2021 Targeted Airshed Grant Program | EPA OAR OAQPS 21 03

Opportunity Information: Apply for EPA OAR OAQPS 21 03

The 2021 Targeted Airshed Grant Program is an EPA funding opportunity designed to help the parts of the country with the worst air quality make measurable, near-term improvements. Through this competitive grant and cooperative agreement program, EPA offers financial assistance to local, state, and tribal air pollution control agencies so they can carry out on-the-ground emission reduction projects. The focus is specifically on reducing pollution in nonattainment areas, meaning areas that do not meet federal air quality standards, where EPA has identified the top five most polluted areas when compared against National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone (O3), annual average fine particulate matter (PM2.5), or 24-hour PM2.5.

At its core, the program is targeted: it is meant to concentrate resources where ozone and particle pollution levels are highest and where reductions can improve public health outcomes. Ozone and PM2.5 are two of the most widely monitored pollutants under the Clean Air Act because they are linked to serious health impacts, including worsened asthma, respiratory irritation, cardiovascular effects, and increased risk for vulnerable groups such as children, older adults, and people with existing heart or lung conditions. By funding emission reduction activities in the most affected nonattainment areas, EPA is aiming to drive down ambient concentrations of these pollutants and support progress toward meeting federal standards.

The opportunity is issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under Funding Opportunity Number EPA OAR OAQPS 21 03, and it falls under the discretionary funding category. EPA expects to make about 13 awards, with an award ceiling of up to $8,000,000 per award. The funding instrument types include both grants and cooperative agreements, which typically means some projects may involve a closer working relationship with EPA during implementation, depending on the level of federal involvement described in the award terms. The assistance listing (CFDA) number associated with the program is 66.956, aligning it with EPA air program assistance.

Eligible applicants are described broadly as "others" with further clarification provided in the official announcement, but the description makes clear that the intended eligible entities include local, state, and tribal air pollution control agencies. In practice, these are the agencies responsible for designing and implementing air quality plans and emissions control strategies, and they are best positioned to deploy funding into targeted measures such as equipment replacements, cleaner technologies, or other emissions-focused interventions that can directly reduce ozone precursors and PM2.5 emissions. Because eligibility details can be nuanced, applicants are directed to consult Section III.A of the full funding opportunity announcement for precise requirements and any conditions or limitations.

EPA set the posting/creation date as May 4, 2021, with an original closing date of June 24, 2021, while also noting that applicants should confirm the applicable deadline information in Section IV of the official announcement. The program description points applicants to EPA resources that identify the relevant nonattainment areas, including maps and county lists available through EPA's Green Book, which is the agency's primary public reference for nonattainment and maintenance area designations. This emphasis on clearly defined geographic targeting is a central feature of the program: proposals are expected to address emission reductions within those specific high-pollution nonattainment areas highlighted by EPA in the tables referenced in the notice.

Overall, the 2021 Targeted Airshed Grant Program is best understood as a high-impact air quality funding stream intended to accelerate emission reductions where the air is most polluted and where communities bear the highest burden from ozone and fine particle pollution. It combines substantial award sizes with a narrowly defined geographic and pollutant focus, aiming to translate grant dollars into tangible reductions that support attainment of the ozone and PM2.5 NAAQS and improve public health in the hardest-hit regions.

• The Environmental Protection Agency in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2021 Targeted Airshed Grant Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 66.956.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 04, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 24, 2021 See Section IV of the funding opportunity announcement for close date information.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $8,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 13 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for EPA OAR OAQPS 21 03

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