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| 66.116 REGIONAL GEOGRAPHIC INITIATIVE/ENVIRONMENTAL PRIORITY PROJECTS |
| FEDERAL AGENCY |
| REGION VI, 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 Ace, Section 8001; Safe Drinking Water Act, Section 1442; Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10. |
| OBJECTIVES |
| To support investigations, surveys, studies, and special purpose assistance to protect public health and prevent, reduce, and eliminate pollution within the Region VI area of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Funding Prioroty - In Fiscal Year 2008 the RGI program did not receive any funding. Funding Priority - Fiscal Year 2009 include support surveys, studies and investigations associated with air quality, acid deposition, drinking water, water quality, hazardous waste, toxic substances, and pesticides: (1) to identify, develop and demonstrate necessary pollution control techniques; (2) to prevent, reduce and eliminate pollution; (3) to support environmental education; and (4) to promote collaboration with states to reduce environmental hazards that may affect health and the environment. |
| TYPES OF ASSISTANCE |
| Project Grants (Cooperative Agreements). |
| USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS |
| Assistance awards in the form of grants and cooperative agreements are available to support recipients' allowable direct costs incident to approved surveys, studies, investigations, training, demonstrations and special purpose assistance, plus allowable indirect costs, in accordance with established EPA policies and regulations. Funding awarded for research does not include research within the purview of EPA's Office of Research and Development. Assistance agreement awards under this program may involve or relate to geospatial information. Further information regarding geospatial information may be obtained by viewing the following website: httP://geodata.epa.gov. "Geospatial Information" includes: Information that identifies the geographic location and characteristics of natural or constructed features or boundaries on the Earth, or applications, tools, and hardware associated with the generation, maintenance, or distribution of such information. This information may be derived from, among other things, GPS, remote sensing, mapping, charting, and surveying technologies, or statistical data. |
| Applicant Eligibility |
| Assistance under this program is generally available to States, territories, Indian Tribes, and possessions of the United States. Assistance is also available to public and private universities and colleges, hospitals, laboratories, and other public or private nonprofit institutions. 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. 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. For profit organizations are not eligible for funding. |
| 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 |
| Documentation of nonprofit status may be required. Applicants may be requested to demonstrate they have appropriate background, academic training, experience in the field and necessary equipment to carry out projects. Applicants may be requested to provide curriculum vitae and relevant publications. |
| Preapplication Coordination |
| EPA Region VI awards grants and cooperative agreements to support surveys, studies, investigations, training, demonstrations and special purpose projects under this program description. 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. 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 |
| Applicants may be able to use http://www.grants.gov to electronically apply for certain grant opportunities under this CFDA. For competitive awards, the competitive announcement will specify application procedures. |
| 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. |
| Deadlines |
| For competitive awards, deadlines will be specified in the competitive announcement. |
| Range of Approval/Disapproval Time |
| Approximately 180 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 |
| 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 surveys, studies, investigations, training, demonstrations and special purpose assistance. The approval of subsequent funding increments is dependent on satisfactory project progress, continued relevance of the project to Region VI priorities, and the availability of funds. |
| Formula and Matching Requirements |
| Not applicable. |
| Length and Time Phasing of Assistance |
| Grants and cooperative agreements are normally funded on a 12-month basis. The total approved project period may not exceed 2 years for competitive awards. Grants and cooperative agreements will be paid electronically utilizing automated funds transfer. |
| 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 and equipment reports. Reporting requirements are also identified in EPA's grant regulations 40 CFR Parts 30 and 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 |
| The record retention requirements of 40 CFR Part 30 (non-profits and institutions of higher education) or 40 CFR Part 31 (governmental units) are applicable depending upon the identity of the recipient. Recipients must keep financial records, including all documents supporting entries on accounting records which support substantial changes to the grant, available to personnel authorized to examine EPA recipients' grants and cooperative agreement records. Recipient must maintain all records for a period of three (3) years from the date of submission of final expenditures reports. If questions, such as those raised as a result of audits or litigation remain following the 3-year period, recipients must retain records until the matter is fully resolved. |
| Account Identification |
| 68-0108-0-1-304. |
| Obligations |
| FY 07 $557,000; FY 08 $0; and est FY 09 $300,000. Estimated funds available will vary based on regional allocation. |
| Range and Average of Financial Assistance |
| Range of assistance: $10,000 to $75,000; average $50,000. |
| PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
| Region VI funded grants to eligible recipients for unique, geographically-based projects that support the Agency's ability to protect human health and the environment and further regional strategic initiatives. FY 2007 ($557,000) projects included: Development of On-line Toll for Redevelopers, Pesticide Risks E-filing,Joint Compliance Assistance Storm Water Training; Roads as Pollution Controls, Blue Skyways Collaborative, Alternative method for Asbestos Demolition, Beyond Translation, Environmental Health Education Outreach,and Dallas Urban Heat Island/Stormwater Mitigation. Due to the lack of funding for the RGI program in FY 2008, no projects will be funded. |
| REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE |
| Grants and cooperative agreements are subject to EPA general grant regulations (40 CFR Part 30, "Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Nonprofit Organizations" and 40 CFR Part 31, "Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments"). Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular A-87 for State and local governments and Indian Tribes; OMB Circular No. A-21 for educational institutions; and OMB Circular No. A-122 for nonprofit institutions. |
| Regional or Local Office |
| EPA encourages potential applicants to communicate with EPA, Region VI located at 1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 1200, Dallas, TX 75202-2733, Margie Floyd, Telephone: (214) 665-8461, Fax: (214) 665-7284, and E-mail: floyd.margie@epa.gov. |
| Headquarters Office |
| Not applicable. |
| Web Site Address |
| http://www.epa.gov/docs/earth1r6///gandf/ |
| RELATED PROGRAMS |
| None. |
| EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS |
| Development of On-line Toll for Redevelopers, Pesticide Risks E-filing,Joint Compliance Assistance Storm Water Training; Roads as Pollution Controls, Blue Skyways Collaborative, Alternative method for Asbestos Demolition, Beyond Translation, Environmental Health Education Outreach, and Dallas Urban Heat Island/Stormwater Mitigation. |
| CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS |
| The evaluation and selection criteria for competitive awards under this CFDA description will be described in the competitive announcement. |
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General Services Administration Office of Chief Acquisition Officer Regulatory and Federal Assistance Division (VIR) |
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