EPA Announces Availability of Funding for Waterway Trash Reduction Projects in the Gulf

BILOXI, Miss. (Sept. 24, 2019) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Gulf of Mexico Division announced the availability of grant funding for innovative projects focused on reducing the amount of trash in our waterways through trash prevention and/or removal. The total estimated funding for this competitive opportunity is approximately $5 million.

“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. “The Trump Administration is working both domestically and internationally to elevate the issue of marine litter and help communities educate the public, clean up trash, and prevent it from reaching our oceans in the first place.”

“EPA encourages holistic approaches that protect US waterways from trash, litter and garbage,” said EPA Region 4 Administrator Mary S. Walker. “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.”

“We need to foster broad, creative innovations to maintain the vibrancy of the Gulf of Mexico by reducing marine debris,” said EPA Region 6 Administrator Ken McQueen. “Preventing trash and debris from entering the waterway is critical to protecting the environment, wildlife, and human health.”

Common trash from consumer goods makes up the majority of what eventually becomes marine debris, polluting our waterways and oceans. Plastics in the aquatic environment are of increasing concern because of their persistence and effect on the environment, wildlife, and human health. About 80% of plastics come from land-based sources carried by both wind and water.

Possible types of eligible projects include:

• Trash Prevention – Trash prevention projects focus on the reduction or elimination of trash that has the potential of entering waterways. These projects are typically focused on source reduction through innovation, industry engagement and stewardship initiatives.
• Trash Removal – Trash removal projects benefit habitat and waterways through the development and use of tools and resources that support trash assessment and stop trash from entering waterbodies and/or remove trash that has already entered the water.
• Outreach/education – Each project should incorporate education and outreach that would result in positive changes in consumer and/or business behaviors and practices to reduce trash in waterways.

Eligible applicants include state agencies, federally recognized tribes and tribal consortia, any agency or instrumentality of local governments, nonprofit organizations, interstate agencies, and colleges and universities.

EPA anticipates awarding ten or more grants under this announcement, with awards being no more than $500,000 subject to the availability of funds, quality of evaluated applications, and other applicable considerations. EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement, consistent with Agency policy, if additional funding becomes available after the original selections.

Background

The Gulf of Mexico Division is a non-regulatory program of EPA founded to facilitate collaborative actions to protect, maintain, and restore the health and productivity of the Gulf of Mexico in ways consistent with the economic well-being of the region. To carry out its mission, the Gulf of Mexico Division continues to maintain and expand partnerships with state and federal agencies, federally recognized tribes, local governments and authorities, academia, regional business and industry, agricultural and environmental organizations, and individual citizens and communities.

For more information about the U.S. EPA Gulf of Mexico Division go to: https://www.epa.gov/gulfofmexico.

For more information, visit https://www.epa.gov/trash-free-waters