Fish Advisory Signage  Grant Program  Availability of Phase II Funding for Local Agencies August 12, 2024 

Notification of Phase II funding opportunities.

Through an appropriation to the State Water Resources Control Board, the Budget Act of 2020 (SB 74) provided funding to assist Local Agencies in conspicuously posting health warnings, consistent with Site-Specific Advisories, in areas where contaminated fish or shellfish may be caught, including piers, jetties, lakes, reservoirs, and other areas where recreational or subsistence fishing is known to occur. Fish Advisories are guidelines that recommend how often you can safely eat fish caught from water bodies in California.

Pursuant to Health and Safety Code 116090.7, which was enacted by AB 762 of 2019, Local Health Officers are required to post fish advisories that have been issued by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) for approximately 131 site-specific water bodies in California upon appropriation of state funds.  Prior to the enactment of this requirement and the appropriation of these funds, local agencies were only urged to post these warnings – resulting in sites with no or inadequate warnings of fish contamination. 

The State Water Resources Control Board contracted with the California Conference of Directors of Environmental Health (CCDEH) to assist in the disbursement of these funds to eligible jurisdictions.  Funding under the grant agreement was provided on a reimbursement basis for eligible work undertaken, and $212,946.39 was disbursed to local government for the initial funding phase (Phase I). 

In addition, the SWRCB has allocated an additional $50,000 for this signage program and has established a second phase of this program (Phase II) for the disbursement of these unused funds and additional new funds.  As per a recent grant agreement amendment, CCDEH will again assist the SWRCB in the disbursement of funds to eligible projects. 

Under the current budget in the latest grant agreement, $449,799 has been budgeted for construction and implementation of health advisory signs.  The Phase II funding round has $236,852.61 available for construction and implementation of signs. 

Phase II Funding Eligibility requirements and prioritization criteria are shown below:

Eligibility

• For site-specific fish or shellfish health advisories that have been listed by OEHHA.  Note: Postings at site-specific advisories are eligible for reimbursement under the grant, however, postings for statewide advisories (including for non-site-specific coastal areas) are not eligible for reimbursement under the grant. 

• Installation of new signs and/or replacement of existing signs must be completed by the specified Phase II installation deadline in order to be eligible for grant reimbursement.  Any signs that have not yet been installed by the Phase II installation deadline are not eligible for reimbursement.

• To be eligible for grant reimbursement signs should be made of weather resistant and rigid material(s) (i.e., metal, wood, and/or rigid plastic, etc.) and be properly secured in order to endure inclement weather conditions (i.e., secured to new signposts, notification boards, existing poles, fences/railings, etc.).

• Funds must be distributed to and passed through the Local Health Officer (defined as the legally appointed health officer or director of environmental health of the city, county, or city and county having jurisdiction over the area in which a publicly accessible body of water is located), as Health and Safety Code section 116090.7 places the requirement to post warnings, maintain signage, and request and receive funding directly on the Local Health Officer. 

Prioritization Criteria

• Applications will be scored and ranked, and funding will be distributed as available based on application scores. The prioritization criteria include items below, and the scoring matrix is included in Attachment A.

➢ CalEnviroScreen Score
➢ Fish Contaminant Levels
➢ Estimated Usage
➢ Travel time to another water body with an advisory
➢ Size of Water body
➢ Absence of Existing Advisories/Signs at Waterbody
➢ Need to complete awarded signage started in Phase I

Phase II Application & Expenditure timeline

Phase II application deadline to submit requests October 18, 2024
Notification of award of funding to local agencies  November 30, 2024
Certification Form & OEHHA email approval of sign content due December 31, 2024
Phase II installation of signs deadline  May 29, 2025
Submit invoices & photos to CCDEH through drop box  August 27, 2025

Submit application by October 18, 2024 by email or mail to:

Sheryl Baldwin, Manager Sheryl@ccdeh.com & copy Jacob@ccdeh.com

California Conference of Directors of Environmental Health

5170 Golden Foothill Parkway #70

El Dorado Hills, CA 95762

530-676-0715

www.ccdeh.org

Consequences of not submitting a complete application or not accessing funding made available by the State under this grant.
If a Local Health Officer fails to request grant funding for a fiscal year, the duties imposed on the Local Health Officer’s local agency are mandatory for that fiscal year under section 116090.7(d),
so they would still be required to post and maintain warnings, and meet all other requirements placed on local agencies under AB 762 if they do not apply.
Applicable definitions and web links.
• Article 7 Fish and Shellfish Consumption Advisories 116090.6. shows the following terms have the following meanings:
o “Local health officer” means the legally appointed health officer or director of environmental health of the city, county, or city and county, having jurisdiction over the area in which a publicly accessible
body of water is located, which may include a coastal area.
o “Site-specific fish or shellfish health advisory” means a consumption advisory regarding fish or shellfish in a specified body of water or area of that body of water, which may include a specified area of coastal waters.   

• Link to OEHHA Fish and Shellfish Health Advisories – scroll down to the “OEHHA Fish Advisories” section where a search can be made by waterbody, county, or species.

https://oehha.ca.gov/fish/advisories

https://oehha.ca.gov/calenviroscreen/report/calenviroscreen-40

Fish Advisory Grant Application - Phase ll pdf

 Fish Advisory Project Phase ll Availability of Funding Outreach updated pdf

Fish Advisory Grant Phase ll Certification & Timeline updated pdf