Scott Tomkins

Illinois EPA

Section 319 Grant ProgramNonpoint Source Pollution Control

• Grant-writing 101Grant-Writing 101

Flint Creek Watershed Partnership

June 17, 2008

Today’s talk…

• Intro to Section 319 Grants

• Administrative Aspects

• Types of Projects to Consider

• Required Information

• Helpful Hints

Section 319 Grants

• Federal grant program authorized by Section 319 of the Clean Water Act.

Section 319 Grants continued• Purpose: to work

cooperatively with local units of government and other organizations toward our mutual goal of protecting the quality of water in the state of Illinois by controlling Nonpoint Source (NPS) Pollution.

20021972

Section 319 Grants continued• Emphasis:

– Funding for implementation of cost-effective corrective and preventive Best Management Practices (BMPs) on a watershed scale;

– funding for the demonstration of new and innovative BMPs on a non-watershed scale;

– development of information/education NPS pollution control programs; and

– developing Watershed-based Plans (WBP).

Section 319 Grants - funds

• Total project costs; any reasonable amount

• Cost share program; – 60/40

TOTAL PROJECT

$200,000 100%

319 GRANT $120,000 60%

RECIPIENT SHARE

$80,000 40%

Section 319 Grants - Applying

• August 1st application deadline

• Six paper copies of the application (one with original signatures)

• Signed Conditions/Certification document

• One electronic version of application

• Signed Project Proposal Preamble

• Signed Project Cost Summary

Applicants failure to meet these requirements will result in the application not being reviewed

319 Project Types – Information/Education

• Tours

• Signs

• Curriculum

• Displays

• Storm-Drain stenciling

• “Marketing”

319 Project Types – Site Specific• Only 20% of federal

money allocated to Illinois EPA can be awarded to:– Implementation of

BMPs not “backed” by a Watershed-based Plan

– Information/Education– Monitoring– Watershed-based

Planning

= limited available funds

Section 319 – Watershed-based Planning

•Step 1: Build Partnerships

•Step 2: Characterize Watershed

•Step 3: Set Goals, Identify Solutions

•Step 4: Develop implementation Program

•Step 5: Implement Plan

•Step 6: Monitor and Evaluate

www.epa.gov/owow/nps/watershed_handbookwww.epa.gov/owow/nps/watershed_handbook

Section 319 – Watershed-based Planningnine minimum elements

a. Identify causes & sources of pollutioni.e., cause=high total dissolved solids,

salinity. Source=road saltb. Estimate load reductions expected i.e., education program will reduce road

salt application by 50%, meaning there will be 30% reaching the waterbody

c. Describe mgmt measures & targeted critical areashow will the reduction be measured and

where will you target efforts

Section 319 – Watershed-based Planningnine minimum elements

d. Estimate technical and financial assistance needed how much money? Who will need to help?

e. Develop education component

f. Develop schedule When will the work begin? End?

g. Describe interim, measurable milestonesi.e., X number of lbs. of salt will be reduced by

year two

Source: US EPA, 2004 319 Supplemental Guidelines

Section 319 – Watershed-based Planningnine minimum elements

h. Identify indicators to measure progressi.e., amount of money spent on salt; water quality measurements

i. Develop a monitoring component

i.e., how will you determine the waterbody is meeting Full Use Support?

Source: US EPA, 2004 319 Supplemental Guidelines

Section 319 – Watershed-based Plan Implementation

• Full scale implementation of a finalized WBP

– BMP implementation– Information/Education component– Monitoring component

Application Required Information

• Problem Statement: – Describe the problem(s)– Identify the waterbody(ies)– Nature of the water quality

impact– Causes and Sources

Keys

•Use the Illinois EPA Integrated Report for water quality information

•Link BMPs to impairments

•Pictures!http://www.epa.state.il.us/water/tmdl/303d-list.html

Application Required Information-Problem Statement

Factors affecting the waterbody’s Use Support: chemical, physical, biological, existing management programs…

Description of major pollutant sources and linking their relationship to

1) Water Quality2) BMPs to be implemented

Application Required Information-Problem Statement

• Load Reduction expectations, for each source indicated what load reduction for the identified pollutant (cause) can be expected? What percentage of the load reduction expected will go towards meeting Full Use Support for the waterbody?

75 tons of sediment will be kept out of the stream annually, 62% of the load reduction needed to meet full use support.

Application Required Information-Problem Statement• Listing and

Description of BMPs describe in as much detail as possible what you want to do/install and where. – THEN, link it back

to the impairments identified

Keys

•Have as much design work completed as possible

•Link BMPs to impairments

•Pictures and maps

Application Required Information-Problem Statement

Application Required Information-Problem Statement

• Schedule, what will be implemented when?

• Costs, how much will the project cost? Grant request? Local match?Who will provide?

Keys

•Have as much design work completed as possible

•Use graphs and charts

•Be very specific with costs

Application Required Information-Problem Statement

• Monitoring component, if one

• Information/Education component, if one

• Milestones

• Criteria to be used to measure success

Project Description, Purpose, Relationship to Other Activities

• Define overall purpose of the project including cost effectiveness

• Document how the public will be affected AND involved• What has already occurred or is currently occurring in

the area. How do these “projects” relate to your project?

Scope of Work & Schedule• Detailed description

& schedule of specific tasks

• Evaluation of expected effectiveness, operation & maintenance plan

• List & discuss each partners role including financial

Keys

•Use graphs and charts

•Timeline graphs very helpful

•Be very specific with costs

•Projects generally 2 years

•Separate project pieces for ease, i.e., sub-watersheds, like BMPs, implementation vs I & E…

Quality Assurance Project Plan• Monitoring, if

monitoring is part of the project then a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) must be included in the application AND must be approved by Illinois EPA.

Hints…bad phrases

• Would like to…• Anticipate…• Expect to…• Reduce flooding…• Increase habitat…

Hints…good phrases

• Will be used for…• Design work

completed…• Over traditional

measures• Resulting in…• Measured by…

• Implementation of the Flint Creek Watershed Management Plan – Phase 1 - 1995

• Langendorf Pond Retrofit to Reduce Nonpoint Pollution - 1997

• Implementation of the Flint Creek Watershed Management Plan – Phase 2 - 1998

• Flint Creek Streambank Stabilization – Fox Point - 2003

• Flint Creek Watershed Based Plan - 2007

Illinois EPA Section 319 Nonpoint Source Pollution Projects

Additional Information and Hints

• Start early!• Ask for help• Know exactly what

you want to do; how you want to do it; and reflect that in the application

• Although we need lots of information make it as succinct as possible

Illinois EPA BOW WMS NPS Unit Website Address: http://www.epa.state.il.us/water/financial-assistance/non-point.html

Scott TomkinsScott Tomkins

Illinois EPAIllinois EPA

Phone # (217) 782-3362Phone # (217) 782-3362

Email Address: Email Address: Scott.Tomkins@illinois.govScott.Tomkins@illinois.gov

Section 319 Grants – Funds History

• USEPA GRANT LEVELS for IEPA Section 319 Funded Projects over the last five years (2002-2007)

Federal Fiscal Year

Numbers of Projects

Implementation Funds in Million of Dollars

FFY 02 24 $ 5,823,710.00

FFY 03 27 $ 5,619,339.00

FFY 04 23 $ 5,550,176.00

FFY 05 23 $ 4,346,433.00

FFY 06 16 $ 4,581,117.00

FFY 07 13 $ 4,427,838.00