Associated Press - Some EPA Grants Given to Groups
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Environmental Protection Agency doles out numerous grants each year to nonprofit groups, many without competitive bidding. Some projects that have won awards since 1993.
The Cranbrook Educational Community in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., got $4,900 for a project on honeybees. Michele Arquette, a naturalist, said the program taught schoolchildren about pollination. Six poor schools were provided videos and beekeeping equipment.
The Economic Policy Institute in Washington got $60,000 for a conference on whether charging drivers auto insurance by the mile would reduce car usage and, therefore, pollution. No state adopted the change.
The Center for Democratic Renewal in Atlanta got a $6,500 grass-roots grant. Beni Ivey, executive director, said the organization passes grant money on to local groups that lack tax-exempt status. One recipient was the Newtown Florist Club of Gainesville, Ga., which has been trying to get a toxic waste site cleaned up.
Bat Conservation International in Austin, Texas, got $30,000. "The aim of the project was to conserve bats and their habitat," said Brian Kealy, the group's director. "There was a big risk to more than half the species which we consider vulnerable to decline." The money was used to form an alliance of researchers and industry representatives from the United States, Canada and Mexico, and send out literature.
The Cumberland River Compact Inc. of Nashville, Tenn., received $5,000 for a "Splash Bash." Margo Farnsworth, executive director, said the project taught teachers to perform water quality tests and pass on the information to students.
The Center for Resource Management in Salt Lake City received more than $300,000 over eight years for an ongoing project entitled "Golf and the Environment." Paul Parker, executive vice president, said the project brought together the golf industry and environmentalists. A booklet entitled "Environmental Principles for Golf Courses in the United States" was produced. Voluntary standards were developed for pesticide use, water use, wildlife protection and erosion control on courses.