[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 114 (Friday, June 13, 1997)] [Notices] [Pages 32322-32324] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 97-15563] [[Page 32322]] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [OPPTS-00216; FRL-5722-4] Notice of Availability of FY 1997 Lead Poisoning Prevention and Lead Hazard Awareness Public Education and Outreach Grant Funds AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of funds availability. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: EPA is soliciting pre-application grant proposals under a new grant program for Lead Poisoning Prevention and Lead Hazard Awareness Public Education and Outreach. EPA anticipates that $450,000 will be available in Fiscal Year 1997, with individual grants awarded in the range of $20,000 to $60,000. The purpose of this program is to deliver public education and outreach products and services to increase lead- based paint hazard awareness and promote lead poisoning prevention to high-risk target audiences. For the purposes of this grant proposal application process, the term high-risk target audience refers to communities which are predominantly low-income, minority (e.g., African American, Asian Pacific American, Hispanic American, American Indian), located in large metropolitan areas, or communities which consist predominantly of older housing. The Agency chose to define high-risk target audience in this way because children living in these communities are especially at risk to elevated levels of lead exposure. These grant funds will be used for projects that deliver lead hazard awareness and poisoning prevention information to the parents, to care- takers or service providers (e.g., pediatricians) of children under 6 years of age, and to other vulnerable populations (e.g., pregnant women) in high-risk target audiences. DATES: All pre-application grant proposals must be post-marked by July 28, 1997. ADDRESSES: Submit pre-application proposals to: Megan Carroll, EPA Project Officer, Mail Code 7404, Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan B. Hazen, Director, Environmental Assistance Division (7408), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Rm. E-543B, Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460, (202) 554-1404, TDD: (202) 554-0551, e-mail: TSCA-H[email protected]. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Scope and Purpose of the FY 1997 Lead Poisoning Prevention and Lead Hazard Awareness Public Education and Outreach Grant Program A. Existing EPA/Federal Lead Outreach Program This new FY 1997 Lead Poisoning Prevention and Lead Hazard Awareness Public Education and Outreach Grant Program will build upon the Federal lead poisoning prevention outreach program already in place. The Federal program has recently relied on the National Lead Information Center hotlines (in English and Spanish) to respond to public inquiries, public service announcements on radio and television, transit ads, brochures, videos, pamphlets, individual EPA staff efforts, targeted outreach mailings, and cooperative efforts with states and other non-federal partners. With this new grant program, EPA hopes to build on these efforts by harnessing the expertise and the ability of other smaller organizations, such as local governments, community groups, and other specialized non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which operate on the local level, to deliver lead hazard awareness and poisoning prevention messages to targeted audiences at highest risk. B. Recent NHANES Study A recent study by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) indicates that children of urban, minority (e.g., African American, Asian Pacific American, Hispanic American, American Indian), or low-income families, or who live in older housing, continue to be most vulnerable to lead poisoning, and have elevated blood-lead levels. The February 21, 1997 Center for Disease Control's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report states that: ``Despite the recent and large declines in BLLs [blood lead levels], the risk for lead exposure remains disproportionately high for some groups, including children who are poor, non-Hispanic black, Mexican American, living in large metropolitan areas, or living in older housing.'' The report also states: The risk for lead exposure in children is primarily determined by environmental conditions of the child's residence. The most common source for lead exposure for children is lead-based paint that has deteriorated into paint chips and lead dust.* In the United States, approximately 83% of privately owned housing units and 86% of public housing units built before 1980 contain some lead-based paint.* In addition, soil and dust contaminated with residual lead fallout from vehicle exhaust contribute to exposure; concentrations of lead in soil and dust are highest in central urban areas.* For adults, the most common high-dose exposure sources are occupational.* Other exposure sources for adults and children can include lead dust brought into the home on clothing from workplaces, lead used for some hobbies, lead contained in some ``folk'' medicines and cosmetics, and lead in plumbing and in crystal and ceramic containers that leaches into water or food.*1 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control. February 21, 1997, Vol. 46, No. 7. *See this report for references within the quotation. C. New Grant Projects Will Expand Outreach Efforts EPA has successfully developed a variety of lead hazard awareness and poisoning prevention outreach materials and has the organization in place to respond to interested members of the public. With this new grant program, EPA will take the next steps to enable successful applicants (grantees) to deliver products directly to targeted audiences by funding public education and outreach projects that target high-risk communities who are especially at risk to elevated levels of lead exposure. EPA is not seeking proposals that will result in policy recommendations or national outreach strategies. Rather, EPA will fund projects that develop an ability to reach and benefit members of the public with appropriate outreach materials, with the expectation that successful projects may be replicated in other communities at a later time. D. Outreach Materials Applicants may develop their own outreach materials or use already existing products as part of their proposal. EPA is aware that many state, tribal, and local departments of health and environmental protection, as well as advocacy groups and community development groups, have already developed useful lead poisoning prevention tools for conducting outreach and education campaigns. In addition, EPA and other federal agencies have already developed, and currently provide, a wide range of outreach materials available from the National Lead Information Clearinghouse (1-800-424-LEAD). (Those potential applicants who are not familiar with materials available through the National Lead Information Clearinghouse may want to call and speak to a trained specialist at 1-800-424-LEAD. The trained specialists can help applicants identify specific types of outreach materials that already exist and thereby avoid spending resources to recreate the materials.) [[Page 32323]] If an applicant chooses to develop new materials or use non-EPA materials, selected applicants will be required to obtain approval for the use of those materials from the EPA Project Officer during the post-award phase of the project (i.e., after the grant agreement is in place but before the grantee actually begins outreach activities). This approval is limited to the use of the materials under this grant program and will not necessarily be a formal EPA review and endorsement of any other organization's product. Any new materials developed by the applicant must be consistent with the Federal lead hazard awareness and poisoning prevention program. Applicants who propose to use existing materials (either EPA materials or non-EPA materials) should include a copy (or citation of EPA materials) of the proposed outreach materials with the grant application. II. Activities and Criteria EPA specifically seeks proposals for projects to conduct lead hazard awareness and lead poisoning prevention public education or outreach activities in high-risk communities. For the purposes of this grant proposal application process, the term high-risk target audience refers to communities which are predominantly low-income, minority (e.g., African American, Asian Pacific American, Hispanic American, American Indian), located in large metropolitan areas, or communities which consist predominantly of older housing. The Agency chose to define high-risk target audience in this way because children living in these communities are especially at risk to elevated levels of lead exposure. EPA will not consider applications that propose to use the funds for abatement projects. Below are examples of the types of the projects that applicants may want to consider. Examples of projects include, but are not limited to:Training members of the medical profession who work in a particular community in lead-based paint hazard awareness and poisoning prevention. Increasing lead hazard awareness by distributing pamphlets and brochures at community meeting places, schools, and local events, and conducting follow-up seminars or information fairs. Developing and delivering lead poisoning prevention awareness programs for workers, living in high-risk target communities, who may bring lead back into their homes (due to occupational exposure). Creating a new information product, distributing it in a specified locale, and demonstrating that the product effectively communicates the lead hazard awareness messages. Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria: 1. Identification of high-risk target audience. Does the applicant specify what subset of the population at-large will be the target audience for the project, e.g., parents of elementary school-age children in a particular public school district, or medical personnel in a specified neighborhood or district? Does the applicant indicate how the target audience fits into this grant program which targets people living in communities which are predominantly low-income, minority (e.g., African American, Asian Pacific American, Hispanic American, American Indian), located in large metropolitan areas, or consisting predominantly of older housing? 2. Relevancy of applicant's proposed outreach materials and activities to the target audience. Does the applicant demonstrate that the proposed outreach materials and activities are suitable for the target audience (i.e., appropriate language comprehension and cultural identification)? 3. Ability of applicant to deliver lead hazard awareness and poisoning prevention information directly to the applicant's intended target audience. Does the applicant indicate how the messages will be delivered, e.g., lecture, written material distribution, one-on-one interviews? Does the applicant indicate the number of people/families/ medical personnel/etc. that will be reached? 4. Qualifications and experience of the applicant relative to the proposed project. Does the applicant demonstrate experience in community outreach activities? Does the applicant demonstrate experience in conducting public health or health education activities? Is the applicant knowledgeable about lead hazard awareness and poisoning prevention issues? Does the applicant have the properly trained staff and facilities to conduct the project? 5. Consistency of applicant's proposed outreach materials and activities with the Federal lead hazard awareness and poisoning prevention program. Are the messages proposed by the applicant consistent with EPA/HUD/CDC policies, guidelines, and regulations? 6. Provision for measuring and documenting the project's results quantitatively and qualitatively (evaluation). Is the applicant's proposed project designed in such a way that it is possible to measure and document the results quantitatively and qualitatively? Does the applicant identify the method that will be used to measure and document the project's results quantitatively and qualitatively? 7. Likelihood that the project can be replicated in other areas by other organizations to benefit other communities. Can this project, taking into account typical staff and financial restraints, be replicated by similar organizations in different locations to address a problem that exists in other communities? III. Eligibility Eligible recipients include, but are not limited to, non-profit organizations, institutions of higher learning, state and local associations, states, federally recognized Indian Tribes and tribal organizations, for-profit organizations, trade and professional associations, labor unions and joint labor/management trust funds. However, as a result of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, EPA (and other federal agencies) may not award grants to non-profit, section 501(c)(4) organizations that engage in lobbying activities. This restriction applies to any lobbying activities of a section 501(c)(4) organization without distinguishing between lobbying funded by federal money and lobbying funded by other sources. In addition, the following conditions apply: 1. There are no requirements for matching funding under this grant program. 2. No applicant can receive two grants for the same project at one time. Applicants may submit more than one application so long as the applications are for separate and distinct projects. 3. If applicants will use funding from other sources (private or public) in carrying-out their proposed projects, the applicants must disclose those sources of funding in the application. 4. The grants under this program will be awarded as cooperative agreements to allow for the substantial involvement anticipated between EPA and the recipients during the post-award period for these projects. IV. Grant Term The applicant's proposed project period should start no earlier than November 1, 1997, and may last for up to 2 years; successful applicants may be granted extensions beyond the 2-year [[Page 32324]] period, but those decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis, if and when they become necessary. V. Pre-application Procedure Applicants must submit a work plan and a budget (as described below) for the pre-application procedure. The Agency will use applicants' work plans and budgets to select projects to be funded under this grant program. After EPA conducts a review of all submitted pre-applications, successful applicants will be contacted and requested to submit other documents (such as the ``Application for Federal Assistance'' form (Standard Form 424 or SF424), a ``Budget Information: Non-Construction Programs'' form (SF424A) and other required forms) to complete the application process. However, for the purposes of the pre- application process, applicants must only submit a work plan and budget. Applicants must submit one original and two copies of the application (double-sided copies are encouraged). Pre-applications must be reproducible (for example, stapled in the upper left hand corner, on white paper, and with page numbers). 1. Work plan. A work plan describes the applicant's proposed project. Work plans must be no more than 10 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 must have margins that are at least 1 inch. The only appendices that EPA will accept are resumes of key personnel and copies of outreach materials (if appropriate to the application.) 2. Budget. The budget should include the following categories of costs: personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contractual, construction, other, total direct charges (sum of personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contractual, construction and other), indirect charges and total (sum of total direct charges and indirect charges.) All budgets must include funds to travel to Washington, DC or Atlanta, GA for an information sharing meeting of all successful grantees (at a time to be determined.) List of Subjects Environmental protection, Lead. Dated: June 9, 1997. William H. Sanders III, Director, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics. [FR Doc. 97-15563 Filed 6-12-97; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560-50-F