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Community Action for a Renewed Environment
More on Cross-Cutting Programs
The Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) Program helps communities address multiple sources of toxic pollutants in their environment through competitive grants and technical assistance. Through CARE, EPA works with local organizations, including non-profits, businesses, schools and governments, to create partnerships that implement local solutions to risks posed by pollutants. CARE works with communities to set priorities for risk-reduction activities and helps to create self-sustaining, community-based partnerships.
Responsibility for CARE rotates among EPA’s major media programs of air, water, waste and pesticides and toxics. With primary responsibility for the program since January 2007, the Office of Pesticides, Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPTS), of which OPPT is a part, has sought to better support CARE grantees needing access to its programs, including the Lead Program, Green Suppliers Network, and Design for the Environment (DfE) to name a few. OPPT has also increased focus on measuring programmatic results and sharing OPPT tools and models while coordinating the cross-Agency CARE team.
Accomplishments
- Since its first round of cooperative agreement awards in 2005, the grants to reduce toxics in the environment have reached 64 communities in over 32 states and tribes, totaling $10.4 million.
- For 2009, approximately $3 million is available for these community-based partnerships to reduce pollution at the local level through CARE. In 2008, $2.7 million was made available for 18 communities; in 2007, $3.4 million funded 22 communities.
- The CARE Program offers two levels of Cooperative Agreements to local communities: Level I cooperative agreements, ranging from $75,000 to $100,000, help establish community-based partnerships to develop local environmental priorities. Level II awards, ranging from $150,000 to $300,000 each, support communities that have established partnerships and priorities and are implementing risk reduction activities.
- In July 2007, EPA former Administrator Stephen Johnson and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Julie Gerberding signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to better coordinate the efforts and resources of the agencies, and announced four pilot projects across the country. The MOU outlines a collaboration that is working with state, local, tribal and community groups to achieve the environmental and public health goals of the agencies.
Read more information on the Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) program.