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<p class="MsoNormal">Dear Water Quality Professionals,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 1 is now accepting applications from all New England non-governmental organization (NGO) water monitoring groups for the 2018 EPA Region 1 Stormwater Toolbox Equipment Loan Program.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The EPA has identified improving water quality as one of its highest priorities. The agency recognizes the value of monitoring data in guiding EPA, states, and tribes in efforts to improve the health of the Nation's waters. There are waters,
however, that States, Tribal Nations, and EPA are not able to monitor at all or only on a very limited basis. In Region 1, water monitoring groups have played a valuable role in supplementing available monitoring data to our state regulatory agencies for decades.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">With this equipment loan program, Region 1 will continue to support the work of the water monitoring organizations to meet the goal of expanding the number of waters which are monitored, and welcome the new citizen scientists/community
groups to participate in water quality monitoring studies within their communities.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">The ultimate goal of the equipment loan program is to provide the tools and a framework to enable citizens to take an active role in their community and watershed by providing quality data to enhance environmental stewardship, create
healthy, sustainable communities and to collaborate with government at all levels in protecting the environment. The equipment loan program will allow citizen scientists to have access to uniform monitoring equipment and methodologies to collect data that
can have a meaningful impact in their communities.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A detailed description of the program, including available equipment, organization eligibility, selection process and criteria, and conditions of the equipment loan agreement can be found in the program plan attached to this email (Attachment
A). Applicants must be familiar with all the items in the plan, as well as the EPA New England Bacterial Source Tracking Protocol - the framework behind the Stormwater Toolbox (Attachment B).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Those interested in applying must submit the application form located at the end of the plan (Appendix A in the plan). Applications should be limited to five (5) pages, including a reason for equipment request and a map/list of monitoring
sites (if appropriate).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Applications will be accepted through close of business Friday, March 23, 2018 with selections to be announced by Monday, April 9, 2018.
<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For questions or further information, please contact either myself using the contact information below or Ernest Waterman at (617)918-8632 or
<a href="mailto:waterman.ernest@epa.gov">waterman.ernest@epa.gov</a>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Attachment A: EPA New England Region 1 Stormwater Toolbox Equipment Loan Program Plan<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.0in">B: EPA New England Bacterial Source Tracking Protocol<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Michelle Coombs<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Environmental Investigations & Analysis Unit<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">New England Regional Laboratory<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">U.S. EPA Region 1<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">11 Technology Drive (Mail Code: EIA)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">North Chelmsford, MA 01863<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(617) 918-8665<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:coombs.michelle@epa.gov">coombs.michelle@epa.gov</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt">Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential, privileged or non-public information. If you are not
the intended recipient, or an authorized agent of the intended recipient, please immediately contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy/delete all copies of the original message. Any unauthorized review, use, copying, forwarding, disclosure, or distribution
by other than the intended recipient or authorized agent is prohibited. <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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