Section 319 of the Clean Water Act of 1987 established a national program to control nonpoint sources (NPS) of pollution. Each year MassDEP issues a Request for Responses (RFR) for competitive projects to be funded through Section 319 grants.This year's RFR will be issued on or about April 1, 2008. Proposals will be due at 12:00 Noon  on June 3, 2008. The RFR is posted at the Commonwealth's procurement site, http://www.comm-pass.com under Open Solicitations, Department of Environmental Protection, Professional Services, and may also be downloaded below.

Two Pre-RFR meetings were held at MassDEP's Central Regional Office. The purpose of each meeting was to review project requirements and eligibility and to review use of the Massachusetts Watershed-Based Plan, a tool for project development and implementation. Now that the RFR has been issued, under state procurement regulations MassDEP and other EOEEA staff will not be able to discuss projects with proponents.

PROJECT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Responses to the RFR may be submitted by any interested Massachusetts public or private organization. In order to be considered eligible for funding, projects must:
1. Satisfy one or more of the project categories listed below;

2. Have a 40% non-federal match of the total project cost. The match may be cash or in-kind, and must meet the same eligibility criteria as the federal funds;

3. Address problems and implement recommendations identified in the Massachusetts Watershed-based Plan.

Projects should be of manageable size, but should strive to be comprehensive projects addressing all major identified nonpoint sources affecting water quality in the watershed or subwatershed. All 319 projects are required to provide quarterly reporting as well as a Final Report. Targeted basins for 2009 under the Five Year Basin Cycle (Years 3 and 4) are the Hudson, Housatonic, Connecticut, Chicopee, Nashua, Blackstone, Charles, Ten Mile, and North Coastal.

PROJECT TYPES FOR FFY 2009

MassDEP encourages all types of eligible, competitive projects. Competitive projects are typically comprised of one or more eligible activities.The majority of section 319 funding is designated for funding implementation projects in impaired waters. Project evaluation will substantially favor work that is consistent with the Massachusetts Watershed-based Plan and that will result in meeting water quality standards and/or restoring beneficial uses (i.e., in removal of the waterbody from the 303d list, Category 4 or 5 of the Massachusetts 2006 Integrated List of Waters).

A. Implementation Projects in Impaired Waters (Category 4 or 5) - Preference will be given to projects that propose to implement a combination of structural and non-structural BMPs addressing all impairments and leading to restoration in an impaired watershed or subwatershed. Implementation projects should be of manageable size, but must be comprehensive, striving to address all sources of NPS pollution in the project area. BMPs should be selected for optimal pollutant load removal, emphasizing source reduction. Please note that 319 funds cannot be used to implement requirements specifically contained within Phase I and Phase II NPDES permits. Proposed BMPs must be developed at least to the conceptual design stage, and proposals must contain site specific information to demonstrate that the project is feasible and ready to be constructed within the project timeline.

B. Outreach and Education - Outreach and education is often recommended as an effective nonstructural BMP. Successful projects in this category will propose specific outreach and education activities, and will develop and implement an evaluation method to gauge the effectiveness of these activities. A strong technology transfer component must also be included to facilitate the use of project results and deliverables in other watersheds. Projects should be sustainable, i.e. the benefits of such projects should continue beyond the life of the grant-funded project.

C. Demonstration Projects - Projects in this category will evaluate new/innovative BMPs, technologies, and/or institutional approaches, and will accelerate the transfer and adoption of these new/innovative BMPs, technology or institutional approaches. Preference will be given to demonstration of technologies that will directly lead to measurable water quality improvements.

APPLICATION PROCESS

The RFR contains a schedule for each step of the application process. Applications must meet the eligibility requirements and follow the specific format outlined in the RFR. Applications are reviewed and recommended by an internal screening committee comprised of MassDEP Municipal Services and Regional staff, EOEEA staff, and EPA. Once approved by the Commissioner of MassDEP, the list of recommended projects is submitted to EPA with the Department's federal grant application in August each year. Once the grant application is approved by EPA (on or after October 1st), MassDEP begins contract negotiations with the proponents of the funded projects. As a general rule of thumb, section 319 grantees can expect funds to become available six to eight months after submitting the initial grant application. Funds are paid on a reimbursement basis, and the MassDEP retains 10% of the award amount until the project is finalized. From fiscal year 1990 through 2008, individual total project costs (grant funds plus match) have ranged from $10,000 up to $500,000.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

The Department encourages all types of eligible, competitive proposals. Evaluation criteria include, but are not limited to:

• nature;
• extent;
• severity and understanding of the NPS problem;
• logical and comprehensive strategy;
• feasibility and probability of success;
• projected benefits;
• local support and participation;
• interagency participation, cooperation and commitment;
• local funding;
• amount of funds requested;
• consistency with MassDEP and EOEEA goals and priorities; and
• consistency with the Massachusetts Watershed-based Plan.

To obtain additional program information, indicative summaries of past 319 projects, or a copy of the 319 RFR, please call or email Jane Peirce, 319 Program Coordinator at (508) 767-2792, Jane.Peirce@state.ma.us, or write to Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Municipal Services, 627 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608, Attention: Jane Peirce. Hard copies of the RFR will only be mailed if requested.