Illinois Environmental Protection Agency

Through the OSG Program, Illinois will have the resources to make progress to address local governments’ infrastructure needs for combined sewer overflows (CSO), sanitary sewer overflows (SSO), and stormwater management. These efforts will improve water quality and protect local water resources.

33 USC 1301 Sec 221 CWA

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Illinois EPA’s OSG Financial Assistance Program is designed to provide grant funds to municipalities to help implement an Illinois EPA approved Long Term Control Plan for CSOs or SSOs.

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Government Organizations;

Municipalities that have an Illinois EPA approved Long Term Control Plan for CSOs or SSOs.

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Project Grants

Government Services

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It is recommended that applications include appropriate supporting documentation (i.e., photos, maps, pollutant reduction worksheets, designs, letters of support, etc.).

Applicants must apply for a grant through the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) Grantee Portal, https://grants.illinois.gov/portal/.

All OSG Program applications will be reviewed for completeness, technical merit, and adherence to the Clean Water Act, U.S. EPA Section 221 program guidance, and the competitive grant evaluation criteria described in this Notice of Funding Opportunity. Applications found to be complete will undergo a comprehensive, merit-based review performed in compliance with Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) Legislation 30 ILCS 708 and 2 CFR 200 Uniform Requirements. Applications will be ranked and the highest ranked projects will be entered into the OSG Work Plan. The OSG Work plan is submitted to U.S. EPA for review and approval. U.S. EPA issues comments on the detailed Work Plan to the Illinois EPA. Illinois EPA will then respond to U.S. EPA’s comments to answer their concerns and questions. Illinois EPA expects to send written notice to each applicant whose project was not included in the Work Plan informing them that their application was not selected for funding.

Once U.S. EPA approves the Work Plan, the Illinois EPA will notify the successful grant applicant(s). The grant agreement will specify the funding terms and specific conditions resulting from the GATA risk assessments. Illinois EPA will send a grant agreement to the grant recipients for signature. Upon receipt of the signed agreement, Illinois EPA will provide a fully executed grant agreement to the grant recipients.

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The maximum funding award is up to 100 percent for rural communities (population 10,000 or less) and/or financially distressed communities (population 30,000 or less and has a median household income (MHI) of 70 percent or less than Illinois' statewide average). For non-rural or financial distress communities, the OSG may provide up to 90 percent of the approved project costs. The remaining 10 percent is the responsibility of the recipient and constitutes the local match. This local match may include money spent or in-kind services utilized to complete the approved project tasks but cannot be federal funds or funds used to match another federal program. Local match can be provided by the recipient, sub-contractor, or project partners (including state programs, private foundations, landowners, etc.) Greater than 10 percent local match is allowed.

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Per OSG guidelines, rural communities (population 10,000 or less) and/or financially distressed communities (population 30,000 or less and has a median household income (MHI) of 70 percent or less than Illinois’ statewide average) cannot be required to match the program. For non-rural or financially distressed communities, the OSG Program may provide up to 90% of the approved Project costs. The remainder, 10%, is the responsibility of the Grantee and constitutes the match. The Grantee must document the required match at, or before, the time of invoice for reimbursement. Match may include money spent or in-kind services utilized to complete the approved Project tasks. Match cannot be federal funds or funds used to match another federal program. Match can be provided by the Grantee, sub-contractor, or Project partners (e.g., State programs, private foundations, landowners). A Grantee may match greater than 10%. If an applicant wants to use a grant from another funding agency as match, the applicant should check with that funding agency issuing the grant to ensure that it may be used as match for the OSG Program. The following applies when using other grants to match the OSG Program: • The matching grant scope of work must directly satisfy a portion of the OSG Program scope of work • The date that the Grantee incurs costs for the matching grant must fall within the effective and expiration dates of the OSG Program grant agreement • The costs incurred under the matching grant must be eligible according to the OSG Program criteria

Illinois EPA’s OSG Financial Assistance Program is designed to provide grant funds to communitites with Long Term Control Plans for CSO and SSO control. Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution, unlike pollution from industrial and sewage treatment plants, comes from many diffuse sources. NPS pollution is caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving over and through the ground. As the runoff moves, it picks up and carries away natural and human-made pollutants, finally depositing them into lakes, rivers, wetlands and even our underground sources of drinking water. NPS pollution control project types include: Implementation of an approved Watershed-Based Plan; Development of a watershed-based plan; Development of a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) implementation plan; Best Management Practice (BMP) Implementation; Information and Outreach; Technical Assistance; and Monitoring. This is a reimbursement program. Grant recipients must perform the work, pay project costs, and submit an invoice with supporting documentation before Illinois EPA will reimburse grant recipients for any approved costs. Illinois EPA will only make reimbursements to the grant recipient and will reimburse the grant recipient no more frequently than monthly. The following are not eligible for Section 319(h) Grant Program funds: Activities that do not control, prevent, or address NPS pollution; Any activity or project required by state or federal law or state or federal permit, including activities required or anticipated to be required by National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) regulations, including Phase 1 and Phase 2 stormwater permit requirements; Routine maintenance or repair of existing on-site systems, such as culvert replacement, street sweeping, catch-basin cleaning; Projects to principally protect wildlife habitat, control flooding, or protect infrastructure; Ineligible activities based on current U.S. EPA guidelines for Section 319(h) grants. An applicant's failure to meet an eligibility criterion will preclude the Illinois EPA from making a Section 319(h) Grant Program award for that application. There is no limit on the number of applications an applicant may submit under this announcement. Federal funding may not make up any part of the grant recipient’s share (match) of the total project cost and the grant recipient’s share must be used exclusively for the project. The grant recipient’s share for the project may not be used to match or financially qualify for any other federal grant. Costs incurred prior to the effective date of the grant agreement or after the grant agreement term ends are ineligible for reimbursement. Costs incurred prior to the effective date of the grant agreement or after the grant agreement term ends are ineligible as match unless otherwise approved as match by Illinois EPA.

All projects require quarterly reporting of progress and a final project evaluation and report. All projects involving BMP implementation require the development of designs and “BMP Application Forms” for all BMPs to be implemented. Unless the grant recipient obtains a waiver of this certification requirement from Illinois EPA, the design must be certified by a registered or licensed professional engineer of Illinois, U.S. Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) staff, or a NRCS certified Technical Service Provider (TSP). The designs must be approved by the Illinois EPA’s NPS Unit prior to the start of BMP construction or implementation. Costs associated with development of BMP designs are eligible for Section 319(h)grant funds as long as the costs are incurred within the term of the grant agreement and conform to the budget incorporated into the grant agreement. All projects involving BMP implementation are required to obtain all applicable state and federal permits for all BMPs to be implemented. Unless the grant recipient obtains a waiver of this requirement from Illinois EPA, all projects involving BMP implementation require the development and implementation of an operation and maintenance plan (O & M Plan) for all the BMPs installed during the project period. This includes BMPs installed with match funds or Section 319(h) funds. O & M Plans must be approved by the Illinois EPA’s NPS Unit and are for a minimum of ten (10) years starting from the completion of the implementation of the BMP, unless otherwise agreed to by Illinois EPA. Environmental or social indicator monitoring is not required in order to qualify for Section 319(h) grant funds. However, all projects that include a monitoring component will be required to have a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) approved by Illinois EPA. U.S. EPA guidance for QAPPs can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/quality/qapps.html. Reports must be submitted to the Illinois EPA in both paper and electronic formats. The Illinois EPA has the right to use (including, but not limited to, citing to, circulating, displaying, and reproducing) all products that result from the grant recipient receiving financial assistance under the grant agreement whether the product is developed by the recipient or a sub-recipient.

See Illinois Administrative Code 7000.90

Grantee shall maintain for three (3) years from the date of submission of the final expenditure report, adequate books, all financial records and, supporting documents, statistical records, and all other records pertinent to this Award, adequate to comply with 2 CFR 200.334, unless a different retention period is specified in 2 CFR 200.334, 44 Ill. Admin. Code 7000.430(a) and (b) or PART TWO or PART THREE. If any litigation, claim or audit is started before the expiration of the retention period, the records must be retained until all litigation, claims or audit exceptions involving the records have been resolved and final action taken.

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The OSG Grant Program does not have a set maximum or minimum total project cost or grant amount. However, state funded projects have total project costs that generally range from $50,000 to $450,000 and state grant assistance generally range from $30,000 to $270,000.

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In the grant agreement, the grant recipient will be required to certify that it does and will comply with all provisions of the Federal Internal Revenue Code (26 USC 1), the Illinois Revenue Act (35 ILCS 5), and all rules promulgated thereunder, including withholding provisions and timely deposits of employee taxes and unemployment insurance taxes. In the grant agreement, the grant recipient will be required to certify that it does and will comply with the reporting requirements of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (P.L. 109-282) (FFATA) with respect to Federal Awards greater than or equal to $25,000. A FFATA sub-award report must be filed by the end of the month following the month in which the award was made. In the grant agreement, the grant recipient will be required to certify that it shall adhere to the applicable Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements, which are published in Title 2, Part 200 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and are incorporated herein by reference. See 44 Ill. Admin. Code 7000.30(b)(1)(A). In the grant agreement, the grant recipient will be required to certify that it and its sub-grantees shall: (i) be registered with the Federal SAM if seeking an Award that is partially or fully paid by Federal funds, and registered with the State equivalent of SAM; (ii) be in good standing with the Illinois Secretary of State; and (iii) have a valid DUNS number. It is Grantee’s responsibility to remain current with these registrations and requirements. If Grantee’s status with regard to any of these requirements change, or the certifications made in and information provided in the Uniform Grant Application changes, Grantee must notify the Grantor in accordance with ARTICLE XVIII.

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2520 W Iles Avenue, Springfield, IL 62704

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5/13/2025

FY 2022 : $1,070,000
FY 2023 : $12,000,000
FY 2024 : $1,000,000