Do You Need

Help Reducing

Harmful Pollution in

Your Community?

Penalty for Private Use $300Official Business OnlyWashington, DC 20460EPA CARE Program (8001A) FIRST CLASS MAIL

EPA PERMIT NO. G-35

POSTAGE & FEES PAID

CARE’s two types of Cooperative 

Agreements (a kind of grant): 

• Level I (about $100,000) - With a Level I 

Agreement, communities organize and create 

a collaborative partnership dedicated to 

reducing toxics in their local environment. These 

partnerships work on steps 1 and 2 in the CARE 

process. Where possible, they also begin step 3. 

• Level II (about $300,000) - With a Level II 

Agreement, the community already has 

established a broad based collaborative 

partnership and focuses on steps 3 and 4 of the 

CARE process. 

Apply Today!

Produce Results

For more information:

Visit our Web site at

www.epa.gov/CARE.

Write to us at:

CARE Program

Mailcode 8001A

US EPA

1200 Pennsylvania Ave, NW

Washington DC, 20460

United States CARE Program EPA-400-F-08-001

Environmental Protection (8001A) September 2011 

Agency www.epa.gov/CARE 
1. Join Together

A broad-based partnership is formed. Partners could be non-profit groups, community 

organizations, businesses, schools and state, Tribal and local government agencies, EPA 

and other Federal Agencies.

2. Identify Problems and Solutions

Working together, this stakeholder group will help communities gain an understanding of the major 

potential sources of exposure to toxic pollutants and environmental concerns, and set priorities for risk 

reduction activities. Many of the emission and exposure reductions will result from the application of 

EPA partnership programs.

3. Implement Solutions/Reduce Risks

The partnership identifies the combination of programs that best meet the community’s 

needs. EPA funding helps to implement these projects. The community begins improving 

its environment.

4. Become Self Sustaining

The community develops new ways to attract funding and partners into their broad-based 

collaborative to build on its success. New problem assessments are completed and new solutions 

identified and addressed. The result: the partnership becomes self-sustaining and the work continues 

to improve their environment where community members live, work and play.

The CARE Process

CARE will help your community: 

• Create local partnerships to reduce exposure to toxic pollutants through local action based 

upon community consensus.

• Build community capacity and decision-making skills to respond to pollution 

problems.

• Focus on indoor and outdoor sources of toxics.

The Community Action for a Renewed 

Environment (CARE) program, sponsored by the 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 

is a competitive grant program that offers an 

innovative way for communities to take action 

to reduce toxic pollution. Through CARE,

communities create local partnerships that 

implement local solutions to reduce releases of 

and minimize exposure to toxic pollutants. 

As of Fall 2011, over 85 communities across the United 

States are part of the CARE network (see project 

descriptions at www.epa.gov/CARE). Many more are 

expected to join in future years.

CARE educates and supports communities as 

they assess the pollution risks they face. CARE

also provides access to EPA’s and others’ 

partnership programs that reduce exposure to 

toxics and create safer communities. Among 

EPA’s partnership programs are those that: reduce 

emissions from diesel engines, reduce waste 

from toxic chemical use, reduce emissions from 

small business operations, improve the indoor 

environment in schools, and protect drinking 

water supplies through pollution prevention. EPA 

also offers support for communities to develop 

their own approaches to reducing toxics.