Resources for Creating Healthy, Sustainable, and Equitable Communities

EPA Mapping and Data Tools

EPA began awarding clean diesel grants in 2008 under the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA), a grant program authorized by Congress as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The DERA program improves public health in communities by reducing diesel emissions from older engines which are replaced and then scrapped.

EPA’s Air Sensor Toolbox for Citizen Scientists, Researchers and Developers provides information for citizen scientists and others on how to select and use low-cost, portable air sensor technology and understand results from monitoring activities. The information can help the public learn more about air quality in their communities.

Since its inception in 1995, EPA's Brownfields Program has grown into a proven, results-oriented program that has changed the way communities address and manage contaminated property. Communities can learn more about the cleanup and redevelopment process in the Anatomy of Brownfields Redevelopment guide. Brownfield grants continue to serve as the foundation of EPA's Brownfields Program. These grants support revitalization efforts by funding environmental assessment, cleanup, and job training activities. 

• Brownfields Assessment Grants provide funding for brownfield inventories, planning, environmental assessments, and community outreach. 
• Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grants provide funding to capitalize loans that are used to clean up brownfield sites. 
• Brownfields Cleanup Grants provide funding to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites owned by the applicant.
• Multipurpose (MP) Grants provide funding to conduct a range of eligible assessment and cleanup activities at one or more brownfield sites in a target area. 
• Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Grants provide environmental training for residents impacted by brownfield sites in their communities.
• State and Tribal Response Program Grants provide non-competitive funding to establish or enhance State and Tribal Brownfields response programs.

Children's Health

Children are often more vulnerable to pollutants than adults due to differences in behavior and biology, and these differences can lead to greater exposure and/or unique windows of susceptibility. Children in overburdened and highly-exposed communities may suffer from a reduced ability to recover from harmful environmental exposures, due to lowered resilience. This can particularly affect children in low-income communities, as well as children in communities underserved by education, healthcare, and housing. Learn more about children’s environmental health.

Children’s Health Grants and Funding Opportunities: EPA issues competitive funding for projects and programs relating to improving children’s health where they live, learn and play. 

EPA's America's Children and the Environment: EPA’s online tool shows national trends in children’s environmental health data. ACE data can help to identify and evaluate ways to minimize environmental inequities and impacts on children.

Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSUs): PEHSUs are a national network of experts in children’s environmental health. PEHSUs are uniquely positioned to address the gaps in medical services to children in underserved communities by expanding the availability of medical practitioners capable of recognizing, diagnosing, treating, and helping families avoid the ill effects of environmental toxins and stressors.

EPA’s Collaborative Problem-Solving (CPS) Model details an approach to address environmental and/or public health issues in local communities for environmental justice stakeholders, including community-based organizations, federal, state, tribal and local governments, industry, non-governmental organizations, and academia.

Use the Report Environmental Violations (ECHO) page to report what appears to you as a possible violation of environmental laws and regulations. Information you submit will be forwarded to EPA.

EJSCREEN: Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool is an environmental justice mapping and screening tool that provides EPA with a nationally consistent dataset and approach for combining environmental and demographic indicators.

The Community-Focused Exposure and Risk Screening Tool (C-FERST) links to and builds upon other community-focused guidance and tools to help identify human exposures and potential risks for a community and help identify issues for further assessment and actions that are available to improve public health.

EnviroAtlas allows analysis of "what if?" scenarios and provides national to local scale data and analysis of the distribution of ecosystem services, benefits, stressors and drivers of change.

National Institute of Health’s Community Action Tools contains guides and toolkits that will help you to take action to minimize exposure. 

Integrating Environmental Justice into Emergency Response Preparedness and Management (pdf) (302.29 KB) : This document outlines steps to enhance the effectiveness of EPA’s emergency response functions to ensure such efforts are inclusive, equitable, and responsive in following EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment.

The Regional Resilience Toolkit: 5 Steps to Build Large-Scale Resilience to Natural Disasters (Toolkit) helps regions plan for disasters by working across multiple jurisdictions and with nongovernmental partners. The goal of this Toolkit is to help cities, regions, and other partners integrate various planning processes – including for hazard mitigation, climate adaptation, sustainability, and equity – into a single process to create a common action plan.

The Toolkit provides a step-by-step process to help decision makers engage with partners and stakeholders, conduct vulnerability assessments, identify and prioritize strategies, fund projects, and evaluate results. It also has detailed appendices with worksheets to help inform and guide work, as well as additional information and resources for each step.

Natural Disasters and Weather Emergencies: Links and suggestions for planning ahead to help reduce cleanup costs and risks of contamination (from chemicals, raw sewage, emergency response materials) caused by large-scale or violent events such as floods, hurricanes, or other natural events.

Hurricane activities for water and wastewater facilities: Information that can help plants plan for and recover from emergencies and storms (applies to more than just hurricanes).

Mold: Investigating and cleanup of mold after a flood, for commercial buildings and schools, and health information.

Droughts and water conservation: Ideas and links for schools, communities, and utilities can use water more efficiently and reduce load on local water supplies.

De-icing and winter storms: Information about proper storage, use, and reducing environmental impacts for municipalities and airports.

Community-Based Water Resiliency: Communities can plan ahead to reduce risks to water infrastructure from natural disasters or security threats. The CBWR Electronic Tool can be downloaded for free and gives community groups a wide variety of tools to help with planning and assessing local water resiliency efforts.

EPA's  Frequent Questions about Environmental Justice and Civil Rights in Permitting (Interim) (pdf) (415.5 KB, August 2022)  provides information to federal, state, and local environmental permitting programs to help them meet their responsibilities to integrate environmental justice (EJ) and civil rights into relevant environmental permitting processes. This interim version will be updated and refined as the practice of integrating EJ and civil rights into permitting advances.

The Federal Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice (EJ IWG) created a Framework for Collaboration, which seeks to advance greater federal agency collaboration to improve the quality of life and to expand economic opportunity in overburdened and under-resourced communities.

The EJ IWG Guide to Finding Federal Assistance and Resources for Environmental Justice Efforts offers general guidance and tips on searching for funding opportunities, as well as information on tools, trainings and other relevant resources that are available to help address community needs.

The Community Guide to Environmental Justice and NEPA Methods provides information for communities who want to assure that their environmental justice issues are adequately considered when there is a federal agency action that may involve environmental impacts on minority populations, low-income populations, and/or Indian tribes and indigenous communities.

EJ IWG Promising Practices for EJ Methodologies in NEPA Reviews is a compilation of methodologies gleaned from current agency practices. These practices were identified by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Committee concerning the interface of environmental justice considerations through NEPA processes. 

EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and the EJ IWG NEPA Committee created the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) EJ Resource Compendium, which gathers publicly available information from federal agencies on the intersection of environmental justice and NEPA into one place.

EPA connects with underserved communities through the 15-agency Urban Waters Federal Partnership (UWFP), which has active projects in 19 designated locations. These locations demonstrate a sustainable model that is transferable to any location with an urban water. The Building and Sustaining Successful Urban Waters Partnerships Handbook is available in English and Spanish. 

The EJ IWG’s Impacts from Commercial Transportation Committee created the EJ IWG Goods Movement Federal Resource Compendium, which contains federal memorandums, policies, executive orders, guidance, and statutes on goods movement-related programs and resources. The compendium identifies the tools that can be used to mitigate externalities related to goods movement.

EPA’s Near-Port Community Capacity Building Project: Shaping Environmental Justice and Goods Movement Near Ports is a set of draft tools and resource materials to address key challenges noted by stakeholders who are directly involved with, and impacted by, port-related goods movement activities.

Draft Ports Primer for Communities:  An Overview of Ports Planning and Operations to Support Community Participation is an interactive tool and reference document that characterizes the port industry sector, including environmental and community health impacts associated with port activities.

Draft Community Action Roadmap: Empowering Near-Port Communities is an implementation companion for the Ports Primer for Communities that provides a step-by-step process for building capacity and preparing community stakeholders.

Draft Environmental Justice (EJ) Primer for Ports:  The Good Neighbor Guide to Building Partnerships and Social Equity with Communities is designed to inform the port industry sector of the perspectives, priorities, and challenges often unique to communities with EJ concerns. In addition to orienting the port sector about EJ considerations, this resource is structured to provide step-by-step processes to improve the effectiveness of port and community engagement in addressing concerns of impacted residential communities.

The EJ IWG Guide to Finding Federal Assistance and Resources for Environmental Justice Efforts offers general guidance and tips on searching for funding opportunities, as well as information on tools, trainings and other relevant resources that are available to help address community needs.

Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreements  provide funding for eligible applicants for projects that address local environmental and public health issues within an affected community. The CPS Program assists recipients in building collaborative partnerships to help them understand and address environmental and public health concerns in their communities.  The awards are made every two years, up to $120,000 each, for a total of 10 awards. 

Environmental Justice Small Grants support and empower communities working on solutions to local environmental and public health issues. The program is designed to help communities understand and address exposure to multiple environmental harms and risks. Environmental Justice Small Grants fund projects up to $30,000, every two years, depending on the availability of funds in a given year, for a total of approximately 40 awards.

Here is general information about EPA grants.

Grants.gov is a single access point for over 900 grant programs offered by the 26 Federal grant-making agencies. You can use ‘Search Grants’ using keywords or more specific criteria. Visit their Grant Writing Basics Blog Series to learn tips and advice for writing federal grant applicants.

Beta.SAM.gov provides a full listing of all federal programs available to state, local and DC governments; federally-recognized tribal governments; US territories and possessions; and domestic public, quasi- public, and private profit and nonprofit organizations. You can ‘Search’ for federal resources using keywords or more specific criteria

This Housing and Urban Development (HUD) site provides general tips on writing a winning grant submission.

USDA’s Guide to Funding Resources provides general information on federal funding and grant writing resources.

Annual Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training (EWDJT) Grants allow nonprofit and other organizations to recruit, train, and place predominantly low-income and minority, unemployed and under-employed people living in areas affected by solid and hazardous waste. Residents learn the skills needed to secure full-time, sustainable employment in the environmental field, including assessment and cleanup. These green jobs reduce environmental contamination and build more sustainable futures for communities.

For International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (ILPPW), EPA’s resource package and materials for 2019 includes key messages, guidance for organizing outreach activities and communications plans, social media tools, and examples of graphics available. Web banners and modifiable posters and flyers are available in six languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.Through the Lead Hotline (1-800-424- LEAD), The National Lead Information Center (NLIC) provides the general public and professionals with information about lead, lead hazards, and their prevention. The NLIC operates under a contract with EPA, with funding from EPA and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

For questions about lead in drinking water, contact the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

The Key Federal Programs to Reduce Childhood Lead Exposures and Eliminate Associated Health Impacts  catalogs federal efforts to understand, prevent, and reduce various sources of lead exposure among children.

Resources for Local Officials and Community Members on EPA’s website is a one-stop directory for local government officials and community members seeking to address today's complex environmental challenges at the local level.

Local Food, Local Places helps cities and towns across the country protect the environment and human health by engaging with local partners to reinvest in existing neighborhoods as they develop local food systems. Local Foods, Local Places supports locally led, community-driven efforts to protect air and water quality, preserve open space and farmland, boost economic opportunities for local farmers and businesses, improve access to healthy local food, and promote childhood wellness.

The Framework for Creating a Smart Growth Economic Development Strategy: A Tool for Small Cities and Towns is a step-by-step guide to building a place-based economic development strategy. It is intended for small and mid-sized cities, particularly those that have limited population growth, areas of disinvestment, and/or a struggling economy.

Essential Smart Growth Fixes for Urban and Suburban Zoning Codes is a tool to help local governments apply targeted fixes to their zoning codes to address specific issues.

EPA offers a wide variety of tools and resources to help communities learn about and implement smart growth approaches.

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

Permitting

EPA's  Frequent Questions about Environmental Justice and Civil Rights in Permitting (Interim) (pdf) (415.5 KB, August 2022)  provides information to federal, state, and local environmental permitting programs to help them meet their responsibilities to integrate environmental justice (EJ) and civil rights into relevant environmental permitting processes. This interim version will be updated and refined as the practice of integrating EJ and civil rights into permitting advances.

Technical Assistance Grants (TAG) helps communities participate in Superfund cleanup decision-making. It provides funding to community groups to contract their own technical advisor to interpret and explain technical reports, site conditions, and EPA’s proposed cleanup proposals and decisions. An initial grant up to $50,000 is available to qualified community groups.

EPA provides these energy resources to help state, local, and tribal governments use energy efficiency and renewable energy policies and programs to meet their environmental, energy, and economic priorities. While many of our resources were developed for state and local governments, tribes may also find them useful.

EPA developed a series of case studies and program profiles - Bringing the Benefits of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to Low-Income Communities: Case Studies and Program Profiles - to highlight effective efforts by state and local agencies, non-profits, and utilities to bring energy efficiency and renewable energy to low-income communities.

The Low-Income Energy Library: Federal Resources and Tools on the Department of Energy website seeks to help state and local partners and other stakeholders provide successful energy solutions for low income households. These resources were compiled through the coordination and partnership of the Interagency Collaborative on Energy Solutions for Low-Income Communities.

This USDA collection of resources provides links to community tools, funding opportunities, educational/training assistance, and case studies to support rural communities in fostering environmental, economic, and health prosperity.

The Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) created the Green Report on State Approaches to Community Engagement and Equity Considerations in Permitting, summarizes discussions held in late 2015 and early 2016 among groups of states on two webinars ECOS held in conjunction with EPA.

Energy Star for Government: Provides local and state governments, as well as federal agencies, a proven energy management strategy and no-cost tools to save energy and money and demonstrate their environmental leadership.

State and Local Climate and Energy Program: This program provides technical assistance, peer exchange opportunities, analytical tools, and outreach support to state, local, and tribal governments. Using these resources, state and local governments can develop policies and programs that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower energy costs, improve air quality and public health, and help achieve economic development goals.

EPA’s State Utility Regulation and Clean Energy site provides a number of best practices and policy option resources to state utility regulators who want to explore greater use of clean energy for its economic and environmental benefits.

EPA’s State and Local Toolkit: A Guide to Building Clean Diesel Programs provides a broad array of tools and resources for designing, funding, and evaluating programs that reduce diesel engine emissions.

EPA’s state and local transportation resources site provides useful information, tools, and links to resources that identify emission reduction strategies, national policies, regulations, incentive-based programs, funding sources, calculators, and other types of assistance to help states and local areas achieve their air quality and transportation objectives.

The SB 1000 Implementation Toolkit, prepared collaboratively by California Environmental Justice Alliance and PlaceWorks Inc., is a guidance document intended for local governments, planners, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders who will be working to develop an Environmental Justice Element or a set of environmental justice policies for their General Plans to meet the requirements of SB 1000.

The national Technical Assistance Services for Communities (TASC) program provides independent assistance through an EPA contract to help communities better understand the science, regulations and policies of environmental issues and EPA actions. Under the TASC contract, a contractor provides scientists, engineers and other professionals to review and explain information to communities.

The services are determined on a project-specific basis and provided at no cost to communities. This assistance supports community efforts to get more involved and work productively with EPA to address environmental issues. TASC services can include information assistance and expertise, community education, information assistance needs evaluation and plan development, and assistance to help community members work together to participate effectively in environmental decision-making.

EPA's Smart Growth Technical Assistance Programs offer technical assistance to help communities learn about and implement smart growth approaches.

EPA co-sponsors the Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grants Program through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), which gives priority to projects that advance water quality goals in communities with environmental justice concerns. The Urban Waters Learning Network is the innovative sharing network for exchanging knowledge among Urban Waters practitioners.

Grants Trainings

• Learn how to apply for, manage and complete an EPA grant with these Resources.
• The EPA Grants Overview provides basic information for EPA grant applicants and recipients.
• EJ Small Grants Tutorial gives an overview on the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of people of all races and incomes with respect to the development of, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies and the grants program.

Tribes

For questions about lead in drinking water, contact the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791). You can also submit an online form to send a question or comment directly to EPA.

The Water Finance Tool Clearinghouse is a web‐based portal that provides communities with a searchable database with more than $10 billion in water funding sources and over 550 resources to support local water infrastructure projects.

The Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program accelerates investment in our nation’s water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental loans for regionally and nationally significant projects.

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), as amended by the 2016 Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act and the 2018 America’s Water Infrastructure Act, authorizes EPA to award grants to assist underserved, disadvantaged communities and small communities with meeting the requirements of the SDWA. For more information, see the fact sheet on Assistance for Small and Disadvantaged Communities Drinking Water Grant.

EPA information on Our Current Understanding of the Human Health and Environmental Risks of PFAS.

The U.S. Geological Survey has an online interactive tool - Regional Stream Quality Assessment - for learning about pesticides, nutrients, and overall stream health in major regions of the U.S.