[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 191 (Monday, October 4, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53675-53676]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-25712]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6450-6]


Interagency Project to Clean Up Open Dumps on Tribal Lands: 
Request for Proposals

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The national Tribal Solid Waste Interagency Workgroup 
(Workgroup) is soliciting proposals for its Tribal Open Dump Cleanup 
Project (Cleanup Project) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2000. In FY 1999 the 
Workgroup made more than $1.6 million available to fund eleven proposed 
projects. The Workgroup believes that a similar dollar amount will be 
available to fund projects in FY 2000. In selecting Cleanup Project 
proposals, the Workgroup plans to use a two-step process. The first 
step is to submit a pre-proposal which generally outlines the proposed 
project and provides a general budget estimate. This will allow the 
tribes that are considering submitting full proposals to present their 
ideas to the Workgroup and receive feedback prior to submitting full 
proposals. It will also allow the Workgroup agencies to assess and plan 
for potential financial and technical needs early in the process. The 
second step of the proposal submission process is to submit a full 
proposal. Please note that tribes are eligible to submit full proposals 
even if they do not submit a pre-proposal.
    The Cleanup Project is intended to demonstrate the Federal 
government's ability to work closely with tribal governments to provide 
comprehensive solid waste management funding and technical support for 
the closure or upgrade of ``high priority'' waste disposal sites and 
the development and strengthening of tribal or multi-tribal solid waste 
management programs. In determining whether a site is high priority, 
the Workgroup will generally rely on the Indian Health Service's Report 
to Congress on open dumps on Indian lands. The Workgroup recognizes 
that an individual tribe may have information on high priority sites 
that are not included in the IHS Report. To address such sites, the 
Request for Proposals package includes criteria that allow a tribe to 
demonstrate that a site represents a serious threat to human health and 
the environment and should be considered high priority.
    The Tribal Solid Waste Interagency Workgroup was established in 
April 1998 to design a Federal plan for helping tribes bring their 
waste disposal sites into compliance with the municipal solid waste 
landfill criteria (40 CFR part 258), i.e., closing or upgrading open 
dumps and planning for appropriate alternative disposal. Current 
Workgroup members include representatives from EPA, the Bureau of 
Indian Affairs, the Indian Health Service, the Federal Aviation 
Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 
the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Departments of Agriculture and 
Defense.

Criteria

    Eligible recipients of assistance under the Cleanup Project include 
federally recognized tribes and multi-tribe 501(c)(3) organizations 
whose membership consists of federally recognized tribes. A full 
explanation of the submittal process, the qualifying requirements, and 
the criteria that will be used to evaluate proposals for this Project 
may be found in the Request for Proposals package.

DATES: For consideration, pre-proposals must be received no later than 
November 19, 1999 and full proposals must be received no later than 
February 25, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Copies of the Request for Proposals 
package may be downloaded from the Internet at <www.epa.gov/tribalmsw> 
by clicking on ``What's New'' or ``Funding.'' Copies may also be 
obtained by contacting your regional EPA, IHS or BIA area office or one 
of the following Workgroup representatives:
    EPA--Melanie Barger Garvey, 202-564-257, Beverly Goldblatt, 703-
308-7278, or Clara Mickles, 202-260-7519.
    IHS--Steve Aoyama, 301-443-1046.
    BIA--Jerry Gidner, 202-208-5696.


[[Page 53676]]


    Dated: September 27, 1999.
Elizabeth A. Cotsworth,
Acting Director, Office of Solid Waste.
[FR Doc. 99-25712 Filed 10-1-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P