State and Tribal Indoor Radon Grants
Program Funding
Annual program obligations reported to SAM.gov.
Funded Projects
Examples of what this program has supported.
Program Objective
The EPA assists states and federally recognized Tribes to provide radon risk reduction through activities that will result in increased radon testing, mitigation, and radon resistant new construction through the authorizing statute: Title III of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the Indoor Radon Abatement Act (IRAA), Section 306. States and Tribes are encouraged to implement projects focused on assisting state radon programs, expanding radon testing of existing homes, increasing mitigation of homes with high radon levels, and promoting radon-resistant new construction.
Funding Priorities - Fiscal Year 2025: Recipients will focus on adopting, or seeking to adopt, radon building codes for single family homes, promoting radon awareness through the medical community, state cancer control plans, childcare providers and real estate transactions, providing training and technical support on voluntary consensus standards for radon testing and mitigation, identifying and spreading best practices for building homes radon resistant and adopting radon in building codes, providing radon awareness building and/or education activities that target homebuyers, informing local school systems about radon exposure risk in schools and providing sample school testing and mitigation plans, developing or implementing processes to ensure appropriate, certification or credentialing of radon testing and mitigation service providers, collecting available radon test result data to develop locality-specific classifications of radon risks and to support the CDC Environmental Public Health Tracking Network radon site. The EPA will encourage state and Tribal grant recipients to work collaboratively with additional government agencies, non-profit organizations and private sector partners participating in the National Radon Action Plan (NRAP). (Please see The National Radon Action Plan - A Strategy for Saving Lives for the current plan and more information. https://www.epa.gov/radon/national-radon-action-plan-strategy-saving-lives)
Eligibility
Eligible Applicants
- Department/Agency of U.S. State
- Department/Agency of U.S. Territorial Gov
- Federally Recognized Tribal Government
Eligible entities include states (including District of Columbia (DC)), Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, federally recognized Indian Tribes and Tribal consortia, or any other U.S. Territory or possession.
Beneficiaries
- U.S. State Government
- Municipality/Township Government
- Not-for-Profit Organization
- Federally Recognized Tribal Government
How to Apply
Application Procedure
Issuing office will provide location of application procedure details as appropriate.
Award Procedure
Each state or tribal SIRG application is subjected to an administrative and prior period performance evaluation to determine the recipient's eligibility to receive continued funding. An applicant's proposed projects and work plan are evaluated for projected results and alignment with the Agency's radon program goals and priorities. SIRG award decisions are non-competitive and made at the EPA Regional level, based on a formula moderated by Regional management discretion utilizing prior performance and results. A state or Tribe able to provide the required 25% in matching funds (first year of participation only) and 40% in matching funds (every subsequent year) is eligible to apply to the Regional EPA office for a grant.
Decision Timeline
- Approval: From 90 to 120 days
Approximately 90 days.
Program details & compliance
Description
State and tribal radon programs are critical to the Agency’s national goal of minimizing and preventing radon-related lung cancer. States and Tribes receive grant funds from the EPA that help finance their radon risk reduction programs. For more than 30 years, the EPA has supported state and tribal efforts to advance radon protection and risk reduction through the State and Tribal Indoor Radon Grant (SIRG) program.
Mission Categories
Primary: Air Pollution Control
Other categories:
Regulation, Inspection, EnforcementGeneral and Special Interest OrganizationsRadiation Control
Use of Funds
Allowed Uses
The following activities are eligible for funding under SIRG: radon surveys, public information and educational materials, radon control programs, purchase of radon measurement equipment or devices, purchase and maintenance of analytic equipment, training, program overhead and administration, data storage and management, mitigation demonstrations, Community development, consumer protection, housing, training, and toll-free hotlines. Funding for these eligible activities may be used to develop State radon response programs. States may, at the Governor's direction, aid local governments for public information and educational materials, radon control programs and training.
Restrictions
The statute, IRAA Section 306(i), places the following restrictions on the use of these funds: 1) SIRG recipients must perform satisfactorily in the preceding budget period to be eligible to receive additional funding; 2) State expenditures for measurement equipment/devices and mitigation demonstrations cannot exceed 50 percent of the grant amount in a budget period; 3) State expenditures for general overhead and program administration cannot exceed 25 percent in a budget period; and 4) SIRG applicants may use grant funds for financial assistance to persons only to the extent that such assistance is related to approved demonstration projects or the purchase and analysis of radon measurement devices. This program makes Federal awards on a discretionary basis. A discretionary award means an award in which the Federal awarding agency, in keeping with specific statutory authority that enables the agency to exercise judgement (“discretion”), selects the recipient and/or the amount of Federal funding awarded through a competitive process or based on merit of proposals. A discretionary award may be selected on a non-competitive basis, as appropriate. For further information, please contact the Headquarters or regional office.
Required Documentation
An applicant's application must: 1) describe the seriousness and extent of radon exposure; 2) identify the lead State or Tribal organization with primary responsibility for the radon program that will receive the grant, with a description of the lead agency's role and responsibilities, and those of any other State agencies, and any municipal, district or area wide organizations involved in the radon program; 3) submit a work plan describing the activities and programs to be funded; 4) provide a budget specifying the federal and applicant share of the funding for each work plan element. First time applicants must have a 3-year work plan outlining long range program goals and objectives, the tasks necessary to achieve them, the resource requirements including anticipated SIRG applicant funding levels and the desired federal funding level.
Matching Requirements
Recipients are required to provide a 25% minimum cost share the first year they receive an award and 40% minimum cost share after receiving an award for two or more years.
Reporting & Compliance
Applicable 2 CFR 200 Subparts
- Subpart B — General Provisions
- Subpart C — Pre-Federal Award Requirements
- Subpart D — Post-Federal Award Requirements
- Subpart E — Cost Principles
- Subpart F — Audit Requirements