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Grants
This page describes who receives funding and how grant funds are allocated to state, territorial, and tribal UIC programs.
- Who receives UIC funding?
- How are grant funds allocated to state and territorial programs?
- How are grant funds allocated to tribal programs?
- Links
Who receives UIC funding?
- Primacy States – States that have received primary enforcement authority for the UIC Program.
- Territories – U.S. Territories that have primary enforcement authority for the UIC Program.
- EPA Regions that directly implement the UIC Program in a state.
- EPA Regions that directly implement the UIC Program on Tribal Lands.
How are grant funds allocated to state and territorial programs?
Each year, grant money is allocated to help UIC Programs enforce the minimum federal UIC requirements. These funds are authorized by Congress under Section 1443 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). These state and tribal assistance grants are distributed by the national UIC Program. The annual amount of the grant varies slightly but is approximately $11 million per year.
The grant allotment formula is based on criteria identified in the SDWA. The formula directs available resources toward the highest risk wells in order to achieve the maximum level of public health protection. The formula considers:
- Well status. The inventory of injection wells in classes I to IV that are active, temporarily abandoned, or under construction are included in the formula. The number of Class V wells is temporarily held constant in the formula because of the difficulties in verifying the inventory.
- Well type. The grant formula targets classes of wells that have the greatest potential to contaminate an Underground Source of Drinking Water (USDW) and threaten public health — in particular, Class IV wells (inject hazardous wastes directly into or above USDWs) and Class I wells (inject hazardous, industrial, and municipal wastes below USDWs).
- State population. The number of people to be protected from the risks posed by injection activities has an effect on the grant allocation.
- State size. This variable influences resources needed to maximize field activities such as inspections of permitted facilities to ensure compliance with safe operating requirements or to locate and address endangering injection wells.
How are grant funds allocated to tribal programs?
To date, no tribe has received UIC Program primacy, so these programs are directly implemented by EPA Regions. Grant money is provided annually to EPA Regions to support UIC Program efforts to protect drinking water sources on tribal lands. UIC programs on tribal lands are funded in two ways:
- Five percent of the overall UIC grant is set aside for tribes, and
- Additional grant money is reserved for Regional UIC Program use on tribal lands. The Headquarters Reserve money supports Class V activities including inventory collection, inspection, compliance assistance and enforcement.
Links:
- 2006 Grant Allocation (5 pp, 3.76 MB, About PDF)
- Memorandum on Tentative UIC State and Tribal Grant Allocation for FY 2005(PDF) (4 pp, 383K, About PDF)
- UIC Programs on Tribal Lands
- Office of Water's Funding and Grants page