CWA §319 Grant Guidance Update
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Overview
In September 2022, Acting OWOW Office Director Brian Frazer issued a memorandum on incorporating environmental justice (EJ) considerations into the Clean Water Act (CWA) §319 grant program, and announced EPA's intention to revise the Nonpoint Source (NPS) grant program guidelines to incorporate both EJ and climate considerations.
The NPS program guidelines were last revised in 2013. Since then, the program has contributed significantly to improving water quality and through those implementation efforts learned important lessons that can be used to improve the program.
In 2023, EPA is engaging state and territorial grantees, as well as the broader NPS community, to better integrate equity and climate resilience in the CWA §319 guidelines. EPA will convene EPA/Grantee workgroups to discuss themes identified by equity workgroups in 2022, as well as climate change and resiliency considerations as they relate to the guidelines. The revision process will also provide an opportunity to incorporate lessons learned from grant implementation over the last 10 years through national CWA §319 program actions.
Timeline
- February – April 2023: Guideline Workgroups meet
- Spring 2023: EPA reviews workgroup reports and develops draft guidelines
- October 30 - December 31, 2023: Draft guidelines open for public comment (see below for reference draft)
- Winter 2024: EPA reviews comments and finalize guidelines for senior leadership approval and release
- Spring 2024: EPA publishes guidelines
Important Reference Documents
- PDF Draft of the Guidelines that were released for Public Comment on October 30, 2023. Please note this document is for reference only, the program is no longer accepting public comments.
- Additional details on this process can be found in the following presentation prepared for the January 2023 meeting of the Association of Clean Water Administrators:
Updating Section 319 Grant Guidelines: ACWA Webinar (pdf)
Workgroups
Workgroup members include State NPS program staff and EPA Regional and national program staff in four different topic driven workgroups. The workgroup reports, finalized in August 2023, document the discussions and comments from the workgroup meetings.
- National Elements – Overall Workgroup: This group will focus on sections of the guidelines that indicate the National program priorities and direction including the introduction, partnership and national reporting. Lessons learned related to climate resilience and leveraging with partners will be central to this workgroups review. Other example topics will include: the National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI), natural hazard mitigation, addressing Equity barriers, and updates to reporting expectations.
National Elements Workgroup Report (pdf) - NPS Management Program Plans and Watershed Based Plans Workgroup: This group will focus on the sections of the guidelines that relate to nonpoint source management program plans and watershed-based planning. Activities to address equity barriers and climate resilience will be central in this group.
NPS Management Plan and Watershed-based Plan Workgroup Report (pdf) - Basic Grant Elements Workgroup: This group will focus on statutory and regulatory expectations, including flexibilities. The workgroup will focus on reflecting regulatory updates, potential incorporation of elements of “Applying for and Administering §319 Grants,” Satisfactory Progress Determinations, annual reporting, administrative costs, and multiyear workplans.
Basic Grant Elements Workgroup Report (pdf) - Workplan Elements Workgroup: This group will focus on primarily content in Section IX of the guidelines including project/program funds, partnerships, monitoring, and Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDLs). Eligibility questions and any new considerations regarding equity barriers will also be considered by this group.
Workplan Elements Workgroup Report (pdf)
If you have questions about the proceedings of these work groups, please reach out to Cyd Curtis (curtis.cynthia@epa.gov).