Supplemental Environmental Projects
What is a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP)?
DTSC Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) help protect California’s environment and public health. SEPs are funded through legal settlements between DTSC and companies that have violated environmental laws.
DTSC’s SEP policy prioritizes:
- Helping the communities that were impacted by the violation
- Environmental justice for disadvantaged communities
Many Californians live amid multiple sources of pollution. SEPs are one way that DTSC works toward improving the environmental health and economic vitality of impacted communities.
How are SEPs Funded?
Every day, DTSC works to enforce California’s environmental laws. This enforcement can lead to a company paying a financial penalty for breaking the laws.
As part of a legal settlement, the violating company has the option to divert up to 50% of its penalty towards funding a SEP. The company chooses which project to fund from a list of eligible SEPs.
Not all settlements include a SEP payment. The violating company is not required to fund a SEP. Penalties that don’t fund a SEP pay for environmental clean-up across the state.
What Projects Can Be Funded?
Every DTSC SEP helps reduce the impact of hazardous waste, hazardous materials, and hazardous substances on California’s environment and communities.
SEP projects can be completed by non-profit organizations; local, regional, or state entities; or Tribal governments. A SEP project can also be performed by the company responsible for the violations, with careful oversight.
How to Apply
Learn more about project eligibility and how to apply here: Information for SEP applicants
| SEP Name | Organization Name | SEP Funding Max. Amount | Location of Project - County | Project Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Justice for California's Environment and Communities (EJ CEC) Fund | Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment | Any amount | Statewide | Directs grants to projects benefitting California’s communities and the environment, including public health, pollution reduction, and environmental restoration. |
| Healthy Workers, Healthy Nail Salons | Asian Health Services FBO CA Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative | $50,000.00 | Alameda | To reduce the exposure of vulnerable nail salon workers to harmful chemicals, Asian Health Services proposes to work in partnership with the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative to implement “Healthy Workers, Healthy Nail Salons.” |
| Poison Prevention Heroes in Disadvantaged Communities | Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment | $50,000.00 | Alameda | The project trains 61 disadvantaged community (DAC) youth as poison prevention Heroes to conduct community outreach and public awareness activities to reduce exposure to toxic products in DAC homes and reduce toxics released into municipal waste from improper disposal of pesticides and other toxic products. |
| Zero Avoidable Pesticide Pollution in the DAC! (ZAPP in the DAC!) | Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment | $50,000.00 | Alameda | This project trains 61+ ZAPP Youth Ambassadors from disadvantaged communities (DACs) to conduct community outreach & public awareness activities aimed at reducing pesticide exposure of vulnerable DAC residents & at reducing pesticide waste. |
| New Voices Are Rising: Training Young Environmental Justice Leaders in Disadvantaged Communities | Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment | $201,000.00 | Alameda | This program offers intensive leadership & outreach training to disadvantaged community (DAC) Oakland Youth through a summer Environmental Justice Leadership Academy (EJ Academy) and a school year Outreach Fellowship. |
| Community-based Online Environmental Health Education for Low-Income Residents | City of Richmond | $120,000.00 | Contra Costa | The same populations that are most vulnerable to adverse health outcomes are also the least likely to have the basic health and digital literacy knowledge to address their environmental and health information needs. The proposed project provides low-income adults with tools and skills needed to access, understand, and utilize online information and resources to improve individual, family, and community health. |
| Reducing and Preventing Marine Debris along Richmond Shorelines and Watersheds, and the San Francisco Bay | City of Richmond | $100,000.00 | Contra Costa | Litter is a significant problem observed in the City of Richmond. The City proposes a two part program to address the litter issue. The proposed program will improve the health and wellness of the target areas by keeping litter and debris from reaching local waterways. |
| Pesticide Education & Exposure Prevention | Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies FBO Valley Latino Environmental Advancement & Policy Project | $40,000.00 | Fresno | This project will research and develop a comprehensive plan to address the prevention and reduction of family and child pesticide exposure. |
| Kings IVAN Youth LEAP | Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies FBO Valley Latino Environmental Advancement & Policy Project | $60,000.00 | Kings | The Kings County IVAN is a multi-stakeholder problem solving collaboration that reduces pollution by strategically addressing complex, multi-jurisdictional environmental issues that pervade Kings County in the San Joaquin Valley. |
| Kettleman City Asthma Intervention Program | Central California Asthma Collaborative | $65,000.00 | Kings | This SEP proposal requests funding for the implementation of an at-home asthma intervention program for residents of Kettleman City including targeted outreach to community residents. |
| Healthy Workers, Healthy Nail Salons | Asian Health Services FBO CA Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative | $50,000.00 | Los Angeles | To reduce the exposure of vulnerable nail salon workers to harmful chemicals, Asian Health Services proposes to work in partnership with the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative to implement “Healthy Workers, Healthy Nail Salons.” |
| Healthy Environment = Healthy Communities & Schools | Community Initiatives FBO California Safe Schools | $27,400.00 | Los Angeles | Through this project California Safe Schools (CSS) will address the exposure to pesticides and herbicides and other toxic chemicals regulated by DPR which may threaten environmental justice communties and Title I schools throughout the greater Los Angeles County area. |
| Identification of Toxic Chemicals & Pesticides Near Public Schools in The LA Harbor Area | Community Initiatives FBO California Safe Schools | $55,000.00 | Los Angeles | The California Safe Schools (CSS) plans to identify all sources of Toxic Chemicals and Pesticides that are imported through the Port of Los Angeles, sold or stored by retailers & distributors, stored and used by manufacturers near public schools in the Los Angeles Harbor area communities of San Pedro, Wilmington, Harbor City and Carson. CSS will partner with the Coalition For A Safe Environment a Port of Los Angeles environmental justice organization for this project. |
| Youth Listening Sessions on Hazardous Waste, Safer Consumer Products and Healthier Futures | Community Initiatives FBO California Safe Schools | $85,250.00 | Los Angeles | California Safe Schools will host listening sessions in Los Angeles aimed at engaging students in conversations about their environmental awareness and concerns, particularly regarding hazardous waste in their homes and communities. |
| Nurturing Students with Nature | Community Initiatives FBO California Safe Schools | $7,000.00 | Los Angeles | This project will motivate young people to learn through bringing environmental education into the mainstream of state-mandated instructional programs. |
| Your Life Is Now Environmental Health & Enforcement Forum | Community Initiatives FBO California Safe Schools | $100,000 | Los Angeles | California Safe Schools will host a forum event bringing together Title 1 students, teachers, enforcement and regulatory agencies, elected officials, members of the public, and environmentalists. |
| Community Health Awareness | Del Amo Action Committee | $60,000.00 | Los Angeles | This Health Awareness program for people living in Environmental Justice communities will aid in increasing their knowledge and enabling them to do more to protect their communities and their health. |
| Healthy Workers, Healthy Nail Salons | Asian Health Services FBO CA Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative | $50,000.00 | Orange | To reduce the exposure of vulnerable nail salon workers to harmful chemicals, Asian Health Services proposes to work in partnership with the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative to implement “Healthy Workers, Healthy Nail Salons.” |
| Sacramento School Health Coalition | California School-Based Health Alliance | $1,000,000.00 | Sacramento | The California School-Based Health Alliance (CSHA) aims to improve the health and academic success of children and youth by advancing health services in schools. |
| American River Basin Stewardship Program-Rancho Cordova | Keep California Beautiful | $300,000.00 | Sacramento | This project includes expansion and ongoing implementation of the American River Basin Stewardship and Citizen Science Program, including the use of citizen science for quarterly data collection and cleanup programs. |
| Keep California Beautiful Youth Ambassadors - Rancho Cordova | Keep California Beautiful | $135,000.00 | Sacramento | The purpose of the project is identifying a school within the Folsom Cordova Unified School District and work to improve the condition of a high school campus and its surrounding community streets and nearby creeks by implementing a “Litter Free” Places program. |
| Keep Rancho Cordova Beautiful | Keep California Beautiful | $400,000.00 | Sacramento | Keep California Beautiful (KCB) partners with communities to create locally-based programs to eliminate litter, reduce waste, and beautify their environment. |
| Protecting Families from Indoor Health Hazards | Environmental Health Coalition | $20,000.00 | San Diego | Environmental Health Coalition (EHC) will remediate lead and mold in the home of a low-income family in National City, CA. |
| Healthy Workers, Healthy Nail Salons | Asian Health Services FBO CA Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative | $50,000.00 | San Francisco | To reduce the exposure of vulnerable nail salon workers to harmful chemicals, Asian Health Services proposes to work in partnership with the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative to implement “Healthy Workers, Healthy Nail Salons.” |
| Bayview Hunters Point Environmental Justice Response Task Force Project | Greenaction for Health & Environmental Justice | $88,726.71 | San Francisco | The Bayview Hunters Point Environmental Justice Response Task Force is a multi-stakeholder problem solving collaboration that reduces pollution by strategically addressing complex, multi-jurisdictional environmental issues that pervade the Bayview Hunters Point community in San Francisco,California. |
| Healthy Workers, Healthy Nail Salons | Asian Health Services FBO CA Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative | $50,000.00 | San Mateo | To reduce the exposure of vulnerable nail salon workers to harmful chemicals, Asian Health Services proposes to work in partnership with the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative to implement “Healthy Workers, Healthy Nail Salons.” |
| Healthy Workers, Healthy Nail Salons | Asian Health Services FBO CA Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative | $50,000.00 | Santa Clara | To reduce the exposure of vulnerable nail salon workers to harmful chemicals, Asian Health Services proposes to work in partnership with the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative to implement “Healthy Workers, Healthy Nail Salons.” |
| Hazardous Waste Generator Online Three-Day Self Paced Course Development | California Compliance School/Kern Community College District | $94,450.00 | Statewide | This SEP funds the development of an easy-to-use online course focused on a comprehensive and up-to-date understanding of basic requirements for hazardous waste generators. |
| Hazardous Waste Transporters Online Course Development (2) | California Compliance School/Kern Community College District | $6,500.00 | Statewide | This SEP funds the development of an easy-to-use online course for hazardous waste transporters to improve their knowledge and expertise in hazardous waste transporter requirements. |
| Commercial Waste Reduction | California Product Stewardship Council | $100,000.00 | Statewide | This project focuses on developing and implementing safe, convenient and affordable waste diversion and disposal programs for California cities and counties. |
| Pharmaceutical & Sharps Collection & Promotion | California Product Stewardship Council | $100,000.00 | Statewide | The purpose is to increase the safe collection and disposal of medications and sharps to reduce potential for poisonings and abuse and prevent environmental contamination. |
| Refuel Your Fun Campaign Promotion | California Product Stewardship Council | $100,000.00 | Statewide | The purpose is to help push a paradigm shift from disposable 1lb propane gas cylinders to refillable for 10 years, which greatly reduces GHG emissions, waste generation, costs to manage, and fires from improperly disposed gas cylinders in trash and recycling streams. |
| Improving Mercury Thermostat Collection to Protect Disadvantaged Communities | Product Stewardship Institute | $75,000.00 | Statewide | When improperly disposed, older thermostats can release mercury, a potent neurotoxin, which contaminates air, waterways, and land. PSI will develop and implement a pilot incentive and outreach project in three disadvantaged California communities. |
| Safely Managing Fluorescent Lamps to Protect Disadvantaged Communities | Product Stewardship Institute | $100,000.00 | Statewide | When improperly disposed, fluorescent lamps release mercury, a toxin that can cause neurological disorders. This project will mitigate the environmental and public health impacts of mercury throughout commercial properties in disadvantaged communities. |
| Environmental Enforcement Training | Western States Project | $5,000.00 | Statewide | The Project provides two environmental enforcement trainings in California annually that DTSC and CUPA staff can attend. |