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Beach Monitoring and Notification Program Implementation Grants

BEACH Act Program
Number: 66.472
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
Office: Office of Water

Program Information 

Program Number/Title (010):
66.472 Beach Monitoring and Notification Program Implementation Grants
Popular Name (020):
BEACH Act Program
Federal Agency (030):
Office of Water, Environmental Protection Agency
Authorization (040):
Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act of 2000, Public Law 106-284; Clean Water Act, Section 406.
Objectives (050):
To assist Coastal and Great Lakes States and Tribes eligible under Section 518(e) of the Clean Water Act, as amended, in developing and implementing programs for monitoring and notification for coastal recreation waters adjacent to beaches or similar points of access that are used by the public.

Funding Priority - Fiscal Year 2016: EPA's funding priority is to award grants to those applicants whose proposals clearly demonstrate a state's, tribe's, or local government's ability to monitor recreational waters; notify the public of risks; manage programs; and communicate among environmental and public health agencies and the public.
Types of Assistance (060):
FORMULA GRANTS
Uses and Use Restrictions (070):
These grants are intended to support the implementation of recreational water monitoring and notification programs or support enhancement of an existing program. EPA encourages grantees to incorporate tools such as sanitary surveys and monitoring frequencies tailored to beach conditions while meeting other BEACH Act program requirements. Grantees should strive to implement the most efficient and timely means of communicating advisory information from public health agencies to the beachgoing public. To be eligible for implementation grants, programs must also demonstrate annually that they meet the program performance criteria listed in the National Beach Guidance and Required Performance Criteria for Grants, 2014 Edition (EPA-823-B-14-001). Assistance agreement awards under this program may involve or relate to geospatial information. Further information regarding geospatial information may be obtained by viewing the following website: https://www.epa.gov/geospatial.


Grant recipients and sub-recipients are encouraged to adopt and enforce policies that ban text messaging while driving company-owned or -rented vehicles or government-owned vehicles, or while driving privately-owned vehicles when on official government business or when performing any work for or on behalf of the government. Grant recipients and sub-recipients are encouraged to conduct initiatives of the type described in section 3(a) of the Federal Leadership on Reducing Text Messaging While Driving Executive Order that was signed on October 1, 2009.
Eligibility Requirements (080)
Applicant Eligibility (081):
Coastal and Great Lakes States, territories (Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), and Tribes eligible under Section 518(e) of the Clean Water Act, as amended. The Administrator may make a grant to a local government under this subsection for implementation of a monitoring and notification program only if, after the one-year period beginning on the date of publication of performance criteria under Section 406 (a)(1), the Administrator determines that the State is not implementing a program that meets the requirements of Section 406(a)(1), regardless of whether the State has received a grant under Section 406(a)(1). Interstate agencies and intertribal consortia are not eligible for Beach grants.
Beneficiary Eligibility (082):
States, U.S. territories, Federally recognized Indian Tribal Governments, environmental and public health agencies, and local governments involved in implementing monitoring and notification programs.
Credentials/Documentation (083):
2 CFR 200 Subpart E applies to this program. 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles applies to this program.
Application and Award Process (090)
Preapplication Coordination (091):
Preapplication coordination with the appropriate EPA Regional Office is encouraged. The standard application forms as required by 2 CFR 200 and 1500 as applicable, must be used for this program. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.
Application Procedures (092):
2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Requests for application forms should be made to the appropriate EPA Regional Grants Management Office identified in Appendix IV of the Catalog. Completed applications should be sent to the appropriate Regional or Headquarters Contact. All proposals or work statements should be developed in response to the criteria identified in CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS. Applicants, except in limited circumstances approved by the Agency, must submit all initial applications for funding through http://www.grants.gov.
Award Procedure (093):
Grant applications are reviewed by the appropriate EPA Regional Office, and if approved, are awarded by the Regional Administrator.
Deadlines (094):
Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time (095):
The deadline to submit a complete application is 60 days from the date eligible entities are notified by the EPA Regional Offices. Please contact the appropriate Regional contact for more information.
Appeals (096):
Disputes will be resolved under 2 CFR 1500 Subpart E, as applicable.
Renewals (097):
Renewals are subject to approval by the appropriate EPA Regional or Headquarters Contact. Please contact the appropriate EPA Regional or Headquarters Contact for guidance.
Assistance Consideration (100)
Formula and Matching Requirements (101):
Statutory Formula: Title Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act of 2000. EPA awards grants to all eligible States and territories who apply for funding based on an allocation formula that the Agency developed for allocating BEACH Act grant funds in 2002. The allocation formula uses three factors: (1) beach season length, (2) beach miles, and (3) beach use.
This program has no matching requirements.
This program does not have MOE requirements.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance (102):
Beach grants are normally funded on a 12-month basis (yearly). However, EPA may negotiate the project period, grant continuations, and grant amendments with each applicant based on project requirements. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: The method of fund disbursement will be determined at the time of award.
Post Assistance Requirements (110)
Reports (111):
Recipients must submit annual performance reports and financial reports as required in 2 CFR 200 and 1500 as applicable. The annual performance report explains changes to the beach monitoring and notification program during the grant year. It also describes how the grant funds were used to implement the program to meet the performance criteria listed in the National Beach Guidance and Required Performance Criteria for Grants, 2014 Edition (EPA 823-B-14-001). The annual performance report required under 2 CFR 200 and 1500 as applicable, is due no later than 90 days after the grant year ends. Recipients must also submit annual monitoring and notification reports required by the National Beach Guidance and Required Performance Criteria for Grants 2014 Edition (EPA 823-B-14-001). Sections 2.2.4 and 4.5 of the document contain the performance criterion requiring an annual monitoring report, and sections 2.2.8 and 5.5 contain the performance criterion requiring an annual notification report. This document can be found at http://water.epa.gov/grants_funding/beachgrants/guidance_index.cfm. These reports are required to be submitted to EPA under CWA section 406(b)(3)(A) and the National Beach Guidance and Required Performance Criteria for Grants, and include data collected as part of a monitoring and notification program. As a condition of award of an implementation grant, EPA requires that the monitoring report and the notification report for any beach season be submitted not later than January 31 of the year following the beach season. Program reports are required under this program. Cash reports are required under this program. Progress reports are required under this program. Expenditure reports are required under this program. Performance monitoring is required under this program.
Audits (112):
In accordance with the provisions of 2 CFR 200, Subpart F - Audit Requirements, non-Federal entities that expend financial assistance of $750,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Non-Federal entities that expend less than $750,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in 2 CFR 200.503. Grants and cooperative agreements are subject to inspections and audits by the Comptroller General of the United States, the EPA Office of Inspector General, other EPA staff, or any authorized representative of the Federal government. Reviews by the EPA Project Officer and the Grants Specialist may occur each year.
Records (113):
Financial records, including all documents to support entries on accounting records and to substantiate charges to each grant, must be kept available to personnel authorized to examine EPA grant accounts. All records must be maintained for 3 years from the date of submission of the annual financial status report. If questions still remain, such as those raised as a result of audit, related records should be retained until the matter is completely resolved.
Financial Information (120)
Obligations (122):
(Formula Grants) FY 15 $9,484,000; FY 16 est $9,462,000; and FY 17 est $0 - FY 15 $9,484,000; FY 16 est. $9,462,000; and FY 17 est. $0.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance (123):
States and territories: $144,000 to $495,000/fiscal year; $255,000/fiscal year. In FY 16, EPA made $144,000 available to tribes; there were three eligible tribes.
Program Accomplishments (130):
Fiscal Year 2015: In FY 15, EPA awarded grants to all 35 coastal and Great Lakes states and territories and three eligible tribes that qualified for the BEACH Act Grant program. Program benefits from funding in FY 15 include: development and implementation of recreational water quality monitoring protocol (sampling design, indicator organism); decreasing swimmer exposure by improving communication outreach and education to public on swimming advisories; establishing more efficient and timely management decision process for posting swimming advisories; and constructing databases to provide government and public access to data and information. Fiscal Year 2016: In FY 16, grants will continue to support the development and implementation of recreational water quality monitoring and notification programs or support enhancement of an existing program. FY 16 is a year when states provide schedules for the adoption of the 2012 Recreational Water Quality Criteria into their WQS and for implementing updated beach notification thresholds reflecting the content of the 2012 RWQC and the 2014 Beach Guidance. Fiscal Year 2017: No Current Data Available
Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature (140):
Uniform Administrative Grant Guidance 2 CFR 200 and 1500 as applicable.




Information Contacts (150)
Regional or Local Office (151) :
See Regional Agency Offices. Region I (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island) Alicia Grimaldi, USEPA Region 1, 5 Post Office Square, Suite 100 (OEP06-1), Boston, MA 02109-3912; Telephone: (617) 918-1806; FAX: (617) 918-0748; e-mail: grimaldi.alicia@epa.gov

Region II (New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands) Helen Grebe, USEPA Region 2, 2890 Woodbridge Ave. MS220, Edison, NJ 08837-3679; Telephone: (732) 321-6797; FAX: (732) 321-6616; e-mail: grebe.helen@epa.gov

Region III (Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia) Denise Hakowski, USEPA Region 3, 1650 Arch Street 3WP30, Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029; Telephone: (215) 814-5726; FAX: (215) 814-2318; e-mail: hakowski.denise@epa.gov

Region IV (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina) Joel Hansel, USEPA Region 4, 61 Forsyth St. 15th Floor, Atlanta, GA 30303-3415; Telephone: (404) 562-9274; FAX: (404) 562-9224; e-mail: hansel.joel@epa.gov

Region V (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin);Holly Wirick, USEPA Region 5, 77 West Jackson Blvd. WT-16J, Chicago, IL 60604-3507; Telephone: (312) 353-6704; FAX: (312) 886-0168; e-mail: wirick.holiday@epa.gov

Region VI (Louisiana, Texas) Rob Cook, USEPA Region 6, 1445 Ross Ave. 6WQ-EW, Dallas, TX 75202-2733; Telephone: (214) 665-7141; FAX: (214) 665-6689; e-mail: cook.robert@epa.gov

Region IX (American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, California,Guam, Hawaii) Terry Fleming, USEPA Region 9, 75 Hawthorne St. WTR-2, San Francisco, CA 94105; Telephone: (415) 744-1939; FAX: (415) 744-1078; e-mail: fleming.terrence@epa.gov

Region X (Alaska, Oregon, Washington) Rob Pedersen, USEPA Region 10, 120 Sixth Ave. OW-134, Seattle, WA 98101; Telephone: (206) 553-1646; FAX: (206) 553-0165; e-mail: pedersen.rob@epa.gov.
Headquarters Office (152):
Lisa Larimer Lisa Larimer USEPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, (4305T), Washington DC 20460; Telephone: (202) 566-1017; FAX: (202) 566-0409; E-mail: larimer.lisa@epa.gov , Washington, District of Columbia 20460 Email: larimer.lisa@epa.gov Phone: 202-566-1017
Website Address (153):
http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/beaches
Related Programs (160):
Not Applicable.
Examples of Funded Projects (170):
Fiscal Year 2015: Development and implementation of beach monitoring programs; development of databases and websites; purchase of lab equipment for water quality monitoring; construction and posting of signs on beaches; and purchase of vehicles for monitoring. Fiscal Year 2016: Development and implementation of beach monitoring programs; development of databases and websites; purchase of lab equipment for water quality monitoring; construction and posting of signs on beaches; and purchase of vehicles for monitoring. Fiscal Year 2017: No Current Data Available
Criteria for Selecting Proposals (180):
To be eligible for program implementation grants, applicants must meet program performance criteria outlined in National Beach Guidance and Required Performance Criteria for Grants, 2014 Edition (EPA-823-B-14-001). The performance criteria set forth implementation grant requirements for monitoring and assessing recreation waters and promptly notifying the public of exceedances of water quality for pathogens. As a condition of receipt of a program Implementation Grant under Section 406(b) of the Clean Water Act, a State or local government program for monitoring and notification under this section shall: (1) undertake a risk-based beach evaluation and classification process; (2) formulate a tiered monitoring plan based on the classification process; (3) select methods and assessment procedures that will be used in the monitoring program; (4) submit a report to the Administrator annually detailing the results of the monitoring program; (5) in the case of a state program for monitoring and notification, the process by which the state may delegate to local governments responsibility for implementing the monitoring program; (6) develop a plan for the prompt communication of the occurrence, nature, location, pollutants involved, and extent of any exceeding of, or likelihood of exceeding, applicable water quality standards for pathogens and pathogen indicators; (7) take such actions as are required to notify the public of exceedances of applicable water quality standards for pathogens and pathogen indicators; (8) submit a report annually to the Administrator detailing the results of the monitoring and notification program for the previous year; (9) describe the process by which the state may delegate to local governments responsibility for implementing the notification responsibilities under the grant; (10) provide schedules to the Administrator for the adoption of new or revised water quality standards for pathogens and pathogen indicators; and (11) conduct a public evaluation of the program.

Contact Information

Website:
http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/beaches
Regional or Local Office:
See Regional Agency Offices. Region I (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island) Alicia Grimaldi, USEPA Region 1, 5 Post Office Square, Suite 100 (OEP06-1), Boston, MA 02109-3912; Telephone: (617) 918-1806; FAX: (617) 918-0748; e-mail: grimaldi.alicia@epa.gov

Region II (New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands) Helen Grebe, USEPA Region 2, 2890 Woodbridge Ave. MS220, Edison, NJ 08837-3679; Telephone: (732) 321-6797; FAX: (732) 321-6616; e-mail: grebe.helen@epa.gov

Region III (Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia) Denise Hakowski, USEPA Region 3, 1650 Arch Street 3WP30, Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029; Telephone: (215) 814-5726; FAX: (215) 814-2318; e-mail: hakowski.denise@epa.gov

Region IV (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina) Joel Hansel, USEPA Region 4, 61 Forsyth St. 15th Floor, Atlanta, GA 30303-3415; Telephone: (404) 562-9274; FAX: (404) 562-9224; e-mail: hansel.joel@epa.gov

Region V (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin);Holly Wirick, USEPA Region 5, 77 West Jackson Blvd. WT-16J, Chicago, IL 60604-3507; Telephone: (312) 353-6704; FAX: (312) 886-0168; e-mail: wirick.holiday@epa.gov

Region VI (Louisiana, Texas) Rob Cook, USEPA Region 6, 1445 Ross Ave. 6WQ-EW, Dallas, TX 75202-2733; Telephone: (214) 665-7141; FAX: (214) 665-6689; e-mail: cook.robert@epa.gov

Region IX (American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, California,Guam, Hawaii) Terry Fleming, USEPA Region 9, 75 Hawthorne St. WTR-2, San Francisco, CA 94105; Telephone: (415) 744-1939; FAX: (415) 744-1078; e-mail: fleming.terrence@epa.gov

Region X (Alaska, Oregon, Washington) Rob Pedersen, USEPA Region 10, 120 Sixth Ave. OW-134, Seattle, WA 98101; Telephone: (206) 553-1646; FAX: (206) 553-0165; e-mail: pedersen.rob@epa.gov.
Headquarters Office:
Lisa Larimer Lisa Larimer USEPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, (4305T), Washington DC 20460; Telephone: (202) 566-1017; FAX: (202) 566-0409; E-mail: larimer.lisa@epa.gov , Washington, District of Columbia 20460 Email: larimer.lisa@epa.gov Phone: 202-566-1017

General Information

Assistance Types:
A - FORMULA GRANTS
Applicant Eligibilty:
14-State (includes District of Columbia, public institutions of higher education and hospitals)/ 36-Environment (water, air, solid waste, pesticides, radiation)
15-Local (includes State-designated lndian Tribes, excludes institutions of higher education and hospitals/ 36-Environment (water, air, solid waste, pesticides, radiation)
21-Other public institution/organization/ 36-Environment (water, air, solid waste, pesticides, radiation)
22-Federally Recognized lndian Tribal Governments/ 36-Environment (water, air, solid waste, pesticides, radiation)
23-U.S. Territories and possessions (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals)/ 36-Environment (water, air, solid waste, pesticides, radiation)
Beneficiary Eligibilty:
14 - State, 15 - Local, 21 - Other public institution/organization, 22 - Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments, 23 - U.S. Territories

History