[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 77 (Tuesday, April 22, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19813-19815]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-9911]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7486-5]


Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability 
Act (CERCLA) or Superfund, Section 311(c); Request for Applications 
(RFA)--Grants

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: On April 22, 2003, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
will begin to accept proposals from non-profit organizations and 
educational institutions for grants to support research on improving 
meaningful non-Federal stakeholder involvement in decisions concerning 
the cleanup of hazardous waste at Federal facilities. EPA believes 
meaningful stakeholder involvement in the cleanup decision making 
process has resulted in significantly reducing costs, increasing 
effectiveness, and promoting decisions which reflect the diverse 
interests of those responsible for or affected by Federal facilities.

DATES: Please submit applications on or before June 23, 2003.

ADDRESSES: U.S. EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 
20460 (mailing address); Crystal Gateway (1st Floor), 1235 Jefferson 
Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202 (building address); http://epa.gov/swerffrr/index.htm (Web site address).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sean M. Flynn with EPA's Office of 
Solid Waste and Emergency Response, Federal Facilities Restoration and 
Reuse Office: (703) 603-0080 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Instructions for Submitting a Proposal (See 
http://www.epa.gov/ogd/grants/how_to_apply.htm.)
    EPA will accept proposals either postmarked or received by EPA via 
registered or tracked mail by 12 PM (Eastern) on (60 days after date of 
publication). Copies of Standard Form 424 (SF 424), Application for 
Federal Assistance may be obtained by following the links to standard 
forms on the following Web site: http://www.gsa.gov/forms. Applicants 
should send one (1) original (clearly labeled as such) and five (5) 
copies of their proposal to Sean M. Flynn, U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. (5106G), Washington, 
DC 20460, RE: RFA 03-OSWER-001.
    Applicants must clearly mark any information in their proposal that 
they consider confidential. EPA will make final confidentiality 
decisions in accordance with Agency regulations found at 40 CFR part 2, 
subpart B.

    Authority: The Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) section 311(c) authorizes 
EPA to use appropriated Superfund money to fund research projects 
for the conduct and dissemination of scientific, socioeconomic, 
institutional, and public policy related to the effects, risks, and 
detection of hazardous substances in the environment, including that 
found on current or former Federal facilities.

    As required by statute, all research must relate to hazardous 
substances. Furthermore, available funding is restricted to 
``research'' as defined at 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 
30.2(dd). EPA has interpreted ``research'' under CERCLA section 311(c) 
to include study that extends to socioeconomic, institutional, and 
public policy issues, as well as the ``natural'' sciences.
    Background: This solicitation is targeted at non-profit 
organizations and educational institutions interested in researching 
ways to improve meaningful non-Federal stakeholder participation in the 
discussion and resolution of issues concerning hazardous waste 
contamination caused, generated, or managed by Federal agencies and 
departments. Historically, most of EPA's work in the Federal facilities 
program has been focused on addressing hazardous waste contamination at 
DoD and DOE sites on the National Priorities List (NPL) and at Base 
Realignment and Closure (BRAC) properties. Greater attention, however, 
is increasingly being given to contamination at other Federal agency/
department sites, including properties formerly owned or operated by 
the Federal government.
    In order to promote citizen involvement, EPA's Federal Facilities 
Restoration and Reuse Office (FFRRO) collaborates with States and 
tribes, local governments, environmental and community groups, labor 
organizations, and universities to provide the maximum possible level 
of stakeholder involvement in decision making and priority setting for 
the cleanup of Federal facilities. This collaboration is often 
accomplished via the award of grants and cooperative agreements to 
outside parties. Such is the purpose of this solicitation.
    The research grants resulting from this solicitation will directly 
benefit non-Federal stakeholders in the Federal facility cleanup 
process. The research is not meant to directly benefit EPA or other 
Federal agencies, although EPA and other Federal agencies may derive 
indirect benefits. Grants, unlike cooperative agreements, provide for 
little or no involvement on the part of the Federal government. By 
awarding a grant, EPA does not expect to have any substantial 
involvement in the research process. Nevertheless, EPA will be in 
contact with the grant recipients periodically via phone, e-mail, and, 
as appropriate, site visits.
    For Federal fiscal year `04, EPA anticipates awarding between one 
and three grants and will consider funding requests up to a maximum of 
$150,000 per grant. Furthermore, the anticipated project period is 
September 2003--August 2004.
    Eligibility for Funding: Interested non-profit organizations and 
educational institutions must structure their research in a way that 
generates recommendations for use by non-Federal stakeholders, rather 
than by EPA, DoD, DOE, or another Federal agency or department. 
Projects which provide services for the direct use or

[[Page 19814]]

benefit of Federal agencies are not eligible for funding.
    The term ``non-profit'' is defined in U.S. Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) Circular A-122, while ``educational institution'' refers 
to colleges and universities subject to OMB Circular A-21. Groups of 
two or more eligible applicants may choose to form a coalition and 
submit a single application in response to this solicitation. However, 
one applicant will be accountable to EPA for proper expenditure of 
funds. Furthermore, any financial transactions between coalition 
members must comply with 40 CFR part 30.
    Per section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code, non-profit 
organizations that engage in lobbying activities--as defined in Section 
3 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995--are not eligible to apply for 
or be part of a coalition. Non-profit organizations and educational 
institutions are not required to provide matching funds for grants 
awarded under section 311(c).
    Evaluation of Proposals: EPA will conduct the competition 
consistent with EPA Order 5700.5, Policy on Competition for Assistance 
Agreements (9/12/02). EPA will assemble a review panel consisting of 
members familiar with the Federal facilities program and non-Federal 
stakeholder involvement in the cleanup process. The review panel will 
use a point system to rank applications and make recommendations to 
FFRRO's Office Director, who will then make the final selections.
    Successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified of their 
award status in writing. Disputes will be resolved in accordance with 
40 CFR 30.63. EPA anticipates awarding grants within sixty (60) 
calendar days of the application deadline.
    EPA reserves the right to reject all applications and make no 
awards.
    Proposal Contents: Proposals must be clear and decisive, strictly 
follow the specified criteria, and provide sufficient detail in order 
for the panel members to compare the merits of each and decide which 
proposal best supports the intent of the research. Vague descriptions 
and unnecessary redundancy may reduce the chance of a favorable rating. 
Proposals providing the best evidence of a quality project and 
appropriate use of funds will have the greatest chance of being 
recommended by the panel. Each proposal must include the following 
sections, all of which are described in detail further below:

Cover page (1 page)
Overview (1page)
Budget (1 page)
Responses to Threshold Criterion (\1/2\ page)
    Eligibility
Responses to Evaluation Criteria (up to 12 pages)
    Familiarity with Subject Matter
    Technical Approach
    Past Performance on Other Grants
    Leveraging Other Resources

    To ensure fair and equitable evaluation of the proposals, do not 
exceed the single-sided page limitations referenced above. There is no 
guarantee that pages submitted beyond the limitations will be reviewed 
by the evaluation panel. In addition, all materials included in the 
proposal (including attachments) must be printed on letter-sized paper 
with font sizes no smaller than 12 points. Furthermore, all materials 
must be printed double-sided on paper with a minimum recycled content 
of at least 35%.
    Cover Page: This page is intended to introduce the applicant and 
identify a primary point of contact for communication with EPA. The 
cover page should be a single page and include the following 
information. Applicants are free to use any format they choose:
    [sbull] Applicant identification--the name of the main implementor 
of the project.
    [sbull] Contact--the name of the person who is responsible for the 
proposal.
    [sbull] Mailing address/telephone/fax/e-mail of the point of 
contact for the proposal.
    [sbull] Submittal date.
    Overview: Briefly summarize your approach to undertaking the 
necessary research and how you envision the findings will be applied.
    Budget: Present a clear and detailed budget for the project. The 
following budget categories may be useful: salaries, fringe benefits, 
indirects, other direct, travel, equipment, supplies, printing, 
administrative, and contracts. EPA defines ``equipment'' as any item 
which costs $5,000 or more. Items less than $5,000 are considered 
supplies. Allowable expenses include direct costs related to the 
research and any indirect costs authorized under the applicable OMB 
Circular.
    Threshold Criterion: The applicant must satisfy the following 
threshold criterion in order for the proposal to be considered:
    [sbull] Eligibility: All applicants must demonstrate that they are 
either an eligible non-profit organization or an educational 
institution.
    Evaluation Criteria: An applicant's response to each of the 
following criteria will be the primary basis upon which EPA rates the 
proposal. The evaluation panel will review each proposal carefully and 
assess the responses based on how well they address the criteria. A 
point system will be used to evaluate the proposals. Listed next to the 
title of each evaluation factor below is the maximum number of points 
that can be earned for that particular criterion (out of a maximum 
possible score of 100).

1. Familiarity With Subject Matter (35 Points)

    [sbull] Describe your experience with environmental cleanups, 
especially those conducted at Federal facilities (e.g., Former Used 
Defense Sites (FUDS), BRAC sites, NPL sites).
    [sbull] Describe your experience with public participation, 
especially with regard to Federal programs.
    [sbull] Describe your experience conducting research and 
disseminating the results.
    [sbull] What do you consider to be the greatest challenge(s) 
currently facing the Federal facilities cleanup program, and how would 
enhanced non-Federal stakeholder involvement better assist the process?
    [sbull] What do you consider to be ``meaningful'' stakeholder 
involvement?

2. Technical Approach (35 Points)

    [sbull] What, specifically, do you propose to research (e.g., 
certain issues, certain sites, etc.) and why?
    [sbull] Describe which research methods you propose to use and why.
    [sbull] What difficulties do you expect to encounter and how might 
they be overcome?
    [sbull] What will be the deliverables/end products?
    [sbull] How and to whom will the findings be disseminated?
    [sbull] How do you envision the findings will be applied?
    [sbull] What measures will you use to determine the success of the 
project?
    [sbull] What role will environmental justice play in your research?

3. Past Performance on Other Grants (25 Points)

    [sbull] Describe your performance history administering grants or 
cooperative agreements for EPA, other Federal agencies, and/or state/
local/tribal regulatory agencies; provide contact information so that 
the evaluation panel members can obtain additional information as 
necessary.
    [sbull] You must also demonstrate satisfactory past performance 
conducting research; you may include evaluation results from previous 
projects, as well as letters of commendation.

[[Page 19815]]

4. Leveraging Other Resources (5 Points)

    [sbull] Although EPA does not require cost sharing for CERCLA 
section 311(c) research proposals submitted in response to a 
solicitation, describe any plans you have to obtain additional 
financial or in-kind support for your efforts in performing this 
research.
    Pre-application Assistance: EPA will offer pre-application 
assistance by answering all questions posted on the following Web site: 
http://clu-in.org/fracrock/proposal. All questions and answers will be 
posted.
    Terms and Reporting: Grants will include programmatic and 
administrative terms and conditions. These terms and conditions will 
describe what is expected from the grant recipient.
    The grantee will be required to submit quarterly progress reports. 
The grantee should only report on activities funded (in whole or in 
part) via the grant. The narrative should include descriptions of all 
action items resulting from meetings, site visits, and other 
activities, as well as milestones achieved and any challenges 
encountered. The reports should include lists of action items and 
corresponding milestone dates (e.g., a toolkit to be developed, a 
letter sent to DoD, or a meeting scheduled to address citizen 
concerns). In addition, all quarterly reports must be internally 
reviewed and approved for quality assurance purposes prior to 
submission. Costs incurred in complying with reporting requirements are 
an eligible expense under CERCLA section 311(c).

    Dated: April 14, 2003.
James E. Woolford,
Director, Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office, Office of 
Solid Waste and Emergency Response.
[FR Doc. 03-9911 Filed 4-21-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P