[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 189 (Tuesday, September 30, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56291-56292]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-24780]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7565-6]


Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability 
Act (CERCLA) or Superfund, Section 104(k)(6); Announcement of Proposal 
Deadline for the Competition for the 2004 National Brownfields Job 
Training Grants

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of the availability of Brownfields Job Training Grant 
application guidelines and deadline for submissions of proposals.

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SUMMARY: The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will 
begin to accept proposals for the National Brownfields Job Training 
Grants on September 30, 2003. This notice provides information on how 
to obtain the application guidelines. These grants provide training to 
facilitate site assessment, remediation of brownfields sites, or site 
preparation (see Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 
66.815).
    The National brownfields job training grants will be awarded on a 
competitive basis using a one-step proposal selection process. 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 (September 2003). Proposals will be 
evaluated and ranked by National Evaluation Panels. Final selections 
will be made by EPA Senior Management based upon the ranking of Final 
Proposals by the National Evaluation Panels. Applicants are encouraged 
to contact and, if possible, meet with EPA Regional Brownfields 
Contacts.

DATES: This action is effective as of September 30, 2003. EPA expects 
to make up to 10 job training grant awards in fiscal year 2004 
contingent upon the availability of funds. The application deadline for 
Proposals for the 2004 Job Training grants is December 1, 2003, 
proposals must be postmarked by USPS or delivered to U.S. EPA 
Headquarters no later than December 1, 2003, and a duplicate copy sent 
to the appropriate U.S. EPA Regional Office by other means.

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

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 ten (10) 
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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 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 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 the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended, (CERCLA), 42 
U.S.C. 9604(k)(6). Eligibility for Brownfields grants is limited to 
``eligible entities'' as defined in section 104(k)(1) of CERCLA and 
nonprofit organizations as defined in section 4(6) of the Federal 
Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 1999, Public Law 
106-107. ``Eligible 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 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 and non profit 
organizations. For the purposes of the brownfields 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.
    In addition, Intertribal Consortia, other than those composed of 
ineligible Alaskan tribes, are eligible to apply for the brownfields 
job training grants.
    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. Responses to the criteria will 
be used to determine whether to make an award and the amount of funds 
to be awarded. There is no guarantee of an award.

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 30 points may be 
received for this criterion)

[[Page 56292]]

D. Budget, Schedule and Leveraging (a maximum of 20 points may be 
received for this criterion)
E. Community Involvement and Partnerships (a maximum of 15 points may 
be received for this criterion)
F. Measures of Success (a maximum of 10 points may be received for this 
criterion)

    EPA decisions may take into account other statutory and policy 
considerations, such as urban and non-urban distribution and other 
geographic factors; designation as a Federal Empowerment Zone, 
Enterprise Community, or Renewal Community; population; and whether the 
applicant is a federally recognized Indian tribe.

    Dated: September 24, 2003.
Linda Garczynski,
Director, Office of Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment, Office of 
Solid Waste and Emergency Response.
[FR Doc. 03-24780 Filed 9-29-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P