Grant Details

Clean Water Indian Set-Aside (CWISA) Emerging Contaminant (EC) Program (EPA Region 9) - FY 2024

Agency:	U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office:	Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9 Indian Health Service (IHS) Sanitation Facilities Construction Program
Multipart Grant:	No

Next Due:	06/14/2024 (Due Date)
Solicitation Date:	Unknown

Match Required:	No
Actual Funds:	Unspecified

Summary:

The purpose of this program is to support federally recognized tribes within EPA Region 9 to address emerging contaminants (ECs), including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other ECs, in wastewater infrastructure systems.

For the purposes of this program, ECs are defined as substances and microorganisms, including manufactured or naturally occurring physical, chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear materials, that are known or anticipated in the environment and may pose newly identified or reemerging risks to human health, aquatic life, or the environment.

All projects must be eligible under section 603(c) of the Clean Water Act (CWA). Examples of eligible projects include:

Project assessment monitoring: monitor ECs for the purpose of field testing an innovative or alternative technology
Planning and design: identify ECs and support preliminary engineering activities that may lead to well-scoped and ready-to-fund activities
Potable and non-potable water reuse: utilize advanced treatment, such as reverse osmosis, granulated activated carbon, or ion exchange, to remove PFAS or other ECs
Wastewater treatment facilities: implement pilot/demonstration projects to evaluate the efficacy of a particular wastewater treatment technology for ECs
Biosolids: sample biosolids with ECs to assess type of treatment needed and/or support the design and construction of facilities for biosolids handling and disposal
Stormwater: support such stormwater projects as:
- Support publicly or privately owned EC projects that implement nonpoint source management programs established under section 319 of the CWA
- Install stormwater controls designed to collect and capture ECs in stormwater discharges or PFAS in airport runoff
- Construct structures at industrial facilities to cover PFAS-containing materials that would otherwise be exposed to and transported in stormwater
Other: support other surface water protection and landfill projects, such as:
- Equipment for the physical or chemical removal of HABs
- Skimming surface water to remove microplastics along with other plastic pollutants
- Landfill closure or landfill runoff and leachate collection and treatment that will reduce runoff contaminated with PFAS or other ECs
- Modification/expansion of existing, or construction of new, publicly owned landfills primarily designed and permitted to accept POTW biosolids with ECs

Refer to pages 4-6 of the NOFA file for additional information regarding eligible projects.

In particular, projects should focus on the identification of ECs and supporting preliminary engineering activities that will lead to well-scoped and ready-to-fund activities. The funding agency anticipates that there will be sufficient funding available through this program to support eligible projects that will investigate and plan for addressing ECs. The funding agency plans to later fund construction projects through the funding agency's base CWISA program; however, eligible construction projects that are fully scoped, planned, and ready for construction may be considered for funding through this program.

Construction projects must demonstrate a completed preliminary engineering report (PER) as well as that all necessary rights-of-way have been, or will be, secured prior to award.

In addition to providing monetary awards, this program may also provide in-kind assistance directed by the funding agency for certain projects, such as emerging contaminant sampling and PER development, that will provide more flexibility and reduce administrative requirements for applicants. Refer to pages 7-8 of the NOFA file for additional information regarding in-kind assistance that is provided through this program.

Eligibility is limited to federally recognized tribes that are located within EPA Region 9, which include the states of Arizona, California, and Nevada. Refer to the Eligibility section for details.

Program Office Notes:

The program officer stated that project proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis after the initial project proposal deadline; however, additional guidance regarding the rolling submission process will be issued after the initial project proposal deadline.

Last Updated: April 23, 2024

Eligibility Notes:

Eligible applicants are federally recognized Indian tribes.

Tribes are required to submit a tribal resolution or tribal government endorsement for the project proposal.

Applicants must be located within EPA Region 9, which include the states of Arizona, California, and Nevada. A list of federally recognized tribes that are located within EPA Region 9 can be found online at www.epa.gov/tribal.

Applicants may submit more than one project proposal.

Eligible Applicants:

Native American Tribe

Application Notes:

Project proposals must be received by June 14, 2024.

Prior to submitting a project proposal, applicants are encouraged to contact the appropriate project officer listed on page 15 of the NOFA file to discuss the proposed project and eligibility.

Project proposals must be emailed to the address provided in the Contact section. Electronic files exceeding 8 MB in size must be submitted as separate emails that do not exceed 8 MB in size each.

Project proposals must include:

Project proposal form
Tribal resolution or tribal government endorsement
Planning/preliminary engineering report (PER) project documentation (if applicable)
Construction project documentation, including a PER (if applicable)
Budgets

Following submission of the project proposal, the funding agency will generally notify each applicant in August 2024 of the draft proposal priority and whether the project is selected to continue with the funding process for this program. Applicants may submit comments on their draft project prioritization and must submit responses to any funding agency comments as well as submit any additional documentation or endorsements requested by the funding agency, as detailed on pages 2 and 11-12 of the NOFA file.

Refer to the NOFA, ProjectProposal, and PERGuide files for additional application information.

Match Required:	No
Actual Funds:	Unspecified

Match Notes:

Matching funds are not required for this program; however, applicants must detail any additional funding sources for the project, including other federal funding sources, in the project proposal.

Funding Notes:

Approximately $3.8 million is currently available to support awards through this program. The funding agency also anticipates receiving additional funding of up to $3.1 million for this program through FY 2026. In general, funding will be provided as direct grants to applicant tribes or interagency agreements with the Indian Health Service (IHS).

In addition to providing monetary awards, this program may also provide in-kind assistance directed by the funding agency for certain projects, such as emerging contaminant sampling and preliminary engineering report (PER) development, that will provide more flexibility and reduce administrative requirements for applicants. Refer to pages 7-8 of the NOFA file for additional information regarding in-kind assistance that is provided through this program.

The funding agency anticipates that there will be sufficient funding available through this program to support eligible projects that will investigate and plan for addressing ECs. The funding agency plans to later fund construction projects through the funding agency's base CWISA program; however, eligible construction projects that are fully scoped, planned, and ready for construction may be considered for funding through this program.

In general, applicants will be notified of the funding agency's final ranking and funding decisions in October 2024. In general, awards will be made in February 2025.

For construction projects that are funded through an interagency agreement with the IHS, the proposed budget may include allowances for tribal administration costs, contingencies, and technical support services based on the following percentages of estimated construction costs, unless the applicant provides written documentation to justify costs that exceed these allowances:

Tribal administration: 5 percent
Contingencies: 10 percent
Technical support services: 15 percent, including engineering and technical support

Funds may not be used for:

Projects that address contaminants with national recommended water quality criteria under section 304(a)12 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), including nutrients, certain organics, and certain metals, except for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
Purchasing real property

Contacts:

Nancy Sockabasin
Clean Water Indian Set-Aside (CWISA) Program Coordinator
(415) 972-3772
sockabasin.nancy@epa.gov

Agency Address
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EPA Region 9
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105

Contact Notes:

Questions should be directed to Nancy Sockabasin, or to the appropriate regional project officer listed on page 15 of the NOFA file.

Project proposals must be emailed to the address provided.

The agency address provided is for reference purposes only.

Files:

Guide File: US17648_Guide_FY2024.pdf (4.1 Mb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17648_PERGuide_FY2024.pdf (391.5 Kb)
NOFA File: US17648_NOFA_FY2024.pdf (662.9 Kb)
Application File: US17648_ProjectProposal_FY2024.pdf (1.4 Mb)

File Notes:

The NOFA file contains the full solicitation for this program. The Guide file contains additional guidelines for the CWISA program overall. The ProjectProposal file contains the required project proposal form for submission. The PERGuide file contains detailed preliminary engineering report (PER) instructions for the project proposal.

April 23, 2024
A revised solicitation containing revised financial information for this program has been released and attached as the NOFA file. In addition, a revised version of the required project proposal form for submission has been released and attached as the ProjectProposal file. The program officer also provided clarification regarding the submission deadlines for project proposals. The Application and Financial sections have been updated accordingly.

Grant Keywords

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Grant Categories

Community Development
Environment/Natural Resources
Wastewater