The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a grant opportunity for projects that promote safe pesticide use. The recipient will receive an estimated $1.2 million to conduct public engagement outreach through a 5-year cooperative agreement.

“The health and safety of agricultural workers, pesticide handlers, and their families are a priority for EPA,” said Assistant Administrator of the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Alexandra Dapolito Dunn. “This grant enables those working on the ground to advance the safe use of pesticides and safeguard the future of our agricultural communities.”

Nonprofits, universities and tribal and state governments are eligible to apply. The request for applications is posted on www.grants.gov and must be submitted by September 16, 2020.

The scope of the grant includes projects that support implementation of the Worker Protection Standard (WPS) and the Certification of Pesticide Applicators Rule, as well as community-based projects focused on protecting farmworker communities. The cooperative agreement will include outreach to occupational users of pesticides, people who work where pesticides are used, pesticide educators and trainers, and others affiliated with pesticide occupational use and pesticide safety activities. 

Previous grant recipients have developed training videos, a respiratory protection guide, a handbook for agricultural employers, and an expanded suite of WPS resources in Spanish for pesticide workers and handlers.

The cooperative agreement is expected to run from 2021 through 2026.

The request for applications is published on www.grants.gov under the Funding Opportunity Number EPA-HQ-OPP-2020-002. EPA must receive proposals through www.grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. EDT on September 16 2020.