[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 242 (Tuesday, December 17, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77255-77256]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-31677]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

FRL-7422-7]


Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability 
Act (CERCLA) or Superfund, Section 104(k)(6); Announcement of Proposal 
Deadlines for the Competition for the 2003 National Brownfields Job 
Training Grants

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of the availability of Brownfields grant application 
guidelines and deadlines for submissions of proposals.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will begin to accept 
proposals for the National Brownfields Job Training Grants on December 
17, 2002. Proposals are due on January 24, 2003. This notice provides 
information on how to obtain the application guidelines.
    Funding for the brownfields job training grants is authorized under 
section 104(k)(6) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended, (CERCLA), 42 
U.S.C. 9604(k). These grants provide training to facilitate site 
assessment, remediation of brownfields sites, or site preparation. (See 
Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 66.811; a revised CFDA 
number entry has been submitted for approval). Eligibility for 
Brownfields job training grants is limited to ``eligible entities'' as 
defined in section 104(k)(1) of CERCLA and non profit organizations.
    The National brownfields job training grants will be awarded on a 
competitive basis using a one step proposal selection process. EPA 
expects to make up 10 Brownfields job training grant awards in fiscal 
year 2003, contingent upon the availability of funds. The maximum 
funding level for each grant will be $ 200,000. Applicants are 
encouraged to contact and, if possible, meet with EPA Regional 
Brownfields Contacts.

DATES: This action is effective as of December 17, 2002. The 
application deadline for Proposals for the 2003 job training grants is 
January 24, 2003. All Proposals must be postmarked by USPS or delivered 
to U.S. EPA Headquarters no later than January 24, 2003, and a 
duplicate copy sent to the appropriate U.S. EPA Regional Office.
    Obtaining Proposal Guidelines: The proposal guidelines are 
available via the Internet: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/.
    Copies of the Proposal Guidelines will also be mailed upon request. 
Requests should be made by calling the U.S. EPA Call Center at the 
following numbers:
Washington, DC Metro Area at 703-412-9810
Outside Washington, DC Metro at 1-800-424-9346
TDD for the Hearing Impaired at 1-800-553-7672

    In order to ensure that the Guidelines are received in time to be 
used in the preparation of the proposal, applicants should request a 
copy as soon as possible and in any event no later than seven (7) 
working days before the proposal due date. Applicants who request 
copies after that date might not receive the proposal guidelines in 
time to prepare and submit a responsive proposal.

ADDRESSES: Mailing addresses for U.S. EPA Regional Offices and U.S. EPA 
Headquarters are provided in the Proposal Guidelines.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The U.S.EPA's Office of Solid Waste 
and Emergency Response, Office of Brownfields Cleanup and 
Redevelopment, (202) 566-2777.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 11, 2002, President George W. 
Bush signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and 
Brownfields Revitalization Act. This act amended the Comprehensive 
Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as 
amended (CERCLA) to authorize federal financial assistance for 
brownfields revitalization, including grants for assessment, cleanup, 
and job training. Funding for the brownfields job training grants is 
authorized under section 104(k)(6) of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. 9604(k)(6). 
Eligibility for Brownfields job training grants is limited to 
``eligible entities'' as defined in section 104(k)(1) of CERCLA and non 
profit organizations.
    Eligible governmental entities include a General Purpose Unit of 
Local Government; Land Clearance Authority or other quasi-governmental 
entity that operates under the supervision and control of, or as an 
agent of, a general purpose unit of local government; Governmental 
Entity Created by State Legislature; Regional council or group of 
general purpose units of local government; Redevelopment Agency

[[Page 77256]]

that is chartered or otherwise sanctioned by a state; State; Indian 
Tribe other than in Alaska; and Alaska Native Regional Corporation, 
Alaska Native Village Corporation, and Metlakatla Indian Community. In 
addition, Intertribal Consortia, other than those composed of 
ineligible Alaskan tribes, are eligible to apply for the brownfields 
job training grants.
    For the purposes of determining a nonprofit organization's 
eligibility for the brownfields job training grant program, EPA will 
use the definition of nonprofit organizations contained in section 4(6) 
of the Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 1999, 
Public Law 106-107. The term ``nonprofit organization'' means any 
corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or other organization 
that is operated primarily for scientific, educational, service, 
charitable, or similar purpose in the public interest; is not organized 
primarily for profit; and uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or 
expand the operation of the organization.
    To ensure a fair selection process, evaluation panels consisting of 
EPA Regional and Headquarters staff and other federal agency 
representatives will assess how well the proposals meet the selection 
criteria outlined in the application booklet, Proposal Guidelines for 
Brownfields Job Training Grants (November 2002). Proposals will be 
evaluated and ranked by National Evaluation Panels. The evaluation 
panels will review the proposals carefully and assess each response 
based on how well it addresses the criteria, briefly outlined below. 
There are two different types of criteria--threshold criteria and 
ranking criteria. Applicants must meet the threshold criteria to be 
considered for an award of a grant. Responses to the evaluation 
criteria will be utilized to determine whether to make an award and the 
amount of funds to be awarded.

Job Training Grants

Threshold Criteria

A. Location of Project
B. Applicant Eligibility
C. Proof of Non-Duplication of effort

Ranking Criteria

A. Community Need (a maximum of 10 points may be received for this 
criterion)
B. Institutional Capacity (a maximum of 15 points may be received for 
this criterion)
C. Training Program Objectives and Plans (a maximum of 20 points may be 
received for this criterion)
D. Budget, Schedule and Leveraging (a maximum of 25 points may be 
received for this criterion)
E. Community Involvement and Partnerships (a maximum of 20 points may 
be received for this criterion)
F. Measures of Success (a maximum of 10 points may be received for this 
criterion)

    Final selections will be made by EPA senior management after 
considering the ranking of Final Proposals by the National Evaluation 
Panels EPA decisions may take into account other statutory and policy 
considerations, such as urban and non-urban distribution and other 
geographic factors; compliance with the statutory petroleum funding 
allocation; designation as a Federal Empowerment Zone, Enterprise 
Community, or Renewal Community; population; and whether the applicant 
is a federally recognized Indian tribe. There is no guarantee of an 
award.

    Dated: December 5, 2002.
Sven Kaiser,
Acting Director, Office of Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment, 
Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.
[FR Doc. 02-31677 Filed 12-16-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P