding, resiliency and sea level rise by those who will be most impacted; 2) Working strategically in to reduce the incidence of childhood lead poisoning, improve the safety of rental housing and increase the capacity of residents, government regulators, housing funding agencies, and other stakeholders to work together to address the lead issue on a local level; 3) Providing a training and transitional employment opportunity with supportive career services for 70 individuals annually across two cohorts, while simultaneously reducing emissions of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter by painting rooftops with a reflective coating that improves buildings’ energy efficiency; 4) Providing a safe, educational, and multi-purpose green space that combats water pollution and provides environmental education that emphasizes stewardship; expanding the farm to grow the programming offered which includes: engaging 150 individual children annually, providing Field Trips to 500 individual children from 20 surrounding schools, and hosting three large community events that engage 150 individuals, and installing a hoop house that will support teaching and training opportunities through a shaded outdoor classroom environment; 5) Open dialogue and information sharing regarding air quality; with the goal of promoting a healthy environment. Activities will include: surveying regarding prevalence of asthma and symptoms of respiratory disease, monitoring temperature, humidity, and levels of PM2.5 ,PM10 , NO2 , O3 , CO, SO2 , NMHC, and VOC, mapping outdoor air quality and traffic volume, and providing education and outreach to empower residents not only to make personal decisions that will reduce the severity of asthma, the prevalence of symptoms of respiratory disease, and the exposure to air pollution in three low income historic African American communities.
Fiscal Year 2021 Examples of projects funded in 2021 include, but are not limited to, the following: 1) expanding a current Air Quality Monitoring network of over 50 sensors collecting data on PM2.5 and ozone in the region focusing on EJ neighborhoods that provides residents with real-time data via and dashboard (available in Spanish) with current air quality information from the sensors along with technical and educational resources; 2) recruiting and training 30 residents to become licensed pesticide applicators and provide pest management to the homes of 40 under-served residents in the local area through the development of a green jobs workforce development program; and 3) organizing a series of 10 extreme home clean-up recycling and waste disposal events in an effort to develop a sustainable “Extreme Home Cleanup” event series in underserved communities where household waste will be collected and residents will receive educational presentations and materials to show them where materials may be disposed of and recycled locally any time of year.
Fiscal Year 2023 Examples of the types of projects funded under EJCPS include but are not limited to: 1) Cleanup of nonhazardous trash (e.g., scrap tires, construction debris) in underserved communities, especially where illegal dumping is an ongoing concern. 2) Reduction of lead in underserved communities and vulnerable populations. Eligible activities include but are not limited to blood lead level (BLL) testing, surveillance, and linkages to service providers who can provide lead remediation services; Restoration, Repair and Paint (RRP) projects at schools and daycare facilities to remove lead-based paint; and paving lead-contaminated dirt in alleys and other public spaces. 3) Development of Citizen Science Monitoring programs to address various environmental contamination issues including water quality. 4) Planning and development of heat island mitigation strategies in underserved communities. Eligible projects include but are not limited to installation of cool roofs and walls, green roofs, cool pavements, permeable pavers and other green infrastructure measures, and urban forestry initiatives, and extreme heat-related activities within local government departments (e.g., public health, climate, parks, emergency management). 5) Efforts to improve equitable transportation and mobility that encourage mode shift from private vehicles to walking, biking, and public transportation in underserved communities in order to reduce air pollution. Such activities may include, but are not limited, to expansion of bike share programs and bike storage facilities, subsidies to encourage the adoption of bicycles including low-speed electric bicycles. Incidental activities for planning and signage for road safety interventions particularly on roadways and intersections with a history of injury and death to pedestrians and bicyclists as part of a larger project to encourage reductions in vehicle miles traveled in automobiles (e.g., dedicated bicycle lanes or pedestrian trails) is also eligible for funding. 6) Energy efficiency, electrification, and renewable energy programs in K-12 schools including preventative maintenance of HVAC systems, energy audits, energy system upgrades, installation of on-site renewables and/or green infrastructure indoor air quality monitoring and related employee training. 7) Planning and development of environmental justice mapping tools or methodologies to determine potential impacts to underserved communities from multiple disproportionate environmental and/or public health issues. 8) Development of emergency preparedness and disaster resiliency plans and programs for underserved communities and vulnerable populations to minimize the exposure to pollutants in the event of a natural disaster. 9) Monitoring and/or prevention and/or remediation of air quality issues related to living close to transportation networks (e.g., railroads, railyards, ports, heavily trafficked roadways) in the local area, especially in areas where data may be limited. 10) Monitoring, preventing or remediation of nonpoint or point source releases of waterborne pollutants in underserved communities. 11) Establishment of collaborative and coordinated efforts, processes or procedures, and communication strategies between state agencies and local governments regarding ongoing environmental monitoring, prevention, or remediation projects at local levels to maximize use of local resources and reduce duplication of efforts.