U.S. EPA REGION 7
COMMUNITY
INFORMATION DIGEST
&EPA
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April 2021
Welcome to the Watest EPA Region 7 Digest
EPA Region 7's Community Information Digest provides communities with the latest
news about funding and technical assistance opportunities, webinars, conferences,
and other activities related to human health and the environment.
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• Headlines
• Funding & Technical Assistance Opportunities
• Meetings. Conferences & Events
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Please Note: Headings are linked to more detailed source information.
Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people
regardless of race, color, national origin or income, with respect to the development,
implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies.
This goal will be achieved when everyone enjoys:
1. The same degree of protection from environmental and health
hazards, and
2. Equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy
environment in which to live, learn and work.
Still have questions? Contact vour Regional Staff.
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Factsheet on the EPA's Office of
Environmental Justice
The Community Information Digest comes from the Communities Section located in
EPA Region 7's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs in the Regional Administrator's
Office. This small but mighty group leads Environmental Justice, Environmental
Education, and Children's Environmental Health activities for the region.
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Headlines
EPA's President's Environmental Youth Award Competition
Due date has been extended to April 30, 2021
The President's Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) recognizes outstanding environmental projects by
K-12 youth. The PEYA program promotes awareness of our nation's natural resources and encourages
positive community involvement,
EPA's Presidentiai Innovation Award for Environmental Educators Competition
Due date has been extended to April 30, 2021
The Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators recognizes outstanding K-12 teachers who employ innovative
approaches to environmental education and use the environment as a context for learning for their students. Up to two teachers
from each of EPA's 10 regions, from different states, will be selected to receive this award.
EPA Announces Two Environmental Justice (EJ) Requests for Applications for EJ Small
Grants and EJ Collaborative Problem-Solving (CPS) Cooperative Agreements
Due date: May 7, 2021 (for both RFAs)
Small Grants: $50K each for one year - Proposed projects should include activities designed to engage, edu-
cate and empower communities to understand the local environmental and public health issues, and to identify
ways to address these issues at the local level.
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Collaborative Problem-Solving Grants: S160K each for two years - Proposed projects should include activities to develop solu-
tions that will significantly address environmental and/or public health issue(s) at the local level through collaborations and part-
nerships with other stakeholders.
Areas of Emphasis:
• COVID-19 Impacts on Underserved Communities (both)
• Climate/Disaster Resiliency (both)
• Ports Initiative Projects (Small Grants)
• Projects from Small Nonprofits (10 or fewer staff, Small Grants)
• New Applicants and Grantees (both)
Attention All Non-Profits and Tribal Governments!
Apply for one of EPA's Environmental Justice (EJ) Grant Programs
Applications Due May 7th, 2021
Small Grants: $50K each for one year
Collaborative Problem-Solving Grants: $160K each for two years
Eligible entities include: Nonprofits, U.S. territories, Tribal govern-
ments (federally recognized and state-recognized), and Native Ameri-
can organizations.
Areas Of Emphasis
COVID-19 Impact* on tindcs*
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EPA Updates EJSCREEN. Community EJ Mapping Tool
EPA released an update of EJSCREEN, the Agency's publicly available, award-winning environmental justice screening and map-
ping tool. This update is an important refresh of the environmental and demographic data contained in EJSCREEN and enhances
the tool by adding new and improved functionality. An exciting new feature of the update is the addition of climate change indicators.
Users can now add flood and sea level rise data for the first time.
Report Environmental Violations
Please contact EPA if you see what appears to be a possible violation of an environmental law or regulation. Environmental Justice
Hotline: toll-free at 1-800-962-6215 or email at EJHotline@epa.aov
More information, visit: EPA Hotlines
Funding and Technical Assistance Opportunities
Duke University Community Mini-Grants and Rapid Research Pilot Program Grants for COVID-19 Testing and
Conducting Community-Engaged Research on COVID-19 Testing
Due dates for Letter of Interest: April 23, July 19, and Oct. 22, 2021
Due dates for Full Application: April 16, May 14, Aug. 13, and Nov. 12, 2021
Community organizations can apply for up to $50,000 in funds to support increased testing for COVID-19 through the RADx-
UP Community Collaboration Mini-Grant Program. These funds are available to community serving organizations, faith-based
organizations, community-based clinics, and tribal nations and organizations. Researchers from institutions of higher education
- especially historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCUs), Hispanic-
serving institutions, and other minority-serving institutions - as well as industry, state and local governments, and community-
based organizations are all encouraged to apply.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS1 - Advancing Health Literacy to Enhance Eguitable
Community Responses to COVID-19
Due date: April 20, 2021
The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) and the Office of Minority Health (OMH) will offer the funding as health
literacy grants to localities, who will partner with community-based organizations to reach racial and ethnic minority, rural, and
other vulnerable populations. Cities, counties, parishes, or other similar subdivisions may apply for the funding.
FY 2021-22 EPA Region 7 Healthy. Resilient and Sustainable Materials Management Grant
Due date: May 3, 2021
EPA is accepting applications for funding to improve community health, resilience and sustainability through sustainable materials
management in EPA Region 7. Eligible entities include states; local, county, and tribal governments; interstate and intrastate
government agencies and instrumentalities; public educational institutions; and nonprofit organizations that are not 501(c)(4)
organizations that lobby, including nonprofit educational institutions and nonprofit hospitals and hospitals that are operated by
state, tribal or local governments. Eligible projects must take place within EPA Region 7, which serves Iowa, Kansas, Missouri,
Nebraska, and nine Tribal Nations.
U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes Announces the
Availability of $385 Million for the Lead Hazard Reduction and Healthy Homes Grant Program
Due date: TBD - updated information coming soon
The Lead Hazard Reduction and Healthy Homes Grant programs make homes lead-safe and healthy. Specifically, these grants
assist states, cities, counties/parishes, Native American Tribes, or other units of local government in undertaking comprehensive
programs to identify and control lead-based paint hazards and other housing-related health hazards in eligible privately owned
rental and owner-occupied housing.
Meetings, Conferences and Events
EPA Announces National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC1 2021 Public Meetings
May 6 and June 17, 2021 | 11:30 a.m. CDT
EPA has two remaining dates for the NEJAC public meetings, which are free and open to the public. Members of the public are
encouraged to provide comments relevant to the specific issues being considered by the NEJAC.
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Webinars and Conference Calls
EPA's Environmental Justice and Systemic Racism Speaker Series: Redlining and the Climate Crisis
April 6, 2021 | 11 a.m. to noon CDT
This webinar session of EPA's Environmental Justice (EJ) and Systemic Racism Speaker Series will focus on redlining and
the climate crisis. Understanding structural racism and the climate crisis is key to shaping urban governance and the future of
America's cities.
EPA's Two-Part Webinar Series: Wildfires and Air Quality
April 8 and 21, 2021 | 1:30 to 3 p.m. CDT
EPA is hosting a two-part series addressing wildfires and air quality impacts. These webinars are part of the EPA's Environmental
Justice (EJ) Webinar Series for Tribes and Indigenous Peoples - to build the capacity of tribal governments, indigenous peoples,
and other EJ practitioners, and discuss priority EJ issues of interest to tribes and indigenous peoples.
Part 1. April 8
Part 2. April 21
EPA's Building Climate Change Resilience Virtual Trainings
April 13,15 and 20, and May 4, 2021 | 10 a.m. to noon CDT
EPA's Creating Resilient Water Utilities Initiative is providing free virtual training sessions on its Climate Resilience Evaluation and
Awareness Tool (CREAT) for the Southern Great Plains climate region of the country (Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and other sur-
rounding states).
This digest is being provided by EPA Region 7 for informational purposes only.
This digest contains links to information, agencies, sites, and organizations outside
of the EPA website. EPA is not responsible for third-party links.
EPA does not endorse third-party organizations or agencies.
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