Regional Environmental Priority Projects (66.111)
Program
66.111 Regional Environmental Priority Projects
Federal Agency
Environmental Protection Agency
Authorization
Clean Water Act, Section 104; Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Section 20; Clean Air Act, Section 103; Solid Waste Disposal Act, Section 8001; Safe Drinking Water Act, Section 1442; Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10.
Program Number
66.111
Last Known Status
Active
Objectives
To support investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, studies, and special purpose assistance to protect public health and prevent, reduce, and eliminate pollution in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Projects may be single media or multimedia which support the regional environmental priorities. Single media grants support pollution prevention efforts for individual environmental law statutes. Multimedia grants are assistance agreements that are awarded citing two or more environmental law statutes, appropriation legislation, or applicable legislative history as the statutory authority. Funding Priority - Fiscal Year 2006 - Funded projects will focus on the regional environmental priorities and include unique, geographically-based projects that support the Agency's ability to protect human health and the environment. These projects may address places, sectors, or innovative projects, and focus on critical ecosystems, sensitive populations, and/or agriculture. These projects may also demonstrate state, local, and/or other stakeholder participation; identify opportunities for leveraging other sources of funding; or support smart growth planning in communities. Smart growth projects are those focused on improving the quality of life in communities by integrating the tenets of ecology, equity and management by citizens. Funding Priority - Fiscal Year 2007 - Funded projects will focus on the regional environmental priorities and include unique, geographically-based projects that support the Agency's ability to protect human health and the environment. These projects may address places, sectors, or innovative projects, and focus on critical ecosystems, sensitive populations, and/or agriculture. These projects may also demonstrate state, local, and/or other stakeholder participation; identify opportunities for leveraging other sources of funding; or support smart growth planning in communities. Smart growth projects are those focused on improving the quality of life in communities by integrating the tenets of ecology, equity and management by citizens.
Types of Assistance
Project Grants (Cooperative Agreements).
Uses and Use Restrictions
Grants and cooperative agreements are available to support recipients' allowable direct costs incident to approved investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, studies, and special purpose assistance plus allowable indirect costs, in accordance with established EPA policies and regulations.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
Assistance under this program is generally available to States, territories, Indian Tribes, and possessions of the U.S., including the District of Columbia; public and private universities and colleges; hospitals; laboratories; other public or private nonprofit institutions; for-profit groups; and individuals which submit applications proposing projects with significant technical merit and relevance to EPA's mission. 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. Nonprofit organizations must be able to demonstrate that they are eligible through documentation of nonprofit status provided the U.S. Internal Revenue Service or their state of incorporation. However, nonprofit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engage in lobbying activities as defined in Section 3 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 are not eligible to apply.
Beneficiary Eligibility
State and local governments, U.S. territories and possessions, Indian Tribes, universities and colleges, hospitals, laboratories, other public and private nonprofit institutions, and individuals.
Credentials/Documentation
Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-87 for State and local governments and Indian Tribes, OMB Circular No. A-21 for educational institutions, OMB Circular No. A-122 for nonprofit institutions, and FAR Part 31 for profit makers. Applicants may be requested to demonstrate they have appropriate background, academic training, experience in the field, and necessary equipment to carry out projects. EPA may ask applicants or principle investigators to provide curriculum vitae and relevant publications. Nonprofit organizations must be able to demonstrate that they are eligible through documentation of nonprofit status provided the U.S. Internal Revenue Service or their state of incorporation.
Application and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
EPA awards grants and cooperative agreements supporting investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, studies, and special purpose projects based on unsolicited proposals and competitive applications submitted in response to EPA solicitations, considering relevance and likelihood of success of proposed projects. For this reason, we recommend that potential applicants discuss proposed projects with or submit pre-applications to staff in the appropriate EPA Region 7 program office. 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. This program is subject to the provisions of OMB Circulars No. A-102 and No. A-110. If an applicant submits an unsolicited proposal it will be reviewed and evaluated in accordance with Agency policy and procedures. For more information regarding the procedures for submitting unsolicited proposals, applicants may contact the individual(s) listed as ¿Information Contracts¿ or see Appendix IV of the Catalog. Regarding pre-application/pre-proposal assistance with respect to competitive funding opportunities under this program description, EPA will generally specify the nature of the pre-application/pre-proposal assistance, if any, that will be available to applicants in the competitive announcement. For additional information contact the individual(s) listed as Information Contacts or see Appendix IV of the Catalog.
Application Procedure
The standard application forms as furnished by the Federal agency and required by OMB Circular No. A-102 and A-110 must be used for this program. EPA requires final applications to be made on Standard Form 424. Application kits should be requested from and submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Grants Administration Office, 901 N. 5th Street, Kansas City, Kansas 66101. Detailed information and assistance, including an application kit, required forms, and a check list, are available at: http://www.epa.gov/region07/economics/index.htm. For competitive awards, Requests for Initial Proposals, Requests for Proposals, or Requests for Applications will specify application procedures.
Award Procedure
EPA Region 7 accepts unsolicited proposals appropriate for this Catalog number. For competitive awards, EPA will review and evaluate applications, proposals and/or submissions in accordance with the terms, conditions, and criteria as stated in the announcement of the competitive funding opportunity. Competitions will be conducted in accordance with EPA policies/regulations for competing assistance agreements.
Deadlines
For competitive awards, deadlines will be specified in Request for Applications or Request for Initial Proposals. Unsolicited proposals may be submitted at any time.
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 Contracts. 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. A standard grant application should be prepared and submitted as a new grant, which will be reviewed in the same manner as the original application and will compete for available funds. EPA can incrementally fund grants and cooperative agreements for investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, studies, and special purpose assistance. Approval of subsequent funding increments is dependent on satisfactory project progress, continued relevance of the project to EPA's priorities, and availability of funds.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
Not applicable.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Grants and cooperative agreements are normally funded on a 12-month basis (annual) and will be paid electronically utilizing automated funds transfer. The total approved project period may not exceed 5 years for competitive awards.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
EPA includes reporting requirements for grants and cooperative agreements in the terms and conditions of the agreements. Agreements may require quarterly, interim, and final progress reports, and financial, equipment, and invention reports. Reporting requirements are also identified in the Grant Regulations Part 30 and Part 31.
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
Recipients must keep financial records, including all documents supporting entries on accounting records and to substantiate changes in grants, available to personnel authorized to examine EPA recipients grants and cooperative agreements records. Recipients must maintain all records until 3 years from the date of submission of final expenditure reports. If questions, such as those raised as a result of audits remain following the 3-year period, recipients must retain records until the matter is completely resolved.
Program Accomplishments
Financial assistance will be awarded based on the actual amount of funds available during each FY and the number of successful proposals.
Financial Information
Account Identification
68-0108-0-1-304; 68-0103-0-1-304.
Obligations
Estimated funds available will vary based on regional allocation. FY 06 $300,000; FY 07 est $300,000 ; and FY 08 est $300,000.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
The average amount of the financial assistance awards is not provided because this is a new program.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
Investigations, experiments, training, demonstrati surveys, studies, and special purpose grants and cooperative agreements are subject to EPA's General Grant Regulations (40 CFR Part 30 and 40 CFR Part 31).
Related Programs
None.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
EPA encourages potential applicants to communicate with the EPA Region 7 located at 901 N. 5th Street, Kansas City, Kansas 66101, Karen Flournoy, telephone (913) 551-7782, fax (913) 551-9782, e-mail flournoy.karen@epa.gov or Toni Gargas, telephone (913) 551-7193, fax (913) 551-9193, e-mail gargas.toni@epa.gov.
Headquarters Office
Not applicable.
Web Site Address
http://www.epa.gov/region07/economics/index.htm
Examples of Funded Projects
Not applicable.
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. If EPA issues a solicitation for applications for a particular project or group of projects, the solicitation will identify specific criteria.
