[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 192 (Wednesday, October 5, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-24647]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: October 5, 1994]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-5086-5]
Office of Environmental Justice; Small Grants Program;
Solicitation Notice for Fiscal Year (FY) 1995 Environmental Justice
Small Grants to Community-Based/Grassroots Organizations and Tribal
Governments
Purpose of the Grants Program
The purpose of this grants program is to provide financial
assistance and stimulate a public purpose by supporting projects to any
affected community group, which is eligible under applicable statutory
authorities, (for example, community-based/grassroots organization,
church, school, education agency, college or university, or other non-
profit organization) and Tribal government who are working or plan to
carry out projects to address environmental justice issues. Funds can
be used to develop a new activity or to substantially improve the
quality of existing activities.
Funding
For FY 1995, the Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) has budgeted
$3,000,000 for the Environmental Justice (EJ) Small Grants Program.
EPA's 10 regions will each have $300,000 to award grants under this
program. A maximum of $20,000 can be awarded for each grant. EPA will
award grants in FY 1995 subject to the amount of funds appropriated by
Congress.
Translations Available
A Spanish translation of this announcement may be obtained by
calling the Office of Environmental Justice at 1-800-962-6215.
Hay traducciones disponibles en espanol. Si usted esta interesado
en obtener una traduccion de este anuncio en espanol, por favor llame a
La Oficina de Justicia Ambiental conocida como ``Office of
Environmental Justice'', linea de emergencia (1-800-962-6215).
Important Pre-Application Information
Pre-applications must be postmarked no later than Saturday,
February 4, 1995. Pre-applications will serve as the sole basis for
evaluation and recommendation for funding. EPA will award grants based
on the merits of the pre-application.
Pre-applications must be mailed to your Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) Regional Office. A list of addresses and phone numbers for
the regional contacts is included at the end of this notice. Required
pre-application forms, described below, may be obtained from the
regional contacts. EPA expects awards to be made by May 31, 1995.
Background
In its 1992 report, Environmental Equity: Reducing Risk for All
Communities, EPA found that minority and low-income communities
experience higher than average exposure to toxic pollutants than the
general population. OEJ was established in 1992 to help these
communities to identify and assess pollution sources, to implement
environmental awareness and training programs for affected residents,
and to work with community stakeholders to devise strategies for
environmental improvements.
In June of 1993, OEJ was delegated granting authority to solicit
projects, select suitable projects from among those proposed, supervise
such projects, evaluate the results of projects, and disseminate
information on the effectiveness of the projects, and feasibility of
the practices, methods, techniques, and processes in environmental
justice areas.
Fiscal Year (FY) 1995 is the second year of the EJ Small Grants
Program. Seventy-one (71) grants totaling $507,000 were awarded in FY
1994.
A. How Does EPA Define Environmental Justice Under the Environmental
Justice Small Grants Program?
Environmental justice is the fair treatment of people of all races,
cultures, and income with respect to the development, implementation
and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Fair
treatment means that no racial, ethnic or socioeconomic group should
bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental
consequences resulting from the operation of industrial, municipal, and
commercial enterprises and from the execution of federal, state and
local, and tribal programs and policies. Environmental justice seeks to
ensure that the communities, private industry, local governments,
states, tribes, federal government, grassroots organizations, and
individuals act responsibly and ensure environmental protection to all
communities.
Eligible Activities
B. What Type of Projects Are Eligible to Receive Funding?
To be selected for an award, the project must include one or more
of the following four (4) objectives:
1. Identify the necessary improvements in communication and
coordination among existing community-based/grassroots organizations,
and local, state, tribal, and federal environmental programs, and all
other stakeholders. Facilitate communication, information exchange, and
partnerships among the stakeholders to address environmental injustices
(for example, workshops, awareness conferences, establishment of
community stakeholder committees, community newsletters, etc.);
2. Motivate the general public to be more conscious of their local
environmental justice issues or problems and encourage the community to
take action to address these issues (for example, reforestation
efforts, monitoring of socioeconomic changes due to environmental
abuse, stream monitoring, etc.);
3. Develop and demonstrate an environmental justice practice,
method, or technique which has wide application and addresses an
environmental justice issue which is of a high-priority.
4. Teach about risk reduction and pollution prevention, and seek
technical experts to demonstrate how to access, analyze, and interpret
public environmental data (for example, Geographic Information Systems
(GIS), Toxic Release Inventories (TRI), and other databases.)
Priority will be given to community-based/grassroots organizations,
tribes, and organizations whose projects will help improve the
environmental quality of affected communities by (A) developing an
environmental justice project, activity, method, or technique which has
wide application, (B) enhances the community's skills in addressing
environmental justice issues and problems, and (C) establishes or
expands environmental and public health information systems for local
communities.
Environmental Justice projects or activities should enhance
critical thinking, problem solving, and the active participation of
affected communities in decision-making processes. Environmental
justice efforts may include, but are not necessarily limited to
enhancing the gathering, observing, measuring, classifying,
experimenting, and other data gathering techniques that assist
individuals in discussing, inferring, predicting, and interpreting
information about environmental justice issues and concerns.
Environmental justice projects should engage and motivate individuals
to weigh various issues to make informed and responsible decisions as
they work to address environmental injustices.
The items discussed above are relative and can be defined
differently among the applicants from various geographic regions. Each
pre-application should define these items and terms as they relate to
the specific project. Include a succinct explanation of how the project
can serve as a model in other settings and how it addresses a high-
priority environmental justice issue. The degree to which a project
addresses a high-priority environmental justice issue will vary and
must be defined by applicants according to their local environmental
justice concerns.
C. How Much Money May Be Requested, and Are Matching Funds Required?
The ceiling for any one grant is $20,000 in Federal funds.
Depending on the funds appropriated by Congress, EPA's 10 regional
offices will each have approximately $300,000 to issue awards.
Applicants are not required to cost share.
D. Who May Submit Pre-Applications and May an Applicant Submit More
Than One?
Any affected community group (for example, community-based/
grassroots organization, church, school, education agency, college or
university, or other non-profit organizations) and Tribal government
may submit a pre-application upon publication of this solicitation.
Applicants must be incorporated and non-profit to receive these Federal
funds. Individuals are not eligible to receive grants. The
qualifications of the project manager and other individuals
participating in the proposed project will be an important factor in
the selection process.
EPA will consider only one pre-application per applicant for a
given project. Applicants may submit more than one pre-application as
long as the pre-applications are for separate and distinct projects or
activities.
Applicants who were previously awarded funds may submit an
application for FY 1995. The FY 1995 pre-application may or may not
have any relationship to the project funded in FY 1994. Every pre-
application for FY 1995 will be evaluated based upon the merit of the
proposed project in relation to the other FY 1995 pre-applications,
regardless of whether the proposal would expand a project funded in a
previous year.
E. Are There Any Restrictions on the Use of the Federal Funds?
Yes. Among other things, EPA funds cannot be used as matching funds
for other Federal grants, for construction, legal/attorney fees, or
buying furniture. Refer to 40 CFR 30.410 ``How does EPA determine
Allowable Costs?''
The Pre-Application
F. What is a Pre-Application?
The pre-application contains four parts: 1) the ``Application for
Federal Assistance'' form (Standard Form 424/SF 424), 2) the ``Budget
Information: Non-Construction Programs'' form (Standard Form 424A/SF
424A), 3) a work plan (described below), and 4) certifications/
assurances forms. These documents contain all the information EPA needs
to evaluate the merits of your pre-application. Finalists may be asked
to submit additional information to support their projects.
G. How Must the Pre-Application Be Submitted and Specifically What Must
the Standard Forms (SF) 424 and (SF) 424A, and the Work Plan Include?
The applicant must submit the original pre-application signed by a
person duly authorized by the governing board of the applicant and one
copy of the pre-application (double-sided encouraged). Pre-applications
must be reproducible (for example, stapled once in the upper left hand
corner, on white paper, and with page numbers).
As described above, a pre-application contains an SF 424, SF 424A,
a work plan, and certifications/assurances. The following describes the
contents and requirements of the SF 424, SF 424A, the work plan, and
the certifications/assurances forms.
The percentages next to the items discussed below are the weights
EPA will use to evaluate the applicant's pre-application. Please note
that certain sections are given greater weight than others. The
required forms described below can be obtained by calling or writing to
the EPA contacts listed at the end of this notice.
1. Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424). An SF 424 is an
official form required for all Federal grants which requests basic
information about the applicant and the proposed grant project. A
completed SF 424 must be submitted as part of your pre-application.
(5%)
2. Budget Information: Non-Construction Programs (SF 424A). An SF
424A is an official form which requests the applicant to provide the
basic information on how the Federal and non-Federal share (if any) of
funds will be used. A completed SF 424A must be submitted as part of
your pre-application. For the purposes of this grants program, complete
only the non-shaded areas. (5%)
3. Work Plan. A work plan describes the applicant's proposed
project. Work plans must be no more than 5 pages total. One page is one
side of a single-spaced typed page. The pages must be letter size (8\1/
2\ x 11), with normal type size (10 or 12 cpi) and at least 1''
margins. The only appendices and letters of support that EPA will
accept are a detailed budget, resumes of key personnel, and commitment
letters. (85%-delineated below)
Work plans must be submitted in the format described below.
I. A concise introduction of no more than one page that states the
nature of the organization, how the organization has been successful in
the past, purpose of the project, objective, method, project completion
plans, target audience, and expected results. (10%)
II. A clear and concise project description of no more than four
pages which describes how the applicant plans to accomplish one or more
of the four objectives outlined in Question B. (60%)
A. Identify necessary improvements in communication and
coordination * * * Facilitate communication, information exchange * *
*.
B. Motivate the general public to be more conscious of
environmental justice issues * * *
C. Develop and demonstrate environmental justice practice, method,
or technique * * *
D. Teach about risk reduction and pollution prevention * * *
III. A conclusion of no more than one page discussing how the
applicant will evaluate the success of the project, in terms of the
anticipated strengths and challenges in implementing the project. (10%)
IV. An appendix with no more than two pages of resumes of up to
three key personnel. (5%)
V. An appendix with one page letters of commitment from other
organizations with a significant role in the project. Letters of
endorsement are not acceptable.
4. Certification/Assurances: The Federal government requires all
grantees to certify and assure that they will comply with a variety of
federal laws, regulations and requirements. There are two
certifications/assurances forms which must be signed and included in
the application. (5%)
H. When and Where Must Pre-Applications Be Submitted?
The original plus one copy of the pre-application must be mailed to
EPA postmarked no later than Saturday, February 4, 1995. Pre-
applications must be submitted to the EPA regional office for the
region where the applicant is located. A list of the addresses of the
EPA Regional Offices (with the names of the regional contacts) and a
list of the states which these offices support are included at the end
of this notice.
Review and Selection Process
I. How Will Pre-Applications Be Reviewed?
EPA Regional Offices will review, evaluate, and make selections.
Pre-applications will be screened to ensure they meet all eligible
activities described in Questions A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H.
Applications will be disqualified if they do not meet EPA's basic
criteria.
J. How Will the Final Selections Be Made?
After the individual projects are reviewed and ranked as described
in Question I, EPA officials in the regions will compare the best pre-
applications and make final selections. Factors EPA will take into
account include geographic and socioeconomic balance, project
diversity, cost, and projects whose benefits can be sustained after the
grant is completed.
Regional Administrators will select the grants with concurrence
from the Director of the Office of Environmental Justice at EPA
Headquarters.
K. How Will Applicants Be Notified?
After all pre-applications are received, EPA will mail
acknowledgements to each applicant. Once pre-applications have been
recommended for funding, EPA will notify the finalists and request any
additional information necessary to complete the award process. The EPA
Regional Environmental Justice Coordinators will notify those
applicants whose projects were not funded.
Grant Activities
L. When Should Proposed Activities Start?
Activities cannot start before funds are awarded. Start dates are
currently targeted for June 1, 1995. EPA plans to award these projects
by May 31, 1995.
M. How Much Time Do Grant Recipients Have to Complete Projects?
Funding may be requested for periods of up to 12 months. However,
flexibility is possible depending upon the nature of the project.
Activities must be completed within the time frame specified in the
grant award. Requests for renewals will receive low priority.
N. Who Will Perform Projects and Activities?
The project manager, who is normally an employee of the recipient,
is responsible by law for the technical success of the project. The
project manager is subject to approval by the EPA project officer.
O. What Reports Must Grant Recipients Complete?
All recipients must submit final reports for EPA approval within
ninety (90) days following the end of the project period. Specific
report requirements (for example, Final Technical Report and Financial
Status Report) will be detailed in the award agreement. EPA plans to
collect, evaluate, and disseminate grantees' final reports to serve as
model programs. Since networking is crucial to the success of the
program, grantees may be required to submit an extra copy to a central
collection point.
P. What is the Expected Time-Frame for the Review and Awarding of the
Grants?
October 7, 1994--Request for Applications Notice (RFA) is published in
the Federal Register.
October 8, 1994-February 3, 1995--Eligible grant recipients develop
their pre-applications.
February 4, 1995--Pre-applications must be postmarked or received by
EPA Regional Offices by this date.
February 5, 1995-March 31, 1995--EPA program officials review,
evaluate, and select grants.
April 1, 1995-May 31, 1995--EPA Regional grants offices process grants
and make awards. Applicants will be contacted by the grants office or
program office if their pre-proposal was selected for funding.
Additional information may be required from the finalists, as indicated
under Question F above.
June 1, 1995--EPA anticipates the grantees' projects or activities to
begin by or around this date, after grant agreements have been accepted
by the recipient.
Fiscal Year 1996
Q. How Can I Receive Information on the Fiscal Year 1996 Environmental
Justice Grants Program?
After the Fiscal Year 1995 Solicitation, EPA will develop a new
mailing list for the Fiscal Year 1996 Solicitation. If you wish to
receive information on the 1996 Environmental Justice Small Grants
Program, you must mail your request along with your name, organization,
address and phone number to: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Office of Environmental Justice Grants-FY 1996 (3103), 401 M Street,
SW., Washington, DC 20460.
For additional information, please contact the appropriate Regional
EJ Coordinator listed at the end of this notice.
Working Definitions
Affected communities--individuals or groups of individuals
which are subject to an actual or potential health, economic, or
environmental threat arising from, or which arose from, polluting
source(s), or proposed polluting source(s). An example of affected
parties include individuals who live near polluting sources and whose
health is or may be endangered or whose economic interest are directly
threatened or harmed.
Education agency--any education agency as defined in
section 198 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 3381) and shall include any tribal education agency.
Environmental justice--refer to definition provided on
page 3.
Geographic protection--efforts to manage environmental
problems that are specific to the characteristics of a geographic
region.
Low-income community--a population that is classified by
the U.S. Bureau of the Census as having an aggregated mean income level
for a family of four that correlates to $13,359, adjusted through the
poverty index using a standard of living percentage change where
applicable, and whose composition is at least 25% of the total
population of a defined area or jurisdiction.
Non-profit organization--an organization, association, or
institution described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986, which is exempt from taxation pursuant to the provisions of
section 501(a) of such Code.
People of color community--a population that is classified
by the U.S. Bureau of the Census as African American, Hispanic
American, Asian and Pacific American, American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut
and other non-white persons, whose composition is at least 25% of the
total population of a defined area or jurisdiction.
Pollution prevention --the reduction or elimination of
pollutants through increased efficiency in the use of raw materials,
energy water, or other resources; or the protection of natural
resources by conservation. Pollution prevention measures may reduce the
amount of pollutants released into the environment as well as the
hazards to public health and the environment from such releases.
Risk reduction --the process of estimating and comparing
the dimensions and characteristics of risks, and determining the
feasibility and costs of reducing them, to determine which future
actions to take to achieve the greatest reduction of the most serious
threats.
Tribe--all federally recognized American Indian tribes
(including ``Alaskan Native Villages''), pueblos, and rancherios.
Although, as used in this notice, the term tribe refers to only
``federally recognized'' indigenous peoples, ``state recognized''
indigenous peoples are able to apply for grants as ``other eligible
grass-roots organizations'' as long as they are incorporated.
Jonathan Z. Cannon,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Administration and Resources
Management.
Contact Names and Addresses
Region 1
Primary Contact: James Younger 617/565-3427, USEPA Region 1, John
F. Kennedy Federal Building, One Congress Street, 10th Floor OCR,
Boston, MA 02203.
Secondary Contact: Rhona Julien 617/565-9454.
Region 2
Primary Contact: Lillian Johnson 212/264-7054, USEPA Region 2
(2EPD), Javits Federal Building, 26 Federal Plaza, New York, NY 10278.
Secondary Contact: Natalie Loney 212/264-0002.
Region 3
Primary Contact: Mary Zielinski 315/597-6795, USEPA Region 3 (3PM-
71), 841 Chestnut Building, 3DA00, Philadelphia, PA 19107-4431.
Secondary Contact: Dominique Luekenhoff 215/597-6529.
Region 4
Primary Contact: Vivian Malone Jones 404/347-4294 ext. 6764, USEPA
Region 4, 345 Courtland Street, NE., Atlanta, GA 30365.
Secondary Contact: Hector Buitrago 404/347-2200.
Region 5
Primary Contact: Gina Rosario 312/353-4716, USEPA Region 5 (H-75),
77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60604-3507.
Secondary Contact: Ethel Crisp 312/353-3810.
Region 6
Primary Contact: Mary Wilson 214/665-6529, USEPA Region 6 (6M-P),
1445 Ross Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75202-2733.
Secondary Contact: Lynda Carroll 214/665-6500.
Region 7
Primary Contact: Hattie Thomas 913/551-7003, USEPA Region 7 1-800-
223-0425, 726 Minnesota Avenue, Kansas City, KS 66101.
Secondary Contact: Rupert Thomas 913/551-7661.
Region 8
Primary Contact: Mel McCottry 303/294-1982, USEPA Region 8 (PM-AS),
999 18th Street, Suite 500, Denver, CO 80202-2405.
Secondary Contact: Tempa Graves 303/294-1982.
Region 9
Primary Contact: Lori Lewis 415/744-1561, USEPA Region 9 (E-1), 75
Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105.
Secondary Contact: Martha Vega 415/744-1609.
Region 10
Primary Contact: Robyn Meeker 206/553-8579, USEPA Region 10 (MD-
142), 1200 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101.
Secondary Contact: Joyce Kelly 206/553-4029.
Headquarters
Primary Contact: Daniel Gogal 1-800-962-6215, USEPA, Office of
Environmental Justice (3103), 401 M Street, SW., Washington, DC 20460.
States and Territories By Region
Region 1
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Region 2
New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands
Region 3
Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West
Virginia
Region 4
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Tennessee
Region 5
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin
Region 6
Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
Region 7
Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska
Region 8
Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming
Region 9
Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, Guam
Region 10
Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington
[FR Doc. 94-24647 Filed 10-4-94; 8:45 am]
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