[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 155 (Friday, August 10, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42408-42411]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-20132]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPPTS-00321; FRL-6796-9]


Lead Awareness (Educational) Outreach for Native American Tribes; 
Notice of Funds Availability

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY:  EPA is soliciting applications for grants from Indian Tribes 
to support Tribal lead awareness (educational) outreach activities. EPA 
is awarding grants which will provide approximately $1 million for 
Indian Tribes to perform those activities and to encourage Indian 
Tribes to consider continuing such activities in the future. Decisions 
on awarding the grant funds will be made based on the evaluation of the 
applications. This notice describes eligibility, activities, 
application procedures and requirements, and evaluation criteria.

DATES:  All grant applications must be received on or before October 9, 
2001.

ADDRESSES: Applications may be submitted by mail. Please follow the 
detailed instructions as provided in Unit I. of the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information contact: 
Barbara Cunningham, Acting Director, Environmental Assistance Division 
(7401), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: (202) 554-1404; e-mail address: [email protected].
    For technical information contact: Darlene Watford, Program 
Assessment and Outreach Branch, National Program Chemicals Division 
(7404), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: (202) 260-3989; e-mail address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this Action Apply to Me?

    This action is directed to federally recognized Indian Tribes or 
Tribal Consortium only. For the purposes of this Notice, a partnership 
between two or more federally recognized Indian Tribes is considered a 
consortium. If you have any questions regarding the applicability of 
this action to a particular entity, consult the technical

[[Page 42409]]

person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

B. How Can I Get Additional Information, Including Copies of this 
Document and Other Related Documents?

    You may obtain electronic copies of this document, and certain 
other related documents that might be available electronically, from 
the EPA Internet Home Page at http://www.epa.gov/. To access this 
document on the Home Page select ``Laws and Regulations,'' 
``Regulations and Proposed Rules,'' and then look up the entry for this 
document under the ``Federal Register--Environmental Documents.'' You 
can also go directly to the Federal Register listings at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.
    You may also access this document at the Office of Pollution 
Prevention and Toxics Lead Home Page at http://www.epa.govlead. Select 
``What's New.''

C. How and To Whom Do I Submit an Application?

    Submit grant applications through the U.S. mail to: Darlene 
Watford, Program Assessment and Outreach Branch, National Program 
Chemicals Division (7404), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics 
(OPPT), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460.
    For overnight/express delivery service, send applications to: 
Darlene Watford, Program Assessment and Outreach Branch, National 
Program Chemicals Division (7404), Office of Pollution Prevention and 
Toxics (OPPT), Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., Room 
817 East Tower, Washington, DC 20460.

D. What Should I Consider as I Prepare My Application?

    1. Scope and purpose. The purpose of these grants is to support 
Indian Tribes in their efforts to provide lead awareness and education 
and outreach to children, parents, daycare providers, and legal 
custodians on the potential health risks associated with lead exposure.
    2. Eligibility. Eligible recipients are federally recognized Indian 
Tribes or Tribal Consortia only. Federally recognized Indian Tribes are 
listed in the Federal Register notice of March 13, 2000 (65 FR 13298-
13303).
    3. Activities to be funded. EPA will provide financial assistance 
in the form of grants to Indian Tribes or Tribal Consortia to launch 
organized outreach efforts to educate Native American families about 
the dangers to children of exposure to lead-based paint hazards, 
distribute educational information, and encourage Native American 
families to have their children screened for lead and have their homes 
tested for lead hazards. Activities may include but are not limited to 
training medical professionals, developing culturally specific lead 
outreach materials, distributing pamphlets, and establishing an in-home 
education program to visit the homes of young Tribal children.
    Applicants may develop their own outreach materials, however, 
reproducing pre-existing products is preferred. 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 developed useful lead poisoning prevention materials to 
conduct outreach and awareness (educational) activities. EPA and other 
Federal agencies have developed, and currently provide, a wide range of 
outreach materials available from the National Lead Information Center 
(1-800-424-LEAD). Trained specialists at the Center can help applicants 
identify specific types of lead awareness materials that already exist 
and thereby avoid spending resources to recreate these materials. Grant 
funding may be used to duplicate existing lead outreach materials or to 
develop and implement a lead poisoning awareness and prevention 
program. Any new materials developed by the applicant must be 
consistent with the Federal (EPA, Department of Housing and Urban 
Development (HUD), and Centers for Disease Control (CDC)) lead hazard 
awareness and poisoning prevention program(s).
    4. Project duration. Projects are expected to completed within 2 
years of award of the grant.
    5. Ineligible costs. Examples of ineligible costs under this grant, 
include the following:
    i. Purchasing real property, such as land or buildings;
    ii. Lead hazard reduction activities, such as performing interim 
controls or abatement (as defined in 40 CFR 745.223) of homes or 
apartments;
    iii. Construction activities, such as renovation, remodeling, or 
building a structure;
    iv. Office equipment that costs more than 10% of the amount of the 
grant, such as a copying machine or a color printer;
    v. Analysis equipment in excess of 10% of the amount of the grant;
    vi. Case-management costs (i.e., follow-up visits by a doctor or 
chelation therapy), including treatment for Tribal children with blood-
lead levels 10 g/dL (micrograms per deciliter); and
    vi. Contractor support in excess of 25% of the amount of the grant 
award.
    6. Application requirements. Applicants must submit one original 
and three double-sided copies of the application (include a return 
mailing address in the application). Applications must be unbound, 
clipped or stapled in the upper left-hand corner, on white paper, and 
with page numbers. The deadline for EPA's receipt of applications is 
October 9, 2001. Applicants must identify in the application any funds 
from other sources (private or public) used to carry-out their proposed 
grant projects (in response to this Notice). If the applicant has 
conducted, or is currently working on a related project(s), a brief 
description of those projects, funding sources, primary commitments, 
and an indication as to whether those commitments were met must be 
provided in the application in the Appendix section of the work plan. 
The description should also indicate how the proposed project is 
different from other funded work conducted by the Indian Tribe(s) or 
unfunded work conducted by another entity (e.g., Indian Health Service, 
EPA Superfund Office, etc.), and how the proposed project will not 
duplicate previous or on-going projects. There are no requirements for 
matching funding under this grant program. There is no requirement for 
an Indian Tribe to provide documentation to prove that it meets the 
Treatment as a State standard. No applicant may receive more than one 
Federal grant under this Notice for the same project. It is important 
to note that Indian Tribes will not be awarded funds to conduct the 
same activities under the grant program described in this Notice and 
the EPA lead-based paint grant program (TSCA section 404(g)) which is 
described in a separate Federal Register notice published elsewhere in 
this issue. This Notice is one of three EPA notices that announce the 
availability of funds to conduct various lead-based paint activities. 
The specific details regarding the other notices are described in 
separate Federal Register notices entitled:
     Baseline Assessment of Existing Exposure and Risks of 
Exposure to Lead Poisoning of Native American Children and
     Solicitation of Applications for Lead-Based Paint Program 
Grants.
Although Indian Tribes may apply to receive grant funding from all 
three notices, they each have very distinct objectives. The grant 
program opportunities described in this Notice and the companion notice 
(``Baseline Assessment of Existing Exposure and

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Risks of Exposure to Lead Poisoning of Native American Children''), may 
serve as a precursor to, but not as an equivalent or supplement to, the 
TSCA section 404(g) lead-based paint grant program as described in the 
notice entitled Solicitation of Applications for Lead-Based Paint 
Program Grants. The TSCA section 404(g) lead-based paint grant program 
for which funding is also provided, involves infrastructure development 
for the anticipated implementation of a lead program and does not 
include the general outreach and education activities as listed in this 
notice. Indian Tribes may determine from the sample results and data 
interpretation that they obtain from the Baseline Assessment grant 
program described in the companion notice (``Baseline Assessment of 
Existing Exposure and Risks of Exposure to Lead Poisoning of Native 
American Children''), that they have a need to develop a lead-based 
paint grant program and may apply for TSCA section 404(g) grant funds. 
Indian Tribes with an EPA approved lead-based paint program may become 
eligible for other Federal funding opportunities (such as HUD and CDC 
grant programs) for lead activities.
    i. Grant forms and certifications. The following forms and 
certifications, which are contained in EPA's ``Application Kit for 
Assistance,'' must be included in the application:
    a. Standard Form 424 (Application for Federal Assistance);
    b. Standard Form 424A (Budget Information-Non-Construction 
Programs);
    c. Standard Form 424B (Assurances-Non-Construction Programs);
    d. Standard Form LLL (Disclosure of Lobbying Activities );
    e. Certification Regarding Debarment and Suspension;
    f. EPA Form 4700-4 (Compliance Review Report Form); and
    g. Quality Assurance Statement.
Application Kits for Assistance include items a-g of this unit and are 
available from any of EPA's 10 Regional Offices listed in this unit or 
may be accessed at http://www.epa.gov/region4/grants/grants.htm.
    Region I: (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode 
Island, and Vermont), Regional Contact--James Bryson, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Region I, One Congress St., 
Suite 1100 (CPT), Boston, MA 02114-0203; telephone number: (617) 918-
1524; e-mail address: [email protected].
    Region II: (New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin 
Islands), Regional Contact--Lou Bevilacqua, USEPA Region II, MS-225, 
2890 Woodbridge Ave., Edison, NJ 08837; telephone number: (732) 321-
6671; e-mail address: [email protected].
    Region III: (Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West 
Virginia, and the District of Columbia), Regional Contact--Roberta 
Riccio, USEPA Region III (3WC33), 1650 Arch St., Philadelphia, PA 
19103-2029; telephone number: (215) 814-3107; e-mail address: 
[email protected].
    Region IV: (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North 
Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee), Regional Contact--Rose Anne 
Rudd, USEPA Region IV, 61 Forsyth St., SW., Atlanta, GA 30303; 
telephone number: (404) 562-8998; e-mail address: 
[email protected].
    Region V: (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and 
Wisconsin), Regional Contact--David Turpin, USEPA Region V (DT-8J), 77 
W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604; telephone number: (312) 886-7836; 
e-mail address: [email protected].
    Region VI: (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas), 
Regional Contact--Jeffrey Robinson, USEPA Region VI, 1445 Ross Ave., 
12\th\ Floor, Dallas, TX 75202; telephone number: (214) 665-7577; e-
mail address: [email protected].
    Region VII: (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska), Regional 
Contact--Mazzie Talley, USEPA Region VII, ARTD/RALI, 901 North 5\th\, 
Kansas City, KS 66101; telephone number: (913) 551-7518; e-mail 
address: [email protected].
    Region VIII: (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, 
and Wyoming), Regional Contact--David Combs, USEPA Region VIII, 999-
18\th\ St., Suite 300, Denver, CO 80202; telephone number: (303) 312-
6021; e-mail address: [email protected].
    Region IX: (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, 
and Guam), Regional Contact--Patricia Norton, USEPA Region IX (CMD-4-
2), 75 Hawthorne St., San Francisco, CA 94105; telephone number: (415) 
744-1069; e-mail address: [email protected].
    Region X: (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington), Regional 
Contact--Barbara Ross, USEPA Region X, Solid Waste and Toxics Unit 
(WCM-128), 1200 Sixth Ave., Seattle, WA 98101; telephone number: (206) 
553-1985; e-mail address: [email protected].
    ii. Work plan. The work plan must describe the proposed project. 
The work plan must be 4-6 pages (typed) in length (excluding Appendix). 
One page is one side of a single-spaced typed page. The pages must be 
letter size (10 or 12 characters per inch (cpi)) and must have margins 
that are at least 1 inch. The format for the work plan must be 
organized as outlined in this unit:
    a. Introduction. Title of Project, Table of Contents, and Summary.
    b. Lead awareness (educational) outreach activities. This section 
should include, but not be limited to, the following items/activities: 
Purpose, goal, and scope of the project; types of lead educational 
material that will be used and/or reproduced; types, if any, of lead 
educational materials that will be developed; distribution and delivery 
plans; and percentage estimate of the number of Tribal families who 
will receive the lead awareness information.
    c. Project management. Include a description of staff positions, 
roles, and responsibilities; a description of the Indian Tribe's 
experience in or potential to conduct activities described in Unit 
I.D.6.ii.b.; efforts of partnership and collaboration with other local 
health agencies, extent of contractor support, schedule for completion, 
and a budget summary.
    d. Appendix. The appendix must be no more than 10 pages total and 
follow the same paging and spacing description as provided in Unit 
I.D.6.ii.
    i. Resumes of key personnel. Include title, description, and 
reference name with phone number for work on previous or current grants 
or contracts with the Federal Government within the last 5 years.
    ii. Samples of outreach materials. (Optional).
    iii. Letters of support from Tribal representatives (for a 
consortium of Indian Tribes). Include a letter or resolution from the 
Tribal Council or Chairperson showing support for and commitment to the 
project. (If it is not possible to obtain a letter/resolution from the 
Tribal Council or Chairperson to submit with your application, an 
interim letter of explanation must be included with the application. 
The letter/resolution will still be required prior to award of grant.)
    iv. Related projects. Include detailed information on other lead-
based paint or lead related activities (if applicable).
    7. Funding. The Agency will have discretion in the distribution of 
the funds. Applicants may receive grants of up to $30,000. Grant 
applications for amounts greater than $30,000 may be submitted and 
subsequently awarded in cases where the size of the Tribal population 
served is greater than average or where the Tribe is represented by a 
Tribal consortium. Final distribution of the funds will be dependent 
upon the number of qualified applicants, tribal populations served by

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each grant, and other factors, as deemed appropriate by EPA (i.e., 
evaluation criteria described in Unit I.D.8.).
    8. Evaluation criteria. EPA will review all applications. 
Applications will be reviewed for quality, strength, and completeness 
against the following criteria. The maximum rating score of an 
application is 100 points.
    i. General (20 points). The applicant's description of an 
educational outreach program must address the goals of this Notice as 
described in Unit I.D.1. It must include reasonable and attainable 
goals and an approach that is clearly detailed. The applicant must 
describe how effectiveness of the project will be determined. The 
applicant must provide detailed information on all lead-based paint or 
lead-related activities for which each tribe has received funding from 
any Federal, State, or local government.
    ii. Outreach (40 points). The applicant should fully describe the 
proposed educational outreach efforts for the Tribal Indian community 
(or communities). The messages proposed by the applicant should be 
consistent with EPA, HUD, and CDC lead-based paint program policies, 
guidelines, regulations, and recommendations. The following elements 
will be specifically evaluated:
    a. Types of existing lead educational material to be used and/or 
reproduced (i.e., reports, pamphlets, brochures, video tapes, CD ROMs, 
etc.); types, if any, of lead awareness (educational) outreach 
materials that will be developed;
    b. Method of distribution of materials throughout the Tribal 
population;
    c. How the messages will be delivered, e.g., lecture, written 
material distribution, one-on-one interviews;
    d. Printing, special video taping, advertising (billboards, 
posters, flyers), collaboration with radio or television, or other 
methods used to reach the Tribal Indian population regarding the 
outreach effort;
    e. Percentage estimate of the number of Tribal families who will 
receive the lead awareness information; efforts that will be employed 
to target hard-to-reach tribal communities to inform families about 
childhood lead poisoning and screening, if applicable; the number of 
people/families/medical personnel/etc., who will be reached; and
    f. An indication as to whether the proposed outreach materials and 
activities are suitable for the target audience (i.e., appropriate 
language comprehension and cultural identification).
    iii. Project management (30 points). The applicant should describe 
positions of staff, roles and responsibilities, and their 
qualifications. The following elements will also be evaluated:
    a. Resumes of key personnel;
    b. Applicant's experience in or potential to conduct activities 
such as those described in Unit I. D.3.;
    c. Previous experience managing similar projects and availability 
of references;
    d. Access to properly trained staff and facilities to conduct the 
project;
    e. Schedule for completing major milestones of the project; and
    f. The extent of activities to be performed by a contractor.
    iv. Budget and schedule (10 points). The evaluation will consider 
the extent to which the budget (as provided by applicant on SF424A in 
the application) is reasonable, clear, and consistent with the intended 
use of the funds. Although matching funds are not required, bonus 
points will be given to applications indicating financial contributions 
and/or in-kind services provided to the project.

II. What Action is the Agency Taking?

    EPA is soliciting applications from Indian Tribes for grants to 
support lead awareness (educational) outreach activities for Indian 
Tribes. EPA is awarding grants which will provide approximately $1 
million for Indian Tribes to perform those activities and to encourage 
Indian Tribes to consider continuing such activities in the future. 
Decisions on awarding the grant funds will be made based on the 
evaluation of the applications.

III. Statutory Authority

    Section 10 of TSCA, as supplemented by Public Law 106-74, 
authorizes EPA to award grants for the purpose of conducting research, 
development, monitoring, education, training, demonstrations, and 
studies necessary to carry out the purposes of the Act.

IV. Submission to Congress and the Comptroller General

    Grant solicitations such as this are considered rules for the 
purpose of the Congressional Review Act (CRA). The CRA, 5 U.S.C. 801 et 
seq., as added by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness 
Act of 1996 (SBREFA), generally provides that before a rule may take 
effect, the agency promulgating the rule must submit a rule report, 
which includes a copy of the rule, to each House of the Congress and to 
the Comptroller General of the United States. EPA will submit a report 
containing this rule and other required information to the U.S. Senate, 
the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the 
United States prior to publication of the rule in the Federal Register. 
This rule is not a ``major rule'' as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Grants--Indians, Indians, Lead, Maternal 
and child health.


    Dated: July 31, 2001.
William H. Sanders III,
Director, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics.

[FR Doc. 01-20132 Filed 8-9-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S