[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 60 (Wednesday, March 28, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16913-16914]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-7634]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6959-1]


Notice of Request for Proposals for Projects To Be Funded From 
the Water Quality Cooperative Agreement Allocation

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: EPA Region 6 is soliciting proposals from State agencies and 
Tribes interested in applying for Federal assistance for Water Quality 
Cooperative Agreements under the Clean Water Act section 104(b)(3) in 
the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. 
Region 6 EPA will award an estimated $1 million to eligible applicants 
through assistance agreements ranging in size up to $200,000 for 
innovative projects/ demonstrations/studies that can be used as models 
relating to the prevention, reduction, and elimination of water 
pollution.

DATES: EPA will consider all proposals received on or before 5 pm 
Central Time April 27, 2001. Proposals received after the due date will 
not be considered for funding.

ADDRESSES: Proposals should be mailed to: Terry Mendiola (6WQ-AT), U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, Region 6, 1445 Ross Avenue, Dallas, 
Texas 75202-2733. Overnight Delivery may be sent to the same address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Terry Mendiola by telephone at 214-
665-7144 or by E-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

What Is the Purpose of This Request for Proposals?

    EPA Region 6's Water Quality Protection Division is requesting 
proposals from State agencies and Tribes for unique and innovative 
projects that address the requirements of the National Pollutant 
Discharge Elimination Systems (NPDES) program with special emphasis on 
wet weather activities, i.e., storm water, sanitary sewer overflows, 
and concentrated animal feeding operations as well as projects that 
enhance the ability of the regulated community to deal with non-
traditional pollution problems in priority watersheds. Innovative 
studies leading to the development of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) 
is another priority on which these funds could be focused.
    Tribal governments should submit proposals which strengthen 
implementation of tribal environmental protection.
    An organization whose proposal is selected for Federal assistance 
must complete an EPA Application for Assistance, including the Federal 
SF-424 form (Application for Federal Assistance, see 40 CFR 31.10).

Has EPA Region 6 Identified High Priority Areas for Consideration?

    EPA Region 6 has identified several project areas for priority 
consideration to the extent they are for research, investigations, 
experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys and studies related to 
the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of 
water pollution:

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations

Alternative markets for excess manure
Voluntary Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans for Animal Feeding
Operations with 300 to 500 animal units

Wet Weather (Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs), Storm Water)

Integration of SSO and storm water requirements
Measuring the effectiveness of storm water Best Management Practices 
(BMPs)
Trends analysis of load reductions due to implementation of storm water 
BMPs
Storm water monitoring techniques
Estimating quantified benefits of enhanced sewer performance (e.g., 
reduced backups)
Quantifying the impacts of sewage overflows
Evaluation of impacts of peak wet weather flows on Publicly Owned 
Treatment Works (POTW)
Capacity, Management, Operations and Maintenance (CMOM) of POTWs 
Inflow/Infiltration reduction
Sewer rehabilitation methods

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Programs

Stakeholder watershed approaches
Nutrient trading
Watershed integration of NPDES programs
Innovative Permit Writing Tools
Strategy to effectively manage Permit Backlog

Pretreatment

Performance measures
Facilitation of innovative technology transfer
Pretreatment on the Mexican Border

Environmental Management System (EMS)

Benefits and impacts of EMS
EMS adoption by public agencies

Cooling Water Intake Structures (Clean Water Act, Section 316(b))

Innovative technologies that reduce impingement and entrainment of 
aquatic organisms into cooling water intakes
Ecological effects of cooling water intake structures on aquatic 
environments
Effectiveness of ecological restoration activities in reducing the 
impact of cooling water intake structures on the aquatic environment

Infrastructure Funding Related To

Asset Management
Operations and Maintenance (O&M) issues for small communities
Capacity Building for Tribes/Native Villages/Environmental Justice

[[Page 16914]]

Biosolids

Demonstrations of regional biosolids approaches
Food crop applications on biosolids and/or reclaimed water 
(assessments, research, demonstrations analyses)

Onsite/Decentralized Systems

State-level adoption of EPA management guidelines
Overcoming institutional, regulatory and funding barriers to 
implementation of decentralized options
Development of tools to assist communities with conducting 
comprehensive, watershed-wide assessments of risks associated with 
decentralized wastewater systems

TMDL

Innovative studies leading to TMDL development

Statutory Authority, Applicable Regulations, and Funding Level

    Funding is authorized under the provisions of the Clean Water Act 
section 104(b)(3), 33 U.S.C. 1254(b)(3).
    The regulation governing the award and administration of Water 
Quality Cooperative Agreements is 40 CFR part 31 (for States, Tribes, 
local governments, intertribal consortia, and interstate agencies).
    Total funding available for award by Region 6 will depend on EPA's 
appropriation for Fiscal Year 2001; however, it is estimated that $1 
million will be available for funding approved projects. A five percent 
match will be required for all approved projects and should be included 
in the total funding requested for each proposal submitted.

Proposal Format and Contents

    Proposals should be limited to three pages. Full application 
packages should not be submitted at this time. The following format 
should be used for all proposals:
    Name of Project:
    Point of Contact: (Individual and State Agency/Tribe Name, Address, 
Phone Number, Fax Number, E-mail Address)
    Is This a Continuation of a Previously Funded Project (if so, 
please provide the status of the current grant or cooperative 
agreement):
    Proposed Award Amount:
    Proposed Match:
    Description of General Budget Proposed To Support Project:
    Project Description: (Should not exceed two pages of single-spaced 
text)
    Expected Accomplishments or Product, With Dates, and Interim 
Milestones: This section should also include a discussion of a 
communication plan for distributing the project results to interested 
parties.
    Describe How the Project Meets the Evaluation Criteria Specified 
Below:

EPA Proposal Evaluation Criteria

    EPA will consider proposals based on the following criteria:
     The relationship of the proposed project to the priorities 
identified in this notice.
     How well the project furthers the goal of the Clean Water 
Act to prevent, reduce, and eliminate water pollution.
     Innovation of project proposal.
     Cost effectiveness of the proposal.
     Agency's/Tribes' past performance.
     Compliance with directions for submittal contained in this 
notice.

Eligible Applicants

    For the purpose of this notice, eligible applicants for assistance 
agreements under section 104(b)(3) of the Clean Water Act are State 
agencies and Tribal governments. This solicitation is limited to 
applicants within EPA Region 6.

Application Procedure

    Please send three copies of the proposal.

Schedule of Activities

    This is the estimated schedule of activities for review of 
proposals and notification of selections:

April 27, 2001--Proposals due to EPA.
May 29, 2001--Initial approvals identified and sponsors of projects 
selected for funding will be requested to submit a formal application 
package.

Sam Becker,
Acting Director, Water Quality Protection Division.
[FR Doc. 01-7634 Filed 3-27-01; 8:45 am]
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