EPA Region 7

Communities Information Digest

November 18, 2014

Welcome to the latest EPA Region 7 Digest!

The purpose of the EPA Region 7 Communities Information Digest is to provide
communities in the 4-state region and other interested areas the latest news,
webinars, conferences, funding, and other community-based activities going on in
the region and country related to human health and the environment. (A *
Indicates a new post.)
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Headlines
*EPA Releases Climate Plans on Fifth Anniversary of President Obamas Sustainability Initiative
As part of President Obamas Climate Action Plan, EPA recently released plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for climate change
impacts such as flooding, sea level rise, severe weather and temperature extremes. These Sustainability Plans and Climate Change Adaptation Plans
coincide with the fifth anniversary of President Obamas 2009 Executive Order on Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance, which set
aggressive energy, climate and environmental targets for agencies.
*ENERGY STAR Day: EPA Administrator McCarthy Recognizes Billions in Savings to Consumers and Businesses Through ENERGY STAR
Since President Obama took office, ENERGY STAR has helped American consumers and businesses save over one billion metric tons of greenhouse gas
emissions and approximately $110 billion on their utility bills.

*EPA Announces Support for Small Businesses to Bring Green Technology, Innovative Research to Marketplace
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy recently announced nine awards in eight states for small businesses to
help them bring innovative green technologies to the marketplace. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy held a press call to announce the awards and
reiterate the agencys commitment to strengthening economic growth, supporting sustainable businesses, and combating the impacts of climate change.
*DOE Advancing Solutions to Improve Energy Efficiency of U.S. Commercial Buildings Grants - $9 million - Concept Papers Due November 22
DOE is making available funding intended to scale up promising solutions to the market barriers that hinder the growth of energy efficiency in the
commercial building sector.
*Wells Fargo and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Environmental Solutions for Communities 2015 Grant Program $2.5 million - Due
December 10
Wells Fargo and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation are seeking applications to promote sustainable communities by supporting highly visible projects
that link economic development and community well-being to the stewardship and health of the environment.
*Energy Department Announces New Grant Topics to Help Small Businesses Develop Clean Energy Technologies Letters of Intent Due
December 15
The Energy Department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) recently announced nine topics and 26 new subtopics under its Small
Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Technology Transfer (STTR) programs that will help small businesses develop and deliver market- driven clean
energy technologies

*Sustainable and Holistic Integration of Energy Storage and Solar PV (SHINES) Funding Announcement Concept Papers Due December 16
The Sustainable and Holistic Integration of Energy Storage and Solar PV (SHINES) funding opportunity announcement (FOA) seeks projects enabling the
development and demonstration of integrated, scalable, and cost-effective technologies for solar that incorporate energy storage and work seamlessly to
meet both consumer needs and the needs of the electricity grid.

*EPA Region 7 and Haskell Indian Nations University to Mutually Benefit from New Five-Year Memorandum of Agreement
Representatives of EPA Region 7 and Haskell Indian Nations University have signed a newly renegotiated Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that

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Representatives of EPA Region 7 and Haskell Indian Nations University have signed a newly renegotiated Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that
provides mutual benefits to the federal environmental agencys regional operations and the premier tribal university of the United States over the next five
years. A copy of the signed MOA is available online at www.epa.gov/region7/newsevents/legal.
*DOT Innovative Public Transportation Workforce Development Program - $9 million Applications Due December 23
DOT is making available funding to develop innovative programs and activities in public transportation that address the human resources needs of public
transportation operators, as well as build pathways to long-term careers in the public transportation industry.

*EPA Calls for Nominations for 20th Annual Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award Due December 31
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced its call for nominations for the 2015 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards
for companies or institutions that have developed a new process or product that helps protect public health and the environment. Nominations for
innovative technologies in six categories are due to the agency by December 31, 2014.
*Apply Now for Free Technical Assistance from Project for Public Spaces and Livability Solutions Due January 9, 2015
Project for Public Spaces is excited to announce that you can now apply for free technical assistance to address these challenges. We will be offering
technical assistance with our partners at Livability Solutions thanks to a grant from the EPAs Office of Sustainable Communities Building Blocks for
Sustainable Communities Program.
*Request for Applications: EPA-NIH Centers of Excellence on Environmental Health Disparities Research Due January 9, 2015
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announce the Request for Applications (RFA) for EPA-NIH
Centers of Excellence on Environmental Health Disparities Research, which seeks proposals for innovative and multi-disciplinary research to advance
understanding, to promote mitigation strategies and/or prevention of environmentally driven health disparities and to improve access to healthy and
sustainable environments for vulnerable populations.
*Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program 2015 Request for Proposals Announced Due February 2, 2015
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), USDA Forest Service (USFS), the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Corporation for National
and Community Service, FedEx, Southern Company, Bank of America and PG&E are pleased to solicit applications for the 2015 Five Star/Urban Waters
Restoration Program which is managed by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). The grant program is offered in conjunction with the Urban
Waters Federal Partnership which gives priority to projects located in underserved, environmentally overburdened communities.
*FY2014 HUD Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant NOFA Published Due February 9, 2015
HUD recently announce that the FY2014 Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) for Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grants has been posted to the
Grants.gov website. The NOFA makes available approximately $76 million for Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grants. Individual grant awards may
be for up to a maximum of $30,000,000.
*EPA Provides Additional Information on Clean Power Plan
As part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys extensive outreach since issuing the proposed Clean Power Plan, EPA is making additional
information and ideas available for public comment in a notice of data availability (NODA). At the same time, EPA is following through on its commitment
made in June to propose goals to reduce carbon pollution in areas of Indian Country and U.S. Territories where fossil-fuel power plants are located.
*United States Reaches Settlement with Hyundai and Kia in Historic Greenhouse Gas Enforcement Case
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice recently announced an historic settlement with the automakers
Hyundai and Kia that will resolve alleged Clean Air Act violations based on their sale of close to 1.2 million vehicles that will emit approximately 4.75 million
metric tons of greenhouse gases in excess of what the automakers certified to EPA. The automakers will pay a $100 million civil penalty, the largest in
Clean Air Act history, to resolve violations concerning the testing and certification of vehicles sold in America and spend approximately $50 million on
measures to prevent any future violations.

Funding & Technical Assistance Opportunities

Climate-Related Funding Opportunities Compiled by the Florida Climate Institute
HUD CDBG Disaster Recovery Assistance
USDA Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) Contact Rural Development State Office for Due Dates
USDA Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) Contact Local USDA Service Center
November 18: NOAA Ecological Effects of Sea Level Rise Program $800,000
November 20: EPA Invites Communities to Apply for Assistance to Build Resilience, Pursue Revitalization
November 21: Promise Zones
November 21: Funding Opportunity Announcement: Landscape Design for Sustainable Bioenergy Systems
*November 22: DOE Advancing Solutions to Improve Energy Efficiency of U.S. Commercial Buildings Grants
November 26: SunShot Initiative Announces $25 Million in Funding
December 3: Army Corps Accepting Water Resources Project Proposals
*December 10: Wells Fargo and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Environmental Solutions for Communities 2015 Grant Program
December 11: EPA DERA Funding for Projects to Improve Air Quality at Ports
*December 15: Energy Department Announces New Grant Topics to Help Small Businesses Develop Clean Energy Technologies
December 15: Announcing the 2015 EJ Small Grants Request for Applications
December 15: National Endowment for the Arts Our Town Competition
December 16: EPA University Research Grant Opportunity on Sustainability Solutions
*December 16: Sustainable and Holistic Integration of Energy Storage and Solar PV (SHINES) Funding Announcement
*December 23: DOT Innovative Public Transportation Workforce Development Program
January 5, 2015: EPA Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grant Request for Proposals
*January 9: 2015: Request for Applications: EPA-NIH Centers of Excellence on Environmental Health Disparities Research
*February 2, 2015: Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program 2015 Request for Proposals Announced
*February 9, 2015: FY2014 HUD Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant NOFA Published
March 16, 2015: HUD National Disaster Resilience Competition

Meetings, Conferences, Training & Events

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December 2-4: Renewable Energy Markets 2014 Conference Sacramento, CA

*December 2-5: EPA public meeting on "Integrated Endocrine Bioactivity and Exposure-based Prioritization and Screening"
Arlington, VA
*December 6-7: 3rd Annual Symposium on Environmental Justice and Environmental Health Disparities in Maryland and Washington, DC
College Park, MD
January 28, 2015: Healthy Food Systems Pre-Conference Workshop Baltimore, MD
January 29, 2015: Equitable Development Workshop Baltimore, MD
January 29-31, 2015: 14th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference Baltimore, MD
*February 2-6, 2015: DOI Interagency Consultation for Endangered Species Training at NCTC Shepardstown, WV
February 4-6, 2015: Children: Food and Environment Austin, TX
March 4-7 2015: Green Schools National Conference Virginia Beach, VA
March 24-26, 2015: The New World of Wetlands: Dealing with Shifting Landscapes, Laws and Climate
April 11-12, 2015: Structures for Inclusion (SFI 15) Conference Detroit, MI
May 5-7, 2015: National Zero Waste Business Conference Los Angeles, CA
September 2-4, 2015: National Brownfields Training Conference Chicago, IL

Webinars & Conference Calls & Twitter Chats

HUD Presents Several NDRC Webinar Series on Climate Resilience
In light of the recent announcement of the National Disaster Resilience Competition (NDRC), HUD is offering a series of webinars from September through
February 2015, to discuss NDRC NOFA requirements, answer NDRC NOFA questions and jump start the climate resilience dialogue. Some webinars will
have a technical focus on the NDRC NOFA requirements and NDRC Eligible Applicants. Other webinars, however, will provide broad topical information
about citizen engagement, climate adaptation planning, regional consortia building, innovative resilience, water management, rural community
engagement, equity, infrastructure resilience, and sustainable energy, intended to be useful for any grantees interested in learning about climate resilience.
*Combined Heat and Power: Resiliency Strategies for Critical Facilities
November 19, 2-3:15 p.m. EST
Combined heat and power (CHP), also known as cogeneration, is a method whereby energy is produced and excess heat from the production process can
be used for heating and cooling processes.

*Making Decision in Complex Landscapes: Headwater Stream Management Across Multiple Agencies Using Structured Decision
Making November 19, 3:30-4:30 p.m. EST
There is growing evidence that headwater stream ecosystems are vulnerable to changing climate and land use, but their conservation is challenged by the
need to address the threats at a landscape scale, often through coordination with multiple management agencies and landowners.
*Kansas States Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) Program Brownfields Assessment and Cleanup (AC) Proposal Writing Strategies
Interactive Webinar November 20, 10-11:30 a.m. CST
This webinar is designed to serve communities, organizations, and state and tribal governments in EPA Region 7 and is modeled after our popular grant
writing workshops. Cost is free, but registration is required.
*Correlation and Climate Sensitivity of Human Health and Environmental Indicators in the Salish Sea Swinomish Indian Tribal
Community November 20, 1-2 p.m. EST
This webinar will discuss a project that focused on the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, whose traditional territories are particularly vulnerable to
threats like sea-level rise and increased storms.
*Climate Adaption Knowledge Exchange: National Adaptation Forum Series: Out of Town, Not Out of Trouble: Small Agriculture and Indigenous
Communities November 20, 1-2 p.m. EST
The purpose of this webinar is to raise issues for small agriculture and Indigenous Community/Tribal adaptation with people and groups who are potential
collaborators.

*DOE Natural Gas Vehicles: Technology, Best Strategies, and Lessons Learned November 20, 1-2 p.m. EST
This webinar elaborates first on successful past technology choices and then suggests future technological pathways that can be taken for the United
States to expand its use of NGVs, focusing on lessons learned from experiences in Europe and elsewhere.
*Webinar on Technical Assistance from Project for Public Spaces and Livability Solutions November 21, 1-2 p.m. EST
To help communities learn more about this program, Livability Solutions will host a webinar on Friday, November 21st 1:00-2:00pm EST to further discuss
this technical assistance opportunity, the available tools, and the process.

*Energy Star Portfolio Manager 101 November 25, 1-2:30 p.m. EST
Join us as we introduce and demonstrate the core functionality of EPAs new ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool. Attendees will learn how to: navigate
the new Portfolio Manager; add a property and enter details about it; enter energy and water consumption data; share properties; generate performance
reports to assess progress; and respond to data requests.
EPA Preparatory Webinar for Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training
Adobe Connect Webinar 2 December 4, 2-4 p.m. EST
This webinar will provide an overview of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training (EWDJT) Grant Application
Guidelines/Request for Proposals (RFP) and competition. Prospective applicants will be provided an opportunity to ask questions and gain useful
information for submitting a strong proposal.
*Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Webinar for Cleantech SBIR/STTR Applicants December 8, 11:30-1 p.m. EST
New this year, the EERE SBIR team is providing additional resources and support to potential SBIR/STTR applicants, especially minority- and womanowned small businesses that seek to move their cutting-edge technologies to market.

*ELI Presents: Green Infrastructure in Action: Examples, Lessons Learned & Strategies for the Future December 16, 12-1:30 p.m. EST
Discussion will focus on lessons learned with regard to GI implementation, the evaluation and maintenance of green projects following completion, and the
growing trend in the use of GI following enforcement actions. (50$ fee for non ELI members)
*Improving Quality: Reducing Curbside Contamination December 16, 2-3 p.m. EST
How do local programs Improve Quality and Reduce Curbside Contamination? Join CVP and other municipal, MRF and marketing experts as they further
define the issues and offer specific action items that you can implement right now.
Grants.gov Information Sessions for Applicants

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Grants.gov Information Sessions for Applicants

EPA is partnering with Grants.gov program managers at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide Grants.gov Informational
Sessions for applicants that include an overview of the registration process as well as how to use the Grants.gov web application. Please note that we are
also holding some training sessions specifically geared towards Tribes that can be found here.
December 16, 2-3 p.m. EST
To Register: Click here
January 13, 2015, 2-3 p.m. EST
To Register: Coming Soon!
February 10, 2015, 2-3 p.m. EST
To Register: Coming Soon!

Other Environmental News

*Public Hearing on the Clean Power Plan Supplemental Proposed Rule November 19, Phoenix, AZ
On October 28, 2014, EPA issued a supplemental proposal to the Clean Power Plan to address carbon pollution from affected power plants in Indian
Country and U.S. territories. A public hearing on this supplemental proposal will be held on: November 19, 2014, Phoenix Convention Center, 100 North
3rd St., Phoenix, Arizona from 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. (local time). You do not need to register if you only plan to attend and listen to the hearing. The comment
period is open until December 19, 2014.
*EPA: Every American, Business and Community Can Play a Role in Increasing Rate of Recycling
The 17th annual America Recycles Day is November 15th, where communities across the country raise awareness about the importance of recycling for our
environment and our economy. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calls on communities, businesses, and individuals to leave the next
generation a cleaner, safer and more stable world.
*Food Recovery Action Week November 17-21
During the week of November 17th to 21st -- Food Recovery Week of Action -- learn how to reduce food waste and share safe, nutritious food with those
who need it.
*EPA Administrator Announces 2015 Tribal ecoAmbassadors
Recently, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy announced the agencys 2015 Tribal ecoAmbassadors, tribal college and
university professors who work in partnership with EPA scientists to improve environmental conditions and public health in tribal communities, at the
National Congress of American Indians annual convention in Atlanta, GA.
*EPA Awards Environmental Education Grants to Recipients in 18 States
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced the completion of awards for the 2013 Environmental Education Model Grants Program.
Projects include community energy education, summer programs for low-income teenagers, integration of multimedia learning tools into watershed
education, environmental health education on the impact of climate change and asthma, and hands-on K-12 environmental education programs.
*EPA, DOE Release 2015 Fuel Economy Guide for Car Buyers
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) recently released the 2015 Fuel Economy Guide, providing
consumers with a valuable resource to help them choose the most fuel-efficient and low greenhouse gas emitting vehicles that meet their needs.

*New EPA Report on How We Can Use Green Infrastructure to Achieve Multiple Benefits for Communities
EPAs new report, Enhancing Sustainable Communities With Green Infrastructure: A guide to help communities better manage stormwater while achieving
other environmental, public health, social, and economic benefits, aims to help local governments, water utilities, nonprofit organizations, neighborhood
groups, and other stakeholders integrate green infrastructure strategies into plans that can transform their communities.
*EPA Region 7s Big Blue Thread Blog: Its Time to Test Your Home for Radon By Bob Dye, EPA Region 7
Football season is in full swing, leaves are starting to fall and furnaces will be heating our homes. With colder weather, people are spending more time
indoors, sitting with their kids and friends, and watching their favorite college or professional teams on the tube. As people close up their house for winter
[]
*EPA Greenversations Blog: Know What Comes From Your Tap! By Adrienne Harris, EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water
Is my tap water safe? I get this question from friends and family a lot because I work in EPAs Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water. Just recently,
my parents moved to a new city and asked me if there was anything in the drinking water that they should be worried []
*EPA Recognizes the First Existing Apartment, Condo Buildings with ENERGY STAR Certification
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced recently the first existing multifamily housing properties to earn the new ENERGY STAR
multifamily certification for superior energy performance. EPA recognized 17 apartment and condo buildings across the country for leading the industry in
reducing energy use, increasing affordability, protecting public health, and combating climate change.
*EPA EJ Blog: Cities on the Edge: Tools and Assistance for Revitalizing Distressed Communities By Katherine Takai, International City/County
Management Associations Center for Sustainable Communities
While municipal bankruptcies have gotten a lot of national headlines, its not the bankrupt cities that are the widespread problem. Its the ones on the
edgethe distressed cities. These are places that likely will never declare bankruptcy but are nonetheless struggling to become economically viable
again.
*EPA EJ Blog: Revitalization is Good Medicine By Stephanie Cwik, EPA Region 5
Check out our latest blog post, Revitalization is Good Medicine, by Stephanie Cwik of EPA's Region 5. Stephanie takes us through Gary, Indiana, where
the City is working with the residents and the medical community to create a medical district and revitalize the surrounding neighborhoods.
*Join EPAs Urban Waters Learning Network
Do you want to learn how to address your communitys urban waterway concerns? Are you working to restore an urban river? Join a growing network of
your peers and learn more about protecting and restoring urban waters from around the country with opportunities to share experiences, receive training,
and access technical resources.
*EPA EJ Blog: More Bang for the Green Buck: Using Green Infrastructure to Revitalize Water Systems and the Community
Check out our latest blog post, More Bang for the Green Buck: Using Green Infrastructure to Revitalize Water Systems and the Community, by Mike
Shapiro of EPA's Office of Water. Mike highlights the successes of the City of Lancaster, PA in implementing many green infrastructure projects throughout
the city.
*EPA Greenversations Blog: Climate Change and the Dry, Wild West Part 2 By Krystal Laymon, an ORISE Fellow in EPAs Climate Change
Division
Welcome to part two of my blog on the California drought. In my last blog, I discussed how low rainfall and higher-than-average temperatures are
worsening the drought and causing severe water shortages. The changes that are affecting the drought in the Southwest lower-than-average rain, higher
temperatures, and changes in snowpack and runoff patterns []

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temperatures, and changes in snowpack and runoff patterns []

*Summer Internship with Environmental Health Services Applications Due February 11, 2015
Applications are now being accepted for a 10-week summer environmental internship for students majoring in Environmental Health. The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Summer Program in Environmental Health (SUPEH) is a paid 10-week internship program for undergraduate
students majoring in environmental health in a program accredited by the National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council
(EHAC).
*EPA Updates TSCA Work Plan for Chemical Assessments Based on New Exposure Data
EPA recently updated its list of existing chemicals for assessment, known as the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Work Plan for Chemical
Assessments. The changes to the TSCA Work Plan for Chemical Assessments reflect updated data submitted to EPA on chemical releases and potential
exposures. EPA first presented the TSCA Work Plan of 83 chemicals in February 2012. This is the first update.
*EPA Publishes New Guidance for Schools Integrating Indoor Air Quality and Energy Efficiency
EPA is excited to announce the release of new guidance, Energy Savings Plus Health: Indoor Air Quality Guidelines for School Building Upgrades. The
Guidelines equip school districts with tools to integrate indoor air quality (IAQ) protections into school energy efficiency retrofits and other building upgrade
projects, thus helping schools implement important energy efficiency upgrades without compromising occupant health.

*EPA Announces Pilot Framework for Integrating Community Health and Wellness into the Superfund Reuse Assessment Process
EPA announces its "Pilot Framework for Integrating Community Health and Wellness into the Superfund Reuse Assessment Process" report. This
document summarizes a pilot framework for integrating health, prevention, and wellness considerations during the Superfund reuse assessment process.
*RE-Powering America's Land - Action Plan 2.0
EPAs RE-Powering Americas Land Initiative is pleased to release its second action plan to guide its activities over the next two years. The plan articulates
the goals and objectives of the Initiative and details specific activities to support the development of renewable energy projects on contaminated lands,
landfills and mine sites.
*Energy Departments SunShot Awards $53 Million for 40 Projects to Drive Innovation, Cut Cost of Solar Power
To accelerate the development of next generation PV technologies that will further drive down costs, the Energy Department is awarding more than $14
million to 10 research institutions through its Next Generation PV 3 program to improve the performance, efficiency, and durability of solar PV devices. One
is in EPA Region 7 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for $1.2 Million.

*Brownfields 2015 Call for Ideas Extended Until December 8th

The 16th National Brownfields Training Conference will take place in Chicago, Illinois, September 2-4, 2015. The deadline for session proposal submission
has been EXTENDED until December 8, 2014! What do YOU want to see at Brownfields 2015? We want to hear from you!
*New Study Reveals the Power of Solar Schools
Of the more than 500,000 homes, businesses, and public entities that have installed a solar energy system, more than 3,700 of those systems are located
on public and private Kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) schools in the U.S.

*USDA Announces $29 Million to Provide Housing for Farmworkers

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced recently that USDA is investing $29 million to provide affordable housing for farm laborers and their families.
USDA is providing assistance through the Farm Labor Housing Loan and Grant program. Financing is available to qualified organizations to develop
housing for domestic farm laborers.

*Energy Department's New Building Solution Center Shares Proven Strategies for Energy Efficiency Programs
The Energy Department recently released a new resource, the Better Buildings Residential Program Solution Center, to share proven methods for reducing
energy waste and carbon emissions in U.S. buildings. It profiles solutions used to improve the efficiency of many homes and other buildings by 20% or
more.
*EPA EJ Blog: Healthy Homes: Protecting Children From Environmental Risks By Paula Selzer, EPA Region 6
Check out the latest blog post, Healthy Homes: Protecting Children From Environmental Risks, by Paula Selzer of EPA's Region 6. Paula explains how
children in colonias - unincorporated, rural settlements near the Mexican border - are generally more vulnerable to health effects from their environment.
Paula then talks about a grant awarded this year to provide Healthy Homes training directly to parents, child care providers, and community health workers
in several colonias.
*EPA Greenversations Blog: Pediatricians Perspective: Ensuring Clean Air, Protecting Childrens Health By Jermone Paulson, MD, FAAP, and
Samantha Ahdoot, MD, FAAP
When we recently recognized Childrens Health Month in October, bringing awareness to childrens unique health needs, it can be easy to overlook one
variable that impacts each one of us every day, especially the health of our childrenchanges in our environment. The health effects of increasing []

*USDA to Provide $4 Million for Honey Bee Habitat

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced recently that more than $4 million in technical and financial assistance will be provided to help farmers and
ranchers in the Midwest improve the health of honey bees, which play an important role in crop production.
*New Report: FORGING THE LINK - Linking the Economic Benefits of Low Impact Development and Community Decisions
Significant increases in precipitation mean that many communities are concerned about more frequent flood events and the costly interruptions these
events cause. We have provided Forging the Link for download as an introduction to Low Impact Development (LID) and its many benefits including
economic, environmental, and increased community resiliency to changing climates.
*USDA Announces New Partnership with National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to Support Ongoing Gulf Restoration
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced a new partnership between USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) that will provide additional support for restoration of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem in response to impacts
that occurred as a result of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill.
*USDA to Announce Completion of a Partnership Effort to Mitigate Greenhouse Gases
On November 17, 2014, USDAs Under Secretary of Natural Resources and Environment Robert Bonnie, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Greg Martin,
Executive Director for Global Public Policy, General Motors and several conservation partners will host a press conference to announce the completion of
the first-of-its kind purchase of verified carbon credits generated on working ranch lands by Chevrolet.
Climate-Related Funding Opportunities
The Florida Climate Institute has a list of climate-related grant opportunities that is updated and emailed monthly. Please read solicitations carefully as
some are limited applications through ones university and may have internal application deadlines.

Call for Project Entries - 5th Annual SEED Awards for Excellence in Public Interest Design - Due November 20
Recognizing design projects with exceptional social, economic, and environmental impact, the SEED Awards represent the forces needed to create truly
sustainable projects and positive change in the world.
DoSomething.org Calls on Students to Green their Schools - Due December 8
DoSomething.org is calling on students to green their schools. Students who make the biggest effort to reduce their school's carbon footprint could win up
to $1,500 to further their efforts.
EPA Offers University Research Grant Opportunity on Sustainability Solutions - Due December 16
EPA offers annual research grants to teams of U.S. colleges and universities to engage students in projects to solve our world's most serious

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EPA offers annual research grants to teams of U.S. colleges and universities to engage students in projects to solve our world's most serious
environmental challenges.

Tech Fair for Tool Developers and Providers - January 30, 2015
The Tech Fair is the place to find cutting-edge tools for scenario-planning, opportunity mapping, crowdsource planning, and community engagement. It
takes place during the New Partners for Smart Growth conference.

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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