[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 200 (Thursday, October 16, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59611-59613]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-26192]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY


Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability 
Act (CERCLA), Section 104 (k); Announcement of Proposal Deadlines for 
the Competition for the 2004 National Brownfields Assessment, Revolving 
Loan Fund, and Cleanup 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 United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will 
begin to accept proposals for the National Brownfields Assessment, 
Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grants on October 16, 2003. This 
notice provides information on how to obtain the application 
guidelines. These grants may be used to address sites contaminated by 
petroleum and hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants 
(including hazardous substances co-mingled with petroleum). The 
brownfields assessment grants (each funded up to $200,000 over two 
years) provide funding for a grant recipient to inventory, 
characterize, assess, and conduct planning and community involvement 
related to brownfield sites. The brownfields revolving loan fund grants 
(each funded up to $1,000,000 over five years) provide funding for a 
grant recipient to capitalize a revolving loan fund and to provide 
subgrants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites that are

[[Page 59612]]

owned by the subgrant recipient. The brownfields cleanup grants (each 
funded up to $200,000 over two years) provide funding for a grant 
recipient to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites that are 
owned by the grant recipient (see Catalogue of Federal Domestic 
Assistance Number: 66.818).
    For the brownfields assessment grants, an applicant may request a 
waiver of the $200,000 limit and obtain funding up to $350,000 based on 
the anticipated level of contamination, size, or ownership status of 
the site. The revolving loan fund and cleanup grants require a 20 
percent cost share, which may be in the form of a contribution of 
money, labor, material, or services from a non-federal source. If the 
cost share is in the form of contribution of labor, material, or other 
services, it must be incurred for an eligible and allowable cost under 
the grant and not for ineligible costs. An applicant may request a 
waiver of the 20 percent cost share requirement based on hardship.
    The National brownfields assessment, revolving loan fund, and 
cleanup grants will be awarded on a competitive basis. 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 Assessment, 
Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grants (October 2003). Final 
selections will be made by EPA senior management after considering the 
ranking of proposals by the evaluation panels. EPA decisions may also 
take into account other statutory and policy considerations, such as 
fair distribution of funds between urban and non-urban and other 
geographic factors; compliance with the statutory petroleum funding 
allocation; the benefits of promoting the long-term availability of 
funds under the RLF grants; designation as a federal Empowerment Zone, 
Enterprise Community, or Renewal Community; population; and whether the 
applicant is a federally recognized Indian tribe. In addition, special 
consideration will be given to projects committed to achieving 
recognized green building and/or energy efficiency building standards.

DATES: This action is effective as of October 16, 2003. EPA expects to 
make up to 200 grant awards in fiscal year 2004, contingent upon the 
availability of funds. The application deadline for proposals for the 
2004 assessment, revolving loan fund, and cleanup grants is December 4, 
2003. All proposals must be postmarked by USPS or delivered to Don 
West, Environmental Management Support Inc., 8601 Georgia Avenue, Suite 
500, Silver Spring, MD 20910 by other means, no later than December 4, 
2003, and a duplicate copy sent to the appropriate U.S. EPA Regional 
Office.

ADDRESSES: Mailing addresses for EMS, 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; and 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: 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 to authorize 
federal financial assistance for brownfields revitalization, including 
grants for assessment, cleanup, and job training.
    Funding for the brownfields grants is authorized under section 
104(k) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and 
Liability Act of 1980, as amended, (CERCLA), 42 U.S.C. 9604(k). 
Eligibility for brownfields assessment and revolving loan fund grants 
is limited to ``eligible entities'' as defined in section 104(k)(1) of 
CERCLA. These 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. Eligibility for brownfields cleanup 
grants is limited to ``eligible entities'' and nonprofits. 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, 31 U.S.C. 6101, Note. 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 
assessment, revolving loan fund, and cleanup grants. Coalitions of 
eligible governmental entities are eligible to apply for the 
brownfields revolving loan fund grants, but only one member of the 
coalition may receive a cooperative agreement.
    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 utilized to determine whether to make an award and the amount of 
funds to be awarded. There is no guarantee of an award.

Assessment Grants

Threshold Criteria

    A. Applicant Eligibility
    B. Community Notification
    C. Letter from the State or Tribal Environmental Authority
    D. Site Eligibility and Property Ownership Eligibility

Ranking Criteria

    A. Assessment Grant Proposal Budget (a maximum of 5 points may be 
received for this criterion)
    B. Community Need (a maximum of 15 points may be received for this 
criterion)
    C. Site Selection Process (a maximum of 10 points may be received 
for

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this criterion)
    D. Sustainable Reuse of Brownfields/Development Potential (a 
maximum of 10 points may be received for this criterion)
    E. Creation and/or Preservation of Greenspace/Open Space or Other 
Nonprofit Purpose (a maximum of 5 points may be received for this 
criterion)
    F. Reuse of Existing Infrastructure (a maximum of 5 points may be 
received for this criterion)
    G. Community Involvement (a maximum of 15 points may be received 
for this criterion)
    H. Reduction of Threats to Human Health and the Environment (a 
maximum of 10 points may be received for this criterion)
    I. Leveraging of Additional Resources (a maximum of 15 points may 
be received for this criterion)
    J. Ability to Manage Grants (a maximum of 10 points may be received 
for this criterion)

Revolving Loan Fund Grants

Threshold Criteria

    A. Applicant Eligibility
    B. Community Notification
    C. Letter from the State or Tribal Environmental Authority
    D. Site Eligibility and Property Ownership Eligibility
    E. Cleanup Authority and Oversight Structure
    F. Cost Share
    G. Legal Authority to Manage a Revolving Loan Fund

Ranking Criteria

    A. RLF Grant Proposal Budget (a maximum of 5 points may be received 
for this criterion)
    B. Community Need (a maximum of 15 points may be received for this 
criterion)
    C. Description of Target Market for RLF Loans and Subgrants (a 
maximum of 10 points may be received for this criterion)
    D. Business Plan (a maximum of 10 points may be received for this 
criterion)
    E. Sustainable Reuse of Brownfields/Development Potential (a 
maximum of 10 points may be received for this criterion)
    F. Creation and/or Preservation of Greenspace/Open Space or Other 
Nonprofit Purpose (a maximum of 5 points may be received for this 
criterion)
    G. Reuse of Existing Infrastructure (a maximum of 5 points may be 
received for this criterion)
    H. Community Involvement (a maximum of 15 points may be received 
for this criterion)
    I. Reduction of Threats to Human Health and the Environment (a 
maximum of 10 points may be received for this criterion)
    J. Leveraging of Additional Resources (a maximum of 15 points may 
be received for this criterion)
    K. Ability to Manage Grants/Management Structure (a maximum of 10 
points may be received for this criterion)

Cleanup Grants

Threshold Criteria

    A. Applicant Eligibility
    B. Community Notification
    C. Letter from the State or Tribal Environmental Authority
    D. Site Eligibility and Property Ownership Eligibility
    E. Cleanup Authority and Oversight Structure
    F. Cost Share

Ranking Criteria

    A. Cleanup Grant Budget (a maximum of 5 points may be received for 
this criterion)
    B. Community Need (a maximum of 15 points may be received for this 
criterion)
    C. Sustainable Reuse of Brownfields/Development Potential (a 
maximum of 10 points may be received for this criterion)
    D. Creation and/or preservation of Greenspace/Open Space or Other 
Nonprofit Purpose (a maximum of 5 points may be received for this 
criterion)
    E. Reuse of Existing Infrastructure (a maximum of 5 points may be 
received for this criterion)
    F. Community Involvement (a maximum of 15 points may be received 
for this criterion)
    G. Reduction of Threats to Human Health and the Environment (a 
maximum of 10 points may be received for this criterion)
    H. Leveraging of Additional Resources (a maximum of 15 points may 
be received for this criterion)
    I. Ability to Manage Grants (a maximum of 10 points may be received 
for this criterion)

    EPA decisions may take into account other statutory and policy 
considerations, such as fair distribution of funds between urban and 
non-urban and other geographic factors; compliance with the statutory 
petroleum funding allocation; the benefits of promoting the long-term 
availability of funds under the RLF grants; designation as a federal 
Empowerment Zone, Enterprise Community, or Renewal Community; 
population; and whether the applicant is a federally recognized Indian 
tribe. In addition, special consideration will be given to projects 
committed to achieving recognized green building and/or energy 
efficiency building standards.

    Dated: October 7, 2003.
Linda Garczynski,
Director, Office of Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment, Office of 
Solid Waste and Emergency Response.
[FR Doc. 03-26192 Filed 10-15-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P