Grant Program
The City of Trinidad has recently been awarded two grants (totaling $134,000) to implement an OWTS Management Program. The City applied for these grants in 2001 and 2002, but it has taken this long for the selection process and contract development to be completed. The City actually started work under the grants in July 2004.
Proposition 13 Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Grant
Program
The first grant is for a total of $94,000, and comes from a bond act
(Prop. 13) approved by California voters in 2000. This grant is administered
through the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and overseen
by the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional
Board). This grant is directed at eliminating nonpoint source pollution
(pollution not originating from a discrete source, including septic
systems) in coastal areas. This grant requires modest, non-state matching
funds, which can be covered by the second grant (see below). The main
focus of this grant is to protect near and offshore waters of Trinidad
from potential wastewater pollution; it is results driven. Besides
developing the OWTS Management Program itself, water quality monitoring
is a large component of this grant in order to ensure goals are being
met and to assess the program’s effectiveness. Another major
element of this grant program will be to develop a Geographic Information
System (GIS) that will allow the City to assess existing conditions,
manage the program and analyze results.
National Onsite Demonstration Program for Small Communities
(Phase VII)
The second grant, for $40,000, is funded through the West Virginia
University’s National Environmental Services Center (NESC) by
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This grant is part of the
NESC’s National Onsite Demonstration Program (NODP) for Small
Communities. This grant requires no match, but can be used as the
matching funds for the first grant. The focus of this grant is on
the process; a demonstration that the type of program Trinidad is
implementing will work effectively for other communities. The emphasis
of this grant is on developing a program that follows protocol, but
is specific to the needs of Trinidad. Another focus of this grant
is on public education and public participation. Trinidad’s
website is being developed as a component of this program.