(a) Cooperative agreements and grants
The Administrator may enter into a cooperative agreement or contract, or provide financial assistance in the form of a grant, to support projects to design, demonstrate, or disseminate practices, methods, or techniques related to environmental education and training.
(b) Eligible activities
Activities eligible for grant support pursuant to this section shall include, but not be limited to, environmental education and training programs for—
(1) design, demonstration, or dissemination of environmental curricula, including development of educational tools and materials;
(2) design and demonstration of field methods, practices, and techniques, including assessment of environmental and ecological conditions and analysis of environmental pollution problems;
(3) projects to understand and assess a specific environmental issue or a specific environmental problem;
(4) provision of training or related education for teachers, faculty, or related personnel in a specific geographic area or region; and
(5) design and demonstration of projects to foster international cooperation in addressing environmental issues and problems involving the United States and Canada or Mexico.
(c) Priority projects
In making grants pursuant to this section, the Administrator shall give priority to those proposed projects which will develop—
(1) a new or significantly improved environmental education practice, method, or technique;
(2) an environmental education practice, method, or technique which may have wide application;
(3) an environmental education practice, method, or technique which addresses a skill or scientific field identified as a priority in the report developed pursuant to section
5508(d) of this title; and
(4) an environmental education practice, method, or technique which addresses an environmental issue which, in the judgment of the Administrator, is of a high priority.
(d) Scope of program and implementing regulations
The program established by this section shall include solicitations for projects, selection of suitable projects from among those proposed, supervision of such projects, evaluation of the results of projects, and dissemination of information on the effectiveness and feasibility of the practices, methods, techniques and processes. Within one year of November 16, 1990, the Administrator shall publish regulations to assure satisfactory implementation of each element of the program authorized by this section.
(e) Solicitation notices
Within 90 days after the date on which amounts are first appropriated for carrying out this chapter, and each year thereafter, the Administrator shall publish a solicitation for environmental education grants. The solicitation notice shall prescribe the information to be included in the proposal and other information sufficient to permit the Administrator to assess the project.
(f) Applications
Any local education agency, college or university, State education agency or environmental agency, not-for-profit organization, or noncommercial educational broadcasting entity may submit an application to the Administrator in response to the solicitations required by subsection (e) of this section.
(g) Performance of projects
Each project under this section shall be performed by the applicant, or by a person satisfactory to the applicant and the Administrator.
(h) Matching requirements
Federal funds for any demonstration project under this section shall not exceed 75 percent of the total cost of such project. For the purposes of this section, the non-Federal share of project costs may be provided by inkind contributions and other noncash support. In cases where the Administrator determines that a proposed project merits support and cannot be undertaken without a higher rate of Federal support, the Administrator may approve grants under this section with a matching requirement other than that specified in this subsection, including full Federal funding.
(i) Limitations on grants
Grants under this section shall not exceed $250,000. In addition, 25 percent of all funds obligated under this section in a fiscal year shall be for grants of not more than $5,000.