[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 126 (Thursday, July 1, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35650-35656]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-16773]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-6370-4]
Sustainable Development Challenge Grant Program
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Solicitation of proposals for FY 1999/2000.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting
proposals for the combined FY 1999/2000 Sustainable Development
Challenge Grant (SDCG) program, one of President Clinton's ``high
priority'' actions described in the March 16, 1995 report,
``Reinventing Environmental Regulation.'' EPA also is soliciting
comments on the SDCG program's overall design. The EPA anticipates that
approximately $9.4 million will be available for the SDCG program in FY
1999/2000. This includes $4.7 million already authorized by Congress
for FY 1999 and an additional $4.7 million requested for the program in
the President's FY 2000 Budget Request and subject to Congressional
authorization.
The SDCG program challenges communities to invest in a sustainable
future that links environmental protection, economic prosperity and
community well-being. It provides an opportunity to develop place-based
approaches to problem solving that can be replicated in other
communities. The SDCG program strongly encourages community members,
business and government entities to work cooperatively to develop
flexible, locally-oriented approaches that link place-based
environmental management and quality of life activities with
sustainable development and revitalization. These grants are intended
to catalyze community-based projects to promote environmentally and
economically sustainable development; build partnerships which increase
a community's capacity to take steps that will ensure the long-term
health of ecosystems and humans, economic vitality, and community well-
being; and leverage public and private investments to enhance
environmental quality by enabling community efforts to continue beyond
the period of EPA funding.
EPA will select projects on a competitive basis using the criteria
outlined in the section titled ``SDCG Program Criteria.'' Applicants
may compete for funding from EPA in two ranges for FY 1999/2000: (1)
Requesting $30,000 to $100,000 with a total project budget of $125,000
or less and (2) requesting between $100,001 and $250,000 with no limit
on the total project budget amount. Proposals will compete with other
proposals in the same range (i.e., a proposal for $30,000-$100,000 will
not compete with a proposal requesting $100,001-$250,000). Applicants
in each category are required to provide a minimum 20% match from non-
federal funding sources.
This document includes the following: Background information on the
Sustainable Development Challenge Grant program; the process for
preparing and submitting proposals; a description of the FY 1999/2000
program; the program's relationship to other related EPA activities;
the SDCG Program Criteria; and the selection and award process.
DATES: The period for submission of proposals for FY 1999/2000 will
begin upon publication of this Federal Register document. Project
proposals must be postmarked by September 29, 1999 to be considered for
funding.
Submission of Proposals
Please provide an original and four copies of your entire proposal
to the regional representative listed below for the state in which your
project will take place. Applicants applying for $100,000 or less are
only required to submit an original and one copy of the proposal.
Proposals must be postmarked no later than September 29, 1999 to be
considered for funding. Telefaxed or electronic submissions will not be
accepted. An acknowledgment of receipt for your proposal will be sent
by your respective EPA Regional Office. This should take a minimum of
two weeks from the postmark date. We expect to announce final
selections in April 2000 and to complete the full grant award process,
including grant workplan negotiations with the appropriate EPA Region,
by June 2000.
Preparing the SDCG Proposal: Proposals should not exceed eight (8)
page sides (four double-sided pages, single or double-spaced). Where
proposals exceed the eight pages in length, the additional pages will
not be considered.
Items 2 through 5 in the list below count towards the (8)
page maximum. The only items not included in the eight (8) page maximum
are the Summary Information Page (item 1) and the Mandatory Attachments
described in item 6 (these are your Proof of Non-profit Status, and
your Letters of Commitment from match partners).
The new EPA Small Grants Policy states that any grant
proposal requesting $100,000 or less is not required to submit a
proposal which exceeds five (5) page sides. These applicants may,
however, submit up to the eight page limit if they so desire.
Please do not use covers, binders or folders.
Proposals should be submitted on 8\1/2\ x 11'' recycled
paper and be double-sided.
Use no smaller than 10-point type and have one inch page
margins all around.
The project proposal should contain the following in the given
order:
[[Page 35651]]
(1) Summary Information Page (recommended length: 1 page) that
provides:
A. Applicant Information
Project title and location;
Applicant name, address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-
mail address;
Type of applicant organization, e.g., non-profit, state,
local government, Native American (American Indians and Alaskan Native
Villages), or educational;
Name of project contact, address, telephone and fax
numbers, and e-mail address;
Indicate if the project is being done in cooperation with
or funded by another federal or EPA program; if so, please identify the
program.
Project category (see the section titled ``List of
Potential Project Categories'' and choose those that apply; feel free
to use a different category from those listed if it better describes
your project).
B. Summary Budget Information
Dollar Amount Requested from EPA
Dollar Amount of Matching Funds
Dollar Amount of Total Project Budget
Match Percentage
C. Match Partner Information
List of Organizations (including addresses) providing
match
Match Amount
The Summary Information page does not count against the eight page
limit.
(2) Project Overview (Recommended page length: (1) Briefly address
the following questions. Your responses provide an overview of the
proposed project and help reviewers understand the context of your
proposal. You have the opportunity to expand on these questions when
addressing the SDCG Program Criteria.
What is the role of your organization in the community?
Where will the activity occur and what is the geographic
scale of the proposed activity (community, city, watershed, region,
state-wide)?
What are the goals and objectives of the project?
What are the project's expected results and what vision do
you have for the ultimate impact of activity (what do you expect to see
change over time among the people involved, the physical environment,
and the environmental, economic or social conditions)?
(3) SDCG Program Criteria (Recommended page length: 3-4) Address
the program criteria question-by-question. Include criteria subheadings
(Sustainability, Community Commitment and Contribution, and Measurable
Results and Evaluation) and use the question numbers to organize your
responses. The specific criteria are found in the ``SDCG Program
Criteria'' section. Definitions of some of the key terms included in
the criteria are provided at the end of this notice.
(4) Project Schedule and Time-Frame (Recommended page length: \1/2\
page) Show when you expect to complete significant steps and milestones
in your project. Clearly depict the project's duration, and include
months and dates. Use July 1, 2000 as the project start date (the exact
date will be negotiated with EPA if your project is selected). One to
three year project duration is permitted under the SDCG program. See
the sample schedule below:
Convene project team--Jul 1, 2000
Complete Task 1 (include brief description of task)--Oct 30, 2000
Complete Task 2 (include brief description of task)--Mar 15, 2001
Complete Task 3 (include brief description of task)--Jun 1, 2001
Complete final report--Jun 30, 2001
(5) Budget Detail (Recommended page length: \1/2\ page) Be sure to
review the section titled ``Funding Ranges and Match'' before preparing
your budget. Prepare a proposed budget showing expected costs by major
categories (personnel, travel, supplies, rent, subcontracts, etc.).
This should include how the matching funds (i.e., funds provided from
non-federal sources) will be spent, what the sources of those funds
are, and whether the funds are cash, in-kind, or both. Proposals that
do not document a minimum 20% match via commitment letters will not be
considered. See the sample budget format provided below:
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Matching
EPA share funds Total
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Staff Salaries and Benefits...... $33,000 $8,000 $41,000
Travel........................... 7,000 0 7,000
Supplies......................... 3,000 1,000 4,000
Service Contract................. 5,000 3,000 8,000
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Totals....................... 48,000 12,000 60,000
Break-Down of Matching Funds:
Your Organization--$5,000 (in-
kind)
Cityville, USA--$3,000 (cash)
Cityville, USA--$3,000 (in-
kind)
LocalBusiness, Inc.--$1,000
(cash)
Total--$12,000
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(6) Mandatory Attachments (These items do not count toward the page
limit.)
A. Proof of Non-profit Status. All non-governmental applicants must
attach articles of incorporation or other documentation demonstrating
non-profit status. For more information, see the section titled
``Eligible Applicants.'' Applications without this documentation will
not be considered.
B. Match Commitment Letters. Letters of commitment from ALL
partners contributing matching funds (cash and/or in-kind) to the
project must be submitted with your proposal, not sent separately or at
a later date. Commitment letters from project partners must specify the
nature of the match (cash or in-kind services), the dollar value of the
match, and the role the contributor will play in the project. Project
partners providing matching funds must certify that the funds will be
available during the project period. Letters must be submitted on
letterhead (if applicable), signed by an individual with authority to
commit funds, and include the organization's telephone number and
address. Letters can be addressed to the appropriate EPA contact for
your proposal or to the organization submitting the proposal.
Applications submitted without commitment letters confirming available
match funds will not be considered. Please do not send letters of
general support from non-match partners or
[[Page 35652]]
others; they will not be used in the evaluation and review process.
Submission of Comments
EPA also is requesting comments on the overall content and design
of the FY 1999/2000 Program. Please send comments to Dr. Lynn Desautels
at EPA Headquarters in Washington, DC via letter, fax, or e-mail (see
For Further Information for specifics). Your comments will be used to
help the agency make further improvements in the program in subsequent
funding years. Please submit your comments by December 1, 1999.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact the regional representative for your
state or Dr. Lynn Desautels, Director, Sustainable Development
Challenge Grant Program, Office of the Administrator, U.S. EPA (MC
1306), 401 M Street SW, Washington, DC 20460, telephone (202) 260-6812,
fax (202) 260-2555, e-mail desautels.lynn@epa.gov.
Regional Offices
Rosemary Monahan, US EPA Region I, 1 Congress Street, Suite 1100,
RSP, Boston, MA 02114-2023, (617) 918-1087,
monahan.rosemary@epa.gov. States: ME, NH, VT, MA, CT, RI
Marcia Seidner, US EPA Region 2, 290 Broadway, 26th Floor, New York,
NY 10007-1866, (212) 637-3590, seidner.marcia@epa.gov. States &
Territories: NY, NJ, PR, VI
Theresa Martella, US EPA Region 3, 1650 Arch Street (3CB00),
Philadelphia, PA 19103, (215) 814-5423, martella.theresa@epa.gov.
States: DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, WV
Annette N. Hill, US EPA Region 4, OPM, 61 Forsyth Street, SW,
Atlant, GA 30303, (404) 562-8287, [email protected] States:
AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN
Janette Marsh, US EPA Region 5, 77 West Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL
60604-3507, (312) 886-4856, marsh.janette@epa.gov, States: MN, WI,
MI, IL, IN, OH
Diana Hinds, US EPA Region 6, Fountain Place, Suite 1200, 1445 Ross
Avenue, Dallas, TX 75202-2733, (214) 665-7561, hinds.diana@epa.gov,
States: AR, LA, NM, OK, TX
Dick Sumpter, US EPA Region 7, 901 N. 5th Street, Kansas City, KS
66101, (913) 551-7661, sumpter.richard@epa.gov, States: KS, MO, NE,
IA
David Schaller, US EPA Region 8, 999 18th Street, Suite 500, Denver,
CO 80202-2466, (303) 312-6146, schaller.david@epa.gov, States: CO,
MT, ND, SD, UT, WY
Nova Blazej, US EPA Region 9, 75 Hawthorne Street (CMD-7), San
Francisco, CA 94105, (415) 744-2089, blazej.nova@epa.gov, States &
Territories: CA, NV, AZ, HI, AS, GU
Anne Dalrymple, US EPA Region 10, 1200 Sixth Avenue (01-085),
Seattle, WA 98101, (206) 553-0199, dalrymple.anne@epa.gov, States:
AK, ID, OR, WA
Headquarters Office
Dr. Lynn Desautels, Director, Sustainable Development Challenge
Grant Program, Office of the Administrator, US EPA, MC 1306, 401 M
Street SW MC 1306, Washington, D.C. 20460, (202) 260-6812 (SDCG
Line) desautels.lynn@epa.gov
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Overview of the Sustainable Development Challenge Grant Approach
The Sustainable Development Challenge Grant (SDCG) program is an
important opportunity for EPA to award competitive grants that leverage
private and other public sector investment in communities (ranging in
size from neighborhoods to cities to larger geographic areas such as
watersheds or metropolitan areas). These grants will build partnerships
that will increase the capacity of communities to ensure long-term
environmental protection through the application of sustainable
development strategies. EPA intends these competitive grants to be
catalysts that challenge communities to invest in a more sustainable
future.
The program encourages communities to recognize and build upon the
fundamental connection between environmental protection, economic
prosperity and community well-being. Accomplishing this linkage
requires integrating environmental protection in policy and decision-
making at all levels of government and throughout the economy.
Achieving sustainability is a responsibility shared by environmental,
community and economic interests.
The SDCG program recognizes the significant role that communities
have and should play in environmental protection. The program
acknowledges that sustainable development is often best designed and
implemented at a community level and encourages projects that can be
replicated in other communities. This emphasis on strong community
involvement requires a commitment to ensuring that all residents of a
community, of varying economic and social groups, have opportunities to
participate in decision-making and benefit from successful sustainable
development activities. Only through the combined efforts and
collaboration of government, private organizations and individuals can
our communities, regions, states, and nation achieve the benefits of
sustainable development. In keeping with this philosophy, the EPA will
implement this program consistent with the principles of Executive
Order 12898, ``Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in
Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations'' (February 11, 1994).
We encourage submissions from Empowerment Zones and Enterprise
Communities.
The EPA initiated the SDCG program as a pilot effort in 1996 and
has funded 96 of the 2,218 proposals received in the first three years
of the program (FY96, 97, 98) for a total of approximately $10,500,000.
Project descriptions for all of the projects funded to date are
available via the Internet at http:www.epa.gov/ecocommunity (see ``List
of Potential Project Categories'' for further information).
Linkages to Other Initiatives
EPA and its state and local partners continue to refine how
environmental protection is accomplished in the United States. The
Agency recognizes that environmental progress will not be achieved
solely by regulation. Innovative attitudes of regulatory agencies
combined with individual, institutional, and corporate responsibility,
commitment and stewardship will be needed to assure adequate protection
of the earth's resources. The Sustainable Development Challenge Grant
program is consistent with other community-based efforts EPA has
introduced, such as the Brownfields Initiative, Environmental Justice
Small Grants Program, Project XL, the President's American Heritage
Rivers Initiative, the Watershed Protection Approach, the Clean Water
Action Plan, Transportation Partners, the $mart Growth Network, and the
Community-Based Environmental Protection Approach. The Sustainable
Development Challenge Grant program is also a step in implementing
``Agenda 21, the Global Plan of Action on Sustainable Development,''
signed by the United States at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in
1992. All of these programs require broad community participation to
identify and address environmental issues.
Through the Sustainable Development Challenge Grant program, EPA
also intends to further the vision and goals of the President's Council
on Sustainable Development (PCSD), created in 1993 by President
Clinton. EPA is coordinating existing urban environmental programs
within the Agency and with other federal, state and local agencies. The
President charged the Council, composed of corporate, government, and
non-profit representatives, to find ways to ``bring people together to
meet the needs of the present without jeopardizing the future.'' The
Council has declared this vision:
[[Page 35653]]
``Our vision is of a life-sustaining Earth. We are committed to
the achievement of a dignified, peaceful and equitable existence. We
believe a sustainable United States will have a growing economy that
equitably provides opportunities for satisfying livelihoods and a
safe, healthy, high quality of life for current and future
generations. Our nation will protect its environment, its natural
resource base, and the functions and viability of natural systems on
which all life depends.'' (February 1996)
The Sustainable Development Challenge Grant program furthers this
vision by encouraging community-based sustainable development
initiatives.
Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants include: (1) Incorporated non-profit (or not-
for-profit) private agencies, institutions and organizations, and (2)
public (state, county, regional or local) agencies, institutions and
organizations, including those of Native Americans (American Indians
and Alaskan Native Villages), the District of Columbia, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any territory or possession of the U.S.
Applicants must be located in, and project activities must be conducted
within, the U.S., the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory or
possession of the U.S. While state agencies are eligible they are
encouraged to work in partnership with community groups and other non-
profit organizations. Federal agencies are not eligible for funding,
however, they are also encouraged to work in partnership with state and
local agencies and non-governmental organizations on these projects.
Profit-making organizations and individuals are not eligible for
funding; however, they are encouraged to participate in sustainability
efforts in their community by becoming partners with eligible
organizations.
Non-profit Status: Applicants are not required to have a formal
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) non-profit designation, such as
501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4), however they must present their letter of
incorporation documenting their non-profit or not-for-profit status.
This requirement does not apply to public agencies. Failure to enclose
the letter of incorporation documenting an applicant's non-profit or
not-for-profit status will result in an incomplete submission and the
proposal will not be reviewed. Applicants who do have an IRS 501(c)(4)
designation are not eligible for grants if they engage in lobbying, no
matter what the source of funding for the lobbying activity. No
recipient may use grant funds for lobbying. Further, profit-makers are
not eligible to receive sub-grants from eligible recipients, although
they may receive contracts, subject to EPA's regulations on procurement
under assistance agreements, 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 30.40
(for non-governmental recipients) and 40 CFR 31.36 (for governments).
SDCG Program Criteria
The proposed project must meet the two statutory threshold
determinations described below in the Statutory Authority section.
Then, proposals will be ranked according to how well they address and
integrate the SDCG Program Criteria. Definitions of some of the key
terms used in the criteria are included at the end of this notice. A
higher ranking will be given to those proposals which clearly and
comprehensively meet and integrate the greatest number of criteria,
address serious environmental problems, and are likely to produce
successful results. Applicants should address each of the three
criteria sections question-by-question. If a proposal does not address
one or more criteria, the applicant must clearly state why these
criteria were not addressed.
(A) Sustainability: 50 Points
A1. How do the proposed project solutions integrate and sustain
environmental protection, economic prosperity and community well-being
at the community level and at the regional level?
A2. How does the proposal address the ways in which future
generations are affected by the proposed project?
A3. What are the specific environmental, economic, and community
problem(s) the proposal addresses and what are their significance?
A4. What type of sustainable behavior is desired, and what type of
non-sustainable behavior needs to be changed?
A5. How do the environmental solutions proposed illustrate an
ecosystem approach to environmental protection? An ecosystem approach
is one that looks at a specific area and addresses the air, land,
water, plants, animals, and people as an integrated and interconnected
system.
A6. How do the proposal's environmental and economic impacts
promote community well-being for all people in the community?
A7. How does the proposal assure that the project's activities do
not exhaust or degrade the environment in your community or shift the
problem to another community or another part of the environment?
A8. How do the environmental solutions proposed by the project lead
to long-term economic vitality? For example, will the project lead to
more sustainable use of natural resources, reduce consumption of non-
renewable resources, create a more skilled and flexible labor force,
and maximize local financial resources?
A9. How does the proposal represent new solutions for the
community, given their previous history and current circumstances?
A10. How does the project build upon lessons learned from similar
sustainable development projects conducted in your community or
elsewhere?
(B) Community Commitment and Contribution: 25 Points
B1. How do your partners fully represent those in the community who
have an interest in or will be affected by the project?
B2. What methods will be used for community involvement to assure
that all affected by the project are provided an opportunity to
participate?
B3. Does the community have in place the legal and regulatory
authority they need to implement the project?
B4. What evidence is there of long-term commitment to the proposal?
Describe how you plan to continue the work after the grant ends or how
this project will evolve into other efforts.
(C) Measurable Results and Evaluation: 25 Points
C1. What are the achievable short-term (within three years) and
long-term objectives that will be used to measure the proposal's
contribution to sustainability? These objectives should be both
quantitative and qualitative.
C2. For planning or visioning proposals: Once the plan or vision is
developed, what next steps will be taken to ensure the plan or vision
is implemented? How will the plan or vision's contribution be measured?
C3. How will you measure and evaluate how well the project meets
its goals and objectives? Goal and objective measures should be both
qualitative and quantitative, and should assess the project's
contribution to sustainability.
C4. In what ways will the project be transferable to other
communities and how will you transfer that information?
List of Potential Project Categories
EPA welcomes proposals for many types of demonstration projects
under the SDCG program. Those most likely to be chosen for funding will
innovatively link solutions for significant environmental, economic and
community issues and problems. Short descriptions of all previously
funded SDCG projects can be found on the
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Internet at our web site: ``www.epa.gov/ecocommunity.'' If you do not
have Internet access, copies of these descriptions can be obtained from
your regional representative or from our headquarters office (see
section titled ``For Further Information''). The list below illustrates
some of the categories that best describe projects previously funded
under this program. Projects often fall under more than one category.
The list is not intended to be exhaustive, and proposed projects may
fit into several categories or into new categories.
Comprehensive planning for sustainable growth.
Comprehensive resource management and restoration (e.g.
watershed restoration, habitat protection, wildlife corridors,
greenways, wetlands, local environmental features, etc.).
Educational ecology or environment-based tourism
supporting local communities.
Green business incentives.
Sustainability indicators.
Sustainable agriculture.
Sustainable forestry.
Green building design.
Community revitalization and redevelopment.
Sustainability education.
Community/local government tools for sustainability.
Sustainable energy systems.
Aquaculture.
Materials reuse.
Since the program seeks to fund innovative ideas, proposals that
are repetitious of earlier funded projects must state how the proposal
addresses new aspects of the problem or issue. Proposals focused on
planning or visioning should clearly state goals and objectives and
indicate the next steps for implementation. Projects do not have to
fall into a single project type, but can incorporate aspects of several
project types.
Funding Ranges and Match
Applicants may compete for funding from EPA in two ranges for FY
1999/2000: (1) Requesting $30,000 to $100,000 with a total project
budget of $125,000 or less, and (2) requesting between $100,001 and
$250,000 with no limit on total project budget. Proposals will compete
with other proposals in the same range. Applicants in each category are
required to demonstrate how they will meet the minimum 20% non-federal
match. Applicants may submit multiple proposals, however, each proposal
must be for a separate and distinct project. No organization may
receive funding for more than one grant each year under the SDCG
program, and projects awarded in any given year will be ineligible for
future funding from this program. Applicants who have received funding
under this program in the past are eligible to receive funds for new
projects which are unrelated to the previously funded projects.
This program is intended to provide seed money to leverage a
broader public and private investment in sustainability activities. As
a result, the program requires a minimum non-federal match of at least
20% of the total project budget. The total budget includes (1) EPA's
share, (2) funds identified as match, and (3) any other funds directly
supporting the project. EPA strongly encourages applicants to leverage
as much investment in community sustainability as possible. EPA views
this leverage as a measure of community support and an indication of
the possible longevity of the project. The match can come from a
variety of public and private sources and can include in-kind goods and
services. No Federal funds, however, can be used as matching funds
without specific statutory authority. The match must be calculated in
accordance with the following example calculation:
(1) If you want to request $100,000 from EPA, your match amount is
not $20,000. You calculate the amount of match you must provide by
dividing the amount you are requesting by 80%. For example:
$100,000 divided by .8 = $125,000 (total project costs)
(2) Amount Requested From US EPA--$100,000
Your Match--+25,000
Total Project Budget--$125,000
These equations calculate the minimum match required. Your match
must be at least 20% to be eligible for funding; fractions (e.g. 19.5%)
will not be rounded up.
Note: Consistent with the provisions of the Omnibus Territories
Act, as amended, 48 U.S.C. 1469a(d), the match requirement is waived
for applications submitted by the governments of American Samoa,
Guam, the Virgin Islands, or the Northern Mariana Islands.
In-Kind Contributions to Meet Your Match Requirement: In-kind
contributions are non-cash contributions to a project. Volunteered
services and donated supplies (use of equipment, office/meeting space,
printing, etc.) used toward your match are called ``in-kind
contributions,'' which you are allowed to count toward the required
match. Volunteered services may include a bookkeeper's maintenance of
your group's financial records and preparation of required financial
reports; an auditor's review of your group's financial records; a
lawyer's aid in drafting a contract for your technical advisor(s), etc.
You must place a reasonable monetary value on your in-kind
contributions and include them in your budget. You must be prepared to
document in-kind contributions in your records. Rates for volunteer
services must be consistent with rates in your community for similar
services and may not include fringe benefits, overhead or profit. EPA
can only provide funds for project costs that are allowable under EPA
statutory authority. The funds that match partners contribute to a
successful challenge grant can only be counted toward match if they are
for costs which EPA can fund. If selected to receive an SDCG grant,
applicants and their match partners are subject to audit to ensure that
all costs are appropriate. If costs are ineligible or the grantee
cannot properly document match dollars , the grantee would be liable
for the disallowed costs.
FOIA, CBI, and Enforcement Screening: Applicants should be aware
that proposals submitted under this or any other EPA grant program are
subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This means that
anyone can request and receive copies of all the information submitted
in your grant proposal. If your application contains any Confidential
Business Information (CBI), be sure to highlight it so the
confidentiality can be protected in the event of a FOIA request.
Finalists for challenge grant awards may be screened to ensure that
the applicants and their match partners are in compliance with
applicable EPA statutes.
Duration: Funded projects are expected to be structured for a
period of one to three years.
What Costs Can Be Paid?
Even though a proposal may involve an eligible applicant, eligible
activity, and eligible purpose, grant funds cannot necessarily pay for
all of the costs which the recipient might incur in the course of
carrying out the project. Allowable costs, including those paid for by
matching funds, are determined by reference to EPA regulations cited
below and to OMB Circulars A-122, ``Cost Principles for Non-profit
Organizations,'' A-21 ``Cost Principles for Education Institutions,''
and A-87, ``Cost Principles for State, Local, and Indian Tribal
Governments.'' Generally, costs which are allowable include salaries,
equipment, supplies, training, rental of office space, etc., as long as
these are ``necessary and reasonable.''
[[Page 35655]]
Entertainment costs are an example of unallowable costs.
Statutory Authority
EPA expects to award Sustainable Development Challenge Grants
program under the following eight grant authorities: Clean Air Act
section 103(b)(3); Clean Water Act section 104 (b)(3); Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act section 8001; Toxics Substances Control
Act section 10; Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
section 20; Safe Drinking Water Act sections 1442(a) and (c); National
Environmental Education Act, section 6; and Pollution Prevention Act,
section 6605.
In addition to the program criteria listed in the SDCG Program
Criteria section above, a proposal must meet the following two
important threshold criteria to be considered for funding:
Threshold Criterion #1. A project must consist of activities
authorized under one or more of the eight EPA grant authorities cited
above. Most of the statutes authorize grants for the following
activities: ``research, investigations, experiments, training,
demonstrations, surveys and studies.'' These activities relate
generally to the gathering or transferring of information or advancing
the state of knowledge. Grant proposals should emphasize this
``learning'' concept, as opposed to ``fixing'' an environmental problem
via a well-established method. For example, a proposal to plant some
trees in an economically depressed area in order to prevent erosion
would probably not in itself fall within the statutory terms
``research, studies, demonstrations,'' etc., nor would a proposal to
start a routine recycling program. The project's activities must
advance the state of knowledge or transfer information. The statutory
term ``demonstration'' can encompass the first instance of the
application of pollution control and prevention techniques, or an
innovative application of a previously used method. The term
``research'' may include the application of established practices when
they contribute to ``learning'' about an environmental concept or
problem.
Threshold Criterion #2. In order to be funded, a project's focus
generally must be one that is specified in the statutes listed above.
For most of the statutes, a project must address the causes, effects,
extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of air, water, or solid/
hazardous waste pollution, or, in the case of grants under the Toxic
Substances Control Act or the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and
Rodenticide Act, to ``carrying out the purposes of the Act.'' While the
purpose of the SDCG program will include the other two aspects of
sustainable development (economic prosperity and community well-being),
the overarching concern or principal focus must be on the statutory
purpose of the applicable grant authority, in most cases ``to prevent
or control pollution.'' In light of this, proposals relating to other
topics which are sometimes included within the term ``environment''
such as recreation, conservation, restoration, protection of wildlife
habitats, etc., should describe the relationship of these topics to the
statutorily required purpose of pollution prevention and/or control.
For assistance in understanding statutory authorities under which EPA
is providing these grants, please contact your EPA representative
listed earlier in this notice.
Selection and Award Process
EPA will select Sustainable Development Challenge Grant recipients
for FY 1999/2000 through a national competition. EPA Regional Offices
will assess how well the proposals meet the program criteria and
forward their top proposals to EPA Headquarters for review by a
national panel consisting of EPA Headquarters and Regional
representatives. Proposals will be evaluated and final selections will
be recommended by the national panel. The panel's recommendations will
be presented to EPA Senior Management for final selection. In making
these final selections such factors as geographic diversity, project
diversity, costs, matching funds, and project transferability or
replicability may be considered. We expect to announce final selections
in April 2000 and to complete the full grant award process, including
workplan negotiations with the appropriate EPA Region, by June 2000.
Although the selections will be made nationally, SDCG grants will
be awarded and managed by the appropriate EPA Regional Offices.
Applicants selected to receive SDCG grants will be contacted by the
appropriate EPA Regional Office, and will be requested to submit a full
grant application (i.e. Application for Domestic Federal Assistance).
Your EPA Regional Contact will provide you with the information you
need, and will be available to answer any questions.
Definitions
Sustainable Development: Sustainable development means integrating
environmental protection and community and economic goals. Sustainable
development meets the needs of the present generation without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
The sustainable development approach seeks to encourage broad-based
community participation and public and private investment in decisions
and activities that define a community's environmental and economic
future and community well-being.
Community Well-being: In the sustainable development context,
community well-being means understanding and considering the impacts of
activity on the diversity of cultures, values, and traditions in a
community and on the overall quality of life. It acknowledges both
current and future generations. Community well-being means ensuring
that all members of the community, regardless of ethnic or cultural
group, age or income, have access to services provided through the
sustainable development project, and that the benefits/burdens of the
project are fairly distributed.
Community: The scale used to define ``community'' under this
challenge grant program will vary with the issues, problems, or
opportunities that an applicant intends to address. The SDCG program
recognizes the significant role that communities have and should play
in environmental protection. ``Community'' means a geographic area
within which different groups and individuals share common interests
related to their homes and businesses, their personal and professional
lives, the surrounding natural landscape and environment, and the local
or regional economy. A community can be one or more local governments,
a neighborhood within a small or large city, a large metropolitan area,
a small or large watershed, an airshed, tribal lands, ecosystems of
various scales, or some other specific geographic area with which
people identify.
Non-sustainable Behavior: Development, or land and water
activities, management or uses, which limit the ability of humans and
ecosystems to live sustainably by destroying or degrading ecological
values and functions, diminishing the material quality of life,
diverting economic benefits away from long-term community prosperity,
and decreasing the long-term capacity for sustainability.
Pollution Prevention: Any practice that (1) reduces the amount of
any hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant entering any waste
stream or released into the environment (including fugitive emissions)
prior to recycling, treatment or disposal, and (2) reduces the hazards
associated with such substances, pollutants or contaminants; and (3)
other practices
[[Page 35656]]
that reduce or eliminate the creation of pollutants through increased
efficiency in the use of raw materials, energy, water or other
resources; or (4) protection of natural resources by conservation.
Applicable Grant Regulations
40 CFR part 30 for other than state/local governments, for example,
non-profit organizations (see 61 FR 6065 (Feb. 15, 1996)), and part 31
for state and local governments and Indian tribes.
Paperwork Reduction Act
The information collection provisions in this document for
solicitation of proposals are approved by the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.
in a generic Information Collection Request titled Generic
Administrative Requirements for Assistance Programs (ICR No. 938.06 and
OMB Approval No. 2030-0020). A copy of the Information Collection
Request (ICR No. 938.06) may be obtained from Sandy Farmer in the
Regulatory Information Division, EPA, 401 M Street, SW (Mail Code
2137), Washington, DC 20460 or by calling (202) 260-2740.
Dated: June 25, 1999.
Peter D. Robertson,
Acting Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 99-16773 Filed 6-30-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
