[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 11, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1630-1634]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-625]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6521-7]


Office of Environmental Justice Small Grants Program; Application 
Guidance FY 2000

Introduction

    This guidance outlines the purpose, goals, and general procedures 
for application and award under the Fiscal Year (FY) 2000 Office of 
Environmental Justice Small Grants Program. For FY 2000, EPA will make 
available approximately $1,100,000 in grant funds to eligible 
organizations (pending availability of funds); $600,000 of this amount 
is available for superfund projects only. Applications must be mailed 
to your appropriate EPA regional office (listed in Section III) and 
postmarked by U. S. Postal Service no later than midnight Friday, March 
3, 2000.
    This guidance includes the following:

I. Scope and Purpose of the OEJ Small Grants Program
II. Eligible Applicants and Activities
III. Application Requirements
IV. Process for Awarding Grants
V. Expected Time-frame for Reviewing and Awarding Grants
VI. Project Period and Final Reports
VII. Fiscal Year 2001 OEJ Small Grants Program

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 de este anuncio en espanol. Si usted 
esta interesado en obtener una traduccion de este anuncio en espanol, 
por favor llame a La Officina de Justicia Ambiental conocida como 
``Office of Environmental Justice,'' linea gratuita (1-800-962-6215).

I. Scope and Purpose of the OEJ Small Grants Program

    The purpose of this grant program is to provide financial 
assistance to eligible community groups (i.e., community-based/
grassroots organizations, churches, or other non-profit organizations) 
and federally recognized tribal governments that are working on or plan 
to carry out projects to address environmental justice issues. 
Preference for awards will be given to community-based/grassroots 
organizations that are working on local solutions to local 
environmental problems. Funds can be used to develop a new activity or 
substantially improve the quality of existing programs that have a 
direct impact on affected communities. All awards will be made in the 
form of a grant not to exceed one year.

Background

    In its 1992 report, Environmental Equity: Reducing Risk for All 
Communities, EPA found that minority and low-income populations may 
experience higher than average exposure to toxic pollutants than the 
general population. The Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) was 
established in 1992 to help these communities 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, 
select, supervise, and evaluate environmental justice-related projects, 
and to disseminate information on the projects' content and 
effectiveness. Fiscal year (FY) 1994 marked the first year of the OEJ 
Small Grants Program. The chart below shows how the grant monies have 
been expended since FY 1994.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                   Dollar     Number of
                  Fiscal year                      amount       awards
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1994..........................................    $ 500,000           71
1995..........................................    3,000,000          175
1996..........................................    2,800,000          152
1997..........................................    2,700,000          139
1998..........................................    2,500,000          123
1999..........................................    1,455,000           95
------------------------------------------------------------------------

How does EPA Define Environmental Justice Under the Environmental 
Justice Small Grants Program?

    Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful 
involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, 
or income with respect to the development, implementation, and 
enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Fair 
treatment means that no groups of people, including racial, ethnic, or 
socioeconomic groups, should bear a disproportionate share of the 
negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, 
municipal, and commercial operations or the execution of federal, 
state, local, and tribal programs and policies.

II. Eligible Applicants and Activities

A. Who May Submit Applications and May an Applicant Submit More Than 
One?

    Any affected, non-profit community organization 501c(3) or 501c(4) 
1 or federally recognized tribal government may submit an 
application upon publication of this solicitation. Applicants must be 
non-profit to receive these federal funds. State recognized tribes or 
indigenous peoples organizations are able to apply for grant assistance 
as long as they meet the definition of a non-profit organization. 
``Non-profit organization'' means any corporation, trust, association, 
cooperative, or other organization that (1) is operated primarily for 
scientific, educational, service, charitable, or similar purposes in 
the public interest; (2) is not organized primarily for profit; and (3) 
uses its net proceeds to maintain, improve, and/or expand its 
operations. While state and local governments and academic institutions 
are eligible to receive grants, preference will be given to non-profit, 
community-based/grassroots organizations and federally recognized 
tribal governments. Preference may be given to those organizations that 
have not received previous Environmental Justice grants. Individuals 
are not eligible to receive grants.
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    \1\ As a result of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, EPA (and 
other federal agencies) may not award grants to non-profit, 
501(c)(4) organizations that engage in lobbying activities. This 
restriction applies to any lobbying activities of a 501(c)(4) 
organization without distinguishing between lobbying funded by 
federal money and lobbying funded by other sources.
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    The Environmental Justice Small Grants Program is a competitive 
process. In order not to give preferential treatment to any single 
potential applicant, the Agency will offer training

[[Page 1631]]

and/or conference calls on grant application guidelines. We encourage 
you to participate so that you can have your questions answered in a 
public forum. Please call your regional office to inquire about the 
scheduled dates of the special training and conference calls. (See 
Contact List in this document).
    EPA will consider only one application per applicant for a given 
project. Applicants may submit more than one application as long as the 
applications are for separate and distinct projects or activities. 
Applicants that were previously awarded small grant funds may submit an 
application for FY 2000. Every application for FY 2000 will be 
evaluated based on the merit of the proposed project in relation to the 
other FY 2000 pre-applications. However, past performance may be 
considered during the ranking and evaluation process for those 
applicants who have received previous grants.

B. What Types of Projects Are Eligible for Funding?

    While there are many applications submitted from community groups 
for equally worthwhile projects, EPA is emphasizing the need for 
projects in two categories: 1. Projects which address public health 
concerns/issues in minority/low-income communities. 2. Projects which 
address how environmental information can be made available in 
minority/low-income communities. Both of these areas of concentration 
are important issues to local communities. In order to be considered 
for funding, the application must include the following information: 
(1) How the proposed project addresses issues related to at least two 
environmental statutes and (2) How the proposed project meets at least 
two of the program goals.
(1) Multi-Media Statutory Requirement
    The OEJ Small Grants Program awards grants under a multi-media 
granting authority. This means that recipients of these funds must 
implement projects that address pollution in more than one 
environmental medium (e.g., air, water). To show evidence of the 
breadth of the project's scope, the application must identify at least 
two environmental statutes that the project will address. In most 
cases, your project will include activities outlined in the following 
environmental statutes:
    a. Clean Water Act, Section 104(b)(3): conduct and promote the 
coordination of research, investigations, experiments, training, 
demonstration, surveys, and studies relating to the causes, extent, 
prevention, reduction, and elimination of water pollution.
    b. Safe Drinking Water Act, Section 1442(b)(3): develop, expand, or 
carry out a program (that may combine training, education, and 
employment) for occupations relating to the public health aspects of 
providing safe drinking water.
    c. Solid Waste Disposal Act, Section 8001(a): conduct and promote 
the coordination of research, investigations, experiments, training, 
demonstrations, surveys, public education programs, and studies 
relating to solid waste (e.g., health and welfare effects of exposure 
to materials present in solid waste and methods to eliminate such 
effects)
    d. Clean Air Act, Section 103(b)(3): conduct research, 
investigations, experiments, demonstrations, surveys, and studies 
related to the causes, effects (including health and welfare effects), 
extent, prevention, and control of air pollution.
    In some circumstances, your project may be very research-oriented 
and specific to a particular environmental problem. If this is the 
case, you may reference the following environmental statutes (either 
list one of the following in addition to one listed above or list two 
of the following).
    e. Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10(a): conduct research, 
development, and monitoring activities on toxic substances.
    f. Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Section 
20(a): conduct research on pesticides.
    g. Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act, Section 203: 
conduct research, investigations, experiments, training, 
demonstrations, surveys, and studies relating to the minimizing or 
ending of ocean dumping of hazardous materials and the development of 
alternatives to ocean dumping.
    h. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability 
Act (CERCLA), Section 311(c) ``research with respect to the detection, 
assessment, and evaluation of the effects on and risks to human health 
of hazardous substances and detection of hazardous substances in the 
environment. The term ``hazardous substances'' in CERCLA Section 
101(14) and does not include many petroleum products.
    EPA's grant regulations define ``research'' as ``systematic study 
directed towards a fuller scientific knowledge or understanding of the 
subject studied.'' 40 CFR 30.2(dd). EPA has interpreted ``research'' to 
include study that extends to socioeconomic, institutional, and public 
policy issues as well as the ``natural'' sciences.
    Please note: if your project includes scientific research and/or 
data collection, you must be prepared to submit a Quality Assurance 
Plan (QAP) to your EPA Project Officer prior to the beginning of the 
research.
(2) Special Requirements for ``Superfund'' EJ Research Grants
    a. Superfund grants can only be made for research projects 
authorized by CERCLA 311(c)--research with respect to the detection, 
assessment, and evaluation of the effects on and risks to human health 
of hazardous substances and detection of hazardous substances in the 
environment.
    b. Applicants must demonstrate that the research project relates to 
``hazardous substances'' as that term is defined by CERCLA 101(14). 
There is a list of hazardous substances at 40 CFR 302.4 which, while 
not exclusive, does provide useful guidance.
    c. Research funded under CERCLA 311(c) cannot relate to petroleum 
products excluded from the definition of hazardous substances found at 
CERCLA 101(14).
    d. Applicants must meet the requirement that the project relate to 
two environmental grant authority statutes by proposing a research 
project that is authorized by both CERCLA 311(c) and another statute 
listed above which authorizes research funding.
    e. The project must be of a research nature only, i.e., survey, 
research, collecting and analyzing data that will be used to expand 
scientific knowledge or understanding of the subject studied. Projects 
which expand the scientific knowledge or understanding of community 
members of hazardous substances issues that affect them can be funded 
as EJ Superfund grants.
    f. The project cannot carry out training activities, other than 
training in research techniques, or outreach, technical assistance, or 
public education or awareness activities.
    g. The project can include conferences only if the purpose of the 
conference is to present research results or gather research data.
(3) Office of Environmental Justice Small Grants Program Goals
    In addition to the multi-statute requirement outlined above, the 
application must also include a description of how an applicant plans 
to meet at least two of the three program goals listed below. See 
Section III ``Application Requirements'' for more details.
    1. Identify necessary improvements in communication and 
coordination among all stakeholders, including existing community-
based/grassroots organizations and local, state, tribal, and

[[Page 1632]]

federal environmental programs. Facilitate communication and 
information exchange, and create partnerships among stakeholders to 
address disproportionate, high and adverse environmental exposure 
(e.g., workshops, awareness conferences, establishment of community 
stakeholder committees);
    2. Build community capacity to identify local environmental justice 
problems and involve the community in the design and implementation of 
activities to address these concerns. Enhance critical thinking, 
problem-solving, and active participation of affected communities. 
(e.g., train-the-trainer programs).
    3. Enhance community understanding of environmental and public 
health information systems and generate information on pollution in the 
community. If appropriate, seek technical experts to demonstrate how to 
access and interpret public environmental data (e.g., Geographic 
Information Systems (GIS), Toxic Release Inventories (TRI), and other 
databases).
    The issues discussed above may be defined differently among 
applicants from various geographic regions, including areas outside the 
continental U.S. (Alaska, American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, 
and the U.S. Virgin Islands). Each application should define its issues 
as they relate to the specific project. In your narrative/work plan, 
include a succinct explanation of how the project may 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 in federal funds for any one grant is $15,000 for non 
superfund projects or $20,000 for superfund projects. The Headquarters 
Office of Environmental Justice will provide each region with 
approximately $110,000 to issue awards of which $60,000 is available 
exclusively for superfund projects. Some regions may augment their 
regional pools with additional funds subject to availability. Please 
check with your regional contact for the amount of funds that will be 
available in each region.
    Applicants are not required to provide matching funds.

D. Are There Any Restrictions on the Use of the Federal Funds?

    Yes. EPA grant funds can only be used for the purposes set forth in 
the grant agreement. Among other things, absent specific statutory 
authority, grant funds from this program cannot be used for matching 
funds for other federal grants, lobbying, or intervention in federal 
regulatory or adjudicatory proceedings. In addition, the recipient may 
not use these federal assistance funds to sue the federal government or 
any other government entity. Refer to 40 CFR 30.27, entitled 
``Allowable Costs''. Further, the scope of EJ grants may not include 
construction, personal gifts (e.g., t-shirts, buttons, hats), and 
furniture purchases.

III. Application Requirements

A. What Is Required for Applications?

    In order to be considered for funding under this program, proposals 
from eligible organizations must have the following:
    1. Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) the official form 
required for all federal grants that requests basic information about 
the grantee and the proposed project. The applicant must submit the 
original application, plus two copies, signed by a person duly 
authorized by the governing board of the applicant.
    Please complete Part 10 of the SF-424 form, ``Catalog of Federal 
Domestic Assistance Number'' with the following information: 66.604--
Environmental Justice Small Grants Program.
    2. The Federal Standard Form (SF-424A) and budget detail, which 
provides information on your budget. For the purposes of this grants 
program, complete only the non-shaded areas of SF-424A. Budget figures/
projections should support your work plan/narrative. The EPA portion of 
these grants will not exceed $15,000 for non superfund or $20,000 for 
superfund projects, therefore your budget should reflect this limit on 
federal funds.
    3. Narrative/work plan of the proposal, not to exceed five pages. 
Applications may not be considered if they exceed five single pages. A 
narrative/work plan describes the applicant's proposed project. The 
pages of the work plan must be letter size (8\1/2\'' x 11''), with 
normal type size (12 characters per inch), and at least 1'' margins.
    The narrative/work plan is one of the most important aspects of 
your application and (assuming that all other required materials are 
submitted) will be used as the primary basis for selection. Work plans 
must be submitted in the format described below:
    a. A one page summary that:
     Identifies the environmental justice issue(s) to be 
addressed by the project;
     Identifies the EJ community/target audience;
     Identifies at least two environmental statutes/Acts 
addressed by the project; and
     Identifies at least two program goals that the project 
will meet and how it will meet them.
    b. A concise introduction that states the nature of the 
organization (i.e., how long it has been in existence, if it is 
incorporated, if it is a network, etc.), how the organization has been 
successful in the past, purpose of the project, EJ community/target 
audience, project completion plans/time frames, and expected results.
    c. A concise project description that describes how the applicant 
is community-based and/or plans to involve the target audience in the 
project and how the applicant plans to meet at least two of the three 
program goals outlined in Section IIB: ``Office of Environmental 
Justice Small Grants Program Goals.'' Additional credit will not be 
given for projects that fulfill more than two goals.
    d. A conclusion discussing how the applicant will evaluate and 
measure the success of the project, including the anticipated benefits 
and challenges in implementing the project.
    e. An appendix with resumes of up to three key personnel who will 
be significantly involved in the project.
    4. Letter(s) of commitment. If your proposed project includes the 
significant involvement of other community organizations, your 
application must include letters of commitment from these 
organizations. This requirement may not apply to your proposed 
project--only include if applicable.
    Applications that do not include the information listed above in 
items 1-3 and if applicable, item 4, will not be considered for an 
award.
    Please note: your application to this EPA program may be subject to 
your state's intergovernmental review process and/or the consultation 
requirements of Section 204, Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan 
Development Act. Check with your state's Single Point of Contact to 
determine your requirements--some states do not require this review. 
Applicants from American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin 
Islands should also check with their Single Point of Contact. If you do 
not know who your Single Point of Contact is, please call your EPA 
regional contact

[[Page 1633]]

(Section III) or EPA Headquarters at (202) 260-9266. Federally 
recognized tribal governments are not required to comply with this 
procedure.

B. When and Where Must Applications be Submitted?

    The applicant must submit/mail one signed original application with 
required attachments and one copy to the primary contact at the EPA 
regional office listed below. The application must be postmarked by 
United Parcel Postal Service no later than Friday, March 3, 2000.

Regional Contact Names and Addresses

Region l--Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode 
Island, Vermont

    Primary Contact: Ronnie Harrington, (617) 918-1703, USEPA Region 1 
(SAA), 1 Congress Street--Suite 1100, Boston, MA 02114-2023.
    Secondary: Pat O'Leary (617) 565-3834.

Region 2--New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands

    Primary Contact: Natalie Loney (212) 637-3639, USEPA Region 2, 290 
Broadway, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10007.
    Secondary: Melva Hayden (212) 637-5027.

Region 3--Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, 
Virginia, West Virginia

    Primary Contact: Reginald Harris (215) 814-2988, USEPA Region 3 
(3DA00), 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029.
    Secondary: Kathy Duran (215) 814-5441.

Region 4--Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North 
Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee

    Primary Contact: Gloria Love (404) 562-9672, USEPA Region 4, 61 
Forsyth Street, SW, Atlanta, GA 30303-8960.
    Secondary: Connie Raines (404) 562-9671.

Region 5--Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin

    Primary Contact: Margaret Millard (312) 353-1440, USEPA Region 5 
(MC T-175), 77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60604-3507.
    Secondary: Karla Johnson (312) 886-5993.

Region 6--Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas

    Primary Contact: Olivia Balandran (214) 665-7257, USEPA Region 6 
(6EN), 1445 Ross Avenue, 12th Floor, Dallas, Texas 75202-2733.
    Secondary: Shirley Augurson (214) 665-7401.

Region 7--Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska

    Primary Contact: Althea Moses (913) 551-7649 or 1-800-223-0425, 
USEPA Region 7, 726 Minnesota Avenue, Kansas City, KS 66101.
    Secondary: Cecil Bailey (913) 551-7462.

Region 8--Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming

    Primary Contact: Nancy Reish (303) 312-6040, USEPA Region 8 (8ENF-
EJ), 999 18th Street, Suite 500, Denver, CO 80202-2466.
    Secondary: Marcella Devargas (303) 312-6161.

Region 9--Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, Guam

    Primary Contact: Willard Chin (415) 744-1204, USEPA Region 9 (A-2-
2), 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105.
    Secondary: EJ Information Line (415) 744-1565.

Region 10--Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington

    Primary Contact: Victoria Plata (206) 553-8580, USEPA Region 10 
(CEJ-163), 1200 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101.
    Secondary: Mike Letourneau (206) 553-1687.

IV. Process for Awarding Grants

A. How Will Applications be Reviewed?

    EPA Regional offices will review, evaluate, and select grant 
recipients. Applications will be screened to ensure that they meet all 
eligible activities and requirements described in Sections II and III. 
Applications will also be evaluated by Regional review panels based on 
the criteria outlined in this solicitation. Applications will be 
disqualified if they do not meet these criteria.

B. How Will the Final Selections be Made?

    After the individual projects are reviewed and ranked, EPA Regional 
officials will compare the best applications and make final selections. 
Additional factors that EPA will take into account include geographic 
and socioeconomic balance, diverse nature of the projects, cost, and 
projects whose benefits can be sustained after the grant is completed. 
Regional Administrators will select the final grants.
    Please note that this is a very competitive grants program. Limited 
funding is available and many grant applications are expected to be 
received. Therefore, the Agency cannot fund all applications. If your 
project is not funded, a listing of other EPA grant programs may be 
found in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. This publication 
is available at local libraries, colleges, or universities.

C. How Will Applicants be Notified?

    After all applications are received, EPA Regional offices will mail 
acknowledgments to applicants in their Regions. Once applications have 
been recommended for funding, the EPA Regions will notify the finalists 
and request any additional information necessary to complete the award 
process. The finalists will be required to complete additional 
government application forms prior to receiving a grant, such as the 
EPA Form SF-424B (Assurances--Non-Construction Programs), EPA Form 
5700-48, and the Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and 
Other Responsibility Matters. The federal government requires all 
grantees to certify and assure that they will comply with all 
applicable federal laws, regulations, and requirements.
    The EPA Regional Environmental Justice Coordinators or their 
designees will notify those applicants whose projects are not selected 
for funding.

V. Expected Time-Frame for Reviewing and Awarding Grants

December 8, 1999--FY 2000 OEJ Small Grants Program Application Guidance 
is available and published in the Federal Register.
December 9, 1999 to March 3, 2000--Eligible grant recipients develop 
and complete their applications.
March 3, 2000--Applications must be postmarked by this date and mailed 
or delivered to the appropriate EPA regional office.
March 3, 2000 to April 9, 2000--EPA Regional Program Officials review 
and evaluate applications and select grant finalists.
April 9, 2000 to August 6, 2000--Applicants will be contacted by the 
region if their application is being considered for funding. Additional 
information may be required from the finalists, as indicated in Section 
IV. EPA regional grant offices process grants and make awards.
September 30, 2000--EPA expects to release the national announcement of 
the FY 2000 Office of Environmental Justice Small Grant Recipients.

[[Page 1634]]

VI. Project Period and Final Reports

    Activities must be completed and funds spent within the time frame 
specified in the grant award, usually one year. Project start dates 
will depend on the grant award date (most projects begin in August or 
September). The recipient organization is responsible for the 
successful completion of the project. The recipient's project manager 
is subject to approval by the EPA project officer but EPA may not 
direct that any particular person be the project manager.
    All recipients must submit final reports for EPA approval within 
ninety (90) days of the end of the project period. Specific report 
requirements (e.g., Final Technical Report and Financial Status Report) 
will be described in the award agreement. EPA will collect, review, and 
disseminate grantees' final reports to serve as model programs.
    For further information about this program, please visit EPA's 
website at www.epa.gov/oeca/oej/00grants.html or call our hotline at 1-
800-962-6215.

VII. Fiscal Year 2001 OEJ Small Grants Program

A. How Can I Receive Information on the Fiscal Year 2001 Environmental 
Justice Grants Program?

    If you wish to be placed on the national mailing list to receive 
information on the FY 2001 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 Small Grants Program (2201A), FY 2001 Grants 
Mailing List, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460, 1 (800) 962-6215.
    Thank you for your interest in our Small Grants Program and we wish 
you luck in the application process.
Barry E. Hill,
Director, Office of Environmental Justice.
[FR Doc. 00-625 Filed 1-10-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-U