Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Financial and Business Services Division

Abandoned Well Management Grants

Purpose:

This grant provides funding to communities, townships, and nonprofit organizations to locate and plug abandoned wells inside community public water supply wellhead protection areas (WHPA). Click here to view a Fact Sheet.

Goals of the Program:

To prevent the contamination of drinking water aquifers through old, deteriorated, abandoned well casings, to educate the public concerning the hazards associated with abandoned wells, and to protect the health of the public. Click here for information about plugging abandoned wells.

Criteria:

Funding is provided to successful applicants for development and implementation of AWM Grant projects. Project activity requirements include:

· Location of abandoned wells.

· Plugging of abandoned wells.

· Provision of 25% local match.

· Completion of grant eligible public education activities as specified in the administrative rules.

· Quarterly progress report submission

Eligibility:

Projects must be affiliated with a community public water supply that uses groundwater as its source and must have an approved WHPA. Applicants may be a community, township, or a non profit organization.

The Water Division (WD) has established and maintains a list of AWM Grant-eligible communities that have either delineated their WHPA or have had their WHPA designated as a result of tritium testing. Each time that a new round of funding and its associated request for proposals (RFP) is authorized, DEQ sends an interest inquiry letter to each community on the grant-eligible list. Click here to review the list of eligible communities.

Application Process:

The DEQ provides a Grant Preparation Guideline and application forms to communities that return a letter of interest after being notified of their eligibility. Proposals typically must be submitted within 60 days of the date the RFP is issued. Proposals are reviewed by the WD and are assigned priority points based upon geologic conditions within their WHPA and public health risk factors.

Filing Fees:

None.

Nominating Procedures:

The WD prepares a recommended grants package for the DEQ Director based upon the priority raking of each proposal.

Deadlines:

Application deadlines for each round of funding are designated in the AWM Grant Proposal Guidebook. AWM project contracts generally encompass a two year period.

Timelines:

When a request for proposals is issued, a submittal due date is assigned, typically 60 days in length. Once an award is announced, a contract establishes reporting requirements and completion deadlines.

Dollar Amount(s) Available (Min or Max):

$3.6 million dollars has been appropriated for the AWM Grant Program. Each round of funding has encumbered approximately $1 million dollars in funding.

Required Match:

These grants require a minimum 25% local match.

Source(s) of Funds:

Clean Water Fund within the Clean Michigan Initiative (CMI).

Authority:

Part 196, Section 19607 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, 1994 PA 451 as amended.

Responsible Division/Office Contact(s):

Water Division, Ground Water Supply Section, Well Construction Unit, James McEwan, 517-241-1413.

Phase-out/Expansion/Changes for Next Fiscal Year:

Availability of funding and demonstration of need will determine the future of the AWM Grant Program.

Related Grants:

Abandoned well management projects are conducted inside approved WHPAs. The WD also administers the Wellhead Protection Grants Program which provides 50% federal cost share funding to communities to delineate (establish) their approved WHPAs.

Recent Awards/Example Project:

Round 1- (36) AWM Grants, $1 million

Round 2 Awards:

City of Bangor …………………$120,250		Charter Township of Oxford ………..$120,250
City of Battle Creek ……………$259,500		Rudyard Township …………………..$ 45,000
Village of Beulah ………………$ 45,000		City of Saline …………………………$ 34,250
City of Hastings ………………..$ 45,000		Waterford Township …………………$292,250
Village of Kalkaska …………….$ 95,000		City of Watervliet ……………………..$ 48,000
Kinross Township ……………...$ 5,285

Request for Proposals:

Coming soon: CMI-AWM Grant RFP Announcement Letter.

Coming soon: CMI AWM Grant Proposal Preparation Guidelines.

Coming soon: CMI AWM Grant Application Forms.

Air Pollution Grants to Locals

Purpose:

A contract with a local unit of government to assist in air monitoring, complaint response, and lab analysis activities.

Goals of the Program:

Assist the Air Quality Division (AQD), Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), in maintaining ambient air quality standards for the state of Michigan.

Eligibility:

Open to the local units of government with an existing air monitoring program and lab program.

Criteria:

To be negotiated with local units of government.

Application Process:

Existing grant work plans are negotiated with the participating local unit of government. Upon agreement between the local unit and the AQD, the work plan is finalized and signed by both parties. New grant applications would require proposals submitted and accepted within the budget process to receive available funding in future fiscal years.

Filing Fees:

None.

Nominating Procedures:

None.

Deadlines:

Final application documents, including work plans, should be received by October 1 of each year.

Timelines:

It takes a minimum of three months to obtain a fully executed contract.

Dollar Amount(s) Available (Min or Max):

FY2004 appropriation is $83,700.

Required Match:

The local unit has some match requirements.

Source(s) of Funds:

State of Michigan General Fund – General Purpose.

Authority:

Legislative appropriation of DEQ budget.

Responsible Division/Office Contact:

AQD/Marion Hart, 517-335-6982.

Phase-out/Expansion/Changes for Next Fiscal Year:

The amount available is subject to budget restrictions.

Related Grants:

None.

Recent Award:

City of Grand Rapids.

Request for Proposals:

None.

Aquatic Nuisance Species

Information and Education Small Grants Program

Purpose:

To provide a source of funding for local grass-root efforts to implement educational outreach activities to help raise awareness and encourage good aquatic nuisance species (ANS) preventative practices to ultimately prevent and control ANS introduction and spread in Michigan and Great Lakes waters.

Goals of the Program:

The goal of this grant program is to foster the implementation of Michigan's Aquatic Nuisance Species State Management plan as updated in October 2002, particularly recommendations on information and education, by providing financial assistance to local initiatives to prevent and control ANS in Michigan waters.

Eligibility:

The applicant must be a 501(c)(3) non-governmental organization, a citizens group that is not a 501(c)(3) but has a sponsoring 501(c)(3) organization, a school, an indigenous tribal entity, or a local unit of government. The project must occur within the state of Michigan.

Criteria:

· Advance understanding of ANS prevention;

· Build partnerships or promote creative collaborations;

· Have the potential to leverage financial, volunteer or in-kind resources;

· Provide long-term benefits to aquatic habitats and the local community;

· Have the potential to be replicated by grassroots efforts in other communities.

Application Process:

Application is made via a Request for Proposal (RFP). The RFP document is distributed in late winter of each year based on funding availability. The previous two years of the program have been administered by Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council as part of the Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat and Network Fund Program.

Filing Fees:

None.

Nominating Procedures:

Grant applications are selected for funding by staff and peer reviewers based on eligibility and criteria in the grant application package.

Deadlines:

Deadlines will be included in each request for proposals.

Timelines:

When an RFP is made available for a future round, applications shall be submitted within 45 days of RFP distribution. Applicants can expect to receive notification in approximately 30 days of the application submittal deadline.

Dollar Amount Available (Min or Max):

Approximately $20,000 has been made available for each round of funding. Applications are requested to range between $500 - $2,500.

Required Match:

None.

Source(s) of Funds:

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Authority:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 661 and 31 U.S.C. 6304).

Responsible Division/Office Contact(s):

Executive Division, Office of the Great Lakes/ Emily Finnell, 517-335-4056.

Phase-out/Expansion/Changes for Next Fiscal Year:

Program will change to Aquatic Invasive Species Information and Education Small Grants Program in fiscal year 2005.

Related Grants:

None.

Recent Awards List or Example Project:

Most recent list of ANS small grants.

Request for Proposals:

ANS Information and Small Grants Program RFP.

Beach Monitoring Grants – Coastal Great Lakes Beaches

Purpose:

To provide funding for more effective monitoring of public beaches located along the Great Lakes.

Goals of the Program:

To determine levels of bacteria at public beaches located along the Great Lakes and evaluate the effectiveness of state programs in preventing bacterial contamination of surface waters.

Eligibility:

Local county health departments, universities, and nonprofit organizations.

Criteria:

· The location and frequency of beach use.

· The history of beach monitoring.

· The history of bacterial contamination.

· Access to lab facilities to analyze samples promptly.

· Ability to communicate results to the public in an efficient manner.

· Ability to respond and take appropriate action in an event of beach contamination.

· The proximity of beach to known contamination source.

· The innovativeness and feasibility of proposed project.

· Ability to reduce time delay between sampling and results.

Application Process:

· Grant Application Packages are distributed.

· Applications are reviewed and projects selected.

· Applicants are notified.

· Contracts are awarded upon receipt of an acceptable work plan, budget, and quality assurance plan.

Filing Fees:

None.

Nominating Procedures:

Grant applications are selected for funding by the department based on program priorities, criteria, and eligibility.

Deadlines:

Deadlines may vary from year to year based on funding priorities. Applicants will usually have 60 days to prepare and submit a grant application. Grant awards will be announced following department review. The department reserves 90 days for the review process.

Timelines:

In general, applicants can expect to receive notification within 90 days of the application submittal deadline.

Dollar Amount(s) Available (Min. or Max):

$244,000 in Beach Act funds will be available in Fiscal Year 2004. Individual grants of up to $25,000 are anticipated.

Required Match:

None.

Source(s) of Funds:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Section 406(b) Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act funds.

Authority:

Section 8808 of 1994 PA 451, as amended.

Responsible Division/Office Contact:

Water Division/Shannon Briggs, 517-335-1214, briggssl@Michigan.gov.

Phase-out/Expansion/Changes for Next Fiscal Year:

Dollar amounts available are subject to change on an annual basis.

Related Grants:

Beach Monitoring Grants – Inland Lakes.

Recent Award List:

Click to view Press Release.

Request for Proposals:

Click to view Grant Application Package.

Beach Monitoring Grants - Inland Lakes

Purpose:

To provide funding for more effective monitoring of public bathing beaches.

Goals of the Program:

To determine levels of bacteria in select bathing beach waters of the state; evaluate the effectiveness of state programs in preventing bacterial contamination of surface waters; and develop methods that can differentiate sources of bacterial contamination.

Eligibility:

Local county health departments, universities, and nonprofit organizations.

Criteria:

· The location and frequency of beach use.

· The history of beach monitoring.

· The history of bacterial contamination.

· Access to lab facilities to analyze samples promptly.

· Ability to communicate results to the public in an efficient manner.

· Ability to respond and take appropriate action in an event of beach contamination.

· The proximity of beach to known contamination source.

· The availability of matching funds.

· The innovativeness and feasibility of proposed project.

· Ability to reduce time delay between sampling and results.

Application Process:

· Grant Application Packages are distributed.

· Applications are reviewed and projects selected.

· Applicants are notified.

· Contracts are awarded upon receipt of an acceptable work plan and budget.

Filing Fees:

None.

Nominating Procedures:

Grant applications are selected for funding by the department based on program priorities, criteria, and eligibility.

Deadlines:

Timelines:

In general, applicants can expect to receive notification within 90 days of the application submittal deadline.

Dollar Amount(s) Available (Min. or Max):

$100,000 in Clean Michigan Initiative (CMI) bond funds will be available in Fiscal Year 2004. Individual grants of up to $25,000 are anticipated.

Required Match:

The grants require a minimum of 25 percent local match (can include in-kind services).

Source(s) of Funds:

State of Michigan, CMI Bond Fund.

Authority:

Section 8808 of 1994 PA 451, as amended.

Responsible Division/Office Contact:

Water Division/Shannon Briggs, 517-335-1214.

Phase-out/Expansion/Changes for Next Fiscal Year:

Dollar amounts available are subject to change on an annual basis.

Recent Award List:

Recent award list.

Request for Proposals:

March 2004 RFP.

Brownfield Redevelopment Grants and Loans

Brownfield Redevelopment Grants

Purpose:

Brownfield redevelopment grants provide funding to local units of government and other public bodies to investigate and remediate known sites of environmental contamination, which will be used for identified economic redevelopment projects.

Goals of the Program:

To ensure safe reuse of abandoned, vacant, or underutilized properties that are known to be contaminated, and to promote redevelopment of brownfields.

Criteria:

A proposed project must result in economic benefit for the community through job creation, private investment, and/or property tax increase. The property must meet the definition of a facility under Part 201 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, 1994 PA 451, as amended. Grant recipients are required to sign a grant agreement prior to commencement of grant eligible work.

Eligibility:

Any county, city, villa

May/June 2001