East Oakland Air Quality Fund

• Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, fiscally-sponsored by a 501(c)(3), a local governmental entity, or tribal entity.
• The applicant must demonstrate the capacity to complete the proposed project, including experience in successfully conducting similar or related work in the past, or otherwise relevant skills and experience.

• Projects must benefit underserved,  Environmental Justice communities or Disadvantaged Communities (DACs) in the general East Oakland area as designated by a CalEnviroScreen 4.0 score of 75 and above and should demonstrate a high degree of community support and community involvement. While the applicant’s offices may be located outside of the DAC, they must explain how the proposed work will benefit particular DACs within East Oakland or northern San Leandro.

Eligible projects will target the intersection of air quality and public health within affected areas of East Oakland, and include and further CARB’s purpose of cleaning up the air by:

1. Reducing the risk burden posed to public health.
2. Preventing future air quality problems beyond those addressed in current air quality programs.
3. Improving the environment within neighborhoods with a Cal EnviroScreen 4.0 score of 75 or higher in the vicinity of the facility.
4. Having a relation to the violation either through location (i.e. -- proximity to the former location of AB&I at 7825 San Leandro Street, Oakland, California 94621) or through pollutant (i.e. -- the SEP furthers CARB’s purpose of cleaning up the air by addressing the pollutants involved in the violation, including nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide, benzene, cadmium, and hexavalent chromium).

Projects may involve community outreach and education about sources of and health impacts from air pollution, particularly hazardous pollutants.

• Public Health projects that provide diagnostic, preventative, and/or remedial components of human health care related to the actual or potential damage to human health caused by hazardous air pollutants. This may include epidemiological data collection and analysis, medical examinations or treatment of potentially affected persons, rehabilitation therapy, and improvements to the physical and mental health of impacted communities related to hazardous air pollutants. Public health projects should primarily benefit the population harmed or put at risk from the AB&I Foundry.
• Pollution Prevention or Reduction projects that reduce the generation of, and community exposure to, air pollution, i.e., any practice that reduces the amount of air pollutants in the environment. Examples include but are not limited to: (1) Physical means (such as structures, apparatus) that reduce exposure to hazardous air pollution, or (2) Working with industry on changing practices and behaviors that result in pollution prevention such as modification to equipment, technology, processes, or procedures. Funds cannot be used to achieve compliance with state or local regulations.
• Environmental Education or Compliance Training projects that provide assistance to educators, schools, and community groups to conduct training and public awareness campaigns to the public and the regulated community about the impacts of hazardous air pollutants in the areas around East Oakland identified above.
• Community Monitoring projects that provide tools, such as surveillance and monitoring equipment, to be used by trained members of the public for data acquisition and enhancement of existing air quality monitoring stations. This may include testing to evaluate air quality and/or homes in and around pollution-burdened areas around East Oakland.
• Emergency Planning and Preparedness projects that support community-based emergency preparedness and response in communities that may be impacted by air pollutants during emergencies such as earthquake, fire, flood, or any incident that results in a hazardous air pollutant release and which inform and educate communities how to stay safe in emergency situations involving hazardous substances releases, how to receive emergency alerts, how to shelter in place, or how to prepare their homes and neighborhoods for emergency situations.

• Most grants are for a one-year period; however, you may request a shorter or longer grant period if that is what you need. Grant periods should not exceed 2 years.

• Established non-profit organizations are encouraged to seek grants in the $20,000 to $50,000 range. The Rose Foundation also welcomes proposals from small grassroots conservation and environmental justice groups, but the requested amount should be in the $5,000 to $10,000 range.

• Lobbying activities of any kind
• Litigation
• Advocacy-based projects that contradict an established agency or position of the State of California are not acceptable