Gulf of Mexico Program (66.475)
Program
66.475 Gulf of Mexico Program
Federal Agency
OFFICE OF WATER, GULF OF MEXICO PROGRAM OFFICE (GMPO), REGION IV, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Authorization
Clean Water Act, Section 104(b)(3); 33 U.S.C. 1254.
Program Number
66.475
Last Known Status
Active
Objectives
(1) To assist States, Indian Tribes, interstate agencies, and other public or nonprofit organizations in developing, implementing, and demonstrating innovative approaches relating to the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of water pollution; (2) To expand and strengthen cooperative efforts to restore and protect the health and productivity of the Gulf of Mexico in ways consistent with the economic well being of the region and to achieve the goals and priorities recommended by the Gulf of Mexico Program Policy Review Board (a Federal Advisory Committee) and the funding priorities of the Gulf of Mexico Program Office (GMPO). Funding Priority: Priorities include: place-based, watershed protection activities led by State and local communities; improving water quality in priority coastal areas identified as impaired in accordance with Section 303(d) of the CWA; restoring and protecting important marine habitats; Gulf-wide initiatives such as monitoring, assessment; protecting public health by supporting educational efforts targeted as high-risk consumers from pathogens; supporting State efforts to detect, track, and report harmful algal bloom events; assist Gulf States provide compatible fish consumption advisories regarding methylmercury; reducing nutrient loading in the lower Mississippi River and its tributaries and supporting the Hypoxia Action Plan.
Types of Assistance
Project Grants (Cooperative Agreements).
Uses and Use Restrictions
Section 104 (b) (3) of the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. Section 1254 (b) (3) authorizes the awarding of assistance for programs established under the Clean Water Act. Assistance will be targeted to States, Tribes, interstate agencies, and other public or nonprofit organizations that commit to specific activities. Eligible activities should be of a relatively short time frame (1 to 2 years), and all projects should achieve and demonstrate results. Grants and cooperative agreements are available to support recipients' allowable direct costs incident to approved surveys, studies, investigations, research, and demonstrations plus allowable indirect costs, in accordance with established EPA policies and regulations.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
Funds are available to State and local governments, interstate agencies, Tribes, colleges and universities, individuals, and other public or nonprofit organizations.
Beneficiary Eligibility
State and local governments, interstate agencies, Tribes, colleges and universities, individuals, and other public or nonprofit organizations.
Credentials/Documentation
Compliance with 40 CFR Parts 30 and 31 and with Program Funding Guidance. Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-87 for State and local governments.OMB Circular No. A-122 for nonprofit organizations and OMB No. A-21 for educational institutions.
Application and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
Preapplication assistance is available from GMPO. Preproposals should be consistent with GMPO's annual funding guidance and request for preproposals. The request for preproposals will be accessible on the Internet from GMPO's home page (http://www.epa.gov/gmpo/) and an announcement will be mailed to organizations on GMPO's mailing list. GMPO's request for preproposals will request brief project information in a format described in the Funding Guidance for projects in eligible project priority coastal areas of the Gulf of Mexico and for place-based, Gulf-wide, or Lower Mississippi River/tributaries eligible activities. An initial evaluation of place-based preproposals will be conducted at the State meetings convened to evaluate the preproposals. Following the initial State evaluation of the place-based projects, the place-based as well as the Gulf-wide preproposals will be evaluated by the GMP Focus Teams or an Ad Hoc Review Team established by the Gulf of Mexico Program Management Committee and the GMPO staff priority area leads and project officers who will determine the adequacy and relevancy of the project under GMPO objectives, subobjectives, and annual performance goals. An overall score and ranking from each of these reviews will then be developed and provided to the GMPO to select the final list of preproposals. Applicants selected will be notified as to whether they should subsequently submit full Assistance Application Packages (full proposals). Final funding decisions will be based upon the full proposals. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application Procedure
Application forms and Statement of Work Format should be requested from EPA/Gulf of Mexico Program Office, Mail Code EPA/GMPO, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529. The completed Application and Statement of Work should be submitted to the same address. The standard Federal agency application forms as required by OMB Circular No. A-102 must be used for this program.
Award Procedure
Each application package and final proposal will be evaluated by GMPO to determine adherence to the GMPO Statement of Work requirements and completeness of the application. Final determinations, administrative review, and notification of the award will be made by EPA Region 4 Office of Policy and Management.
Deadlines
Schedules are established by GMPO in the annual Funding Guidance and Requests for Preproposals. A Request for Preproposals is expected to be issued in the Fall of each year, with preproposals due around the following January 31. The preproposals selected during the January timeframe will be for funding for the fiscal year two years ahead, e.g., January 31, 2003 preproposals will be funded in fiscal year 2005. Details for submittal will be posted on the following web site: http://www.epa.gov/gmpo/.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Appeals
EPA does not have a formal appeal process for applicants whose proposals are not funded. Appeals with respect to other issues are subject to the provisions described in 40 CFR 30.63 and 40 CFR Part 31,Subpart F.
Renewals
Contact the Gulf of Mexico Program Office for information.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
Not applicable.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
The terms of the assistance shall be determined at time of award.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
Quarterly progress and financial status report requirements will be a part of each assistance agreement. A schedule showing interim milestones and the outputs/outcomes or results that will be completed by the end of the project period will also be included, as will any specific requirements included in the assistance agreement.
Audits
Grants are subject to inspections and audit by representatives of the Comptroller General of the United States and EPA or any authorized representative. Periodic audits should be made as part of the recipient's systems of financial management and internal control to meet terms and conditions of grants and other agreements. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133, "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $300,000 or more within the State's fiscal year shall have an audit made for that year.
Records
Financial records, including all documents to support entries on accounting records and to substantiate changes to each grant must be kept available to personnel authorized to examine EPA grant accounts. All records must be maintained until expiration of three years from the date of submission of the final expenditure report. If questions still remain, such as those raised as a result of an audit, related records should be retained until the matter is completely resolved.
Program Accomplishments
In fiscal year 2002, 104 preproposals were received and 30 assistance agreements were awarded for: implementing restoration actions for impaired coastal segments, supporting Vibrio vulnificus education efforts, increase post-harvest treatment capacity of oysters, developing and implementing Gulfwide fish tissue monitoring program for mercury, evaluating approaches to setting fish consumption advisories, restore and protect acres of coastal and marine habitat, design and implementation of diversions to achieve wetland restoration and nitrate removal, eutrophication modeling for hypoxic zone. In fiscal year 2003, 92 preproposals were received and 25 agreements were funded for: implementing restoration actions for impaired coastal segments, water quality monitoring, seagrass mapping, restoration of shellfish habitat, habitat restoration, bacterial contamination source identification, TMDL support, submerged aquatic vegetation gardening, assessment of groundwater discharge and sewage impacts, stormwater monitoring, compilation, assessment, and characterization of mercury data.
Financial Information
Account Identification
68-0108-0-1-304.
Obligations
FY 02 $1,600,000; FY 03 est $1,900,000, and FY 04 est $1,900,000.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
$3,000 to $200,000; $72,500.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
For grants and assistance agreements with States, local governments and Indian tribal governments, the procedures and requirements should be in conformance with 40 CFR Part 31 "Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments", and OMB Circular Nos. A-87 "Cost Principles for State and Local Governments and A-102, "Grants and Cooperative Agreements for States and Local Governments." For grants and agreements with other entities the procedures should be in conformance with 40 CFR Part 30, "Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations."
Related Programs
66.419, Water Pollution Control_State and Interstate Program Support; 66.463, Water Quality Cooperative Agreements; 66.606, Surveys, Studies, Investigations and Special Purpose Grants.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
Contact the EPA Region 4 Office listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog for information on the grants administration process. Local Office: EPA/Gulf of Mexico Program Office, Mail Code EPA/GMPO, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529, Attention: Gloria Car. Telephone: 228-688-2421. E-Mail: car.gloria@epa.gov.
Headquarters Office
Office of Water, Mail Code 4101, EPA, Washington, DC 20460.
Web Site Address
Examples of Funded Projects
water quality modeling support, wetlands resource management baseline, harmful algal bloom information exchange, seagrass restoration, nutrient control/monitoring of eutrophication, stormwater biofilter demonstration, marshland upwelling system, point source locations, wastewater treatment feasibility study, nutrient modeling, waterbird rookery management, outreach and communications strategy targeted at high-risk consumers of shellfish, invasive species education exhibit, inventory of marine science research, assessment of introduction of nonindigenous aquatic species from ballast water, septic tank maintenance, response plan for harmful algal blooms, assessment of groundwater discharge and sewage impacts, reducing onsite sewage treatment system impacts, nutrient flux from sediments, monitoring and assessment of stormwater diversion, assessment status of invasive species, bacterial source tracking, smart growth planning, wetland inventory, acute pollution event response plan, synoptic survey of total mercury in recreational finfish.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
Projects will be selected based on the criteria and ranking factors established in the GMPO Funding Guidance.
