[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 8 (Monday, January 13, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1603-1608]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-614]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPPT-2002-0044; FRL-7279-7]


Educational Outreach and Baseline Assessment of Existing Exposure 
and Risks of Exposure to Lead Poisoning of Tribal Children; Notice of 
Funds Availability

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: EPA is soliciting grant proposals from Indian Tribes to 
support Tribal lead outreach and educational awareness and conduct 
baseline assessment of existing exposure and risks of exposure to lead 
poisoning of Tribal children. EPA is awarding grants which will provide 
approximately $1.4 million to Indian Tribes to perform those activities 
and to encourage Indian Tribes to consider continuing such activities 
in the future. This notice describes eligibility, activities, 
application procedures and requirements, and evaluation criteria.

DATES: All grant proposals must be received on or before March 14, 
2003.

ADDRESSES: Grant proposals must 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 
(7408M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; 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 
(7404T), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (202) 566-0516; e-mail address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this Action Apply to Me?

    You may be potentially affected by this action if you are a 
Federally Recognized Indian Tribe or Tribal Consortium. For the 
purposes of this notice, a partnership between two or more Federally 
Recognized Indian Tribes is considered a consortium. Potentially 
affected entities may include, but are not limited to:
    921150 American Indian and Alaskan Native Tribal Governments.
    This listing is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides 
a guide for readers regarding entities likely to be affected by this 
action. Other types of entities not listed in this unit could also be 
affected. The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) 
codes have been provided to assist you and others in determining 
whether this action might apply to certain entities. To determine 
whether you or your business may be affected by this action, you should 
carefully examine the Federal Register document published by the Bureau 
of Indian Affairs (BIA) on March 13, 2000 (65 FR 13298) which lists all 
Federally Recognized Indian Tribes. If you have any questions regarding 
the applicability of this action to a particular entity, consult the 
technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

B. How Can I Get Copies of this Document and Other Related Information?

    1. Docket. EPA has established an official public docket for this 
action under docket identification (ID) number OPPT-2002-0044. The 
official public docket consists of documents specifically referenced in 
this action and other information related to this action. Although a 
part of the official docket, the public docket does not include 
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose 
disclosure is restricted by statute. The official public docket is the 
collection of materials that is available for public viewing at the EPA 
Docket Center, Rm. B102-Reading Room, EPA West, 1301 Constitution Ave., 
NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center is open from 8:30 a.m. to 
4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The EPA 
Docket Center Reading Room telephone number is (202) 566-1744 and the 
telephone number for the OPPT Docket, which is located in EPA Docket 
Center, is (202) 566-0280.
    2. Electronic access. You may access this Federal Register document 
electronically through the EPA Internet under the Federal Register 
listings at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.
    An electronic version of the public docket is available through 
EPA's electronic public docket and comment system, EPA Dockets. You may 
use EPA Dockets at http://www.epa.gov/edocket/ to access the index 
listing of the contents of the official public docket, and to access 
those documents in the public docket that are available electronically. 
Although not all docket materials may be available electronically, you 
may still access any of the publicly available docket materials through 
the docket facility identified in Unit I.B.1. Once in the system, 
select ``search,'' then key in the appropriate docket ID number.
    You may also access this document at the Office of Pollution 
Prevention and Toxics Lead Home Page at http://www.epa.gov/lead/new.htm.

C. How and To Whom Do I Submit a Grant Proposal?

    You may submit one original and three double-sided copies of the 
grant proposal through the mail to: Darlene Watford, Program Assessment 
and Outreach Branch, National Program Chemicals Division (7404T), 
Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001.
    For overnight/express delivery service, send grant proposals to: 
Darlene Watford, Program Assessment and Outreach Branch, National 
Program Chemicals Division (7404T), Office of Pollution Prevention and 
Toxics (OPPT), Environmental Protection Agency, 1301 Constitution Ave., 
NW., EPA West (Old Customs Bldg.), 4\th\ Floor Connecting Wing, Room 
4355, Washington, DC 20004-0001.

II. What Action is the Agency Taking?

    EPA is soliciting proposals from Tribes or Tribal Consortia for 
grants to support educational outreach activities and/or baseline 
assessment of existing exposure and risks of exposure to lead poisoning 
of Tribal children. The educational outreach grants will provide Tribes 
with the means to launch efforts to educate Tribal families about 
dangers to children of exposure to lead-based paint hazards. The 
baseline assessments may include inspecting pre-1978 Tribal housing 
and/or child-occupied facilities for lead-based paint hazards, blood-
lead screening to collect blood-lead level data of Tribal children, 
testing of paint, dust, and soil for hazardous lead levels, training 
individuals to perform lead inspections and risk assessments, and

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funding contractor support necessary to implement these activities. EPA 
is awarding grants which will provide approximately $1.4 million for 
Tribes or Tribal Consortia to perform these activities. Decisions on 
awarding the grant funds will be made based on the evaluation of the 
proposals using the criteria specified in Unit III. Tribes or Tribal 
Consortia that submit qualifying proposals will be notified by EPA and 
will be required to submit official grant applications.

III. What Should I Consider as I Prepare My Grant Proposal?

A. Scope and Purpose

    The purpose of these grants is to support Tribal lead awareness 
outreach (educational) activities and the efforts of Indian Tribes to 
identify children's risks to lead by conducting a baseline assessment 
of existing exposure and/or potential lead exposures. The outreach 
activities may be provided to children, parents, daycare providers, and 
legal custodians on the potential health risks associated with lead 
exposure. As a result of the baseline assessment, Tribes may use the 
resulting data to evaluate whether there is a need to develop and 
implement an authorized Tribal lead-based paint program (40 CFR 
745.324).

B. Eligibility

    Eligible recipients are any Federally Recognized Indian Tribes or 
Tribal Consortia only. Federally Recognized Indian Tribes are listed in 
the Federal Register document published by the BIA on March 13, 2000 
(65 FR 13298). Only one grant proposal may be submitted by each Tribe 
or Tribal Consortia under this notice. However, the grant proposal may 
include outreach activities, baseline assessment activities, or both. 
There are no requirements for matching funding under this grant 
program. There is no requirement that a Tribe provide documentation 
that it meets the treatment in a manner similar to a State (TAS) 
standard.

C. Activities to be Funded

    EPA will provide financial assistance in the form of grants to 
Indian Tribes or Tribal Consortia to conduct any or all of the 
following activities:
    1. Outreach (educational) activities. EPA will provide financial 
assistance in the form of grants to Indian Tribes or Tribal Consortia 
to develop and conduct organized outreach efforts to educate Tribal 
families about the dangers to children from exposure to lead-based 
paint hazards, distribute educational information, and encourage Tribal 
families to have their children screened for lead poisoning 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.
    Tribes may develop their own outreach materials; however, the use 
and reproduction of pre-existing products is strongly encouraged and 
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 identify specific types of lead 
awareness materials that already exist and thereby avoid spending the 
limited 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 
lead awareness materials developed must be consistent with the Federal 
(EPA, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, formerly the Centers for 
Disease Control)) lead hazard awareness and poisoning prevention 
programs (www.epa.gov/lead, www.hud.gov/offices/lead/, and http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/lead.htm) and receive approval from the 
appropriate EPA Regional Lead Contacts (see list of Regional Lead 
Contacts in Unit III.C.2.v.) prior to distribution.
    2. Baseline assessment activities--i. Conduct blood-lead screening 
of Tribal children age 6 years and under. For blood-lead screening 
activities, the focus should be on Tribal children between the ages of 
12-36 months because blood-lead levels tend to be highest in this age 
group, and more children in this age group tend to have blood-lead 
levels >10 (micrograms/deciliter ([mu]g/dL). The CDC's recommended 
level of concern that encourages followup activities is 10 [mu]g/dL, 
with specific actions/interventions recommended at various elevated 
blood-lead levels. All blood-lead samples collected from Tribal 
children must be analyzed using a Clinical Laboratory Improvement 
Amendments (CLIA)-certified laboratory. Portable, hand-held blood-lead 
analyzers may be used, but must be operated by a laboratory that is 
CLIA certified for moderately complex analysis. CLIA, published in 1992 
(42 CFR part 405), is administered by the Centers for Medicare and 
Medicaid Services (CMS, formerly the Health Care Finance 
Administration). CLIA-certified laboratories must successfully 
participate in a testing proficiency program that is CLIA approved. 
Information regarding CLIA may be downloaded from the CMS web site at 
http://www.cms.gov/clia/.
    ii. Conduct inspections and risk assessments of pre-1978 Tribal 
housing and/or child occupied facilities for lead-based paint hazards. 
(Housing and facilities may be owned or occupied by Tribal members.) 
This includes collection and analysis of paint, dust, and soil samples 
for hazardous lead levels. Inspections and risk assessments may only be 
conducted by individuals certified by EPA for Indian country in the EPA 
Region where the Tribe is located or certified by the recipient Tribe 
if the Tribe has received EPA program authorization. Inspections and 
risk assessments must be conducted according to the work practice 
standards found in 40 CFR 745.227 or those of the authorized Tribal 
program. Analysis of paint, dust, and soil samples must be conducted by 
a National Lead Laboratory Accreditation Program (NLLAP) recognized 
laboratory. EPA has established the NLLAP to recognize laboratories 
that demonstrate the ability to analyze paint chip, dust, or soil 
samples for lead. NLLAP provides the public with a list of laboratories 
that have met EPA requirements and demonstrated the capability to 
accurately analyze paint chip, dust, or soil samples for lead. A 
current list of NLLAP-recognized laboratories can be obtained by 
calling the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD.
    iii. Train workers to perform lead inspections and risk 
assessments. Grant funds may be used for initial, refresher, or any 
other training and/or third party testing required to obtain 
certification (as discussed in Unit III.C.2.ii.) to perform lead-based 
paint inspections and risk assessments. Grant funds cannot be used to 
pay for any administrative fees for certification to conduct lead 
inspections and/or risk assessments.
    iv. Compile and summarize demographic data collected from 
activities listed in Unit III.C.2.i-iii. In order for Tribes to qualify 
for other Federal funds for lead activities, sufficient data needs to 
be compiled and well organized. It is strongly

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recommended that Tribes develop or use an existing data management 
system (manual or automated) to collect and maintain the data collected 
during the project, including laboratory results and data on followup 
cases for Tribal children with elevated blood-lead levels. This 
information may be essential in determining if Tribes have the capacity 
for a Tribal lead program (40 CFR 745.324) and are eligible for other 
Federal funding for lead activities. (An existing Tribal tracking 
system, Tribal Relational Environmental Numeric Health Database System 
or (TRENHDS), may be viewed or downloaded from http://www.bluejaydata.com/trenhds.) It is recommended that the data include: 
Tribe or Tribal Consortium name and location; an identifier that 
protects the privacy of the child; age of housing in which the child 
resides; age of the child (in months); gender; sample media (blood, 
soil, dust, or paint); date of sample collection; method of sample 
collection (for blood samples indicate whether method was capillary or 
venous); laboratory analysis method and date; the levels of lead in 
blood (in micrograms per deciliter ([mu]g/dL)); soil (in micrograms per 
gram ([mu]g/g)); dust (in micrograms per square foot ([mu]g/
ft2)); and paint (in micrograms per gram ([mu]g/g) or 
milligrams per centimeter square (mg/cm2)); the number of 
homes and/or child-occupied facilities where risk assessments or 
inspections were conducted; the number of paint, dust, and soil samples 
collected; and possible exposure routes from other sources (such as 
hobby materials, pottery, parent occupational exposure, special native 
foods, medications, etc.) for each Tribal child screened.
    v. Quality assurance. All environmental or health-related 
measurements or data generation must adequately address the 
requirements of 40 CFR 31.45 relating to quality assurance/quality 
control. Information on EPA quality assurance requirements may be 
downloaded from the EPA Quality Staff web site at www.epa.gov/quality. 
To begin the process of developing the quality assurance documentation, 
a quality assurance project plan template has been developed that may 
be helpful to use as a guide. The template may be downloaded from the 
EPA/OPPT web site at www.epa.gov/lead/new.htm. For further guidance on 
preparation of the quality documentation and specific EPA Regional 
Office approval requirements, please contact the appropriate EPA 
Regional Lead Contact listed in this unit.

    Region I: (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, 
Rhode Island, and Vermont), Regional Contact--James M. Bryson, USEPA 
Region I, One Congress St., Suite 1100 (CPT), Boston, MA 02114-0203. 
Telephone number: (617) 918-1524.
    Region II: (New Jersey, New York, 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.
    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.
    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.
    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.
    Region VI: (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and 
Texas), Regional Contact--Brian Burgess, USEPA Region VI, 1445 Ross 
Ave., 12\th\ Floor (6MD-RP), Dallas, TX 75202. Telephone number: 
(214) 665-7534.
    Region VII: (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska), Regional 
Contact--Margaret Stockdale, USEPA Region VII, ARTD/RALI, 901 North 
5\th\, Kansas City, KS 66101. Telephone number: (913) 551-7936.
    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.
    Region IX: (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, 
and Guam), Regional Contact--Mary Aycock, USEPA Region IX (CMD-4), 
75 Hawthorne St., San Francisco, CA 94105. Telephone number: (415) 
947-4169.
    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.

D. Travel to Conferences

    Grant funds may be used to support travel expenses and attendance 
of key Tribal lead program personnel at EPA Regional and National Lead 
conferences.

E. Project Duration

    Projects are expected to be completed within 2 years of award of 
the grant.

F. Ineligible Costs

    Examples of ineligible costs under this grant, include the 
following:
    1. Buying real property, such as land or buildings.
    2. Lead hazard reduction activities, such as performing interim 
controls or abatement (as defined in 40 CFR 745.223).
    3. Construction activities, such as renovation, remodeling, or 
building a structure.
    4. Office equipment that costs more than 10% of the amount of the 
grant, such as a copying machine or a color printer.
    5. Analysis equipment in excess of 10% of the amount of the grant.
    6. Lead-based paint certification fees for individuals and firms.
    7. Contractor support in excess of 25% of the amount of the grant 
award, except where contract services include blood-lead analysis, 
training, and/or lead-based paint inspections and risk assessments.
    8. Duplication of any lead-related activities that have been 
previously funded by EPA, or other Federal Government sources.
    9. Case-management costs, including treatment for Tribal children 
with elevated blood-lead levels (e.g., followup visits by a doctor or 
chelation therapy).
    EPA is extremely interested in knowing what actions Tribes plan to 
follow regarding monitoring, education, and/or treatment for children 
whose blood-lead levels are determined to be elevated (>10 [mu]g/dL) 
while screened under this grant. It is important that the children who 
are found to have elevated blood-lead levels are treated. A description 
of specific steps and related information for followup activities must 
be included in the work plan section of the grant proposal.

G. Grant Proposal Requirements

    Submit one original and three double-sided copies of the grant 
proposal, including a return mailing address. Grant proposals must be 
unbound, stapled, or clipped in the upper left-hand corner, on white 
paper, and with page numbers. The deadline for EPA's receipt of grant 
proposals is March 14, 2003. If the Tribe 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 included in the grant 
proposal. The description must also indicate how the proposed project 
is different from other funded work conducted by the Tribe(s) or 
unfunded work conducted by another entity (e.g., Indian Health Service, 
Superfund), and how the proposed project will not duplicate previous or 
on-going projects. It is important to note that funds cannot be

[[Page 1606]]

awarded to conduct activities which have been previously funded through 
any other Federal grant program.
    Grant proposals should be clearly marked to indicate any 
information that is to be considered confidential. EPA will make final 
confidentiality decisions in accordance with Agency regulations in 40 
CFR part 2, subpart B. All initial grant proposals received under this 
notice are subject to the dispute resolution process defined at 40 CFR 
30.63 and part 31, subpart F.
    This notice is one of two EPA notices that announce the 
availability of funds to conduct various lead-based paint activities. 
The second notice, which was published in the Federal Register issue of 
September 18, 2002 (67 FR 58788) (FRL-7191-8), Solicitation of 
Applications for Lead-Based Paint Program Grants; Notice of 
Availability of Funds, announces the availability of the lead-based 
paint section 404(g) lead grant program. Although a Tribe may apply to 
receive grant funding from both notices, they each have very distinct 
objectives. The grant program opportunities described in this notice 
may serve as a precursor to, but not as an equivalent or supplement to, 
the section 404(g) lead-based paint grant program. The section 404(g) 
lead-based paint grant program involves infrastructure development for 
the anticipated implementation of a lead-based paint training and 
certification program and does not include the activities (testing for 
lead in blood, paint, dust, or soil samples, or the general outreach 
and education activities) listed in this notice. Tribes may determine 
from the sample results and data interpretation that they obtain from 
the grant program described in this notice, that they have a need to 
develop a lead-based paint grant program and may apply for section 
404(g) grant funds. Alternatively, a Tribe may decide that it is not in 
their best interest to pursue such a training and certification 
oversight program. Tribes or Tribal Consortia with an EPA-approved 
lead-based paint program may become eligible for other Federal funding 
opportunities for lead activities.

H. Work Plan

    To be considered for selection under this grant program, grant 
proposals must include a completed work plan as described in this unit. 
Tribes may elect to submit a grant proposal for outreach and/or 
baseline assessment activities. However, only one grant proposal will 
be accepted from each Tribe or Tribal Consortia in response to this 
notice. The work plan must describe the proposed project. The work plan 
must be 4-6 typed pages in length (excluding appendices). 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 and 
outlined as follows:

Section I. Work Plan for Educational Outreach Grant Proposal

A. Title of Project, Table of Contents, and Summary

B. Outreach (Educational) 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. The grant proposal must include a statement 
which describes how the effectiveness of the project will be 
determined.

C. Project Management

    Include a description of staff positions, roles, and 
responsibilities, a description of experience in or potential to 
conduct activities described in B; efforts of partnership and 
collaboration with other local-health agencies, extent of contractor 
support, schedule and/or a time line showing the major activities 
and estimated time frames for initiation and completion, and a 
budget summary.

D. Budget

    Provide a reasonable budget that is clearly identifiable with 
work plan activities.

E. Appendices

    The appendices must be no more than 10 pages total and follow 
the same paging and spacing description as provided in this outline.
    i. Resumes of key personnel (also include title, description, 
and reference name with phone number for work on previous or current 
grants or contracts within the last 5 years).
    ii. Letters of support from Tribal representatives for Tribal 
Consortia. For individual Tribes, include a letter or resolution 
from 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 the grant.
    iii. Detailed information on other lead-based paint or lead-
related activities conducted by the Tribe or Tribal Consortium.

Section II. Work Plan for Baseline Assessment Grant Proposal

A. Title of Project, Table of Contents, and Summary

B. Baseline Assessment Activities

    This section should include the purpose, goal, and approach of 
the project. This section should also include a discussion of the 
separate phases of the project; the criteria for selecting 
properties to be inspected and/or to have risk assessments performed 
and children screened; methods to be used for data collection and 
quality control; and training and certification of individuals to 
perform lead-based paint evaluation activities. The grant proposal 
must include a statement which describes how the effectiveness of 
the project will be determined.

C. Project Management

    Include a description of staff positions, roles, and 
responsibilities, a description of experience in or potential to 
conduct activities described in section B.; efforts of partnership 
and collaboration with other local-health agencies, extent of 
contractor support, schedule and/or time line showing the major 
activities and estimated time frames for initiation and completion, 
and a budget summary.

D. Budget

    Provide a reasonable budget that is clearly identifiable with 
work plan activities.

E. Appendices

    The appendices must be no more than 10 pages total and follow 
the same paging and spacing description as provided in this outline.
    i. Resumes of key personnel (also 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. Letters of support from Tribal representatives for Tribal 
Consortia. For individual Tribes, include a letter or resolution 
from 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 the grant.
    iii. Detailed information on other lead-based paint or lead-
related activities (if applicable).

I. Funding

    Applicants may receive grants of up to $50,000 for an outreach 
(education) project, $75,000 for baseline assessment activities, and 
$125,000 for a combined grant proposal for both outreach (education) 
and baseline assessment activities. A separate budget breakdown is 
required to indicate outreach and baseline assessment funds in combined 
grant proposals.

[[Page 1607]]

    Final distribution of the funds will be dependent upon the number 
of qualified applicants, Tribal populations served by each grant, and 
other factors, as deemed appropriate by EPA (i.e., the evaluation 
criteria as stated in Unit III.K.). Tribes may use a portion of the 
grant funds for contractor support for these activities; however, 
contractor support may not account for more than 25% of the amount of 
the grant, except where contract services include blood-lead analysis, 
training, and/or lead-based paint inspections and risk assessments).

J. Post Award Requirements

    EPA's quality assurance requirements must be complied with before 
any environmental or health-related measurements or data are initiated 
under this grant. These requirements are addressed in 40 CFR 31.45 
relating to quality assurance/quality control. Information on EPA 
quality assurance requirements may be downloaded from the EPA Quality 
Staff web site at www.epa.gov/quality. For further guidance on 
preparation of the quality documentation, and specific EPA Regional 
approval requirements, please contact the appropriate EPA Regional Lead 
Contact as listed in Unit III.C.2.v.
    The grantee must provide EPA with written progress reports within 
30 days of the end of each quarter and a report at the end of the 
project period.

K. Evaluation Criteria

    EPA will review all proposals for quality, strength, and 
completeness against the following criteria. The Agency will use the 
proposals to select projects to be funded under this grant program. EPA 
reserves the right to reject all proposals and make no awards. The lead 
outreach (educational) awareness and baseline assessment activities 
grant proposals will be reviewed and evaluated separately. The maximum 
rating score for each grant proposal will be 105 points (five bonus 
points for in-kind services). Based upon the evaluation results, a 
Tribe or Tribal Consortium that submits grant proposals for both the 
lead outreach (educational) awareness and baseline assessment may 
receive a grant for one or both activities.
    1. Lead outreach (educational) grant proposal criteria--i. General 
(20 points). The overall description of implementing the Tribal lead 
outreach (educational) awareness program in the proposal must address 
the goals of this notice of funding availability as detailed in Unit 
III.A. It must include reasonable and attainable goals and an approach 
that is clearly detailed. The proposal must describe the method that 
will be used to determine the effectiveness of the project. The 
proposal must provide detailed information on all lead-based paint or 
lead-related outreach/educational activities for which the Tribe has 
received funding from any Federal, State, or local government.
    ii. Outreach activities (40 points). The grant proposal should 
fully describe the proposed educational outreach efforts for Tribal 
Indian communities. The messages in the grant proposal should be 
consistent with EPA/HUD/CDC lead-based paint program policies, 
guidelines, regulations, and recommendations. The following elements 
will be specifically evaluated:
    [sbull] 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.
    [sbull] Method of distribution of materials throughout the Tribal 
population.
    [sbull] How the messages will be delivered, e.g., lecture, written 
material distribution, one-on-one interviews.
    [sbull] 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.
    [sbull] 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.
    [sbull] 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 grant proposal should 
describe the staff positions, roles, and responsibilities, and their 
qualifications. The following elements will also be evaluated: Resumes 
of key personnel; Tribal experience in or potential to conduct 
activities such as those described in the ``Outreach Activities'' 
section; previous experience managing similar projects; and 
availability of references; access to properly trained staff and 
facilities to conduct the project; schedule for completing the project; 
and the extent of activities to be performed by a contractor.
    iv. Budget (10 points plus 5 bonus points). The evaluation will be 
based on the extent to which the proposed budget is reasonable, clear, 
and consistent with the intended use of the funds. Although matching 
funds are not required, up to five bonus points will be given to grant 
proposals indicating financial contributions and/or in-kind services 
provided to the project.
    2. Baseline assessment proposal criteria--i. General (20 points). 
The overall description of the Tribal lead baseline assessment program 
will be evaluated. The grant proposal must address the goals of this 
notice as detailed in Unit III.A. It must include reasonable and 
attainable goals and an approach that is clearly detailed. The proposal 
must include a statement which describes how the effectiveness of the 
project will be determined. The grant proposal must provide detailed 
information on all lead-based paint or lead-related activities for 
which the Tribe has received funding from any Federal, State, or local 
government.
    ii. Baseline assessment activities (40 points)
    [sbull] Blood-lead screening activities. The grant proposal will be 
evaluated on the description of the sampling, collection, handling, and 
analysis activities; the data collection and tracking system, quality 
control measures; the description of the facility/facilities where the 
blood-lead sampling will occur (i.e., school, library, health 
department facility, clinic, private building, mobile van, etc.); and 
the estimated number and a percentage estimate of the number of Tribal 
children to be screened in the project. The evaluation will also be 
based on the description of the method that will be used to solicit 
maximum participation of Tribal children; the methods, (i.e., printing, 
video taping, collaboration with radio or television, etc.) to be used 
to reach the Indian population regarding the blood-lead screening 
effort; efforts to be used to ensure patient confidentiality; and a 
description of how the CLIA standards will be met.
    [sbull] Inspection/risk assessment of Tribal housing. The proposal 
will be evaluated on the description of residential/child occupied 
properties that will undergo lead-based paint inspection and/or risk 
assessment; the selection criteria used to identify the properties; the 
description of methods used to reach Tribal population regarding lead 
paint inspections and/or risk assessment efforts; the description of 
inspection, risk assessment, and sampling and analysis procedures; the 
qualifications of inspection personnel; and the description of 
reporting procedures. All inspections and risk assessments must be 
conducted according to the work practice standards

[[Page 1608]]

found in 40 CFR 745.227 or those of an authorized Tribal program.
    [sbull] Paint, dust, and soil testing. The grant proposal 
evaluation will be based on the description of the sampling, 
collection, handling, and analysis activities; the description of the 
data that will be collected, tracked, and reported to EPA; the quality 
control measures implemented, and a description of how NLLAP-recognized 
laboratories will be used for analysis.
    [sbull] Training. Use of EPA accredited training providers or 
training providers approved by an EPA authorized state or Tribe for 
risk assessments and inspections and use of inspectors and/or risk 
assessors certified by EPA or by an EPA authorized State or Tribe.
    iii. Project management (30 points). The grant proposal will be 
evaluated based on the description of the staff positions, roles and 
responsibilities, and their qualifications. The following elements will 
also be evaluated: Resumes of key personnel; Tribal experience in or 
potential to conduct activities such as those described in the 
``Inspection/Risk Assessment of Tribal Housing,'' and ``Paint, Dust, 
and Soil Testing'' sections; previous experience managing similar 
projects; and availability of references; access to properly trained 
staff and facilities to conduct the project; schedule for completing 
the project; and the extent of activities to be performed by a 
contractor.
    iv. Budget (10 points plus 5 bonus points). The evaluation will be 
based on the extent to which the proposed budget is reasonable, clear, 
and consistent with the intended use of the funds. Although matching 
funds are not required, up to five bonus points will be given to grant 
proposals indicating financial contributions and/or in-kind services 
provided to the project.

IV. Statutory Authority and Regulation

    Section 10 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), as 
supplemented by Public Law No. 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. Presently, these funds are not eligible for 
use in a Performance Partnership Agreement. The Catalog of Federal 
Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number is 66.715 (Childhood Blood-Lead 
Screening and Lead Awareness Outreach for Indian Tribes). Executive 
Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs does not 
apply to this assistance program since grant proposals will be 
submitted in lieu of comments on developing this program.

V. 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 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: December 19, 2002.
Margaret Schneider,
Acting Director, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics.
[FR Doc. 03-614 Filed 1-10-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S