[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]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P