[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 24, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4657-4658]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-1720]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Research and Special Programs Administration
[Notice No 95-1]
Supplemental Emergency Preparedness Grant Program
AGENCY: Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: RSPA is providing notice of the availability of grant funds in
the amount of $250,000 and soliciting applications from national
nonprofit employee organizations engaged solely in fighting fires to
train instructors to conduct hazardous materials response training
programs. RSPA also seeks comments on the provisions contained in this
notice in order to improve operation of the program. Grant application
packages, reflecting comments made, will be available on April 1, 1995.
DATES: Comments. Comments must be submitted on or before February 6,
1995.
Applications. Applications must be submitted by May 15, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Comments and applications. Address comments and applications
to the Grants Unit, DHM-64, Room 8104, Research and Special Programs
Administration, Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh St., SW.,
Washington, DC 20590-0001.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles G. Rogoff, Grants Manager,
Office of Hazardous Materials Planning and Analysis, Research and
Special Programs Administration, Department of Transportation, 400
Seventh St., SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001, telephone: (202) 366-6001.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
On August 26, 1994, President Clinton signed into law the Hazardous
Materials Transportation Authorization Act of 1994 (HMTAA; Pub. L. 103-
311). Section 119 of the HMTAA amended 49 U.S.C. 5116 to add a new
subsection (j) concerning supplemental training grants. These
supplemental grants are intended to further the purposes of the State
and Indian tribe grants under section 5116(b) to train public sector
employees to respond to accidents and incidents involving hazardous
material. Section 5116(j)(1) provides that the Secretary of
Transportation shall, subject to the availability of funds, make grants
to national nonprofit employee organizations engaged solely in
firefighting to train instructors to conduct training programs for
individuals responding to hazardous materials accidents. Section
5116(j)(2) requires the Secretary to consult with interested
organizations to identify regions or locations in which fire
departments are in need of training and prioritize those needs. Section
5116(j)(3) provides that funds granted to an organization may only be
used to train instructors to conduct hazardous materials response
training programs, to purchase equipment used to train those
instructors, and to disseminate information necessary to conduct those
training programs. Section 5116(j)(4) provides that a grantee must
agree to use courses developed under the National Training Curriculum,
and section 5116(j)(5) provides that the Secretary may impose such
additional terms and conditions on grants as the Secretary determines
are necessary to carry out the objectives of the supplemental grant
program. RSPA asks commenters to address the definitions of eligible
applicants and criteria for grant selection described below.
Availability of Funds
Section 119(b) of the HMTAA amended 49 U.S.C. 5127(b) to provide
that there shall be available to the Secretary, from the registration
fee account established under section 5116(i), $250,000 for each of
fiscal years [[Page 4658]] 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998. Under section
5116(i), amounts in the registration fee account are available without
further appropriation. In addition, section 5127(b) was amended to
authorize appropriations of $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1995,
1996, 1997, and 1998; however, Congress did not appropriate any of the
authorized $1,000,000 for fiscal year 1995.
Approximately $250,000 is projected to be available in fiscal year
1995. Awards will be made for a 12-month budget period within a project
period not to exceed four years. Continuation awards within the project
period will be made on the basis of satisfactory progress toward
achieving grant activities, and the availability of Federal funds.
Eligible Applicants
By law, grants are intended for ``national nonprofit employee
organizations engaged solely in fighting fires for the purpose of
training instructors to conduct hazardous materials response training
programs for individuals with statutory responsibility to respond to
hazardous materials accidents and incidents.'' 49 U.S.C. 5116(j)(1).
RSPA interprets the first part of the quoted phrase to mean nonprofit
organizations with employee members who fight fires.
Objectives of the Grant Program
RSPA expects that, by training additional instructors, course
deliveries to hazardous materials emergency responders will increase.
Because many responders cannot leave their immediate locations for
extended periods of time, due to budget and other limitations, the only
way to deliver training to them is to train sufficient instructors for
required course deliveries at convenient locations.
As provided by statute, funds awarded to an organization under this
grant program may only be used to train instructors to conduct
hazardous materials response training programs, to purchase training
equipment used exclusively to train instructors to conduct those
training programs, and to disseminate information and materials
necessary for the conduct of training programs. RSPA will make a grant
to an organization under this program only if the organization enters
into an agreement with RSPA to train instructors, on a
nondiscriminatory basis, to conduct hazardous materials response
training programs using a course or courses developed or identified as
qualified under the curriculum guidelines prepared by RSPA and its
interagency partners, or other courses that RSPA determines are
consistent with the objectives of the curriculum guidelines. Ultimate
course selection and delivery to responders is the responsibility of
State and Indian tribe grantees under the Hazardous Materials Emergency
Preparedness Grant Program.
Grant and Selection Criteria
Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis. RSPA intends to
evaluate applications based on the criteria set forth below.
Applications shall include, at a minimum:
(1) How applicants intend to accomplish training for instructors of
individuals with statutory responsibility to respond to accidents and
incidents involving hazardous materials.
(2) The regions or locations in which fire departments or other
organizations providing emergency response to hazardous materials
transportation accidents and incidents are in need of hazardous
materials training and the method used to identify those needs.
(3) Prioritized training needs, and a description of the means for
identifying additional specific training needs.
(4) A statement of work for the upcoming budget period that
describes and sets priorities for the activities and tasks to be
conducted, the costs associated with each activity, the number and
types of deliverables and products to be completed, and a schedule for
implementation.
In addition, since RSPA expects that the amount of funds requested
by all applicants may exceed a total of $250,000, applicants should
provide a prioritized listing of specific program tasks to be performed
and the cost of each task.
Applications will be rated on the ability to achieve the above-
stated requirements. RSPA encourages the addition of non-Federal funds
to support the project, but does not require cost sharing. Program
funding is dependent on collection of registration fees and may be less
than the authorized amount. Applications must be received not later
than May 15, 1995. An application kit will be available from RSPA on
April 1, 1995.
Issued in Washington, DC, on January 19, 1995.
Alan I. Roberts,
Associate Administrator for Hazardous Materials Safety.
[FR Doc. 95-1720 Filed 1-23-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P
