[Federal Register: October 31, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 211)]
[Notices]
[Page 62074-62075]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr31oc03-55]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-7575-2]
State Innovation Grant Program, Notice of Availability of
Solicitation for Proposals for 2003/2004 Awards
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Policy,
Economics and Innovation (OPEI) is giving notice of the availability of
its solicitation for proposals for the 2003/2004 grant program to
support innovation by State environmental regulatory agencies--the
``State Innovation Grant Program.'' The solicitation is available at
the Agency's State Innovation Grant Web site: http://www.epa.gov/innovation/stategrants
, or may be requested from the Agency by e-mail,
telephone, or by mail. Only the principal environmental regulatory
agency within each State (generally, where delegated authorities for
Federal environmental regulations exist) is eligible to receive these
grants.
DATES: State environmental regulatory agencies will have 68 days (until
January 7, 2004) from the date of publication of the solicitation on
the Web site (October 30, 2003) to respond with a pre-proposal, budget,
and project summary. The environmental regulatory agencies from the
fifty (50) States; Washington, DC, and four (4) territories were
notified of the solicitation's availability by fax and email
transmittals on October 30, 2003.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Solicitation can be downloaded from the
Agency's Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/innovation/stategrants/2003solicitation
or may be requested by telephone (202-566-2182), or by
e-mail (Innovation_State_Grants@epa.gov). Proposals submitted in response to this solicitation, or questions concerning the solicitation
should be sent to:
State Innovation Grant Program, Office of Policy, Economics and
Innovation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1807T), 1200
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460.
Proposal responses or questions may also be sent by fax to (202-
566-2220), addressed to the ``State Innovation Grant Program,'' or by e-mail to: Innovation_State_Grants@epa.gov. We encourage e-mail
responses. If you have questions about responding to this notice,
please contact EPA at this e-mail address or fax number, or you may
call Gerald Filbin at 202-566-2182. EPA will acknowledge all responses
it receives to this notice.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background: In Fall of 2002, EPA conducted a competition for a new
grant program designed to support innovation in environmental programs
at the State level. Following the pilot round of State Innovation
Grants in 2002, EPA consulted with the States through the Environmental
Council of the States and through a comment period announced in the
Federal Register (68 FR 34944, June 11, 2003) (see http://www.epa.gov/innovation/stategrants
on the grant solicitation process). Based upon
that input EPA made several improvements in the process for this year--
including a pre-announcement process that would allow time for States
to consult with EPA Regions on potential projects prior to the
solicitation, and a change from a 30-day to a 60-day response period
once the solicitation is announced. One of the recommendations from the
consultation was to incorporate State input into the selection of topic
areas for subsequent solicitations, to ensure that State priorities
were considered in projects that EPA selected.
There was support from a large number of the responding States for
maintaining innovation in permitting as a subject of the next
solicitation, in order to create a stable resource base for an area
that is core to the innovation efforts in most States. Within this
topic there was considerable support for EPA assistance to the States
for implementation of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) relating
to permitting (see: http://www.epa.gov/ems/ and Environmental Results Programs (ERPs) (see: http://www.epa.gov/ooaujeag/permits/masserp.htm).
sserp.htm).
There were other topics suggested by the States--including a few topics
that were suggested by more than one State, but because of the strong
support for the innovation in permitting topic, and the relatively
small amount of funding anticipated this year for the program, EPA was
concerned that too many topics might diffuse the resources available
and prohibit adequate funding for projects of significant scale.
Several of the other topics suggested may in fact, be eligible for
support through other EPA assistance programs. The State Innovation
Grant Program will try to provide some flexibility around the
``innovation in permitting'' theme for a variety of projects, although
permitting programs or alternatives to permitting programs will be at
the core of projects we select.
[[Page 62075]]
Dated: October 9, 2003.
Christopher Knopes,
Associate Director, Office of Environmental Policy Innovation.
[FR Doc. 03-27486 Filed 10-30-03; 8:45 am]
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