Section 319 Grant Program Nonpoint Source Pollution Control

1. Section 319 Grant ProgramNonpoint Source Pollution Control Scott Tomkins Illinois EPA

2. Flint Creek Watershed Partnership • Grant-writing 101 Grant-Writing 101 June 17, 2008

3. Today’s talk… • Intro to Section 319 Grants • Administrative Aspects • Types of Projects to Consider • Required Information • Helpful Hints

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

5. 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. 1972 2002

6. 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).

7. Section 319 Grants - funds • Total project costs; any reasonable amount • Cost share program; • 60/40

8. 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 Section 319 Grants - Applying Applicants failure to meet these requirements will result in the application not being reviewed

9. 319 Project Types – Information/Education • Tours • Signs • Curriculum • Displays • Storm-Drain stenciling • “Marketing”

10. 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

11. 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_handbook

12. Section 319 – Watershed-based Planningnine minimum elements • Identify causes & sources of pollution i.e., cause=high total dissolved solids, salinity. Source=road salt b. 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 areas how will the reduction be measured and where will you target efforts

13. 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 • Develop schedule When will the work begin? End? g. Describe interim, measurable milestones i.e., X number of lbs. of salt will be reduced by year two Source: US EPA, 2004 319 Supplemental Guidelines

14. Section 319 – Watershed-based Planningnine minimum elements h. Identify indicators to measure progress i.e., amount of money spent on salt; water quality measurements • Develop a monitoring component i.e., how will you determine the waterbody is meeting Full Use Support? Source: US EPA, 2004 319 Supplemental Guidelines

15. Section 319 – Watershed-based Plan Implementation • Full scale implementation of a finalized WBP • BMP implementation • Information/Education component • Monitoring component

16. Application Required Information • Keys • Use the Illinois EPA Integrated Report for water quality information • Link BMPs to impairments • Pictures! • Problem Statement: • Describe the problem(s) • Identify the waterbody(ies) • Nature of the water quality impact • Causes and Sources http://www.epa.state.il.us/water/tmdl/303d-list.html

17. 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 Quality 2) BMPs to be implemented

18. 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.

19. 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

20. Application Required Information-Problem Statement

21. Schedule, what will be implemented when? Costs, how much will the project cost? Grant request? Local match?Who will provide? Application Required Information-Problem Statement • Keys • Have as much design work completed as possible • Use graphs and charts • Be very specific with costs

22. Application Required Information-Problem Statement • Monitoring component, if one • Information/Education component, if one • Milestones • Criteria to be used to measure success

23. 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?

24. Scope of Work & Schedule • 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… • Detailed description & schedule of specific tasks • Evaluation of expected effectiveness, operation & maintenance plan • List & discuss each partners role including financial

25. 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.

26. Hints…bad phrases • Would like to… • Anticipate… • Expect to… • Reduce flooding… • Increase habitat…

27. Hints…good phrases • Will be used for… • Design work completed… • Over traditional measures • Resulting in… • Measured by…

28. Illinois EPA Section 319 Nonpoint SourcePollution Projects • 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

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

31. Scott Tomkins Illinois EPA Phone # (217) 782-3362 Email Address: Scott.Tomkins@illinois.gov

32. Section 319 Grants – Funds History • USEPA GRANT LEVELS for IEPA Section 319 Funded Projects over the last five years (2002-2007)