[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 178 (Friday, September 14, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52558-52561]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-18164]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8468-6]


State Innovation Grant Program, Preliminary Notice and Request 
for Input on the Development of a Solicitation for Proposals for 2008 
Awards

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency), 
National Center for Environmental Innovation (NCEI) is giving 
preliminary notice of its intention to solicit pre-proposals for a 2008 
grant program to support innovation by state environmental agencies--
the ``State Innovation Grant Program.'' The Agency is also seeking 
input from state environmental regulatory agencies on the topic areas 
for the solicitation. In addition, EPA is asking each state 
environmental regulatory agency to designate a point of contact (in 
addition to the Commissioner or Cabinet Secretary level) who will be 
the point of contact for further communication about the upcoming 
solicitation. If your point of contact from previous State Innovation 
Grant solicitations is to be your contact for this year's competition, 
there is no need to send that information again, as all previously 
designated points of contact will remain on our notification list for 
this year's competition. EPA anticipates publication of a Solicitation 
Announcement of Federal Funding Opportunity on the Federal government's 
grants opportunities Web site (http://www.grants.gov) to announce the 
availability of the next solicitation within 45 days.

DATES: State environmental regulatory agencies will have 30 days from 
the date of this pre-announcement notice in the Federal Register 
publication until October 15, 2007 to respond with: (1) Suggestions for 
specific topics that should be included under the general subject area 
of ``Innovation in Environmental Permitting Programs'' (e.g., topics 
with 1-2 paragraphs description) for the next solicitation; and (2) 
point of contact information for the person within the state 
environmental regulatory agency (in addition to Commissioner or Cabinet 
Secretaries) who will be designated to receive future notices about the 
State Innovation Grant competition. We will automatically transmit 
notice of availability of the solicitation to people in state agencies 
identified for previous solicitations.

ADDRESSES: We encourage e-mail responses. Information should be 
submitted in writing via: e-mail to: [email protected]; 
regular mail (see below); or fax to ``State Innovation Grant Program'' 
at (202) 566-2220. If you have questions about responding to this 
notice, please contact EPA at this e-mail address or fax number, or you 
may call Sherri Walker at (202) 566-2186. For regular mail send to 
Sherri Walker, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1807T), State 
Innovation Grant Program; National Center for Environmental Innovation; 
Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation; 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, 
NW., Washington, DC 20460. Comments sent by regular or overnight mail 
must be received prior to close of business on October 15, 2007. Please 
be advised that mail sent via regular postal service may be delayed due 
to additional security screening requirements. For overnight delivery, 
send to Sherri Walker, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1807T), 
State Innovation Grant Program; 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., EPA 
West, Room 4214 D, Washington, DC 20004.
    EPA will acknowledge all responses it receives to this notice. If 
you have not received an acknowledgment from EPA within three (3) days 
of the end of the notice period, please send an e-mail to: [email protected] or call Sherri Walker at (202) 566-2186. Failure 
to do so may result in your information or comments not being received 
by the deadline. EPA will respond to all questions in writing, and all 
questions and responses will be posted on the EPA State Innovation 
Grant Web site at http://www.epa.gov/innovation/stategrants. State 
agencies are advised to monitor this Web site for information posted in 
response to questions received prior to and during the competition 
period.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    In April 2002, EPA issued its plan for future innovation efforts, 
published as Innovating for Better Environmental Results: A Strategy to 
Guide the Next Generation of Innovation at EPA (EPA 100-R-02-002); 
(http://www.epa.gov/innovation/pdf/strategy.pdf). EPA's Innovation 
Strategy presents a framework for environmental innovation consisting 
of four major elements:
    1. Strengthening EPA's innovation partnership with states and 
tribes;
    2. Focusing on priority environmental issues;
    3. Diversifying environmental protection tools and approaches; and
    4. Fostering more ``innovation-friendly'' systems and 
organizational cultures.
    The State Innovation Grant Program strengthens EPA's partnership 
with the states by supporting state innovation compatible with EPA's 
Innovation Strategy. EPA wants to encourage states to build on previous 
experience (theirs and others) to undertake strategic innovation 
projects that promote larger-scale models for ``next generation'' 
environmental protection that promise better environmental outcomes and 
other beneficial results. EPA is interested in funding projects that: 
(i)

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Go beyond a single facility experiment and provide change that is 
``systems-oriented;'' (ii) provide better results from a program, 
process, or sector-wide innovation; and (iii) promote integrated 
(multi-media) environmental management with a high potential for 
transfer to other states, U.S. territories, and tribes.
    Since 2002, EPA has sponsored five State Innovation Grant Program 
competitions that asked for State project pre-proposals that support 
innovation generally related to environmental permitting programs. This 
has included alternatives to permitting and the establishment of 
incentives to go beyond compliance with permit requirements. To date, 
projects have clustered primarily around three strategic topic areas: 
Environmental Results Programs (ERP), Environmental Management Systems 
(EMS), and the National Environmental Performance Track (PT) Program 
and similar state performance-based environmental leadership programs. 
Thirty-five awards to States have been made from the five prior 
competitions. These projects awarded over 6.5 million dollars in 
assistance to States. Some of the projects fit into more than one 
category (e.g., combination projects of ERP with EMS, or ERP with PT). 
Among the grant projects, including those with pending awards: eighteen 
(18) were provided for development of environmental results programs, 
eight (8) were related to environmental management systems and 
permitting, eight (8) were to enhance performance-based environmental 
leadership programs, two (2) were for watershed-based permitting, and 
one (1) was for an information technology innovation for the 
application of geographic information systems (GIS) and a web-based 
portal to a permitting process. For information on prior State 
Innovation Grant Program solicitations and awards, please see the EPA 
State Innovation Grants Web site at http://www.epa.gov/innovation/stategrants.
    Eligible Agencies to Compete for the State Innovation Grant: 
Historically, we have limited the competition to state agencies with 
the primary delegations from EPA for permitting programs. We are aware 
that some state agencies re-delegate their authorities for permitting 
programs to regional, county, or municipal agencies. This year, EPA is 
considering enlarging the competitive range of the solicitation to 
include those to regional, county, or municipal agencies with delegated 
authority, but a tantamount factor for our consideration of this 
proposed eligibility scenario in order to ensure the broader 
application of the innovation being tested by the local agency will be 
that the local agency include the principal state environmental 
regulatory agency as an active member of the project team. Agencies are 
encouraged to collaboratively partner with other governmental agencies 
or non-governmental organizations within the State (or outside of their 
state) that have complementary environmental mandates or symbiotic 
interests (e.g., energy, agriculture, natural resources management, 
transportation, public health). EPA will accept only one proposal from 
an individual state. States are also encouraged to partner with other 
states and American Indian tribes to address cross-boundary issues, to 
encourage collaborative environmental partnering within industrial 
sectors or in certain topical areas (e.g., agriculture), and to create 
networks for peer-mentoring. We anticipate, that as in previous years, 
a multi-state or state-tribal proposal will be accepted in addition to 
an individual state proposal, but a state may appear in no more than 
one multi-state or state-tribal proposal in addition to its individual 
proposal. EPA regrets that because of the limitation in available 
funding it is not yet able to open this competition to American Indian 
tribal environmental agencies but we strongly encourage tribal agencies 
to join with adjacent states in project proposals. EPA is interested in 
hearing from regional, county, or municipal agencies about their 
interest, capacity, and the likelihood of commitment from the principal 
statewide regulatory entity to assist a potential project.
    Proposed General Topic Areas for Solicitation: To increase the 
likelihood of strategic impact with what we anticipate to be limited 
funds, EPA proposes to continue with the general theme of ``innovation 
in permitting,'' and additionally to continue with the focus on the 
three strategic topic areas similar to the last competition: (1) 
Projects that support the development of state Environmental Results 
Programs (ERP); (2) projects which involve the application of 
Environmental Management Systems (EMS) including those that explore the 
relationship of EMS to permitting or otherwise promote the use of EMS 
to improve environmental performance beyond permit requirements (see 
EPA's Strategy for Determining the Role of EMS in Regulatory Programs 
at http://www.epa.gov/ems or http://www.epa.gov/ems/docs/EMS_and_the_Reg_Structure_41204Fpdf)(3) projects that support state 
performance-based environmental leadership programs or state support 
for implementation of the National Environmental Performance Track 
Program, particularly including the development and implementation of 
incentives. EPA's focus on a small number of topics within this general 
subject area effectively concentrates the limited resources available 
for greater strategic impact.
    Projects will be much less likely to be funded through the State 
Innovation Grant Program if agency resources pertinent to the topic are 
already available through another EPA program.
    Request for Input on Solicitation Topics and Priorities: EPA 
encourages communication from States and other parties about these 
three thematic areas mentioned here and other areas potentially ripe 
for innovation. EPA is asking for state environmental regulatory 
agencies and other interested parties to provide brief (about 1 
paragraph) suggestions about additional innovation topics within the 
subject of innovation in permitting for possible inclusion in the 
upcoming solicitation. In addition to the three topic areas ERP, EMS, 
and PT, EPA will continue to encourage project proposals that address 
the four major elements (i.e., strengthening innovation partnerships; 
focusing on priority environmental issues; diversifying environmental 
protection tools and approaches; and fostering ``innovation-friendly'' 
systems and organizational cultures) and use tools (i.e., incentives, 
information resources, results-based goals and measures, etc.) 
highlighted in the Innovation Strategy. EPA may contemplate a very 
limited number of projects otherwise related to the general theme of 
innovation in permitting, in particular as they may address EPA 
regional and state environmental permitting priorities. To date, the 
State Innovation Grant Program has supported ERPs for: auto body/ auto 
repair/auto salvage sectors in six (6) state projects, underground 
storage tanks (UST) in three (3) states, dry cleaning in two (2) 
states, stormwater management in two (2) states, printing sector in one 
(1) state, animal feedlot operations in one (1) state, underground 
injection wells management in one (1) state, and oil and gas production 
in one (1) state. We are interested in continuing the EMS theme, but 
may consider some change to this theme. Also, we may be interested in 
projects that promote a developmental component or type of ``on-ramp'' 
for potential environmental leaders that require upfront compliance 
assistance. We may also be interested in

[[Page 52560]]

exploring PT projects with an air permit component.
    State Innovation Grants will not be applied to the development or 
demonstration of new environmental technologies. These assistance 
agreements will not be awarded for the development of information 
systems or data or projects that have as a primary focus the upgrading 
of information technology systems, unless there is a clear link to 
innovation in specific permitting programs. Projects would be much less 
likely to be funded through this State Innovation Grant if agency 
resources are already available through another agency program. Project 
selections and awards will be subject to funding availability. State 
environmental regulatory agency and other respondents should send their 
suggestions to EPA by mail, e-mail, or fax as described in the 
ADDRESSES section above.
    Request for Input on Diffuse Delegations and Designation of a 
Primary Point of Contact: One of the principal goals of the State 
Innovation Grant program is the testing of an integrated (multi-media) 
innovation with the potential for replication or broader application in 
other sectors, permitting programs, agencies, states, or tribes. 
Because of the limitation of funds we have historically limited the 
competition to state agencies with a primary delegation from EPA for 
permitting programs. We have concerns that opening the competition to 
regulatory entities at lower levels (e.g. air control boards, water 
quality management districts, counties or municipalities) may limit the 
range of results and the potential for transferability of innovative 
approaches. We recognize, however, that in some instances states have 
re-delegated programs to regional or local agencies and that those 
agencies may manage substantial permitting programs. EPA is seeking 
comment from states that may have re-delegated several authorities to 
other governing regional or municipal agencies or boards rather than in 
one centralized state environmental regulatory agency and from the 
boards and districts on how we might accommodate those delegations in 
this program and take advantage of the expertise in those programs 
while maintaining the strategically important goal of testing 
innovation for broad application and transferability. EPA asks that 
each state environmental regulatory agency designate a primary point-
of-contact who we will add to the EPA notification list for further 
announcements about the State Innovation Grant Program. For point of 
contact information, please provide: name, title, department and 
agency, street or post office address, city, state, zip code, 
telephone, fax number, and e-mail address. If your point of contact 
from previous State Innovation Grant solicitations is to be your 
contact for this year's competition, there is no need to send that 
information again, as all previously designated points of contact will 
remain on our notification list for this year's competition. We are 
asking that any new name be submitted with the approval of the highest 
levels of management within an Agency (Commissioner, Director, 
Secretary, or their deputies) within 30 days after publication of this 
notice in the Federal Register. Please submit this information to EPA 
by mail, fax, or e-mail prior to October 15, 2007 in the following 
manner:
    By mail to: State Innovation Grant Program, National Center for 
Environmental Innovation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1807T), 
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington DC 20460.
    By fax to: State Innovation Grant Program, (202) 566-2220.
    By e-mail to: [email protected].
    We encourage e-mail responses. If you have questions about 
responding to this notice, please contact EPA at this e-mail address of 
fax number, or you may call Sherri Walker at (202) 566-2186. For point-
of-contact information, please provide: Name, title, department and 
agency, mailing address (street or P.O. Box), city, state, zip code, 
telephone, fax number, and e-mail address. EPA will acknowledge all 
responses it receives to this notice.
    Opportunity for Dialogue: Between now and the initiation of the 
competition with the release of the solicitation, communication with 
potential applicants may include helping potential applicants determine 
whether the applicant itself is eligible or if the scope of an 
applicant's potential project is suitable for funding, and responding 
to general requests for clarification of the notice. To ensure an equal 
opportunity for all potential applicants, responses to questions that 
come to us during the period between this pre-announcement and the 
release of the solicitation along with helpful resource materials will 
be posted on the State Innovation Grant Web site at http://www.epa.gov/innovation/stategrants. States are also invited to communicate with 
NCEI about ideas for future competition themes by contacting the EPA 
Headquarters contact listed below. The contacts for the EPA Regions and 
the EPA HQ National Center for Environmental Innovation are as follows:
Anne Leiby or Josh Secunda, U.S. EPA Region 1, 1 Congress Street, Suite 
1100, Boston, MA 02114-2023, (617) 918-1076 or (617) 918-1736, 
[email protected] or [email protected]. States: CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, 
VT.
Michael Dunn, U.S. EPA Region 3, 1650 Arch Street (3EA40), 
Philadelphia, PA 19103, (215) 814-2712, [email protected]. States: 
DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, WV.
Marilou Martin, U.S. EPA Region 5, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, 
IL 60604-3507, (312) 353-9660, [email protected]. States: IL, IN, 
MI, MN, OH, WI.
Wendy Lubbe, U.S. EPA Region 7, 901 North 5th Street, Kansas City, KS 
66101, (913) 551-7551, [email protected]. States: IA, KS, MO, NE.
Loretta Barsamian, U.S. EPA Region 9, 75 Hawthorne Street (SPE-1), San 
Francisco, CA 94105, (415) 947-4268, [email protected]. States 
and Territories: AS, AZ, CA, GU, HI, NV.
Jennifer Thatcher, U.S. EPA Region 2, 290 Broadway, 26th Floor, New 
York, NY 10007-1866, (212) 637-3593, [email protected]. States 
& Territories: NJ, NY, PR, VI.
LaToya Miller, U.S. EPA Region 4, 61 Forsyth Street, SW., Atlanta, GA 
30303, (404) 562-9885, [email protected]. States: AL, FL, GA, KY, 
MS, NC, SC, TN.
Craig Weeks, U.S. EPA Region 6, Fountain Place, Suite 1200, 1445 Ross 
Avenue, Dallas, TX 75202-2733, (214) 665-7505, [email protected]. 
States: AR, LA, NM, OK, TX.
Whitney Trulove-Cranor, U.S. EPA Region 8, 999 18th Street, Suite 300, 
Denver, CO 80202-2466, (303) 312-6099, [email protected]. 
States: CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY.
Bill Glasser, U.S. EPA Region 10, 1200 Sixth Avenue (ENF-T), Seattle, 
WA 98101, (206) 553-7215, [email protected]. States: AK, ID, OR, 
WA.
Headquarters Office: Sherri Walker, U.S. EPA (MC 1807T), Office of the 
Administrator, National Center for Environmental Innovation, State 
Innovation Grants Program, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, 
DC 20460, (202) 566-2186, (202) 566-2220 fax.
For courier delivery only: Sherri Walker, U.S. EPA, EPA West Building, 
Room 4214D, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20005.

    Opportunity for Pre-Competition Briefings and Addressing Questions: 
In

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addition, prior to this year's solicitation, we are planning to host a 
series of briefings and opportunities for question and answer (Q&A) 
sessions via teleconference calls, one with each EPA Region and all of 
their States. These conference calls will enable us to offer a two-hour 
streamlined proposal development briefing to all States prior to our 
solicitation, and will allow us to answer any questions that the States 
have prior to the competition, in keeping with Federal requirements 
that we afford assistance fairly in a competition process. Specific 
conference call logistics and grant resource information will be 
provided to each Region and the States as well as being posted on our 
Web site at http://www.epa.gov/innovation/stategrants. Pre-competition 
briefing summaries, and all other all resource materials will be posted 
on the Web site at http://www.epa.gov/innovation/stategrants. Through 
this effort, we are hoping to encourage individual States (and/or 
State-led teams) to submit well-developed pre-proposals that 
effectively describe in particular how their project will achieve 
measurable environmental results.

    Dated: September 10, 2007.
David Widawsky,
Associate Office Director, Office of Environmental Policy Innovation.
[FR Doc. E7-18164 Filed 9-13-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P