The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) recently announced $1 million in grant funding for training and outreach programs to help local communities prepare for transportation incidents involving hazardous materials, including crude oil and ethanol. The new grant program was created by the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), which was passed on December 4, 2015.This funding can also be used to improve training for state and local personnel who enforce hazardous materials regulations. DOT carries out many activities to improve hazardous materials safety, including stakeholder engagement, rulemakings, safety advisories and emergency orders, ensuring the proper classification and packaging of hazardous materials, enforcement, emergency response training and information, and scientific research. Grants for emergency planning ensure emergency responders are informed and able to mitigate and manage a hazardous materials incident. Most hazardous materials transportation emergency preparedness grants are funded by annual user registration fees paid by shippers and carriers of certain hazardous materials in commerce. The $1 million for the Community Safety Grant was authorized by Congress in the FAST Act and is supported with funds appropriated for hazardous materials safety. The anticipated start date for this FY 2016 grant program is September 30, 2016.>
Applicants for this funding opportunity are required to apply electronically through www.grants.gov. For further information, contact the PHMSA Hazardous Materials Grants Division at hmit.grants@dot.gov or call (202) 366-1109.