Mid-Atlantic Region Environmental Grants

EPA's mid-Atlantic region regional administrator Donald S. Welsh has announced that $1 million in Regional Geographic Initiative (RGI) grants is now available for projects that can demonstrate specific environmental results in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Specifically, grant applications must address one of three regional priorities: 1) Watershed restoration, which includes source water protection, acidification, water supply, wet weather, and total maximum daily loads (TMDL); 2) Reducing environmental exposure to sensitive populations, which includes reducing lead exposure in children, reducing asthma in children and the elderly, and reducing exposures to pesticides, asbestos, radon and harmful food exposures, and 3) Enhancing environmentally responsible development, which includes low impact development projects, greenways, transportation, economic development, Energy Star/green energy, minimizing environmental impacts, and green architecture (reducing storm water). The RGI grants are open to state, city, and township governments, special districts, Indian Tribes, school districts, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, community action agencies and other organizations having 501(c)(3) status. To be eligible, all applications must be postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service or date stamped by courier service, on or before 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Savings Time, Friday, July 16. Selection of potential recipients will be based on EPA's Policy for Competition in Assistance Agreements. Awards will be made for projects starting Oct. 1, 2004 or later with performance periods not to exceed two years. For more information, visit http://www.epa.gov/region03/grants/pdf/RGI_Final_5_26.pdf.