A I-nji United States	EPA-842-N-19-002
Environmental Protection	October 2019
W 1*=*1 i	Ik Agency
THE FLOW OF...	TRASH FREE WATERS
ISSUE 12
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Two EPA Trash Free Waters Grant
Programs Announced 	1
Update on America Recycles
Day Summit					1
Partnership Brings Trash
Collection Devices to Proctor
Creek, GA	2
Baltimore's "Keep it Neat
from Stoop to Street"
Campaign	2
Protect Our Sand and Sea: Ocean
City, MD Partners Team Up for
Source Reduction	3
Bronx River Alliance's Project
WASTE	3
Mobile Bay NEP Watershed
Management Plan
Collaboration	4
Don't Trash Long Island Sound
Campaign 	4
Litter Reduction at the Port of
New Orleans	5
Update on the Latin American
Trash Free Waters Initiative	5
The Rapids: News Drops	6
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 iEc.
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?
Two EPA Trash Free Waters Grant Programs Announced
Administrator Wheeler announces Great Lakes grant program.
Great Lakes
On July 19, 2019, U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency (EPA)
Administrator Andrew Wheeler
and Region 5 Administrator Cathy
Stepp announced an upcoming
new Great Lakes Restoration
Initiative (GLRI) grant program
specifically focused on funding
trash-free water projects in the
Great Lakes.
"Removing trash, litter and
garbage - including plastics -
from marine and freshwater
environments is one of EPA's
highest priorities," said Adminis-
trator Wheeler. "The Trash-Free
Great Lakes Grant Program is
intended to fund efforts by
communities and other appli-
cants to clean up beaches and
waterways so that the Great
Lakes watershed will continue to
provide habitat for wildlife and
drinking water and recreation for
tens of millions of people."
EPA expects to issue a Request
for Applications (RFA) in October
to solicit applications from
eligible entities for GLRI grants.
Once the RFA is released,
applicants will have 45 days to
respond to the RFA. EPA antici-
pates that approximately $2
million in total funding will be
available, with a maximum grant
amount of $500,000 per project.
Up to 12 grants could be award-
ed, including two larger scale
projects and 10 smaller scale
projects. More details will be
made available once the RFA is
released in October. View the July
news release here.
Gulf of Mexico
On September 24, 2019, the EPA
Gulf of Mexico Division an-
nounced the availability of grant
funding for innovative projects
focused on reducing the amount
of trash in the Gulf through trash
prevention and/or removal. The
total estimated funding for this
competitive opportunity is
approximately $5 million.
(continued on p.2)
Update on America Recycles Day Summit
In November 2018, EPA hosted an America Recycles Day Summit to
discuss challenges and opportunities facing the U.S. recycling
system. Forty-five signatories to the America Recycles Pledge
committed to leverage their expertise to create a more resilient
materials economy. After the summit, the EPA worked with the other
signatories in 4 priority action areas: (1) Promote Education and
Outreach, (2) Enhance Materials Management Infrastructure, (3)
Strengthen Secondary Materials Markets, and (4) Enhance Measure-
ment. A new and improved EPA webpaae now helps citizens better understand the waste hierarchy, what
they can recycle, and what happens to their waste after they do so. A status report on the framework for
advancing the U.S. recycling system is available here. On November 14, 2019, EPA wiii host the 2019
America Recycles Innovation Fair in Washington, DC. The Fair will showcase innovative advances in
recycling technology, product development, education and outreach, and materials usage.
lake guardian

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OCTOBER 201 9 -
ISSUE 12
THE FLOW OF...TRASH FREE WATERS
Partnership Brings Trash Collection Devices to
Proctor Creek, GA
Installation of Litter Gitter on Proctor Creek.
(continued from p. 1)
"These funds will incentivize
new projects to reduce marine
litter and protect the health of
the Gulf of Mexico and the
many communities that rely
upon it," said EPA Administrator
Andrew Wheeler.
EPA Region 4 Administrator
Mary S. Walker noted that
"Trash-free water project grants
allow recipients to incorporate
prevention, removal and
outreach techniques that
provide meaningful assistance
in protecting our beaches,
shorelines and waterways."
EPA Region 6 Administrator Ken
McQueen said, "We need to
foster broad, creative innova-
tions to maintain the vibrancy of
the Gulf of Mexico by reducing
marine debris. Preventing trash
and debris from entering the
waterway is critical to protect-
ing the environment, wildlife,
and human health."
Types of eligible projects
include trash prevention, trash
removal, and outreach/
education. Eligible applicants
include state agencies, federally
recognized tribes and tribal
consortia, any agency or
instrumentality of local govern-
ments, nonprofit organizations,
interstate agencies, and
colleges and universities.
EPA anticipates awarding ten or
more grants under this an-
nouncement, with awards being
no more than $500,000 subject
to the availability of funds,
quality of evaluated applica-
tions, and other applicable
considerations. The application
deadline is November 22, 2019.
For more information on the
Request for Applications, visit
https://www.epa.gov/qulfof-
mexico/trash-free-waters-rfa
The Coca-Cola Company, the
National Recreation and Park
Association (NRPA), the City
of Atlanta, West Atlanta
Watershed Alliance, Ground-
work Atlanta, Park Pride, and
EPA Region 4 have partnered
to install six innovative
trash-trap systems along
Proctor Creek, a tributary of
the Chattahoochee River on
Atlanta's Westside. On
September 19, 2019, partners
held a kickoff event
for the Coca-Cola World
Without Waste Campaign in
Atlanta and Proctor Creek
showcasing the Bandalong
Trash Trap and installation of
the Litter Gitter, both litter
capture technologies.
Coca-Cola provided a grant to
NRPA to support the installa-
tion of five Litter Gitters and
one Bandalong Litter Trap
with a goal of collecting and
reducing 80% of downstream
litter in the creek.
The Litter Gitter is a small-
stream litter collection device
used to intercept floating litter
from stormwater runoff using
floating booms that guide trash
to a large wire-mesh collection
container. The Bandalong Litter
Trap is an industrial strength
litter trap that uses the current
to guide debris into the trap.
Educational signage at the park
will inform visitors about the
litter catchment systems and
provide education on how to
reduce litter by recycling and
disposing of trash in recepta-
cles. For more information,
contact Cynthia Y. Edwards, PE,
at edwards.cynthiay@epa.aov.
Baltimore's "Keep it Neat from
Baltimore Trash Talk has joined forces with
The Southwest Partnership and Full Circuit
Studio to enhance the "Keep it Neat from Stoop
to Street" campaign to encourage personal
investment and ownership of public places like
parks and sidewalks. Southwest Partnership is
a coalition of seven neighborhoods in West
Baltimore. They have been working hard on
many issues in their neighborhoods, including
cleanup. They want residents to be proud of
where they live. This anti-trash campaign
encourages personal investment and cleanup
of front stoops, public spaces and neighbor-
hood vacant lots. Photographer Zizwe Aliette
captured photos which were later included in
campaign designs. Campaign materials include
a doorhanger which outlines eight simple
actions to reduce litter in your neighborhood.
Stoop to Street" Campaign
When everyone meets, we net clean str&ets.
This campaign works to evoke a sense of
community pride instead of eliciting feelings of
shame and guilt for those who litter.
—Abu Moulta-Ali,
Moulta-Ali.Abu@epa.gov
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TIHI FLOW OF...TRASH FREE WATERS
OCTOBER 201 9 -
ISSUE 12
Protect Our Sand and Sea: Ocean City, MD Partners Team Up for Source Reduction
Ocean City, MD has an optional
and eco-friendly source
reduction program to encour-
age businesses to voluntarily
commit to making greener
choices. The program was
created by the Ocean City Green
Team, which includes members
from the Town of Ocean City,
Maryland Coastal Bays
Program (MCBP), Ocean City
Surf Club, and Surfrider
Foundation.
The Protect Our Sand and Sea
campaign is an initiative to
reduce the piastic waste stream
in Ocean City. Businesses can
choose to participate in any one
of five source reduction
pledges. Thanks to multiple
sources of funding secured by
MCBP and the Town of Ocean
City, participants will receive
free social media promotion,
newspaper advertisements, and
marketing tools including recog-
nition plaques and stickers.
Thirty-three restaurants have
already signed up with the
program.
Another source reduction
program launched in Ocean City
this year is a responsible
cigarette butt disposal and
recycling program. Most
cigarette butts are not biode-
gradable and can remain in the
environment for over a decade.
Thanks to a grant from Keep
America Beautiful Cigarette
Litter Prevention Program
(CLPP) and the Worcester
County Health Department
Prevention Services, any
business willing to take the
pledge to commit to recycling
cigarette butts can receive a
free "butt hut" and signage.
Cigarette butts taken from
these huts are sent to TerraCy-
cle to be recycled into park
benches. To date, 104,400
cigarette butts have been
shipped to TerraCycle and have
been kept out of Maryland
Coastal Bays waterways.
—Sandi Smith, MCBp
sandis@mdcoastalbavs.ora
tag
THE BUTT
STOPS HERE
Recycling station for cigarette
butts.
Bronx River Alliance's Project WASTE
The Bronx River Alliance serves
as a coordinated voice for the
Bronx River, it collaborates with
over 100 partners to protect,
improve, and restore the Bronx
River corridor so that it can be a
healthy ecological, recreational,
educational, and economic
resource for local communi-
ties. Michelle Luebke, Director
of Environmental Stewardship,
recently presented findings and
collaboration opportunities
related to Project WASTE
(Waterway and Street Trash
Elimination). Project WASTE is
the Alliance's community
science trash assessment and
source reduction program
addressing trash pollution in the
Bronx River watershed.
Almost 70% of trash collected
through Project WASTE is Styro-
foam, with plastic at approxi-
mately 22% (see Figure).
In June, students from Bronx-
ville High helped collect and
categorize litter along two local
streets and found that tobacco
products were the most
common waste material. After
this analysis, the students
created a map of Bronxville
litter and cigarette butt hotspots
to inform more strategic
placement of trash cans. They
also hosted a storm drain art
competition to raise awareness
about the connection between
mismanaged trash, stormwater
systems and marine litter. The
Bronx River Alliance won an
Urban Waters Learning Network
Award for their community
science and environmental
education programming
associated with the Project
WASTE initiative.
—Abu Moulta-Ali,
Moulta-Ali.Abu@epa.gov
Fabric 0.20%.
Large Items 0.06%,
Rubber 0.35%,
Biodegradable 1.63%'
Glass 1.21 %
Metal 1
Toxic 0.60%^
Hazardous 0.4
.Plastic 21.77%
Materia Found
Styrofoam 68.81 %' ^
91%
of trash collected through Project WASTE is
Styrofoam or plastic.
Trash collection statistics from Project WASTE.

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OCTOBER 201 9 - ISSUE 12
THE FLOW OF...TRASH FREE WATERS
Mobile Bay NEP Watershed Management Plan Collaboration
On July 11, 2019, Alabama
Governor Kay Ivey signed into
law a bill to broaden the state's
definition of litter and increase
fines and enforcement capabili-
ties. This state-wide legislation
is supported by the Mobile Bay
National Estuary Program
(MBNEP) Government Net-
works Committee. MBNEP
recently collaborated with
partners to implement compre-
hensive litter mitigation
strategies recommended in the
Three Mile Creek coastal
watershed management plan.
The Mobile Bay NEP is currently
working on a multi-phase litter
abatement project in the
watershed. This project
includes (1) deploying and
maintaining 10 "Litter Gitter"
small stream litter collection
devices; (2) developing litter
profiles at each site using the
EPA's Escaped Trash Assess-
ment Protocol (ETAP); (3)
conducting single pass tactical
cleanups of shoreline through-
out the watershed; (4) develop-
ing a web-based publicly
available litter collection/ETAP
reporting system; and (5)
creating an alternative packag-
ing program in the Three Mile
Creek Watershed. To date, the
Three Mile Creek Trash-Free
Waters project has removed
7,963 lbs (5,085 cubic feet) of
iitter, exceeding the overall
project goal of 4,800 lbs. Of the
waste collected, 1,475 lbs
(1,274 cubic feet) of the
material has been recycled.
—Romell Nandi,
Nandi.Romell@epa.gov
Osprey Initiative staff perform ETAP after cleaning out a Litter Gitter
in Three Mile Creek, Mobile, AL
Don't Trash Long Island Sound Campaign
Long Island's 2019 #DontTrash-
LlSound social media campaign
ran from August through
September 20. The primary
message of the campaign was
to "Break the Single-Use Plastic
Habit" in order to protect the
watershed's wildlife. Stickers
depicting native species such
as the harp seal, tautog, and
American oyster catcher were
distributed widely, and people
were encouraged to post
photos of their reusable water
bottles displaying the stickers.
Last year, the campaign
generated 135,000 Facebook
and Twitter impressions.
This is the third year of the
campaign. This year's sponsors
include the Long Island Sound
Study, Connecticut Sea Grant,
Mystic Aquarium, Connecticut
Fund for the Environment's
Save the Sound Program, The
Nature Conservancy, Audubon
Connecticut, and Soundwaters.
The campaign also worked with
partners to hold beach clean-
ups along Long Island's shores,
with awareness boosted
through creative local print,
radio, and TV coverage. Estuary
Day 2019, held on Saturday,
September 14 in Oyster Bay, NY
signified the end of the cam-
paign. The event was hosted by
the Long Island Sound Study,
Peconic Estuary Program,
South Shore Estuary Reserve
and Friends of the Bay, and the
Waterfront Center. Estuary Day
activities emphasized prevent-
ing marine debris and included
a beach cleanup, beach seining,
beach combing, children's
activities, and crafts. Check out
#DontTrashLISound on
Facebook. Twitter, and Insta
gram to see photos from the
campaign.
Don't Trash Long Island Sound
sticker.
4

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TIHI FLOW OF...TRASH FREE WATERS
OCTOBER 201 9 - ISSUE 12
Litter Reduction at the Port of New Orleans
Keep It Clean'
* PORT
NOLA
The Port of New Orleans has
implemented a series of
different litter reducing mea-
sures and waste reduction
strategies that began with a
Trash Free Waters pilot project
in 2015.
A truckway dumpster was
installed to encourage truck
drivers entering the Port to
responsibly dispose of garbage
accumulated in their cabs.
To-date, 61,700 pounds of trash
have been collected. The Port's
maintenance department tracked
a more than 25% reduction in
time spent picking up roadside
litter along the truckway.
In June 2018, the Port designed,
fabricated and installed trash
can mounts for 8 gantry cranes
in the Port's intermodal yard
terminal. This has given the
longshoremen, crane mainte-
nance mechanics and crane
operators a more convenient
option for disposing of litter.
Yet another project uses art to
build awareness that storm
drains lead directly to open
water and need to be kept
clean. The first Drainscape was
painted at the Port of New
Orleans truckway entrance by
two Port of New Orleans
Employees.
Since beginning work on the
TFW pilot project with the
EPA, the Port of New Orleans
has engaged more than 1,300
stakeholders regarding
environmental issues, recycled
4,751 pounds of Mardi Gras
beads, provided employees
with training on pollution
reduction and prevention,
implemented new recycling
programs, and strives for
continuous improvements
using TFW tools.
—Emily Federer,
emily.federer@portnola.com
From Top: The first By-You
Drainscape that was produced
by the Port on the Clarence
Henry Truckway. Banner
produced for the Keep It Clean
campaign and placed outside
the truckway dumpster
Update on the Latin American Trash Free Waters Initiative
According to a recent United Nations article. 70-85% of marine litter
in the Caribbean Sea originates from land-based sources. Through-
out the region, governments are considering banning single-use
plastics and Styrofoam products.
The Latin American Trash Free Waters Initiative is working to
combat plastic pollution on Caribbean shores. This initiative was
launched in 2017 and includes a partnership between the UN
Caribbean Environment Programme, UN Environment's Regional
Office for Latin America, U.S. EPA and Peace Corps. In June 2019,
lessons learned from pilot projects in Panama and Jamaica that
focused on keeping land-based trash from entering coastal waters
were presented at the 18th Intergovernmental Meeting and 15th
Conference of Parties to the Cartagena Convention in Honduras.
The UN hopes these project successes can be replicated in other
Caribbean nations in need of solutions.
Throw me
•some+hing,
Mister!
YOUR PORT-YOUR WATER-YOUR NOLA
Keep It Clean!
5

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OCTOBER 201 9 -
ISSUE 12
THE FLOW OF...TRASH FREE WATERS
The Rapids: News Drops
NEWS
Microplastic Breakdown
The Microplastic Breakdown is an informal bi-weekly compilation
of recent publications in microplastics research with a specific
focus on methods, human health and ecological assessments, and
microplastics sources, transport, and fate. If you are interested in
tracking microplastics research, please contact lundsted.justine@
epa.aov to be added to the email list.
Waste-Focused Legislation: Update
The Save Our Seas 2.0 legislation (H.R. 3969) introduced by
co-chairs of the House Ocean Caucus Representatives has now
been introduced to both the House and Senate. This legislation
recognizes marine debris as a serious detriment to both coastal
economies and to marine species and their habitat. The bill seeks
to improve response times to marine debris events, enhance
domestic infrastructure to efficiently manage plastic waste, and
encourage international participation to tackle the global issue.
Other waste-focused legislation introduced this summer includes
the Zero Waste Act - a bill to eliminate single-use plastic waste
through a federal grant program used to support communities
interested in pursuing zero waste initiatives.
EPA's Trash Free Waters Program Receives Environmental
Justice Recognition
The EPA's TFW Program was highlighted in the FY2018 Annual
Environmental Justice Progress Report for continued efforts to
prioritize and engage underserved and low-income communities in
improving water quality outcomes. FY2018 projects that were
recognized for their environmental justice connection included:
Puerto Rico microplastics research in estuaries that support
subsistence fishing; accomplishments of the NY-NJ Harbor
National Estuary Program and the Bronx & Harlem River Watershed
Urban Waters Federal Partnership; and initiatives that help educate
minority communities on the connection between stormwater
runoff and watershed water quality.
Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership's Science to Policy Summit
The Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership's Science to Policy
Summit in June generated thoughtful conversations about the
proliferation of plastic and the increasing negative impacts they
are having on our ecosystems and health. This summit brought
together a range of perspectives including scientists, policy
makers, and local business representatives. View an interactive,
educational summary of the summit here.
GAO Report on Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating
Committee (IMDCC)
On September 25th, 2019, the Government Accountability Office
published a report, "Marine Debris: Interagency Committee
Members Are Taking Action, but Additional Steps Could Enhance
the Federal Response." For more information, visit https://www.
gao.gov/products/GAO-19-653.
In Cleanup News...
Gulf of Mexico: Nurdles are small round plastic pellets that are the
base material used to manufacture most plastic items. The Nurdle
Patrol—a citizen science project organized to help identify the
sources of nurdles (which are often spilled during transport) and
create awareness about the problem-conducted 100 surveys in
August, for a total of 2,061 since November 2018. 550 volunteers
have surveyed 1,161 different sites from Mahahual, Mexico to Key
West, Florida. In July, volunteers removed 23,074 nurdles for a total
of 195,837 nurdles removed to date. One of the interesting August
surveys found 4,950 nurdles in 10 minutes in Hidalgo Park, along
Buffalo Bayou near downtown Houston. Surveys with high num-
bers of nurdles can be particularly useful in helping identify their
sources. Read more about Nurdle Patrol efforts and how the
University of Texas at Austin is addressing microplastics here, and
visit the Facebook page Nurdle Patrol or its new website at www.
nurdlepatrol.org.
—Jace Tunnell,
Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve,
jace.tunnell@austin.utexas.edu
Florida: On Saturday, August 24th, the Coastal and Heartland
National Estuary Partnership (CHNEP) on Florida's west coast
hosted a Pre-Debris Cleanup. The garbage collected at this event
will be used to create a Leviathan Marine Debris Sculpture at the
upcoming 20th CHNEP Nature Festival on November 16, 2019 in
Punta Gorda. The festival is an impressive showcase of the region's
environmental work and will include lessons from environmental
educators, live animal exhibits, guided nature walks, games and
food trucks. Learn more about CHNEP at: https://www.chnep.ora/
Oregon: In September, staff from the Lower Columbia Estuary
Partnership (LCEP) used boats and a barge to reach debris over a
75-mile shoreline within Oregon's Lower Willamette River largely
inaccessible by car or foot. This region of the Lower Columbia River
watershed is just downstream of Portland and is a known hotspot
for trash pileup. Over the past 3 years, the Lower Columbia Estuary
Partnership has encouraged citizens to help supplement their
boat-based survey findings with individual reports of marine debris
sightings in the area. Learn more about LCEP at: https://www.
estuarypartnership.org/
CONFERENCES
6th Annual Students for Zero Waste Conference
October 7 7-73, 207 9, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
This three-day event includes student-led workshops, professional
trainings, hands-on activity sessions, group meet-ups, and panels
covering waste and environmental justice. PLAN informs students
about the waste crisis and equips them with the necessary skills
and resources to implement solutions to waste in their campus
communities. Learn more and register now at https://www.
postlandfill.org/szw/
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OCTOBER 201 9 -
ISSUE 12
American Shore & Beach Preservation Association's (ASBPA)
2019 Coastal Conference
October 22-25, 2019, Myrtle Beach, SO
This year's theme is "Where Coasts & Rivers Meet," which will be
incorporated by a special track of sessions on coastal and flood-
plain management, risk, and resilience in tidally influenced water-
sheds. The program covers science, engineering and policy on
beaches, dunes, coastal restoration, living shorelines, sediment
dynamics and more. Learn more at: http://asbpa.org/conferences/
Our Ocean Conference
October 23-24, 2019, Oslo, Norway
One of this conference's six main areas of action is marine
pollution. The Our Ocean conference is seeking to secure commit-
ments from governments, businesses and civil society to reduce
discharges of plastic litter, nutrients and wastewater, and other
pollutants and to develop initiatives to make recovery and recycling
of waste more efficient. To learn more about Our Ocean, please
visit: https://ourocean2019.no/
2nd Annual Texas Plastic Pollution Symposium
October 29, 2019, Galveston, TX
This year's symposium will include a series of oral and poster
presentations on research, policy, solutions, and prevention of
plastic pollution. Register here or visit https://www.donttrasha-
aoodthina.org/.
CERF Conference 2019
November 3-7, 2019, Mobile, AL
This year's theme is "Responsive, Relevant, and Ready." One
session, "Marine plastic pollution from nano- to macro- scale: fate,
effects, and solutions" highlights research on the impacts of
plastic pollution on coastal environments and explores successful
mitigation strategies. To research more about CERF, go to: https://
www.cerf.science/cerf-2019
72nd Annual Conference of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries
Institute
November 4-8, 2019, Punta Carta, Dominican Republic
This conference will focus on the theme of "scaling up public-
private government partnerships for sustainable fisheries and
innovative science" with a special session on marine litter in the
Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. For more information, visit their
webpage: https://www.acfi.ora/acfi-72-conference/
Sustainable Ocean Summit 2019
November 20-22, 2019, Paris, France
This conference brings together leaders from the diverse ocean
business community as well as ocean stakeholders to focus on
industry-driven action on corporate responsibility. This year's theme
is "Investing in Ocean Futures: Finance and Innovation for the Blue
Economy." For more information, visit: https://www.oceancouncil.
ora/event/sustainable-ocean-summit-2019/
Ocean Plastics Congress: Turning the Tide
December 2-6, 2019, Melbourne, Australia
This inaugural Congress is a major new initiative that aims to find
long term plastic waste solutions for our oceans, sea life and
human health. Ultimately, the need is to eliminate the problem at its
source - the entry of waste plastics into our rivers, streams, storm
water, and, ultimately, the ocean. To learn more about Ocean
Plastics Congress, visit: https://www.oceanplasticsconaress.ora/.
Ocean Sciences Meeting 2020
February 16-21, 2020, San Diego, OA
This year's theme, Tor a Resilient Planet," centers around the
concept that scientists, in partnership with governments and
communities, have the power to effect change in fostering
healthier and more resilient oceans, a safer and sustainable food
supply, and to mitigate the impacts of climate change. The
conference is sponsored by the American Geophysical Union, the
Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, and
The Oceanography Society. To learn more, visit https://www.aau.
ora/Ocean-Sciences-Meeti na
GRANTS AND OTHER FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) Request for
Proposals
Deadline: October 17,2019
The CEC is requesting proposals from consultants/contractors
related to developing a toolkit and providing training to organiza-
tions in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. Proposals should support the
dissemination and implementation of the CEC community engage-
ment process for identifying locally-tailored, low-technology actions
that reduce land-based marine litter. For more information, visit
http://www.cec.org/about-us/opportunities/toolkit-and-train-
ing-engage-north-american-communities-marine-litter-reduc-
tion-efforts
NOAA Marine Debris Prevention Grants
Deadline: November 5,2019 for Letter of Intent
The NOAA Marine Debris Program has announced its FY 2020
"Marine Debris Prevention" federal funding opportunity for projects
that actively engage and educate a target audience (such as
students, industries, or the public) in hands-on programs designed
to raise awareness, provide practical approaches, reduce barriers,
and encourage behavior change to ensure long-term prevention of
marine debris. The Letter of Intent (LOI) submission period runs
from September 17 to November 5, 2019. Applicants who submit
successful LOIs will be invited to submit a full proposal. For more
7

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OCTOBER 201 9 -
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THE FLOW OF...TRASH FREE WATERS
information on this FY 2020 grant opportunity, please visit Grants,
gov and the NOAA Marine Debris Program's website.
EPA Gulf of Mexico Trash Free Waters Grants
Deadline: November 22, 2019
EPA is soliciting applications to improve water quality, habitat,
community resilience, and environmental education in the Gulf of
Mexico watershed. Working with businesses, communities, and
state and local governments, applicants should develop innovative
projects that will encourage and facilitate the removal and reduc-
tion of trash that finds its way into waterways and ultimately our
oceans. All projects must take place in one or more of the five Gulf
states (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida) and must
be in the Gulf of Mexico watershed. For more information, visit:
https://www.epa.aov/aulfofmexico/trash-free-waters-rfa
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.aov/
proarams-services/water-waste-disposal-loan-arant-proaram
Oceans 5, Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, Plastic Solutions Fund
Deadline: Rolling
The Plastic Solutions Fund focuses 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.
Grantmaking priorities include projects to secure new policies to
reduce single use disposable plastics, to reduce demand in the
U.S., 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 demon-
strate "zero waste" cities, particularly in Asia. For more information,
visit: https://oceans5.ora/contact/
David and Lucile Packard Foundation Grants
Deadline: Rolling
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation offers over $40 million
annually through their Ocean program grants. Their program aims
to eliminate illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing; ensure that
fisheries are sustainable; and protect shorebird and seabird habitat.
New project proposals could build off their research from last year,
"American Millennial: Plastic Pollution as a Gateway to Engaging
the Next Generation of Ocean Conservationists." For more informa-
tion, visit: https://www.packard.ora/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 Founda-
tion for projects 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.org/how-to-apply/
Oak Foundation Grants
Deadline: Rolling
Focusing on three priority areas - plastic waste, small-scale
fisheries, and industrial fisheries - the Oak Foundation supports
grants that will promote marine conservation strategies. It com-
mits its resources to address issues of global, social and environ-
mental 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—
marine.html
Funding the Ocean
For inspiration on what others have done to protect our oceans and
what other funding opportunities are available, check out Funding-
TheOcean.org. http://fundingtheocean.org/funding-map/
Become an Ocean Leader
Deadline: Rolling
The Sustainable Ocean Alliance is looking for leaders who are
seeking to develop projects and campaigns to inspire their commu-
nities 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
high-level conferences around the world. For more information,
visit: https://soalliance.org/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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