Community Air Protection Program Cycle 5 Community Air Grant Request for Applications

Purpose

Community Air Grants (CAGs) build community capacity, improve air quality at the local scale, and support community participation in the Community Air Protection Program (Program), whose mission is to reduce harmful air pollution emissions and exposures to communities most impacted by poor air quality. CAGs provide a pathway to bring resources to communities with CARB’s commitment to diversity, racial equity, inclusion, and environmental justice.

Description

CAGs will promote and support a diverse range of effective community based and community driven solutions, which can serve as models and be expanded upon to benefit impacted communities throughout the state through achieving equitable participation and the demonstration of local partnership building and coordination, resource leveraging, in-kind support, or other forms of collaboration; fostering workforce training and development (e.g., job creation and/or job training); advancing equity and environmental justice within the context of California’s air quality policies; promoting transferability of emissions reduction strategies contained in CARB-approved Community Emission Reduction Programs (CERPs); building community capacity to engage more equitably in the CAPP and brings together partners to develop and implement Local Community Emission Reduction Plans (L-CERPs); and providing benefits to communities disproportionately impacted by air pollution identified as disadvantaged communities by CalEnviroScreen 4.0 or SB 535. Project activity examples that are eligible include, but are not limited to identification and assistance of community stakeholders and/or Tribal governments to participate in CAP Program and air quality governmental decision-making processes; collaboration with academia, air districts or other local city/county government entities to collect data in communities affected by air quality impacts and exposure to pollution; providing technical tools, information, or protocols to improve community and/or tribal government knowledge and understanding of issues related to air pollution and hazards; partnering with affected residents and stakeholders to identify community air quality priorities and strategies to address them. For more examples, see the Cycle 5 Request for Applications. CAG projects may be either an educational, technical, or focused project type:Educational projects (maximum award $300,000) are similar to community capacity building projects that strengthen local community leadership, skills, expertise, and resources so communities can work to address their air quality concerns and issues to reduce air toxic emissions and exposures. This work uplifts community knowledge, skills, develops partnerships, and supports community planning for air quality emission and exposure reduction projects. Technical projects (maximum award $500,000) are similar to small scale community air monitoring plans intended to generate data that will support action to reduce emissions and exposure. These projects can augment other community-led and government-led air monitoring programs to enhance community understanding of pollution impacts within communities and collect data to support taking actions to reduce emissions. Focused projects (maximum award $500,000) design elements are similar in the development of CERPs in selected communities which include convening, building partnerships, and governance; facilitating shared learning to build capacity and raises awareness about air quality; prioritizing air quality concerns and strategies; planning; and effective implementation and evaluation.