Source Reduction Assistance (66.717)

Program

66.717 Source Reduction Assistance

Federal Agency

Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
Office: Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics Substances

Authorization

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Section 20; Clean Air Act, Section 103(b); Safe Drinking Water Act, Section 1442(a)(1)&(c); Clean Water Act, Section 104(b)(3); Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10; Solid Waste Disposal Act, Section 8001(a).

Program Number

66.717

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

The goal of the Source Reduction Assistance (SRA) Grant Program is to provide grants to support pollution prevention/source reduction and/or resource conservation activities. For purposes of this grant program, pollution prevention is defined as any practice which reduces or eliminates the creation of pollutants through: increased efficiency in the use of raw materials, energy, water, or other resources, or protection of natural resources by conservation activities. EPA is interested in funding projects which assist in reducing hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants entering waste streams or otherwise released into the environment (including fugitive emissions) prior to recycling, treatment, or disposal. Grant activities may involve, but are not limited to the following: equipment or technology modifications, process or procedure modifications, reformulation or redesign of products, substitution of raw materials, improvements in housekeeping, maintenance, training, inventory control, etc. Funding Priority - Fiscal Year 2009: To support source reduction, pollution prevention and resource conservation activities that comply with the statutory authorities of the Clean Air Act, Section 103(b), as amended; Clean Water Act, Section 104(b)(3), as amended; Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Section 20, as amended; Safe Drinking Water Act, Section 1442 (a)(1) and (c), as amended; Solid Waste Disposal Act, Section 8001(a), as amended; and the Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10, as amended. Please note: Projects must consist of activities within the statutory terms of these EPA grant authorities. The statutes authorize grants for the following activities: "research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations of new or innovative techniques, surveys and studies." These activities relate generally to the gathering or transferring of information or advancing awareness. Applicants should emphasize in their grant proposal's this "learning" concept, as opposed to "fixing" an environmental problem using a well-established method. For example, a proposal to install a more energy efficient heating system in the applicant's facility in order to conserve energy, would not, in itself fall within research, studies, demonstrations, etc. All activities in the proposal must be eligible under one or more of the statutory authorities.

Types of Assistance

PROJECT GRANTS

Uses and Use Restrictions

EPA is interested in supporting pollution prevention, source reduction and resource conservation projects that will provide an overall benefit to the environment by preventing pollutants at the source. Source reduction projects can include but are not limited to: 1) improving facility and institutional operations that reduce pollutant use and exposure, 2) reformulating and procuring products to reduce toxic constituents, 3) providing direct technical assistance to businesses and other organizations, 4) encouraging green product design and manufacturing, 5) conducting outreach, 6) collecting and analyzing data, and 7) integrating pollution prevention concepts into state, regional and tribal environmental multimedia programs. Grant activities must be consistent with the grant guidelines of the statutory authorities listed for this program. The statutory authorities are listed in this CFDA announcement and in the applicable grant solicitations. The statutes authorize EPA to award assistance agreements to support the following activities: "research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations of new or innovative techniques, 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 install a more energy efficient heating system in the applicant's facility in order to conserve energy, would not, in itself fall within research, studies, demonstrations, etc. All activities in the applicant's proposal must be eligible under one or more of the statutory authorities listed.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

For certain competitive funding opportunities under this CFDA 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. Assistance under this program is available to the fifty States, the District of Columbia, the United States Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, any territory or possession of the United States, local governments, city or township governments, independent school district governments, state controlled institutions of higher education, Federally-recognized tribal governments, non-profits other than institutions of higher education private institutions of higher education, and community-based grassroots organizations. 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

Any State, Federally-recognized Tribal government, Intertribal Consortia, college/university, non-profit organization, local government or independent school district.

Credentials/Documentation

Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A 87 for State and local governments and federally recognized tribal governments, OMB Circular No. A 21 for educational institutions, OMB Circular No. A 122 for nonprofit institutions. 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 principal investigators to provide curriculum vitae and relevant publications. OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program.

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

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. Standard grant forms are required, as provided by the EPA and must be used for this program. Forms may be obtained via the Internet by visiting: http://www.epa.gov/ogd/AppKit/application.htm. Please consult the Source Reduction Assistance program notice, posted to EPA's Pollution Prevention Grant web site at http://www.epa.gov/oppt/p2home/grants/index.htm for more information. 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. If the applicant does not know who their Single Point of Contact is, they should contact the appropriate EPA Regional Pollution Prevention Program office listed in the Information Contacts section, or call the EPA Headquarters Grant Policy Information and Training Branch at 202-564-5325. Federally-recognized Tribal governments are not required to comply with this procedure. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. 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

OMB Circular No. A-102 applies to this program. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program. This CFDA program description is designed to benefit national and regional source reduction, pollution prevention, and resource conservation activities. Grant proposals must meet the requirements outlined in the national and regional Source Reduction Assistance solicitation notices. EPA will conduct the grant competition by posting a Request for Proposals (RFP) on-line. Applicants may be able to use http://www.grants.gov to electronically apply for certain grant opportunities under this CFDA.

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 competitive announcement. Competitions will be conducted in accordance with EPA policies/regulations for competing assistance agreements. Source Reduction Assistance grants and cooperative agreements are subject to the availability of funds. EPA will issue awards contingent upon the criteria specified in this CFDA program description and within the corresponding solicitations. EPA reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and issue no awards. Procedures for awards are outlined in the General Grant Regulation 40 CFR Part 30.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

From 90 to 120 days.

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 the competitive selection of recipients will be resolved under 40 CFR 30.63 or 40 CFR 31.70, as applicable.

Renewals

Not Applicable.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

This program has no statutory formula.

Matching Requirements: This program does not have a statutory formula. However, EPA requires a minimum 5% match of the total allowable project cost. For example, the Federal government will provide 95% of the total allowable cost of the project and the recipient will provide the remaining 5%. The match may be issued in the form of cash and/or in-kind contributions, e.g., donated services, charges for real property and equipment or the value of goods and services directly benefiting the EPA funded project.

This program does not have MOE requirements.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Assistance agreements are awarded for a project period not to exceed 2 years. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: by letter of credit.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

No program reports are required. Budget information should be submitted to the grant project officer. This information should be included in the semi-annual progress report and the final technical report. Semi-annual progress reports are required. Grantees should explain the work executed to date, provide environmental performance data, if available, describe the future direction of the project and describe staff and budget plans. Expenditure information should be included in the semi-annual progress report and the final technical report. Performance monitoring is required if the grantee produces environmental data. In the semi-annual progress report and in the final technical report the grantee should explain how environmental data was gathered, measured, tracked and documented.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal 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 Circular No. A-133. 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 to substantiate charges to each assistance agreement, must be kept available to personnel authorized to examine EPA assistance agreement accounts. All records must be maintained for three years from the date of submission of the annual financial status 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

Fiscal Year 2008: In FY'08, the regional P2 program offices received 82 proposals and issued 18 awards. EPA anticipates similar results in FY '09. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Financial Information

Account Identification

68-0108-0-1-304.

Obligations

(Project Grants) FY 08 $633,515; FY 09 est $1,260,000; FY 10 est $1,260,000 - The FY '08 funds represent actual award totals from eight of EPA's ten Regional P2 program offices (i.e., Regions 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10).

The FY '09 funding estimate represents anticipated funding from nine of EPA's ten Regional P2 program offices (i.e., Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10).

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

Range - FY '09: $10,000 - $130,000. Average - FY '09: $50,000.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

40 CFR Parts 29, 30, 31, 32; and "EPA Assistance Administration Manual," are available from the National Technical Information Services, Department of Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161 on a subscription basis, Order No.: NTIS UB/031.

Related Programs

Not Applicable.

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

See Regional Agency Offices. U.S. EPA Region 1 (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT),1 Congress Street, Suite 1100 - Room 2203, Mail Code: SPP, Boston, MA 02114-2023; Contact: Robert Guillemin, phone: (617) 918-1814; fax: (617) 918-1810; email: guillemin.robert@epa.gov.

U.S. EPA Region 2 (NJ, NY, PR, U.S. Virgin Islands), Mail Code: SPMMB,290 Broadway 25th Floor, New York, NY 10007-1866, Contact: Alex Peck, phone: (212) 637-3758; fax: (212) 637-3771; email: peck.alex@epa.gov.

U.S. EPA Region 3 (DE, MD, PA, VA, WV, D.C.), Mail Code: 3E100, 1650 Arch Street,Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029, Contact: Mindee Osno, phone: (215) 814-2074; fax: (215) 814-3274; email: osno.mindee@epa.gov.

U.S. EPA Region 4 (AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN), Atlanta Federal Center, 61 Forsyth Street S.W. Atlanta, GA 30303,Contact: Suganthi Simon: phone: (404) 562-9384; fax: (404) 562-9066; email: simon.suganthi@epa.gov.

U.S. EPA Region 5 (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI), Mail Code: DW-8J, 77 West Jackson Blvd. Chicago, IL 60604-3590; Contacts: Phil Kaplan, phone: (312) 866-4669; fax: (312) 353-4788; email: kaplan.phil@epa.gov.

U.S. EPA Region 6 (AR, LA, NM, OK, TX), Mail Code: 6EN-XP, 1445 Ross Ave.Suite 1200,Dallas, TX 75202, David Bond, phone: (214) 665-6431; fax: (214) 665-7446; email: bond.david@epa.gov.

U.S. EPA Region 7 (IA, KS, MO, NE), Mail Code: ARTD/TSPP, 901 N. 5th Street,Kansas City, KS 66101, Contact: Marcus Rivas, phone: (913) 551-7669; fax:(913) 551-7065; email: rivas.marcus@epa.gov.

U.S. EPA Region 8 (CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY), Mail Code: 8P-P3T, 999 18th Street, Suite 300,Denver, CO 80202-2466,Contact: Linda Walters, phone: (303) 312-6385; fax: (303) 312-6044; email:walters.linda@epa.gov.

U.S. EPA Region 9 (AZ, CA, HI, NV, and Pacific Islands and Tribal Nations subject to U.S. law), Mail Code: WST-7, 75 Hawthrone Street, San Francisco, CA 94105, Contact: Jessica Counts-Arnold, phone: 415-972-3288; fax: (415) 947-3530; email: counts-arnold.jessica@epa.gov.

U.S. EPA Region 10 (AK, ID, OR, WA), Mail Code: OEA-095, 1200 Sixth Ave. Seattle, WA 98101, Contact: Carolyn Gangmark, phone: (206) 553-4072; fax: (206) 553-8338; email: gangmark.carolyn@epa.gov.

Headquarters Office

Michele Amhaz Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics
Pollution Prevention Division
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania, Ave., N.W., (7409-M), Washington, District of Columbia 20460 Email: amhaz.michele@epa.gov Phone: (202) 564-8857

Web Site Address

http://www.epa.gov/oppt/p2home/grants/index.htm

Examples of Funded Projects

Fiscal Year 2008: The following text provides examples of SRA awards issued in FY '08:

EPA funded amount: $24,500

The recipient will provide technical assistance to reduce the usage of chlorine in public swimming pools. The project will develop and distribute an education package to large recreational pools.

EPA funded amount: $45,000

The recipient will provide workshops and a webinar to green businesses. Direct P2 assistance will also be provided to help businesses quantify and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

EPA funded amount: $85,000

The recipient will provide natural gas source reduction training and technical assistance to State oil and gas field inspectors and to independent operators and producers in Oklahoma.

EPA funded amount: $11,000

The recipient will expand its on-site industry internship program to six students to provide training to businesses impacted by the new air quality regulations and will partner with Missouri Enterprise to conduct on-site "Lean and Green" environmental assessments for the Green Suppliers Network.

EPA funded amount: $25,000

The recipient will provide training to implement economical and environmental solutions for sustainable growth and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating the use of virgin materials in soil stabilization applications. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

The evaluation and selection criteria for competitive awards under this CFDA description will be described in the competitive announcement.