Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $16 million in new grant funding opportunities for states and tribes to provide technical assistance to help local businesses develop and adopt pollution prevention or P2 practices and to better address environmental justice concerns in disadvantaged communities. This additional $16 million builds on the nearly $14 million in P2 grants funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law last year.

“With this historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding we’re bringing the benefits of pollution prevention practices to disadvantaged communities that have for too long been disproportionately overburdened by the effects of pollution,” said Casey Sixkiller, EPA Region 10 Regional Administrator. “Working with states, tribes and businesses, we can help reduce toxic chemicals and hazardous materials to better protect people’s health and our environment.”

The United States produces billions of pounds of pollution each year and spends billions of dollars per year controlling this pollution. Preventing pollution at the source, also known as P2 or source reduction, rather than managing waste after it is produced, helps to advance a sustainable economic and environmental infrastructure. P2 can reduce exposure to toxic chemicals, conserve natural resources, and reduce cleanup and financial costs for businesses, particularly for waste management and environmental liability. Practicing P2 is essential for protecting public health and improving environmental conditions in and around disadvantaged communities.

The two new grant opportunities announced today will provide up to $16 million for state and tribal programs to help businesses adopt pollution prevention practices to advance environmental justice. Individual grant awards may range from $100,000 to $800,000 for the funding period, or up to $1.2 million for multi-state or multi-tribal projects. The two grant programs include:

• Pollution Prevention Grants: Environmental Justice in Communities to support technical assistance for businesses to specifically target and improve human health and the environment in disadvantaged communities. Find more information at: grants.gov, Funding Announcement EPA-I-OCSPP-OPPT-FY2023-001.
• Pollution Prevention Grants: Environmental Justice Through Safer and More Sustainable Products to support P2 technical assistance to businesses to increase the supply, demand or use of safer and more sustainable products, such as those that are certified by EPA’s Safer Choice program or conform to EPA’s Recommendations for Specifications, Standards and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing. Find more information at: grants.gov, Funding Announcement EPA-I-OCSPP-OPPT-FY2023-002.

Eligibility and Applications

For both grant opportunities, applicants are encouraged to target their projects to help communities overburdened by a legacy of pollution using geographic, demographic, environmental or other appropriate indicators. Disadvantaged communities can be identified through several public mapping tools including:

• The Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, a geospatial mapping tool developed by the Council on Environmental Quality
• EPA’s EJScreen which combines environmental and socioeconomic indicators in maps and reports
• The P2 EJ Facility Mapping Tool which helps users to identify industrial businesses located in or adjacent to disadvantaged communities

Eligible applicants include states, state entities such as universities, federally recognized tribes and tribal consortia. Applicants are strongly encouraged to consider partnering with other P2 stakeholders and with community organizations to strengthen their ability to jointly develop and provide P2 technical assistance to businesses and help develop and adopt P2 solutions. Community groups and trade associations are not directly eligible to apply, but EPA encourages these groups to partner with eligible applicants.

Informational Webinars

EPA’s P2 Program will host four informational webinars to provide information on both grant opportunities, the P2 grant programs and the application process. Email p2hub@epa.gov with questions about P2 grants or for help applying for a P2 grant.

• March 21, 2023, 11am – 12:30 p.m. PST: Register here
• March 23, 2023, 11am – 12:30 p.m. PST (for tribes): Register here 
• March 28, 2023, 11am – 12:30 p.m. PST: Register here
• March 30, 2023, 11am – 12:30 p.m. PST: Register here

Background P2 Program Results

EPA’s P2 program has issued nearly 500 grants between 2011-2021, totaling more than $50 million, which have helped businesses identify, develop, and adopt P2 approaches. These efforts have eliminated 19.8 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, saved 49 billion gallons of water, reduced 917 million pounds of hazardous materials and pollutants, and saved more than $2.2 billion for businesses.

Original source can be found here.