Healthy Communities Grant Program (66.110)
Program
66.110 Healthy Communities Grant Program
Federal Agency
REGION I, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Authorization
Clean Air Act, Section 103(b)(3); Clean Water Act, Section 104 (b)(3); Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Section 8001; Toxic Substances Control Act, as amended Section 10; Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, Section 1442(a)(b); Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Section 20; National Environmental Education Act, Section 6; Pollution Prevention Act, Section 6605; Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act; Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act; Indian Environmental General Assistance Program Act.
Program Number
66.110
Last Known Status
Active
Objectives
other indoor environments. Projects that reduce air toxics i n a city, community or county, including those to create and implement risk management plans, conduct risk screening, build technical training capacity to help reduce community exposure to indoor and or outdoor air toxics are also eligible under this category. d. Healthy Schools: Projects that train K-12 school teams to implement EPA's Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools program (www.epa.gov/iaq/schools) through state-wide or regional workshops, develop or support an environmental management system or a systems approach to improve environmental conditions in schools (www.epa.gov/ne/schools); train K-12 school teams to address asthma triggers particularly in urban areas (www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/asthma); combine Tools for Schools, environmental management systems approaches, asthma and other project areas described in this grant solicitation. For more information on creating healthy school environments, please visit www.epa.gov/schools. e. Preserving & Restoring Urban Natural Resources and Open/Green Space: Projects that create community gardens and/or support urban agriculture; restore or return open space and vacant lots to safe, productive use; increase community access to urban rivers and other urban natural resources; reduce trash and/or prevent illegal dumping; promote pollution prevention efforts; restore the ecological health of urban natural resources; and protect and enhance open/green space (e.g. greenways, school yards, pocket parks, etc.) f. Smart Growth: Projects that encourage compact, mixed-use, transit-oriented, pedestrian-friendly development in urban areas. Smart growth can improve air quality by replacing some motor vehicle trips with walking, biking, and other clean forms of transportation, lowering exposure to airborne pollutants and risk of respiratory illnesses. Smart growth also can improve water quality by reducing impervious surfaces and preserving green spaces both of which can reduce exposure to waterborne pollutants. Examples of smart growth projects include community involvement in development and redevelopment projects; environmentally-sound reuse of vacant lots; improved transportation choices, including transit, pedestrian, and bicycle facilities; and projects that improve public health through improvements to the built environment. g. Water Quality Monitoring or Analyses: Projects that focus on determining the quality of a particular water body or watershed, identifying water quality problem(s), and/or determining the cause of pollution through water quality monitoring and/or analyses of water bodies. Projects should involve community groups, educational institutions, watershed groups and/or other organizations. Projects can provide and/or support educational opportunities for students, interns or citizens to learn more about science, biology and water quality monitoring.
Types of Assistance
Project Grants (Cooperative Agreements).
Uses and Use Restrictions
Assistance agreement awards are available to support recipients allowable direct costs to approved scopes of work plus allowable indirect costs, in accordance with established EPA policies and regulations. Assistance agreement awards under this program may involve or relate to geospatial information.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
Assistance under this program is available to State, Local, Public nonprofit institutions/organizations, Private nonprofit institutions/organizations, Quasi-public nonprofit institutions/organizations, Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments; K-12 schools or school districts and non-profit organizations (e.g. grassroots and/or community-based organizations). Funding will be considered for a college or university to support a project with substantial community involvement. Private businesses, federal agencies, and individuals are not eligible to be grant recipients; however, they are encouraged to work in partnership with eligible applicants on projects. Applicants need not be located within the boundaries of the EPA regional office to be eligible to apply for funding but must propose projects that affect the States, Tribes, and Territories within the Region. For certain competitive funding opportunities under this CFDA program description, the Agency may limit eligibility to compete to a number or subset of eligible applicants consistent with the Agency's Assistance Agreement Competition Policy.
Beneficiary Eligibility
State, Local, Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments, Public nonprofit institutions/organizations, Private nonprofit institutions/organizations, Quasi-public nonprofit institutions/organizations, Anyone/General Public.
Credentials/Documentation
Tribes may be asked to demonstrate that they are federally recognized. Interstate organizations may be asked to provide a citation to the statutory authority, which establishes their status. Intertribal consortia may be asked to provide documentation that they meet the requirements of 40 CFR Part 35.504. Non-profit 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 or other documentation demonstrating their non-profit or not-for-profit status. This requirement does not apply to public agencies or federally recognized Indian tribes. Failure to enclose the letter of incorporation or other documentation demonstrating non-profit or not-for-profit status will render full proposal submissions incomplete and they 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 activities. For-profit enterprises 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 CFR 30.40 (for non-governmental recipients) and 40 CFR 31.36 (for governments).
Application and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
A one page summary format is provided in the Requests For Initial Proposals (RFIP) for the initial submission of proposals. Those applicants who are invited to submit a full proposal are required to submit the SF 424, 424A, 424B, and the pre-award compliance report. Regarding pre-application/pre-proposal assistance with respect to competitive funding opportunities under this program description, EPA will generally specify the nature of pre-application/pre-proposal assistance, if any, that will be available to applicants in the competitive announcements. For additional information, contact the individual(s) listed as Information Contacts or see Appendix IV of the Catalog. Interested applicants should review information on the Internet at: http://www.epa.gov/ne/eco/uep/grants.html. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs. An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.
Application Procedure
The Healthy Communities Grant Program has a two step process for evaluating applications. The program requires a One-Page Project Summary as a first step. The format for the One-Page Project Summary can be found in the application guidance and is the only information required for the first step in the competition. If the One-Page Project Summary is selected, a full application will be requested. The standard application forms as furnished by the Federal agency and required by OMB Circular No. A-102 must be used for this program. Application forms are available at http://www.epa.gov/ne/eco/uep/grants.html and by mail upon request to the US EPA Region I Office, 1 Congress Street, CPT, Suite 1100, Boston, MA 02114. Completed applications should be submitted to the Region I Office.
Award Procedure
For competitive awards, EPA will review and evaluate applications, proposals and/or submissions in accordance with the terms, conditions, and criteria stated in the announcement of the competitive funding opportunity. Competitions will be conducted in accordance with EPA policies/regulations for competing assistance agreements.
Deadlines
Deadlines will be specified in the annual Request for Initial Proposals.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Appeals
Assistance agreement competition-related disputes will be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures published in 70 FR (Federal Register) 3629, 3630 (January 26, 2005). Copies of these procedures may also be requested by contacting the individual(s) listed as Information Contacts. Disputes relating to matters other than competitive selection of recipients will be resolved under 40 CFR 30.63 or 40 CFR 31.70, as applicable.
Renewals
None. All grant applications should be prepared and submitted as a new grant project, which will be evaluated based on criteria specified in annual application guidance.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
There is no statutory requirement for matching funds. However, the grant program encourages a non-federal match of 5% of the total budget, including the amount requested from EPA New England. Award recipients can use contributions from entities other than themselves as a match. However, other Federal money cannot be used as the match for this grant program. Matching funds are considered grant funds. They must be used for the reasonable and necessary expenses of carrying out the assistance agreement work plan. Any restrictions on the use of grant funds (i.e., prohibition of land acquisition with grant funds) also apply to the matching funds.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Assistance agreements are normally funded on a 12 (annual) or 24 month basis, at the discretion of the applicant. Applicants may receive advanced payments during the first quarter of funding of the project period and receive quarterly reimbursements thereafter. There is no restriction placed on the time permitted to spend the money awarded as long as the money is spent within the budget and project periods of the award specified in the workplan and the budget worksheet in the SF 424.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
EPA includes reporting requirements for grants and cooperative agreements in the terms and conditions of the agreements. Cooperative agreements require quarterly and final progress and expenditure reports; program evaluations and other reports as detailed by the specific terms and conditions of the agreements. An annual Financial Status Report is required.
Audits
Grants and cooperative agreements are subject to inspections and audits by the Comptroller General of the United States, the EPA Office of Inspector General, other EPA staff or any authorized representative of the Federal government. Reviews by the EPA Project Officer and the Grants Specialist may occur each year. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations, non-federal entities that expend $500,000 or more in a year in Federal awards shall have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Non-federal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in OMB Circular No. A-133.
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 resulting from an audit, related records should be retained until the matter is completely resolved.
Program Accomplishments
This is a new grant program; data not available.
Financial Information
Account Identification
68-0108-0-1-304.
Obligations
FY 04 $0; FY 05 est not available; and FY 06 estimate not available. The Healthy Communities Grant Program combines resources across contributing regional and national programs and varies annually.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
This is a new grant program; data not available.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
Grants and Cooperative agreements awarded under the Healthy Communities Grant Program are subject to EPA's General Grant Regulations, and Procedures (40 CFR Parts 30 and 40 CFR Parts 31). Costs will be determined on accordance with OMB Circular A-87 for state and local governments and Indian Tribes, OMB Circular A-21 for educational institutions and OMB Circular A-122 for nonprofit institutions.
Related Programs
None.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
Sandra Padula, US EPA Region I, 1 Congress Street, CPT, Suite 1100, Boston, MA 02114. Phone: 617-918-1797. E-Mail: Padula.Sandra@epa.gov.
Headquarters Office
None.
Web Site Address
http://www.epa.gov/ne/eco/uep/grants.html
Examples of Funded Projects
Select examples of funded projects can include such activities as: 1) Assisting school teams to reduce the prevalence of asthma triggers in urban school districts; 2) Conducting an education and outreach campaign in low-income diverse urban neighborhoods on vehicle idling, asthma, and ambient air quality; 3) Designing and implementing smart growth principles and practices into urban development and redevelopment projects; 4) Identifying neighborhood environmental and/or public health concerns to local residents and developing strategies to measurably improve the local environment and/or public health; 5) Cleaning up and restoring vacant lots into community gardens and/or pocket parks to reduce illegal dumping of waste and create open/greenspace; 6) Conducting a comprehensive community education campaign to reduce risks from multimedia toxics including lead, mercury, and PCBs; and 7) Developing and implementing a volunteer water monitoring program to measure and track water quality of a water body or watershed in a community. There are many other types of eligible projects this grant program is designed to allow applicants the flexibility to propose a project that fits community needs and funding priorities. Specific project information on grants funded through this program since 2003 can be found at http://www.epa.gov/ne/eco/uep/grants.html.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
EPA selects proposed projects for funding based on factors such as relevancy to EPA's mission, technical merit, and the likelihood of success. EPA New England's annual solicitation for applications under the Healthy Communities Grant Program will clearly identify specific evaluation criteria.
