98T65801

DESCRIPTION: The purpose of this project is to empower communities by providing critical services to community organizations. These services will expand participants' capacity to meet community-defined priorities and participate meaningfully in decision-making processes, focusing specifically on underserved, rural, remote, tribal, indigenous, and Pacific Island communities across EPA Region 9.

The goal/mission is to leverage and strengthen community assets by creating an accessible in-person and virtual community that builds capacity and provides technical assistance in energy and environmental justice centered around four unifying objectives: 1) outreach and partnership building, 2) development of resources, 3) transfer of knowledge and building community capacity, 4) evaluation, adaptation, and innovation.

The hub of the Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (TCTAC) will be based in a physical and virtual center at San Diego State University (SDSU) called the Center for Community Energy and Environmental Justice. Hub partners will work to coordinate activities in their area(s) of expertise across all of EPA Region 9 and will facilitate co-production, co-development, sharing, transfer, and delivery of both process and content among spoke partners and community partners for environmental programs (air, water, waste, energy, toxics) and grantsmanship.

Spoke partners will lead on delivering services (in person and virtually) to eligible community organizations, building and expanding on their existing eligible community organizations in their network and identifying and connecting with new community organizations, supporting community engagement and capacity building.

Hub partners include: SDSU Community Climate Action Network, Environmental Protection Network, USD Energy Policy Initiative Center, ASU Energy and Society, Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals, and Center for Creative Land Recycling.

Spoke partners include: Climate Science Alliance (CA), Public Health Alliance (CA), Arizona State Univ School of Sustainability (AZ), Desert Research Institute (NV), Pacific RISA (HI, AS), and Univ of Guam Center for Island Sustainability (GUAM).

This agreement provides partial federal funding in the amount of $4,000,000. Pre-award costs are approved back to 6/1/2023. Refer to terms and conditions.

ACTIVITIES: SDSU TCTAC's mission is to leverage and strengthen community assets by creating an accessible in-person and virtual community that builds capacity and provides technical assistance in energy and environmental justice centered around four unifying objectives: 1) outreach and partnership building, 2) development of resources, 3) transfer of knowledge and building community capacity, 4) evaluation, adaptation, and innovation.

Activities include convening TCTAC hubs and spokes meetings. Conducting needs assessments starting with communities where TCTAC partners. Develop outreach collateral (i.e. logo, website, communication channels, etc). Release of communication materials to spokes to customize and enhance outreach. Increasing community footprint receiving technical assistance 5-10%. Develop community knowledge portal. Hubs will compile existing information on grantsmanship, energy justice (ENJ), and environmental justice (EJ) to share. Hub teams will work with spoke partners and community stakeholders to co-produce new materials to meet partner needs with continuous roll-out as new resources are completed. Conduct annual intra-TCTAC training on workplace conduct, microaggressions, and the tenets of DEIA. Convene community training events and workshops, one-on-one services, community knowledge portal providing technical assistance on environmental programs (air, water, energy, waste, toxics). Service delivery tracking and feedback efforts. Conduct monthly intra-TCTAC coordination calls. Submit required reports to EPA. Participate in EPA regional and national meetings and symposiums.

San Diego State University Foundation

2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS 2.1 - PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS AT THE FEDERAL, TRIBAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVELS 5 - ENSURE CLEAN AND SAFE WATER FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 5.2 - PROTECT AND RESTORE WATERBODIES AND WATERSHEDS 5 - ENSURE CLEAN AND SAFE WATER FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 5.2 - PROTECT AND RESTORE WATERBODIES AND WATERSHEDS 1 - A CLEANER, HEALTHIER ENVIRONMENT 1.1 - IMPROVE AIR QUALITY 6 - SAFEGUARD AND REVITALIZE COMMUNITIES 6.1 - CLEAN UP AND RESTORE LAND FOR PRODUCTIVE USES AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES 2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS 2.2 - EMBED ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS INTO EPA’S PROGRAMS, POLICIES, AND ACTIVITIES 6 - SAFEGUARD AND REVITALIZE COMMUNITIES 6.1 - CLEAN UP AND RESTORE LAND FOR PRODUCTIVE USES AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES 7 - ENSURE SAFETY OF CHEMICALS FOR PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT 7.1 - ENSURE CHEMICAL AND PESTICIDE SAFETY 2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS 2.2 - EMBED ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS INTO EPA’S PROGRAMS, POLICIES, AND ACTIVITIES 1 - A CLEANER, HEALTHIER ENVIRONMENT 1.3 - REVITALIZE LAND AND PREVENT CONTAMINATION 2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS 2.2 - EMBED ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS INTO EPA’S PROGRAMS, POLICIES, AND ACTIVITIES 2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS 2.2 - EMBED ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS INTO EPA’S PROGRAMS, POLICIES, AND ACTIVITIES 2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS 2.2 - EMBED ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS INTO EPA’S PROGRAMS, POLICIES, AND ACTIVITIES 2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVA

66.309 - Surveys, Studies, Investigations, Training and Special Purpose Activities Relating to Environmental Justice

EPA Region 9: San Francisco [EPA - RO]

San Diego, California 92182-1931 United States

Single Zip Code

Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers Program (EJ TCTAC) (EPA-I-OP-OEJ-22-02)

Termination This cooperative agreement was reported as terminated by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in July 2025. See All
Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been shortened from 05/30/28 to 02/21/25 and the total obligations have increased 102% from $4,000,000 to $8,100,000.