[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 188 (Friday, September 27, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61090-61094]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-24643]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7384-9]


Office of Environmental Justice Small Grants Program--Application 
Guidance FY 2003

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This guidance outlines the purpose, goals, and general 
procedures for application and award under the Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 
(October 1, 2002-September 30, 2003) Environmental Justice Small Grants 
Program. For FY 2003, the EPA will make available approximately 
$1,500,000 in grant funds to eligible organizations (pending 
availability of funds); $1,000,000 of this amount is available for 
Superfund projects only.

DATES: The application must be delivered by close of business 
Wednesday, December 18, 2002 to your appropriate EPA regional office 
(listed in section III) or postmarked by the U. S. Postal Service 
midnight Wednesday, December 18, 2002.

ADDRESSES: For specific application delivery please contact the 
appropriate EPA regional office listed in section III.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sheila Lewis, Senior Program Analyst, 
EPA Office of Environmental Justice, (202) 564-0152.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    This guidance includes the following:

I. Scope and Purpose of the Environmental Justice 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 2004 Environmental Justice Small Grants Program

Translations Available
    The Spanish translation of this application is found at the back of 
the published document and on the Web page http://www.epa.gov/compliance/environmentaljustice/grants/. Please note the forms are 
translated into Spanish but must be completed in English.

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 \1\, or other nonprofit 
organizations with a focus on community-based issues) 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.
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    \1\ Churches that qualify as nonprofit organizations may use EPA 
grant funds only for environmental justice projects EPA grant funds 
may not be used to advance religious point of views.
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Background

    In its 1992 report, ``Environmental Equity: Reducing Risk for All 
Communities,'' the EPA found that minority and/or low-income 
populations may experience higher than average exposure to toxic 
pollutants than the general population. The EPA established the Office 
of Environmental Justice (OEJ) 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 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. FY 1994 marked the first year of the OEJ Small Grants 
Program. The chart below shows how the grant monies have been 
distributed since FY 1994.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              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
2000..........................................      899,000           61
2001..........................................    1,300,000           88
2002..........................................    1,113,000           73
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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, 
culture, education, or income with respect to the development, 
implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and 
policies. Fair treatment means that no one group 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 environmental programs and policies. 
Meaningful involvement means that: (1) Potentially affected community

[[Page 61091]]

residents have an appropriate opportunity to participate in decisions 
about a proposed activity that will affect their environment and/or 
health; (2) the public's contribution can influence the regulatory 
agency's decision; (3) the concerns of all participants involved will 
be considered in the decision-making process; and (4) the decision-
makers seek out and facilitate the involvement of those potentially 
affected.

II. Eligible Applicants and Activities

A. Who May Submit Applications and May Applicants Submit More Than One?

    Any affected, non-profit community organization \2\ 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 can apply for grant assistance if they meet the 
definition of a nonprofit 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. Non-
profit status may be demonstrated through designation by the Internal 
Revenue Service as a 501(c) organization or evidence that a state 
recognizes the organization's non-profit status. 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 
grants under the Environmental Justice Small Grants Program. 
Individuals are not eligible to receive grants.
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    \2\ As a result of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, EPA (and 
other federal agencies) may not award grants to non-profit 
organizations that are classified as 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(4) 
organizations by the Internal Revenue Service and engage in lobbying 
activities.
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    The Environmental Justice Small Grants Program is a competitive 
process. In order to ensure a fair evaluation process, the Agency will 
offer training 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. Call your Regional office to inquire about 
the scheduled dates of the special training and conference calls. (See 
Contact List on pages 9-11)
    The EPA will consider only one application per applicant for a 
given project. Applicants may submit more than one application if the 
applications are for separate and distinct projects or activities. 
Applicants that previously received small grant funds may submit an 
application for FY 2003 funds (October 1, 2002-September 30, 2003). 
Every application for FY 2003 is evaluated based on the merit of the 
proposed project in comparison to other FY 2003 applications. Past 
performance will 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, the EPA is emphasizing the 
availability of funds for research projects. Projects which are 
research-oriented and specific to hazardous substances are considered 
for funding under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). The OEJ Small Grants Program 
also awards grants on a multi-media basis. Multimedia projects address 
pollution in more than one environmental medium (e.g., air, water, 
etc.).
    To be considered for funding, the application must meet the 
criteria of two statutes under Item 1 or the single statute under Item 
2 below:
1. Multi-Media Requirements (Use Two)
    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. To be eligible for funding, your project must include 
activities outlined in the following environmental statutes:
    A. Statutes. (1) 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.
    (2) Safe Drinking Water Act, Section 1442(c)(3)(A): 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.
    (3) 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).
    (4) 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.
    (5) Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10(a): Conduct research, 
development, monitoring, public education, training, demonstrations, 
and studies on toxic substances
    (6) Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Section 
20(a): Conduct research, development, monitoring, public education, 
training, demonstrations, and studies on pesticides.
    (7) 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.
    (8) Noise Control Act of 1972, Section 14 (b): Conduct research on 
the effects, measurement, and control of noise.
    B. Goals for multi-media projects. In addition to the requirements 
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 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

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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).
2. Requirements for Research Grants Funded Under CERCLA
    Recipients of these funds must implement projects that are 
specifically research oriented and specific to hazardous substances. 
The EPA's grant regulations define ``research'' as ``systematic study 
directed toward fuller scientific knowledge or understanding of the 
subject studied,'' 40 CFR 30.2(dd). The EPA has interpreted 
``research'' to include studies that extend to socioeconomic, 
institutional, and public policy issues as well as the ``natural'' 
sciences. Your research project Must meet the following criteria:
    A. Eligibility. (1) CERCLA section 311(c) authorizes EPA to fund 
research grants. Research must relate to the detection, assessment, and 
evaluation of the effects on and risks to human health from hazardous 
substances and the detection of hazardous substances in the 
environment.
    (2) Applicants must demonstrate that the research project relates 
to ``hazardous substances'' as that term is defined by CERCLA section 
101(14). There is a list of hazardous substances at 40 CFR 302.4 which, 
while not exclusive, does provide useful guidance.
    (3) Research funded under CERCLA section 311(c) cannot relate to 
contamination from petroleum products in accordance with the definition 
of hazardous substances found at CERCLA section 101(14). Projects that 
involve petroleum contamination that is ``mixed'' with other 
contaminants may be considered on a case by case basis.
    (4) The project must be of a research nature only, i.e., survey, 
research, collecting and analyzing data which will be used to expand 
scientific knowledge or understanding of the subject studied. Research 
projects, however, need not be limited to academic studies. Projects 
which expand the scientific knowledge or understanding, of a community, 
about hazardous substances issues, that effect their community, can be 
funded.
    (5) The project cannot carry out training activities, other than 
training in research techniques. In other words CERCLA section 311(c) 
research projects cannot be designed as outreach, technical assistance, 
or public education activities.
    (6) The project can include conferences only if the purpose of the 
conference is to present research results or to gather research data.
    B. Goal for Research Projects. In addition to the special research 
requirements for grants under CERCLA outlined above, the application 
must include a description of how the research projects can serve as 
models for other communities when confronted with similar problems. See 
section III ``Application Requirements'' for more details.

    Please note: (1) 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. Multi-media projects may also require a 
Quality Assurance Plan.
    (2) CERCLA grants are limited to research as required under 
CERCLA section 311(c). Do not propose projects which include 
activities under the ``multi-media'' authorities described in 
section 1, above, to carry out a research project.

    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. The narrative/work plan must 
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 is defined by applicants 
according to their local environmental justice concerns.

C. How Much Money May Be Requested, and Are Matching Funds Required?

    The ceilings in federal funds for individual grants are $15,000 for 
Multi-Media projects and $20,000 for Research projects. 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, and be consistent with the statutory authority for 
the award. 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''. The scope of environmental justice grants may not 
include construction, promotional items (e.g., T-shirts, buttons, 
hats), and furniture purchases.

III. Application Requirements

A. What Is Required for Applications?

    Proposals from eligible organizations must have the following:
    1. Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424) the official form is 
required for all federal grants that requests basic information about 
the grantee and the proposed project. The applicant must submit the 
original application, and one copy, 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 grant 
program, complete only the non shaded areas of SF 424A. Budget figures/
projections should support your work plan/narrative. The EPA portion of 
each grant will not exceed $15,000 for Multi-Media or $20,000 for 
Research projects. Therefore, your budget should reflect this limit on 
federal funds.
    3. A narrative/work plan of the proposal is not to exceed five 
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 
inches), 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 as follows;
    a. A one page summary that includes the following:
    [sbull] Identifies the environmental justice issue(s) to be 
addressed by the project;
    [sbull] Identifies the Environmental Justice community/target 
audience;
    [sbull] Identifies the environmental Statutes/Acts addressed by the 
project; and
    [sbull] Identifies the program goal 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

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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, 
purposes of the project, the environmental justice community/target 
audience, projects 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: ``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.
    4. An appendix with resumes of up to three key personnel who will 
be significantly involved in the project.
    5. 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.
    6. Non-Profit Status. The applicant must provide documentation in 
evidence of the organization's non-profit status.
    Applications that do not include the information listed above in 
items 1-4 and item 5, if applicable, will not be considered for an 
award.
    Please mark any information in the proposal that you consider 
confidential. EPA will follow the procedures at 40 CFR part 2 if 
information marked confidential is requested from the Agency under the 
Freedom of Information Act.

    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. See 40 CFR part 29 for details. 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. You may 
contact your EPA regional contact (listed below) or EPA Headquarters 
Grants Policy, Information and Training Branch at (202) 564-5325 for 
additional information. If your state does not have a single point 
of contact you must notify directly affected state, local and area 
wide agencies if your application is selected for an award. See 40 
CFR 29.7(b). 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 delivered by 
close of business Wednesday, December 18, 2002 to your appropriate EPA 
regional office (listed below) or postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service 
midnight Wednesday, December 18, 2002. Forms and relevant background 
material are available at http://www.epa.gov/compliance/environmentaljustice/grants/.

Regional Contact Names and Addresses

Region 1: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode 
Island, Vermont

Primary Contact: Ronnie Harrington, (617) 918-1703, 
[email protected], USEPA Region 1 (SAA), 1 Congress Street--
11th Floor, Boston, MA 02203-0001.
Secondary Contact: Pat O'Leary, (617) 918-1978, [email protected].

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

Primary Contact: Terry Wesley, (212) 637-3576, [email protected], 
USEPA Region 2, 290 Broadway, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10007.
Secondary: Natalie Loney, (212) 637-3639, [email protected].

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

Primary Contact: Reginald Harris, (215) 814-2988, 
[email protected], USEPA Region 3 (3DA00), 1650 Arch Street, 
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029.

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

Primary Contact: Gloria Love, (404) 562-9672, [email protected], 
USEPA Region 4, 61 Forsyth Street, Atlanta, GA 30303-8960.
Secondary: Cynthia Peurifoy, (404) 562-9649, [email protected].

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

Primary Contact: Margaret Millard, (312) 353-1440, 
[email protected], USEPA Region 5 (T-165), 77 West Jackson 
Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60604-3507.
Secondary: Karla Owens, (312) 886-5993, [email protected].

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

Primary Contact: Nelda Perez, (214) 665-2209, [email protected], 
USEPA Region 6, Fountain Place, 12th Floor, 1445 Ross Avenue (RA-D), 
Dallas, Texas 75202-2733.
Secondary Contact: Olivia Balandran, (214) 665-7257, [email protected].

Region 7: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska

Primary Contact: Althea Moses, [email protected]. USEPA Region 7, 
901 North 5th Street (ECORA), Kansas City, KS 66101.
Secondary: Monica Espinosa, (913) 551-7058, [email protected].

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

Primary Contact: Nancy Reish, (303) 312-6040, [email protected], 
USEPA Region 8 (8ENF-EJ), 999 18th Street, Suite 300, Denver, CO 80202-
2466.
Secondary: Jean Belille, (303) 312-6556, [email protected].

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

Primary Contact: Willard Chin, (415) 972-3797, [email protected], 
USEPA Region 9 CMD-1, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105.
Secondary: Rachael Loftin, (415) 972-3272, [email protected].

Region 10: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington

Primary Contact: Cecilia A. Contreras, (206)-553-2899, 
[email protected], USEPA Region 10 (CEJ-163), 1200 Sixth 
Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101.
Secondary: Victoria Plata, (206) 553-8580, [email protected].

IV. Process for Awarding Grants

A. How Will Applications Be Reviewed?

    The 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 be disqualified if they do not meet these eligibility 
standards. Applications will also be evaluated by regional review 
panels based on the criteria outlined below.
1. Threshold Criteria
    Applications that propose projects that are inconsistent with the 
EPA's statutory authority or the goals for the

[[Page 61094]]

program are ineligible for funding and will not be evaluated and 
ranked. Regional offices will contact applicants whose proposals do not 
meet the threshold requirements to determine whether the proposal can 
be revised to meet the threshold requirements.
2. Evaluation Criteria
    Proposals will be ranked using the following criteria:
    a. Responsiveness of the Work plan to Environmental Justice issues 
affecting the community to be served (20 Points).
    b. Effectiveness of the project design (40 Points).
    c. Clarity of the Measures of Success (25 Points).
    d. Qualifications of Project Staff (15 Points).

B. How Will the Final Selections Be Made?

    After the individual projects are reviewed and ranked, the EPA 
regional officials will compare the best applications and make final 
selections. Additional factors that the 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 grant's 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 on the Internet at www.cfda.gov and at local 
libraries, colleges, or universities.

C. How Will Applicants Be Notified?

    After all applications are received, the regional EPA 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) 
and EPA Form 5700-48, 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

October 1, 2002--FY 2003 OEJ Small Grants Program Application Guidance 
is available and published in the Federal Register.
October 5, 2002 to December 18, 2002--Eligible grant recipients develop 
and complete their applications.
December 18, 2002--Applications must be delivered by close of business 
Wednesday, December 18, 2002 to your appropriate EPA regional office 
(listed in section III) or postmarked by U.S. Postal Service midnight 
Wednesday, December 18, 2002.
December 19, 2002 to February 28, 2003--EPA regional program officials 
review and evaluate applications and select grant finalists.
March 1, 2003 to July 30, 2003--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. The EPA regional grant offices process grants and make awards.
August 30, 2003--EPA expects to release the national announcement of 
the FY 2003 Environmental Justice Small Grant Recipients.

VI. Project Period and Final Reports

    Activities must be completed and funds spent within the time frame 
specified in the grant award, 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 qualifications of the recipient's project manager 
is subject to approval by the EPA project officer. However, the EPA may 
not identify any particular person as the project manager. Unless 
specified in the award, 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., Quarterly or Semi-annual Progress 
Reports, Final Technical Report and Financial Status Report) will be 
described in the award agreement. The EPA will collect, review, and 
disseminate grantees' final reports to serve as model programs.
    For further information about this program, please visit the EPA's 
Web site at http://www.epa.gov/compliance/environmentaljustice/index.html or call our hotline at 1-800-962-6215 (available in 
Spanish).

VII. Fiscal Year 2004 Environmental Justice Small Grants Program

A. How Can I Receive Information on the Fiscal Year 2004 (October 1, 
2003 to September 30, 2004) Environmental Justice Small Grants Program?

    If you wish to be placed on the national mailing list to receive 
information on the FY 2004 Environmental Justice Small Grants Program, 
e-mail your request along with your name, organization, address, and 
phone number to [email protected] or mail your request along with 
your name, organization, address, and phone number to:
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Justice Small 
Grants Program (2201A), FY 2004 Grants Mailing List, Ariel Rios 
Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460. 1 (800) 
962-6215.
    If you wish to receive information on local Environmental Justice 
programs, you may mail or e-mail your request along with your name, 
organization, address, and phone number to the appropriate regional 
office listed on pages 9-11 of this application.
    Thank you for your interest in our Small Grants Program.

    Dated: September 20, 2002.
Linda K. Smith,
Acting Director, Office of Environmental Justice.
[FR Doc. 02-24643 Filed 9-26-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P