WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Transportation¿s (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) today announced it is accepting applications for up to $1 million in grants to communities and non-profit organizations for work on pipeline safety issues affecting local communities.

Communities can play a vital role in the safety and reliability of pipeline operations, said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. The Department's technical assistance grants are aimed at helping interested communities enhance their pipeline safety efforts at the local level.

The Technical Assistance Grants (TAG) program, in its third year, provides funding for engineering and scientific analysis of natural gas and hazardous liquid pipeline safety, as well as to foster open communication between the public and pipeline operators on pipeline safety and environmental protection.

PHMSA's Technical Assistance Grants will continue to help local communities improve and expand their knowledge of pipelines and pipeline safety issues, as well as help to initiate discussions between the community and the pipeline operators, said PHMSA Administrator Cynthia Quarterman.

Applications for the grants will be accepted until Feb. 28, 2011, and will be awarded by September 2011. Each grantee may receive up to $50,000.  Previous grants have funded 46 projects in communities across 21 states.

Local government bodies, such as cities, towns, villages, counties, parishes, and townships, are eligible to receive the grants.  Non-profit groups are also eligible.  Corporations, companies and other for-profit entities are not eligible, and the funding may not be used for lobbying or litigation.

Each TAG recipient must provide a report to PHMSA within one year demonstrating completion of the work as outlined in their grant agreement. PHMSA provides support and oversight throughout this process to ensure grantees achieve their expected outcomes.

TAG grants were created in the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002 and first funded in 2009.  TAG program recipients and their projects for 2009 and 2010 are listed here:  http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/tag.

To sign up to receive an email notice when the TAG solicitation publishes, go to http://www.grants.gov/search/subscribeAdvanced.do and enter your email address and CFDA Number 20.710.