California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle)

Tire Grants

Questions and Answers: Rubberized Asphalt Concrete (RAC) Grant Programs (FY 2008/09)

The question and answer period is now closed for this grant cycle. All questions and answers are posted on this site.

Questions about the RAC grant application, fiscal year (FY) 2008/09, were accepted in writing only, no later than:

  • October 8, 2008, for applications due October 31, 2008.
  • January 7, 2009, for applications due January 30, 2009.

Similar or related questions were grouped together or reworded for clarity and responded to as one question.

General | Eligibility | Application | Materials | Funding

General

How is this grant different from the past Targeted RAC Incentive, RAC Use, and Chip Seal Grants?

Each component of the individual grant programs is still in effect. Major changes include:

  • Streamlined joint solicitation and application for all RAC grant programs.
  • Grant application deadlines and awards are twice per fiscal year for all RAC grants rather than separate offerings for each program.
  • The maximum grant for each program is $250,000 and should include two years (not one) of paving projects (substitute projects may be allowed subject to certain conditions).
  • Eligible applicants may apply for one Targeted or Use and one Chip Seal grant in the same consolidated application for a maximum request of $500,000.
  • The term for each grant is approximately two years and applicants that have been awarded grants are not eligible to apply for the same grant program in the same or following fiscal year.
  • Various changes to the grant award categories and eligibility with categories/funding based on the number of previous California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) RAC or Chip Seal grants, not previous RAC or chip seal projects.

Did the reimbursement rate amount per ton increase for the FY 2008/09 RAC Use grant?

For Category 4--Use, the FY 2008/09 grant award is unchanged and is based on a reimbursement rate of $5.00 per ton of RAC used.

Does the Waste Management Reduction Act, or any related regulations, describe what provisions are required for an acceptable Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Policy (EPPP)? If so, where can I find that information?

This is a Board policy, not a regulation or statute. This policy was enacted to foster markets for recycled products. There is an example EPPP included in our fiscal year (FY) 2008/09 Application Guidelines and Instructions.

Must the EPPP cover the entire county government or is a departmental policy acceptable?

The EPPP covers the entire applicant jurisdiction (city, county or qualifying Indian tribe), not just a department.

What happens if the EPPP is altered or terminated in the future? It would obviously preclude obtaining future grants, but how would it affect grant monies already expended? Are there time requirements involved for the EPPP?

The EPPP is required for an applicant to be considered for a grant award. We expect grantees to act in "good faith" when adopting this policy and to honor their commitment to the EPPP throughout the grant term.

Eligibility

We anticipate using approximately 1,370 tons of conventional Asphalt Concrete (AC) on our proposed project. We anticipate the AC will be placed in November 2008. If we use RAC, would this project be eligible for reimbursement under the RAC grant?

The project will be eligible for consideration based on meeting the minimum tonnage requirement (1,250 tons). However, this project will not be eligible for award because the first cycle of RAC grants will be awarded in January 2009. Grant projects cannot start construction before the grant is conditionally awarded by the CIWMB.

The FY 2008/09 RAC grant eligibility period is overlapping with the 2007/08 RAC Chip Seal Grant Program grant term. Can we move roads listed in one chip seal grant to another to better utilize all the grant funds?

No. Each grant program and/or grant cycle is self-contained, and projects that were approved for funding under your 2007/08 Chip Seal grant are not eligible for funding under any other grant or grant cycle.

Our City received a RAC Use grant for FY 2007/08 and is planning to apply for additional Use grants for up to 4 projects for FY 2008/09. Will we be eligible to apply for a RAC Use grant in FY 2008/09?

We were awarded a CIWMB Targeted RAC Incentive grant for $200,000 in FY2006/07. Can we apply for a Targeted Category 2 grant for FY 2008/09?

How many grants may an applicant have open?

Can an applicant apply in consecutive years?

Since the RAC grants now represent funding for two years of projects, rather than one year as was previously the case, multiple projects are encouraged in a single grant application.

Eligible applicants with an existing RAC grant prior to August 2008 are eligible to apply for a Targeted or Use and Chip Seal grant in FY 2008/09, but are thereafter subject to the eligibility limitations based on award dates as stated below:

Applicants that have been awarded grants are not eligible to apply for the same grant program in the same or following fiscal year. For example:

  • An eligible applicant who receives a Targeted or Use and Chip Seal grant in FY 2008/09 is not eligible to apply for another Targeted or Chip Seal grant in FYs 2008/09 or 2009/10; but may apply in FY 2010/11.
  • Eligible applicants who receive a Targeted or Use grant may apply for a Chip Seal grant (or who receive a Chip Seal grant may apply for a Targeted or Use grant), in the same or following fiscal year.

What type of eligible project is this product mainly intended for (i.e. earthship model, road construction, bike trails, or pedestrian paths)? Are projects for other than roads (like parking lots or other vehicle maneuvering areas) eligible?

RAC is typically used for road construction projects such as resurfacing. You can use RAC on projects other than roads as long as you meet the minimum of 1,250 tons. However, our staff and technical assistance contractor do not recommend the use of RAC for parking lots and other areas where there are tight turning situations (e.g., cul-de-sacs) or where heavy equipment will be used or stored.

If an applicant has had a Targeted RAC grant in the past, what grants are they eligible for under the new eligibility criteria?

Your current eligibility is dependent upon the number of past CIWMB RAC grants received. Please refer to the grant reimbursement chart included in our Application Guidelines and Instructions under the Available Funds section for a reference on which grants you qualify for based upon the number of previous grants received.

We are an Orange County city that would like to utilize this RAC grant for a two-mile arterial pavement rehab project with an approximate cost of $1.4 million, scheduled to be constructed in FY 2008/09. Based on our preliminary calculations, we anticipate using between 9,800 to 10,000 tons of RAC. My questions are the following:

  • Does our project qualify?
  • Which category do we best qualify for?
  • How do we begin the application process?

It appears that your project is eligible. Our database shows that you have not received any previous RAC grants. Therefore, you would be considered for a Category 1--Targeted. To begin the process, please complete our application.

Application

I have one project, which consists of three separate street segments. Should I delineate each segment separately or do I combine them in the application?

The one project should be listed and include the three separate street segments.

When applying for Targeted RAC Incentive Grant Program, how does the applicant determine the RAC tonnage that the grant will be awarded based on 100 percent, 70 percent or 40 percent in the application form?

The number of CIWMB RAC grants received in the past determines the grant award basis for the differential reimbursement rates. According to the grant reimbursement chart on Page 3 of the Application Guidelines and Instructions under the Available Funds section, if the applicant has previously received no RAC grants from the CIWMB, its grant award will be based on a 100 percent differential reimbursement rate. If the applicant has previously received one RAC grant from the CIWMB, its grant award will be based on a 70 percent differential reimbursement rate. If an applicant has received 2-3 RAC grants, the applicant will receive a grant award based on a differential reimbursement rate of 40 percent. Applicants who have previously received 4 or more RAC grants from the CIWMB are no longer eligible for the Targeted RAC Incentive Grant Program; they become eligible for the RAC Use Grant Program, in which grant awards are based on a reimbursement rate of $5.00 per ton of RAC used.

Are there separate applications?

The applications for the three grant programs have been consolidated into one streamlined application.

How does the rural funding apply?

The rural jurisdictions funding set-asides have been eliminated.

Materials

What materials are acceptable for the grant programs?

The following are project requirements specific to the individual RAC programs indicated:

Targeted RAC Incentive Grant Program

  • RAC material must meet American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D 6114-97(2002) "Standard Specification for Asphalt-Rubber Binder."
  • Project(s) must use a minimum of 3,500 tons of RAC.

RAC Use Grant Program

  • Project(s) must use a minimum of 20 pounds of crumb rubber per ton of hot mix.
  • Project(s) must use at least 1,250 tons of RAC hot mix.

RAC Chip Seal Grant Program

  • RAC chip seal material must contain a minimum of 300 pounds (equivalent to 15 percent by weight) of tire-derived crumb rubber per ton of rubberized binder.
  • Project(s) must use a minimum area of 35,000 square yards of RAC chip seal material.

Does the minimum 1,250 tons of RAC reflect on a single project or multiple projects?

The minimum tonnage of RAC may be obtained through a single project or by aggregating multiple projects within the same application.

Funding

Are matching funds required?

Matching funds are not required.

How much is allocated for each RAC grant programs?

Total funding is subject to availability of funds and is anticipated to be:

  • $2 million for the Targeted Grant Program.
  • $2,520,583 for the Use Grant Program.
  • $3,250,000 for the Chip Seal Grant Program.

RAC FY 2008/09 | RAC Grants Home

Last updated: May 26, 2009
Tire Recycling, Cleanup, and Enforcement Grants, http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Tires/Grants/
Contact: (916) 341-5062 Grants@calrecycle.ca.gov