Water Quality Cooperative Agreements (66.463)
Program
66.463 Water Quality Cooperative Agreements
Federal Agency
OFFICE OF WATER, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Authorization
Clean Water Act, Section 104(b)(3), Public Law 92- 500, as amended, 33 U.S.C. 1254(b)(3).
Program Number
66.463
Last Known Status
Active
Objectives
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. Funding Priority: 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 through both permitted and non-permitted areas. This includes watershed approaches for solutions to wet weather activities,(i.e., combined sewer overflow, sanitary sewer overflows, storm water discharge, and animal feeding operations) pretreatment and sludge (biosolids) program activities, decentralized systems, and alternative ways to enhance or measure the effectiveness of point source programs. Trading, water efficiency, asset management, and sustainable infrastructure are also areas of consideration.
Types of Assistance
Project Grants.
Uses and Use Restrictions
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) with tangible results. All projects should achieve and demonstrate results. Grants are not to be awarded to fund ongoing State program activities. Funding priorities include development of model urban wet weather watershed protection strategies; development of State CSO or storm water control programs for targeted watersheds; development of acceptable programs to implement the biosolids regulations; and demonstration of pretreatment measures of program effectiveness. Funds may also be used to advance the knowledge of wet weather pollution problems.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
State water pollution control agencies, interstate agencies, Tribes, colleges and universities, individuals, and other public or nonprofit organizations.
Beneficiary Eligibility
State Water Pollution Control Agencies, interstate agencies, Tribes, colleges and universities, individuals, and other public or nonprofit organizations.
Credentials/Documentation
Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-87 for State and local governments.
Application and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
Preapplication coordination with appropriate Regional or Headquarters Office is required. The Headquarters preapplication process includes the submission of a pre-proposal for review as part of the system for selecting projects that the applicants will be requested to submit formal applications. The standard application forms as furnished by the Federal agency and required by OMB Circular No. A-102 must be used 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. The following web site may be of use: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html .
Application Procedure
Application forms and completed applications should be requested from and submitted to the appropriate EPA Regional Office identified in Appendix IV of the Catalog.
Award Procedure
Projects will be developed by potential grantees; reviewed, approved, awarded and managed by Regions or Headquarters. Interested States, interstate entities, Tribes, and other public or nonprofit organizations should contact the appropriate Regional or Headquarters office for proposal and application instructions.
Deadlines
Prospective grantees should work with the appropriate Regional or Headquarters Office to develop a preliminary package or proposals and submit these to the Regions. Deadlines are established by the Regional and Headquarters offices individually. Headquarters published a Federal Register Notice on October 31, 2002, seeking Initial Proposals of projects to be funded during FY 2003 by December 30, 2002. A copy of the Notice and other information is posted on the following web site: www.epa.gov/owm/FY2003WQCA.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Appeals
Appeals are subject to the provisions of 40 CFR Part 30.63 and 40 CFR 31.70.
Renewals
Not applicable.
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
Progress report requirements will be a part of each assistance agreement. Headquarters issued agreements will normally require quarterly and annual reports. A schedule showing interim milestones and the outputs 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," non-federal entities that receive financial assistance of $300,000 or more within the State's fiscal year shall have an audit made for that year. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular No. A-133, "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," was published in the Federal Register on June 30, 1997. The Circular implements the Single Audit Act amendments of 1996. The Circular requires non-federal entities that expend more than $300,000 in Federal award dollars, to have an audit conducted in accordance with Circular's provisions.
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
Development of techniques for identifying and correcting inappropriate discharges; wet weather demonstrations; pilots for watershed integration; development of web tool to predict erosion at construction sites; water use efficiency projects.
Financial Information
Account Identification
68-0103-0-1-304.
Obligations
FY 02 $18,958,000; FY 03 est. $18,835,000; and FY 04 est. $19,000,000.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
Projects typically range from$10,000 to $500,000. The average award is around $100,000.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
For grants and 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", 40 CFR Part 35, "Environmental Program Grants-State, Interstate, and Local Governments Agencies" 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; 66.454, Water Quality Management Planning.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
Contact the appropriate EPA Regional Office listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog for information on the grants administration process.
Headquarters Office
Barron Benroth, Office of Wastewater Management (4204M), U.S. EPA, Room 7324J, EPA East, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington DC, 20460. Telephone: (202) 564-0672. E-mail: Benroth.Barry@epa.gov.
Web Site Address
Examples of Funded Projects
Characterization of Wet Weather discharges from tributaries; WWTFs; and CSOs; Stormwater/CSO modeling; establishing administrative program to process and approve stormwater permits; developing model State sludge program; integration of watershed approach into NPDES program; Environmental Management Systems; management of decentralized system.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
Projects will be selected based upon the adherence to the national guidance, Regional/State priority; and National transferability.
