[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 198 (Thursday, October 12, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60662-60663]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-26223]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6884-3]


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) 2001. In FY 2000 the 
Workgroup made $2.4 million available to fund or partially fund eleven 
proposed projects. The Workgroup believes that a similar dollar amount 
will be available to fund projects in FY 2001. 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 assist tribal communities with 
closing or upgrading high threat waste disposal sites and providing 
alternative disposal options. In determining whether a site is high 
threat, 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 threat 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 threat.
    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

[[Page 60663]]

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, the 
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the United States 
Coast Guard and the Departments of Agriculture, Defense and Housing and 
Urban Development.
    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 by close of 
business on November 13, 2000 and full proposals must be received by 
close of business on February 23, 2001.

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.'' Copies may also be obtained by contacting 
EPA, IHS or BIA regional or area offices or one of the following 
Workgroup representatives:
    EPA--Melanie Barger Garvey, 202-564-2579, Beverly Goldblatt, 703-
308-7278, or Tonya Barnett, 703-308-8278.
    IHS--Steve Aoyama, 301-443-1046.
    BIA--Jerry Gidner, 202-208-5696.

    Dated: October 2, 2000.
Elizabeth A. Cotsworth,
Director, Office of Solid Waste.
[FR Doc. 00-26223 Filed 10-11-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P