A mA united States	EPA-842-N-19-001
Environmental Protection	May 2019
r l™| § % Agency
THE FLOW OF... TRASH	FREE WATERS
What's Your Favorite Trash Data
App?	7
Partnership for the Delaware
Estuary Science and Environment
Summit	7
Marine Debris Study Counts
Trash from Texas to Florida	5
Nurdles Washing Up on Gulf of
Mexico Beaches	6
Updated Guidance on Making
a Waste Plan Before a Natural
Disaster	6
The Rapids: News Drops	8
Administrator Wheelers Remarks
on Trash Free Waters 	1
Call for Abstracts for SETAC 2019:
Micro- and Nano-Plastic Methods
Research: Harmonizing Methods
& Addressing Challenges 		2
Two Rules to Keep Waste from
Entering Waterways and Oceans .3
Workshop on Microplastics in the
Chesapeake Bay	3
Trash Free Waters Project
Updates: Three Mile Creek (AL)
and Proctor Creek (GA)	4
Marine Debris Research and
Removal in the Mississippi
Sound	5
This newsletter is intended to
provide the latest information
to all of our Trash Free Waters
(TFW) partners and friends.
The Flow:..of Trash Free
Waters is our opportunity to
highlight recent successes, as
well as shine a spotlight on
news and other related items.
It is produced by the U.S.
Environmental Protection
Agency, with support from lEc.
Mention of commercial
products, publications, or Web
sites in this newsletter does
not constitute endorsement or
recommendation for use by
EPA, and shall not be used for
advertising or product
endorsement purposes.
HOW'S IT FLOWING?
Administrator Wheeler's Remarks on Trash Free Waters
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) Administrator
Andrew Wheeler has been
highlighting the issue of marine
litter in a series of recent
speeches and meetings.
On March 20,2019, Administrator
Wheeler outlined the importance
of addressing global water issues
during a pane! at the Wilson Center
called "Implementing the US
Global Water Strategy: A First-Year
Review." He cited marine litter as
the third of his top three global
water priorities, which also include
clean and safe drinking water and
water infrastructure.
Citing examples of Trash Free
Waters projects in Central
America, the Caribbean, and
South America, the Administrator
said "...we will focus on expand-
ing these efforts with our
European and Japanese counter-
parts to the six Asian countries
that contribute nearly 60 percent
of the world's marine waste." The
EPA and other federal agencies
such as the State Department
and USAID wili be working
together to provide technical
expertise and support for proper
waste management systems
around the world.
He further expressed support for
the Trash Free Waters program
because of its work, "directly with
states, municipalities, and
businesses to reduce litter, to
prevent trash from entering water-
ways, and to capture trash that is
already in our waters." Moving
forward, Administrator Wheeler
has committed to making marine
litter a top priority in his meetings
at the G7 in France and the G20 in
Japan this year. See his remarks
at: https://www.epa.aov/
newsreleases/epa-administra-
tor-wheelers-wilson-center-re-
marks-alobal-water-issues.
Earth Day with a Trash Free Focus
Administrator Wheeler partici-
pated in an Earth Day event on
the Anacostia River in Washing-
ton, D.C. with Japan's Ambassa-
dor to the United States, Mr.
Shinsuke J. Sugiyama. During
the April 22 event, which was
hosted by D.C. Water, Adminis-
trator Wheeler and Ambassador
Sugiyama rode aboard D.C.
Water's recently upgraded
skimmer boat, which removes
hundreds of tons of trash per
year from the Anacostia and
Potomac Rivers. The Anacostia
River also happens to be one of
the nineteen designated Urban
Waters Federal Partnership
locations.
"EPA supports domestic and
international projects to reduce
marine litter," said Administrator
Wheeler, "and we join Japan in
making it a priority issue during
Japan's leadership of the G20
Summit in June."

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MAY 2019 - ISSUE 11	THE FLOW OF...TRASH FREE WATERS
Ambassador Sugiyama noted
that marine plastic litter will be
an important item on the
agenda at the G20 Summit.
Read the news release here:
https://www.epa.gov/newsre-
leases/epa-celebrates-earth-
dav-2019-video-and-events:
https://twitter.com/EPAA-
Wheeier/sta-
tus/1 120455825447948288
2019 G7 Summit
As part of the G7 Environmental
Ministers' meeting in Metz,
France on May 5-6, 2019, EPA
Administrator Wheeler hosted
U.S. stakeholders in a discus-
sion about how government,
non-governmental organiza-
tions, and the private sector can
work to curb marine litter and
waste. He said, "To be most
effective, nations around the
world must address the
problem before it gets to our
oceans, which means improv-
ing waste management and
recycling." During a session with
G7 ministers on Innovative
Solutions to Fight Plastic
Waste, Administrator Wheeler
highlighted the Agency's Trash
Free Waters Program.
In June, Administrator Wheeler
is expected to attend the G20
Administrator Wheeler (3rd from left) at the G7 Summit.
Environmental Ministers	— Romell Nandi,
meeting in Japan to continue	U.S. EPA Office of Water,
the constructive dialogue on	nandi.romeil@epa.aov
marine litter and plastic waste.
Call for Abstracts for SETAC 2019: Micro- and Nano-Plastic Methods Research:
Harmonizing Methods & Addressing Challenges
Nanoplastics and microplastics
are recognized as emerging
contaminants and are being
studied globally and across
ecosystems. However, the
current diversity in methods
used for sampling, quantifying
and reporting has made
comparisons across studies
difficult. New approaches are
needed to quantify microplas-
tics in environmental matrices;
to modify existing methods with
respect to higher throughput,
more precision and smaller
particles; and to develop
appropriate QA/QC for those
methods.
For the November 3-7 SETAC
2019 conference (Toronto,
Ontario), Samantha N. Athey
(University of Toronto), Susanne
M. Brander (University of
Oregon), Robert M. Burgess
(USEPA), and KayT. Ho (USEPA)
are organizing a session with a
focus on methods used to
sample and measure micro-
and nano-plastics. They seek to
provide a platform to discuss
harmonization, address
challenges and share best
practices.
The objectives of the proposed
session are (1) to discuss
challenges for nanoplastic and
microplastic research, (2) to
share QA/QC best practices, and
(3) to highlight methods of
visualization, isolation, ex-
traction and identification for
micro- and nano-plastic
particles and fibers from
different environmental media
(e.g., sediment, tissues, water).
The aim of this session will be
to emphasize challenges of
nanoplastic and microplastic
research, as well as to encour-
age collaboration among
different sectors in addressing
these challenges, harmonizing
methods, and standardizing
solutions. Addressing these
broad research areas will
ultimately provide the informa-
tion needed to determine
whether regulations relating to
the fate and effect of micro- and
nano-plastics are necessary.
This session welcomes
contributions focusing on work
to establish robust, harmonized
methods for detecting, quantify-
ing or testing the toxicity of
nanoplastics and microplastics
in the environment, and
overcoming common challeng-
es in detecting and characteriz-
ing nanoplastics and microplas-
tics The deadline for abstract
submissions is June 5, 2019.
To submit an abstract: https://
toronto.setac.org/scientif-
ic-program/abstract-submis-
sion/
—Kay Ho,
USEPA Office of Research and
Development,
ho.kay@epa.gov
2

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THE FLOW OF...TRASH FREE WATERS
MAY 201 9 - ISSUE 1 1
Two Rules to Keep Waste from Entering Waterways and Oceans
(D
landfill
1 Let's put a lid on it! Did
you know that improper
disposal of trash is the
same as littering? Many
people don't realize that trash
can escape from bins if the
lids on the bins aren't attached
or closed correctly or if the
trash is placed on top of full
bins. Keep trash out of storm
drains, nearby waterways and
the ocean by making sure that
trash and recycled items are
put inside the correct bins and
that lids are securely attached.
2 Let's recycle right! Did
you know that, according
to the Ocean Conservan-
cy, six out often of the most
commonly found items in
waterways and oceans are fully
recyclable? Creating a strong
recycling culture will not only
prevent waste from entering our
waterways but will help people
understand that recyclables are
truly valuable materials that
must be put in the proper bin so
manufacturers can effectively
reuse them. The nonprofit
organization Recycle Across
America has developed a
society-wide standardized
labeling system for recycling
and trash bins to make it easy
for people to recycle correctly
wherever they are in the U.S.,
much like standardized road
signs allow people to drive
correctly wherever they are in
the U.S.
Recognizing our interconnected
missions, Recycle Across
America is partnering with
Trash Free Waters to improve
the recycling culture. We are
working together to encourage
the use of standardized labels
on bins to make it easy for
people to recycle right, and we
are sharing helpful tools for
businesses, schools and
municipalities to create
successful recycling pro-
grams. Visit Recycle Across
America's website for more
information about the Let's
Recycle Right® for Trash Free
Waters campaign and to learn
more about the standardized
label solution: https://www.
recycleacrossamerica.org/
labels
— Emma Maschal,
OR|SE Research Participant,
maschal.emma@epa.gov
Workshop on Microplastics in the Chesapeake Bay
On April 24-25, the Chesapeake
Bay Program's Scientific and
Technical Advisory Committee
(STAC) hosted a two-day
workshop titled Microplastics in
the Chesapeake Bay and its
Watershed at the George Mason
University Potomac Science
Center. The purpose of the
workshop was to determine the
state of microplastics research
in the Bay, data needs, fieid and
laboratory research methodolo-
gy, and associated policy and
management needs. Structured
to reflect an ecological risk
assessment framework to
support potential management
actions, the workshop provided
an opportunity for attendees to
collaborate, leverage ideas and
discuss the challenges of
managing plastic pollution.
Based on a limited number of
studies, plastics appear to be
ubiquitous in Chesapeake Bay
and are likely being ingested by
fish and shellfish.
Managers and researchers
discussed microplastic
methodology, effects, sources
and prevention approaches.
They identified issues typical of
an emerging area of science
such as lack of consistency in
how micro-particle size classes
are defined, lack of consistency
among analytical methods, and
lack of analytical capability in
area laboratories. Information
shared at the workshop will
help the STAC guide and
allocate resources to protect
and understand microplastics
in Chesapeake Bay
The STAC will submit a written
workshop report to the
Chesapeake Bay Program
Management Board to
determine next steps. Agenda
and presentations are now
available at https://www.
chesapeake.org/stac/work-
shop.php?activity id=292.
—Kay Ho,
USEPA Office of Research and
Development,
ho.kay@epa.gov. and
Kelly Somers,
USEPA Region 3,
somers.kelly@epa.gov
3

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MAY 201 9 - ISSUE 1 1
THE FLOW OF,..TRASH FREE WATERS
Trash Free Waters Project Updates: Three Mile Creek (AL) and Proctor Creek (GA)
Three Mile Creek
A year ago, the EPA Gulf of
Mexico Program provided
funding to the Mobile Bay
National Estuary Program
(MBNEP) for the installation of
Litter Gitter trash collection
devices in the Three Miie Creek
Watershed in downtown Mobile.
As of February 2019, 2,248
pounds of trash had been
removed, 68 pounds of which
were recyclable. Reductions in
litter in this watershed will
require a comprehensive
approach that includes changes
to business practices to reduce
waste streams; increases in
community awareness to
change personal behaviors; a
concerted effort to remove
legacy trash from streambanks,
wetlands, and creek beds; and
affordable installation and
maintenance of devices. These
measures will have the greatest
impact on Three Mile Creek's
downstream area, home to a
large percentage of low-income,
underserved, minority neighbor-
hoods.
On March 21, 2019, EPA Region
4 staff and management, along
with representatives from the
MBNEP, the City of Atlanta, the
West Atlanta Watershed
Alliance, and Groundworks
Atlanta, toured several TFW
projects in Mobile, including
installation of a Litter Gitter on
the campus of the University of
South Alabama. The tour
included the observation of a
Bandalong trash-collection
system and how it operates in
comparison to the Litter Gitter
system, and demonstrations on
how to use the Escaped Trash
Assessment Protocol tool.
Proctor Creek
On Thursday, April 18,2019, the
EPA Regional Urban Waters and
TFW Coordinators met with
representatives from Coca Cola,
the City of Atlanta, the West
Atlanta Watershed Alliance,
Groundworks Atlanta, the
Osprey Initiative, and Stormwa-
ter Systems. Discussions
focused on the $300,000
already pledged for an Urban
Waters-Trash Free Waters
Initiative for Atlanta's Proctor
Creek and the Proctor Creek
Watershed. Participants heard
from donors as well as the tech-
nical minds that will put trash
trap technologies to use, and
reviewed progress on other
project concepts that need
private sector, public sector
and/or philanthropic funding to
launch.
Outreach and education,
operation and maintenance of
the technologies, and plans to
better control illegal dumping
are all necessary to make the
project a success. All partners
want to meet the goal of
improving the water quality of
the creek and assisting in
providing safe, clean, livable
places where residents and
businesses can thrive, enjoy
and take prideful ownership of
their communities. Many other
Urban Waters Federal Partner-
ship locations are working with
Trash Free Waters to address
the sources of trash pollution in
their communities.
—Chris Plymale,
EPA Region 4,
plvmale.christopher@epa.aov
Top Photos: Utter Gitter
installed in the Three Mile
Creek watershed.
Bottom Photo: Daryl Haddock
of the West Atlanta Watershed
Alliance.
4

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THE FLOW OF...TRASH FREE WATERS
MAY 201 9 - ISSUE 1 1
Marine Debris Research and Removal in the Mississippi Sound
The EPA Gulf of Mexico Program
has recently funded a collabora-
tive team from Mississippi State
University Extension Service,
Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant,
Mississippi Commercial
Fisheries United, Mississippi
Coalition for Vietnamese-
American Fisher Folks &
Families, and the NOAA Marine
Debris Program to create a
year-round marine debris
removal and research program
for the Mississippi Sound
involving derelict crab traps.
Derelict crab traps are those
that have been lost in the water
in a variety of ways. Over time,
these traps become battered,
bent, broken, heavily fouled, and
covered in marine wildlife. They
can cause many environmental
and economic problems.
Catching just one derelict crab
trap can result in costly net
repairs and decreased fishing
income. The number of derelict
crab traps in the Gulf of Mexico
is currently unknown and
estimates of commercial trap
loss vary among the Gulf
States.
Derelict crab traps being removed from one collection site.
As participating shrimpers
encounter derelict traps at sea,
they will remove the traps and
deposit them at specified docks
and harbors. Over thirty
Mississippi shrimpers have
signed up to participate, and
the project team is still recruit-
ing participants. The clean-up
project kicked off January 1,
2019 and will continue through
2020. Hundreds of traps had
already been collected before
the spring shrimping season
got started. The spring season
is also when the twenty
contracted shrimping vessels
will begin collecting data (i.e.,
photos and logbook documen-
tation of every marine debris
occurrence) that will be used to
improve the understanding of
the distribution and economic
impact of marine debris on the
commercial shrimping industry.
The team will use this informa-
tion to educate both partici-
pants and the public about the
impacts of marine debris, and
hopefully change their behavior
to improve stewardship of
Mississippi Sound.
For more information, please
visit http://coastal.msstate.
edu/crab-traps or contact
Eric Sparks at eric.sparks@
msstate.edu or Calista Mills
at mills.calista@epa.gov.
Marine Debris Study Counts
Researchers from the Dauphin Island Sea
Lab and the Mission-Aransas National
Estuarine Research Reserve teamed up for
a two-year study to document the trash
problem along the Gulf of Mexico shoreline.
Their findings are documented in the study
Accumulation and distribution of marine
debris on barrier islands across the
northern Gulf of Mexico, in ScienceDirect's
Marine Pollution Bulletin 139 (14-22).
From February 2015 to August 2017, the
researchers kept tabs on marine debris that
Trash from Texas to Florida
washed up on the shoreline every month at
12 different sites on nine barrier islands
from North Padre Island, Texas to Santa
Rosa, Florida. The trash was sorted by type,
frequency, and location. The most shocking
discovery was that, throughout the year, ten
times more trash washed up on the coast
of Texas than any of the other Gulf states.
Most of the trash, between 69 to 95 percent,
was plastic and included bottles and bottle
caps, straws, and broken pieces of plastic.
Researchers also noted that more trash
washed ashore during the spring and
summer months. This could be because
more people are outside and on the water
during this time. There is also evidence that
the distance from a high-influx watershed
can be used to predict debris accumulation
on beaches, which could assist groups in
targeting specific areas for cleanups.
For more information, please contact Caitlin
Wessel at caitlin.wessel@noaa.aov or Katie
Swanson at Katie.swanson@utexas.edu.
—Doug Jacobson,
EPA Region 6, jacobson.doug@epa.gov
5

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MAY 201 9 - ISSUE 1 1
THE FLOW OF,..TRASH FREE WATERS
Nurdles Washing Up on Gulf of Mexico Beaches
Texas has the largest concen-
tration of petrochemical plants
in the nation, and some of those
plants produce nurdles - small
plastic beads that are melted
and used to make plastic
products such as cups, botties,
bags, and sunglasses. Nurdles
can enter the environment at
many points along the process
of being transferred, either by
land or sea, from the manufac-
turer to the factory. They readily
absorb toxic pollutants includ-
ing PCBs and DDT; when
consumed by turtles, birds, fish,
and other wildlife, they contami-
nate them and can also give the
animals a false sense of
fullness, causing them to starve.
The Mission-Aransas National
Estuarine Research Reserve
(The Reserve) at the University
of Texas Marine Science
Institute is analyzing the source
of nurdles washing up on the
beaches of the Gulf of Mexico
with a new citizen science
project called Nurdle Patroi.
Since November 2018, over 200
volunteers from around the Gulf
have been conducting 10-min-
ute surveys at their locai
beaches to help identify
concentrations of nurdles.
These data are then mapped.
Not unexpectedly, the highest
concentrations are in the bays
near the plants where they are
made; however, they have been
reported across the entire Guif
of Mexico and into the Caribbe-
an Sea. More information on
the Nurdle Patrol, with the latest
maps, news and how one can
become involved, can be found
at www.MissionAransas.org.
—Jace Tunneli, Mission-Aransas
National Estuarine Research
Reserve, and Doug Jacobsori,
EPA Region 6,
jacobson.doua@epa.aov
Image created in R by Dr. Lindsay Scheef.
Nurdle photo courtesy of Jace Tunnel.
Map of Nurdle Patrol data
showing concentrations of
nurdles in the Gulf of Mexico
from November 2018 to
March 2019.
Updated Guidance on Making a Waste Plan Before a Natural Disaster
Natural disasters happen, and
in addition to their impacts on
people, property, and the
environment, they create a lot
of debris. FEMA has a Public
Assistance Debris Management
Guide and EPA recently
published the updated guid-
ance Planning for Natural
Disaster Debris to help
communities create debris
management plans that
prioritize safety, as well as
efficient collection and disposal
of debris. By taking a proactive
approach to debris manage-
ment, communities are better
equipped to restore public
services and protect public
health in the event of a disaster.
The case studies in the EPA
guidance are great tools for
communities as they develop
Zero Waste goals, negotiate
contracts for municipal waste
services, or coordinate with
emergency managers before a
natural disaster. Lessons
learned from the 2017 hurri-
cane season are included in the
2019 guidance document. On
June 20, 2019, EPA will host a
webinar that will provide an
overview of the guidance and
highlight lessons learned and
best practices, with time for
stakeholder questions.
Another source of valuable
information for state and
community managers is the
Disaster Debris Recovery Tool
(DDRT) developed by EPA
Region 5. The DDRT is an
interactive mapping tool that
provides the locations of over
6,000 facilities capable of
managing different types of
disaster debris. By including 12
different types of recyclers and
landfills, emergency managers
in Region 5 and the surrounding
states can efficiently coordinate
debris removal in a way that
complies with regulations,
conserves disposal capacity,
and minimizes long-term
environmental impacts.
Check out the NOAA Marine
Debris Emergency Response
website to find out if your state
has completed a debris
emergency response plan.
—Emma Maschal,
ORISE Research Participant,
maschal.emma@epa.gov
6

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THE FLOW OF...TRASH FREE WATERS	MAY 2019 - ISSUE 11
What's Your Favorite Trash Data App?
Now that there are a variety of
Mobile Device Web Applications
(apps) designed to track trash,
here is a review to help you if
you are considering using an
app in your trash prevention and
removal efforts.
•	Marine Debris Tracker - http://
www.marinedebris.enar.uaa.
edu/. Created by Jenna
Jambeck's lab at the Universi-
ty of Georgia, this app can
aggregate and make accessi-
ble all itemized litter data
collected by users. This data
helps the Jambeck lab with
modeling and analysis related
to plastic inputs from
land-based sources.
•	Clean Swell - https://coastal-
cleanupdata.org/. The Ocean
Conservancy's Clean Swell
app feeds into their larger
coastal cleanup database,
making for robust analysis. It
uses the same item categories
as their paper datacard.
•	Litterati - https://www.litterati.
org/. All data are not publicly
downloadable yet, but with
pictures required for every
item, this dataset is the most
robust when it comes to
quality control. Analysts can
look at multiple characteristics
like item type, material type,
and brand.
•	Global Alert - https://www.
oceanrecov.org/global-ocean-
a lert-svst em/sol ution. html.
Ocean Recovery Alliance has
created Global Alert as an
online tool that allows users to
report, rate and map trash
hot-spots in their waterways
and coastlines via mobile
devices and a web-based
platform.
•	Open Litter Map - https://
openlittermap.com/en. This
effort out of The Netherlands
compares different countries
based on litter collection. Any
user can conduct their own
analyses. The use of pictures
to capture landscape views
helps provide quality control.
•	Schuylkill CleanSweep - https://
schuylkillcleansweep.org/.
Supported in 2018 by a grant
from the EPA Urban Waters
and Trash Free Waters
programs and the Partnership
for the Delaware Estuary,
CleanSweep promotes upcom-
ing cleanup events and
aggregates data by past event
to track litter and illegal
dumping activities. Although
specific to the Schuylkill River
Watershed, it is a model worth
considering.
•	PG County LitterTRAK - https://
www.princegeorgescoun-
tymd.gov/26Q7/PGCLitter-
TRAK. in support of require-
ments of the Anacostia River
Trash TMDL, Prince Georges
County, MD developed this
reporting tool to catalog litter
collection in real-time.
Because users have to register
for the app, there is quality
control and the ability to
conduct hotspot analyses.
Crowd-sourced information
platforms, like Twitter and
Instagram. By integrating
crowd-sourced information
from popular social media
platforms, using keywords (#)
or mentions (@), maps and
other analysis tools can
display information in real-time,
so individuals can track both
the spread of information and
the content. One popular
social media campaign that
went viral is the #TrashTag
challenge, which prompts
users to post before and after
pictures when they participate
in litter cleanups. Because this
campaign happened on
platforms that aren't designat-
ed for trash pollution, the
engagement and volunteer
activation opportunities are
more significant than promo-
tions/advertising for a
separate trash app.
Recycling apps also exist.
RUBICONConnect and Recycle
Track Systems offer users the
opportunity to connect waste
streams with waste haulers
efficiently and effectively, so
that there is less chance that
material will be mis-managed or
escape from the system and
become litter. These tools allow
community members to access
rules, restrictions, and best
practices for material manage-
ment.
If you know of other apps that
have been useful for your
efforts to prevent, monitor, and
remediate trash pollution,
please contact maschal.
emma@epa.gov.
Partnership for the Delaware Estuary Science and Environment Summit
Every two years, the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (PDE'i
brings together experts who share a common cause and a passion
for environmental preservation. The most recent Science and
Environmental Summit took place on January 27-30th with the
theme 2029: Saving Our System Through Collaboration. A panel
titled Marine Debris and Plastic Pollution included a presentation on
the Trash Free Waters program by Kelly Somers of EPA Region 3.
Capitalizing on opportunities to share T'FW information through
conferences and existing partnerships with estuary programs like
the PDE is one of the reasons the Trash Free Waters Program has
been so successful.
— Emma Maschal,
ORISE Research Participant,
maschal.emma@epa.aov
7

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MAY 201 9 - ISSUE 11
THE FLOW OF...TRASH FREE WATERS
The Rapids: News Drops
CONFERENCES AND WEBINARS
Webinar: Introduction to EPA's Planning for Natural Disaster Debris
guidance
Thu, Jun 20, 2019 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EDT
To assist communities (including cities, counties, states, tribes) in
planning for debris management before a natural disaster occurs,
EPA's Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery updated its
Planning for Natural Disaster Debris guidance. This webinar will
provide an overview of the guidance and highlight lessons learned
and best practices, with time for stakeholder questions. To register,
visit: https://reaister.aotowebinar.com/reaister/679295174037404163
Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership's Science-to-Policy
Summit — Plastics and the Columbia River
June 21, Vancouver, WA
The Estuary Partnership will gather local business representatives,
scientists, and policymakers to discuss what is known, what is being
done, and what remains to be done to reduce single-use plastics. For
more information, visit: https://www.estuarvpartnership.ora/
event/2019/science-policv-summit-plastics-columbia-river.
American Shore and Beach Preservation Association's (ASBPA)
2019 National Coastal Conference
October 22-25, 2019; Myrtle Beach, SC
This year's theme is "Where Coasts & Rivers Meet." In addition to the
regular program of science, engineering and policy on beaches,
dunes, coastal restoration, living shorelines, sediment dynamics and
more, there will be a special track of sessions on coast and floodplain
management looking at risk and resilience in tidally influenced
watersheds. Poster abstracts are being accepted through September
6, 2019. For more information, visit: http://asbpa.ora/conferences/
GRANTS
Ocean Plastic Innovation Challenge, National Geographic
Deadline: June 11, 2019
The Ocean Plastic Innovation Challenge will focus on three strategic
ways to address this growing crisis: designing alternatives to
single-use plastic, identifying opportunities for industries to address
plastic waste throughout supply chains, and effectively communicat-
ing the need for action through data visualization. Teams will
compete for aggregate prize purses of up to $500,000, and qualified
participating teams may have the opportunity to receive a minimum
of $1 million in aggregate investment from Sky Ocean Ventures. For
more information, visit: https://www.nationalaeoaraphic.ora/
fundina-opportunities/innovation-challenaes/plastic/
Reducing Ocean Plastic Pollution, National Geographic
Deadline: July 10,2019
The goal of this RFP is to measurably reduce plastic pollution before
it reaches the ocean. This can be done by 1) informing and advanc-
ing national or subnational policies or management plans to reduce
plastic source pollution, or 2) innovative behavior change approaches
with the potential to inspire large numbers of people to dramatically
reduce their consumption of single-use plastics and/or improve the
recycling of plastic. Geographic priorities include known hot spots
that contribute most to the ocean plastic pollution problem or which
fill key gaps in geography. Proposals will be evaluated based on
alignment to the focus of this RFP, expected impact, and cost-effec-
tiveness. Preference will be given to projects with higher potential for
scaling and impact. For more information, visit: https://www.
nationalgeographic.org/funding-opportunities/grants/what-we-
fund/reducing-ocean-plastic-pollution/
USDA Water & Waste Disposal Loan & Grant Program
Deadline: Rolling
States, municipalities, nonprofits, and federally recognized tribes may
apply for assistance with improvement of 1) drinking water sourcing,
treatment, storage and distribution, 2) sewer collection, transmission,
treatment and disposal, 3) solid waste collection, disposal, and
closure, and 4) stormwater collection, transmission, and disposal.
For more information, visit: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-ser-
vices/water-waste-disposal-loan-grant-program
Oceans 5, Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, Plastic Solutions Fund
Deadline: Rolling
The Plastic Solutions Fund is a funders' collaborative focused on
reducing single use disposable plastics with a goal of phasing out all
non-essential uses by 2035. It focuses on countries most vulnerable
to pollution, seeking to build a global movement to eliminate plastic
packaging waste and stem the flow into the world's oceans. Grant-
making priorities for the coming year include projects to secure new
policies to reduce single use disposable plastics, to reduce demand
in the United States, and to continue to build the global movement.
Ongoing priorities include projects to hold consumer product
companies accountable to reduce plastic waste, as well as grants to
demonstrate "zero waste" cities, particularly in Asia. For more
information, visit: https://oceans5.org/contact/
11th Hour Racing Grants
Deadline: September 1, 2019
Focused on the main pillars of 1) reducing ocean pollution, 2)
fostering ocean literacy and stewardship, 3) advancing clean
technologies and best practices, and 4) tackling the effects of
climate change and water quality issues, 11th Hour Racing supports
a variety of innovative efforts. Priority will be given to projects that
incorporate communication campaigns, citizen science, and have a
measurable impact on the environment. For more information, visit:
http://11thhourracing.org/apply/
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MAY 201 9 - ISSUE 11
THE FLOW OF ...TRASH FREE WATERS
David and Lucile Packard Foundation Grants
Deadline: Rolling
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation offers over $40 million
annually through their Ocean program grants. This program aims to
eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, ensure
fisheries are sustainable, and protect shorebird and seabird habitat
- none of which is possible without addressing trash pollution in our
environment. New project proposals could build off their research
from last year, "American Millennials: Plastic Pollution as a Gateway
to Engaging the Next Generation of Ocean Conservationists." For
more information, visit: https://www.packard.org/what-we-fund/
ocean/.
Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation Grants
Deadline: Rolling
Geographic focus: Metropolitan Detroit Area
Non-profits in the Great Lakes area are encouraged to submit Letters
of Intent to the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation for
funding related to improving water quality in the Great Lakes
Ecosystem. Projects may focus on environmental justice, green
infrastructure for stormwater management, engagement and
education through watershed-wide activities, and/or supporting
binational cooperation between U.S. and Canadian policy efforts to
improve water quality. For more information, visit: https://www.erbff.
ora/how-to-applv/
Oak Foundation Grants
Deadline: Rolling
Focusing on the three priority areas - Plastic Waste, Small-scale
Fisheries, and Industrial Fisheries - Oak Foundation supports grants
that will promote marine conservation strategies. The Foundation
commits its resources to address issues of global, social and
environmental concern, particularly those that have a major impact
on the lives of the disadvantaged. The Foundation makes grants to
organizations based in Europe, the Arctic, East Asia and Africa. For
more information, visit: http://www.oakfnd.org/env-strategies—ma-
rine.html
2019 Residential Curbside Recycling Cart Grant
Deadline: Rolling
The purpose of the Residential Curbside Recycling Cart Grant
Program is to advance recycling in communities across the U.S. by
offering financial and technical assistance to support the implemen-
tation of cart-based curbside recycling. The applicant must be a local
government, solid waste authority, or federally recognized tribe. The
2019 curbside grant RFP also presents the opportunity for communi-
ties to apply for grant funding to convert bin or bag-based curbside
recycling programs to carts or to implement new cart-based curbside
recycling programs. For more information, visit: https://recvclinapart-
nership.org/recvclina-cart-arant/
OTHER GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
For inspiration on what others have done and what other opportuni-
ties are available, check out FundingTheOcean.org. http://fundinathe-
ocean.ora/fundina-map/
STUDENT CONTESTS
Bow Seat 2018 Ocean Awareness Student Contest
Deadline: June 17,2019
Middle and high school students from around the world are invited to
create works of art, poetry, prose, or film that speak to this year's
theme - Presence of Future. Students need an adult sponsor to
submit to the Contest, and the Contest is completely free to enter.
Students can earn awards up to $1,500 in each category, and Bow
Seat also grants Sponsor Recognition awards of $750 for outstand-
ing teachers, parents, and mentors who help a student submit to the
Contest. For more information, please visit: https://bowseat.ora/
proarams/ocean-awareness-contest/overview/
Bow Seat 2018 Marine Debris Creative Advocacy Competition
Deadline: June 17,2019
This competition challenges middle and high school students from
the U.S. to implement real-world advocacy projects in their schools
and communities, with the goals of educating the public about
marine debris, inspiring people to change their behavior, and
engaging them in activities that reduce or prevent marine debris.
Students need an adult sponsor to participate in the competition,
and the competition is free to enter. Students can earn awards up
to $5,000. For more information, please visit: https://bowseat.ora/
proarams/advocacv-competition/overview/
Become an Ocean Leader
Deadline: Rolling
The Sustainable Ocean Alliance is looking for leaders to develop projects
and campaigns to inspire their communities about ocean sustainability.
Leaders will interact with a global community of experts, mentors, and
other young leaders through the development of awareness campaigns/
solution initiatives, and through high-level conferences around the world.
For more information, visit: https://soalliance.ora/leadership/
Have a TFW Story to Share?
The Flow is always looking for TFW articles, news and event information.
Contact the editor at mayio.alice@epa.gov for submission deadlines.
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