Protection of Children from Environmental Health Risks

 

To support efforts by organizations; educational institutions; and/or State, local, and tribal governmental agencies to establish or enhance their ability to take actions that will reduce environmental risks to the health of children. Since 1997, when the Office of Childrens Health Protection was established, EPA has focused on childrens health protection, undertaking a variety of efforts to improve the environments where children live, learn and play. EPA has sponsored research to evaluate the impacts of environmental exposures on childrens health, ensured that childrens health protection is a key component of our risk assessments and regulatory decision-making, and supported efforts to promote the measurement and tracking of environmental health disparities. EPA has launched projects to improve school environments, promote healthy homes, address indoor and outdoor air quality, and reduce childrens exposures to chemicals, pesticides, and radiation. EPA has developed tools to enable citizens, communities, governmental and non-governmental agencies to take steps toward protecting children from environmental health threats. EPA has worked with healthcare providers to identify, prevent and reduce environmental threat to children. EPA has also provided international leadership in the protection of children worldwide. EPAs partnerships with other federal agencies; state and local governments; tribes; nongovernmental organizations; healthcare providers; academia; and others are essential to achieving our childrens health protection goals. It is only through our combined efforts that we can achieve the goals of making the health protection of children a fundamental goal of public health and environmental protection.

Active 66.609 Environmental Protection Agency B - Project Grants Fiscal Year 2016 No awards made under 66.609 in FY 2016. No awards made under 66.609 in FY 2016.
Fiscal Year 2017 One regional award made under 66.609 to reduce potential environmental hazards in child care settings through education of child care professionals and assistance implementing low-to-no cost changes in practices and purposes.
Fiscal Year 2018 N/A
Fiscal Year 2019 For accomplishments under this assistance listing, please see "Protecting Children's Health October 2019 "booklet, available at: https://www.epa.gov/children/protecting-childrens-health-october-2019-booklet.
Fiscal Year 2023 For recent accomplishments under this assistance listing, please visit the following website: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-celebrates-25-years-childrens-environmental-health-protection Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act, Section 203
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, Section 311(c)
Solid Waste Disposal Act, Section 8001(c)(1)
Clean Water Act, Section 104(b)(3)
Clean Air Act, Section 103 (b)(3)
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Section 20(a), as amended P.L. 106-74
Safe Drinking Water Act, Section 1442(c)(3)
National Environmental Policy Act, Section 102(2)(I)
Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10(a) as amended by PL 106-74 Assistance under this program is generally available to States or state agencies, territories, the District of Columbia, American Indian Tribes (federally recognized), and possessions of the U.S. It is also available to public and private universities and colleges, hospitals, laboratories, other public or private nonprofit institutions, and 501(c)(3) organizations. Nonprofit 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 profit organizations are generally not eligible for funding. Some of EPA's statutes may limit assistance to specific types of interested applications. 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. State agencies and local governments, U.S. territories and possessions, American Indian Tribes, universities and colleges, hospitals, laboratories, and other public and private nonprofit institutions and organizations. Documentation of nonprofit status may be required. Applicants may be requested to demonstrate they have appropriate background, academic training, experience in the field, and necessary equipment to carry out projects. The Office of Children's Health Protection may ask applicants or principal investigators to provide curriculum vitae and relevant publications. Preapplication coordination is required. 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 "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. For competitive awards, the Requests for Applications will specify application procedures. 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. For non-competitive awards made under this assistance listing, EPA will conduct an administrative evaluation to determine the adequacy of the application in relation to grant regulations and to technical and program evaluation to determine the merit and relevance of the project. The Agency will then advise the applicant if funding is being considered. A final work plan will then be negotiated with the applicant. For competitive awards, Requests for Applications (RFA) will specify application procedures From 120 to 180 days. Approximately 180 days after 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. None. Generally, EPA incrementally funds grants and cooperative agreements for surveys, studies, and investigations. Approval of subsequent funding increments is dependent on satisfactory project progress, continued relevance of the project to the Office of Children's Health Protection's program priorities, and the availability of funds. The evaluation and selection criteria for competitive awards under this assistance listing will be described in the competitive announcement. Grants and cooperative agreements are available to support recipients' allowable direct costs incident to approved surveys, studies, investigations, and special purpose assistance, plus allowable indirect costs, in accordance with established EPA policies and regulations. Funding awarded for research does not include research within the purview of EPA's Office of Research and Development. Funds awarded under Section 311(b)(3) of CERCLA must be used for projects relating to innovative or alternative treatment technologies that may be utilized in response actions to achieve more permanent protection of human health and welfare and the environment. 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: EPA will conduct baseline monitoring of each active award. Requirements and frequency will be determined at time of award. 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 is voluntary. CERCLA Section 311(b)(3) requires that "to the maximum extent possible," EPA enter into an appropriate cost sharing arrangement with recipients of grants and cooperative agreements relating to innovative and alternative treatment technologies. EPA may waive the Section 311(b)(3) cost-sharing requirement in appropriate cases. Matching funds requirements may be established in program guidance or in the terms of competitive solicitations.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. Grants and cooperative agreements are usually funded on a 12- or 24-month basis. However, the Office of Children's Health Protection can negotiate the project period with each applicant based on project requirements. EPA has limitations on project periods, and grants and cooperative agreements may be fully funded or incrementally funded. These determinations are made by EPA. Assistance will be awarded in a lump sum and will be released on an as-needed basis. None/Not specified. Rebecca Cook-Shyovitz
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20460 US
cook-shyovitz.becky@epa.gov
Phone: 202-564-5340 https://www.epa.gov/children 68-0108-0-1-304 (Cooperative Agreements (Discretionary Grants)) FY 22$2,000,000.00; FY 23 est $0.00; FY 24 est $0.00; FY 21$2,000,000.00; FY 20$290,000.00; FY 19$0.00; FY 18 Estimate Not Available FY 17$25,000.00; FY 16$0.00; - This program only had funding in FY21 through the American Rescue Plan (ARP). No funding appropriated in FY23, and no future funding is planned in FY24. In FY22 - EPA awarded the the first four of 10 proposed cooperative agreements under the Children's Healthy Learning Environments in Low-Income and/or Minority Communities competition. The total estimated funding available under this competition was $2 million, with awards up to approximately $200,000. Proposed project periods were for two years. Surveys, studies, and investigations grants and 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); 40 CFR Part 45 (EPA Training Assistance). Fiscal Year 2016 No awards were made in FY 2016 under CFDA 66.609. No awards were made in FY 2016 under CFDA 66.609.
Fiscal Year 2017 One award made to Region 3 organization focusing on making a visible difference in communities.
Fiscal Year 2018 NA
Fiscal Year 2019 For examples of the types of projects funded under this assistance listing, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/children/protecting-childrens-health-october-2019-booklet
Fiscal Year 2020 Examples of the types of project funded under this assistance listing include, but are not limited to: 1) Expanding and implementing a multi-disciplinary program to provide resources to school employees, students, and parents best practices to increase knowledge and empower school occupants to improve their school’s environmental health. Adoption of this school environmental health program will improve environmental conditions in school buildings and support improved health, attendance, and academic performance for approximately 3.2 million school aged children; 2) Collaborating with childcare administrators to improve policies and practices in early childhood settings, and provide trainings, facility assessment tools and information to reduce environmental hazards to over 200 Head Start/Early Head Start centers across 22 states, as well as at least 20 Tribal childcare centers/family childcare homes.
Fiscal Year 2023 There was no funding for this program in FY22 or FY23. To learn more about this grant program and find examples of the types of projects it funds, please visit the following website: https://www.epa.gov/children.