Priority Area 1:
Regional Clean Air Act (CAA) Section 105 Grant Reporting

 

Clean Air Act (CAA) Section 105 continuing environmental program grants are awarded to state, tribal, and local air pollution control agencies. These grants are used to develop and implement programs for the prevention and control of air pollution, or for the implementation of national primary and secondary ambient air quality standards. Three states – Alabama, Kentucky, and South Carolina – made several recommendations related to Section 105 grant reporting. All three states are within EPA’s Region 4; therefore, Region 4 responded to the states’ recommendations.

Further details on Region 4’s response are under Recommendation A2. In general, Region 4 eliminated certain Section 105 grant reports but did not agree to reduce all reporting to an annual frequency, as requested by Alabama. Instead, Region 4 offered to discuss eliminating specific quarterly reports required in Alabama’s assistance agreement on a case-by-case basis.

On a national scale, EPA’s Office of Grants and Debarment (OGD) developed a standardized grant reporting policy (PDF) (6pp, 65K).  This policy applies to Section 105 grants, as well as all other EPA grants. Members of the Environmental Council of the States’ State Grants Workgroup and many EPA national and Regional program managers provided input on the policy.

Among other things, the policy sets a standard grant reporting frequency of no greater than twice per year, except for poor performers or where Regions and states have otherwise agreed. In the case of Section 105 reporting, the policy recommends an annual reporting frequency, as requested by Alabama. See Priority Area 16 for more information.