Region 7 Community Information Guide

EPA Region 7’s Community Information Guide provides communities, nonprofits, stakeholder groups, community-based organizations, academia, tribes, state and local governments, and other partners with the latest information on funding and technical assistance opportunities, meetings, conferences, events, webinars, and other activities related to human health and the environment.

This guide is updated periodically, so be sure to check back for the latest information!

On this page:

• Headlines
• Funding and Technical Assistance
• Meetings, Conferences and Events
• Webinars and Conference Calls

To suggest content for this page, please send an email to: R7_Communities_Digest@epa.gov.

EPA Launches New Lead Website EPA has released new public education tools about lead poisoning prevention, including a new StoryMap about Lead and Children’s Health and EPA’s lead website, epa.gov/lead. The revamped website streamlines navigation to allow parents and caregivers, contractors, health care professionals, and other users to quickly find critical information on how to prevent exposures from lead that may be contained in paint and dust, drinking water, air, and soil. The website serves as a one-stop shop for EPA information on lead and quickly connects users to resources, tools, and guidance. In addition to the lead StoryMap and revamped website, EPA added new search functions to its website to aid public education and information organization. A lead subject tag has now been added to EPA’s Newsroom to make it easier to find recent lead-related announcements.

Headlines

Relaunch of EPA’s Guidance Portal

• EPA has relaunched the EPA Guidance Portal, a streamlined website for accessing important guidance documents related to air quality, water protection, hazardous waste management, and more. The website serves as a resource for all guidance documents managed across EPA's environmental programs. It is designed to be a one-stop shop to help users and small businesses easily and quickly locate and follow EPA’s active guidance documents on topics of interest.
• EPA guidance documents inform the public how the agency interprets an underlying statute and its regulations, and take the form of memoranda, policy statements, handbooks, manuals, and other documents formally titled as guidance. Guidance documents that have been superseded with newer guidance are not included in the updated website.

Air Quality Flag Program

• One way to get students involved in learning about outdoor air quality – and the impacts it can have on indoor air quality – is EPA's Air Quality Flag Program. This program is a simple resource for teachers and schools to keep communities informed about air quality using colorful flags based on EPA’s Air Quality Index (AQI). The program’s colorful flags reflect the daily outdoor air quality forecast – crucial information during times when smoke can significantly impact air quality and pose health risks. Raising a flag each day helps everyone make informed decisions about outdoor activities, ensuring that children can enjoy safe play while protecting their health.
• For added convenience, you can also virtually display AQI flags or install an AQI widget for timely updates on school screens. Visit the Air Quality Flag Program website at the link above to learn which flag to fly and promote a healthy learning environment for children.

Funding and Technical Assistance​​​​​​

EPA Emerging Contaminants (EC) in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant (SDC) – $2 Billion

• Due date: ongoing
• This noncompetitive program will provide states, territories, and tribes with grants to public water systems in small or disadvantaged communities to address emerging contaminants, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). 
• Eligible entities: states, territories, tribes.

EPA Science Matters: Wildfire Smoke and More

• Smoke from wildfires can impact air quality across much of the U.S. EPA researchers have been working to address many of the issues wildfires present to health and the environment, including preparing communities and individuals on how to protect themselves.
  • Listen to EPA's Jason Sacks and a panel of other experts discuss how wildfire smoke affects your health on NPR's 1A.
  • EPA's Ana Rappold spoke to The Atlantic about the effects of wildfire smoke and particulate matter on brain function.
• EPA develops software models and tools to address a range of environmental issues. The Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system is EPA’s premier tool for studying air pollution from global to local scales. In June 2023, EPA celebrated the 25th anniversary of CMAQ’s initial release with a three-part story on the history and significance of this powerful computational tool.
  • Read about what has made the CMAQ model so successful over the years and why it is still relevant today.
  • Read about how CMAQ has been working toward a “one environment-one health” approach throughout its lifetime.
  • Read about how CMAQ has continued to innovate, modernize, and address emerging environmental issues.

Environmental Finance Center Network

• The Environmental Finance Center Network offers free help on training and technical assistance to small wastewater and decentralized wastewater treatment works serving approximately 10,000 or fewer people. Request assistance here.

U.S. Department of Energy’s National Community Solar Partnership+

U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities Coalition Network Technical Assistance

• To assist with alternative fuels, fuel economy improvements, and emerging transportation technologies.

EPA’s RE-Powering Mapper 3.0

• This update includes data provided by EPA Brownfields, Superfund, Abandoned Mine Lands, Landfill Methane Outreach, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act programs, and a pilot with Underground Storage Tanks, in addition to data from 22 state partners. Over 190,000 sites and nearly 40 million acres of land are included and screened for solar, wind, biomass and geothermal energy potential. EPA partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) to provide up-to-date data and screening that reflects current trends in renewable energy development.

EPA Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Technical Assistance

• CSO Technical Assistance is available from EPA’s Office of Wastewater Management on monitoring/modeling; smart sewers and smart data; asset management; operation and maintenance; regulatory/ compliance questions; and small CSO community spreadsheet-based tools (CSO model, long-term control plan review checklist, post-construction compliance monitoring checklist). See flyer for more information.

EPA CSO Tools Available

• Check out the NEW CSO Tools for combined sewer overflow permittees and permitting authorities for planning and management of different aspects of CSO programs. Each tool consists of an interactive spreadsheet, fact sheet or user guide, and three recorded trainings. These tools, which are currently in Beta test version, do not present new or changed requirements; rather they attempt to help break down information in a more digestible and interactive fashion.
  • Long-Term Control Plan (LTCP) Review Checklist – Designed to help CSO permittees and NPDES authorities determine if LTCPs meet the requirements of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and the CSO Control Policy and conform with EPA guidance on developing LTCPs.
  • Post-Construction Compliance Monitoring (PCCM) Checklist – Designed to help CSO permittees and NPDES authorities develop and evaluate PCCM programs to meet the requirements of the CWA and CSO Control Policy and conform with EPA guidance on PCCM.
  • Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Model for Small Communities – Planning tool for small CSO communities that want a reasonably simple approach to estimating a CSO occurrence, as well as treated or untreated CSO volume over a 24-hour period and have limited resources to invest in more advanced CSO monitoring and modeling.

Meetings, Conferences and Events

Webinars and Conference Calls

Blueprint for Success: Crafting Compelling Brownfields Job Training Grant Applications

The Brownfields Job Training (BFJT) grant program provides funding to eligible organizations to develop training programs that prepare unemployed and underemployed residents for careers in environmental cleanup, hazardous waste management, and sustainable land reuse — supporting broader community development and revitalization.

This webinar will provide a comprehensive overview of how to develop a competitive BFJT grant application.

Informational Webinar Details

• Date: May 5, 2026
• Time: 1:30 p.m. CST
• Click Here for Registration Attend this Webinar

Asthma Triggers and Flood Cleanup: Protecting Health After Major Storm Events

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s newest asthma webinar is now available! Watch as expert speakers provide practical knowledge, resources and tools to reduce asthma triggers and the risk of asthma attacks during flood cleanup and related recovery efforts. Flooding after major storm events, such as hurricanes, can create serious public health risks and make indoor air unhealthy. Flood water can contain germs (e.g., bacteria, viruses, parasites), chemicals and other hazards that may affect human health. Mold, which naturally persists in moist environments, is a concern because airborne spores can land on damp surfaces and grow. For people sensitive to mold, inhaling airborne mold spores can trigger an asthma attack.

• Click Here to Watch the "Asthma Triggers and Flood Cleanup" Webinar Recording

Watch the video to:

• Identify common asthma triggers associated with post-flood environments, including mold, cleaning agents, dust and debris.
• Understand safe flood clean-up practices that minimize respiratory health risks and prevent secondary exposure.
• Access EPA and other federal, state and local resources for community resilience, clean-up guidance and asthma management.
• Recognize the role of collaboration among federal agencies and state, Tribal and local health departments and community organizations in protecting vulnerable populations.
• Apply lessons learned from expert and community panelists to real-world recovery scenarios.

The information above is being provided by EPA Region 7 for informational purposes only. This page contains links to information, agencies, sites, and organizations external to EPA’s website. EPA is not responsible for third-party links. EPA does not endorse third-party organizations or agencies.