Great Lakes Project Requirements (and Forms)

GLNPO Project Requirements

When Applicants submit full proposals to GLNPO for project funding, they should be aware that all requirements applicable to Federal EPA assistance agreements are applicable to their projects. This includes government-wide requirements pertaining to accounting standards, lobbying, minority or woman business enterprise, publication, meetings, construction, and disposition of property. EPA regulations governing assistance programs and recipients are codified in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Consistent with general EPA guidelines, we are listing below some generic requirements which may be applicable to projects funded through GLNPO. GLNPO Project Officers may also advise applicants of additional requirements applicable to their projects or may request some "tailoring" of the generic requirements. Applicants are advised to consider that the generic and the specific requirements may result in costs that they had not previously anticipated. These costs should be reflected in proposed budgets. GLNPO requests that the applicable requirements be included in proposed workplans.

Applicants should also note that, for projects involving environmental data collection, there is a potential benefit in savings and efficiency if proposals are prepared in the form of a Quality Assurance Project Plan.

Finally, if a Project Officer has been assigned to your project, that Project Officer will be the best source of advice regarding the applicability of particular requirements below to your project.

Generic Requirements

Progress Reports. Semi-annual project progress reports shall be submitted electronically to the USEPA Project Officer within 30 days of the end of the reporting period.

Draft Final Report. Both the electronic and the paper version of the draft Final Report will be submitted to the USEPA Project Officer prior to Final Report submittal.

Final Report. Both the electronic and the paper version of the Final Report shall be provided to the USEPA Project Officer for acceptance and approval at the completion of the project.  The Final Report will, at EPA's discretion, be placed on EPA's Internet and/or Intranet site.  The Final Report is subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

Your Final Report must be submitted in three formats:

• Printed camera ready copy.
• Original electronic copy on disc or CD.  Both MacIntosh and Windows are acceptable.  All major word processing and desktop publishing formats are acceptable.  Digital graphics should be submitted in their original form.   Any special fonts used within the document should also be provided.
• Hypertext markup language (HTML) version.

Project Documentation. The Recipient shall document, in writing and pictures, environmental progress under the project. Such documentation shall be submitted as part of progress reports and in the Final Report.

Payment. Payment of Federal funds shall be in accordance with the award agreement, up to 95% of the total allowable award. When the Final Report is delivered to the USEPA Project Officer and approved, the remaining 5% of the Federal share of total allowable costs will be paid.

Meetings/Conferences. Time and travel costs along with participation in professional meetings and conferences funded under this agreement shall be approved by the USEPA Project Officer in advance.

Subcontracting. No portion of this work shall be subcontracted, without the explicit notification and written approval by the USEPA Project Officer.

Quality Assurance. This project proposal will be reviewed to determine whether a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) will be needed. All projects which use environmental data must have an approved QAPP. Environmental data is defined as any measurements or information that describe environmental processes, location, or conditions; ecological or health effects and consequences; or the performance of environmental technology. [see the American National Standard Specifications and Guidelines for Quality Systems for Environmental Data Collection and Environmental Technology Programs (ANSI/ASQC E4-1994)].  QAPPs must be submitted within 90 days of the grant award AND 30 days prior to commencement of any environmental data collection. The Recipient will adjust its implementation schedule accordingly. Costs associated with data collection are not allowable costs until the QAPP is approved by the GLNPO QA Manager.

Applicants who will need a QAPP may be able to save time and money if they prepare their proposal according to the table titled "Required Elements in a Quality Assurance Project Plan".

Further guidance, including the document "QA/R5: EPA Requirements for Quality Assurance Project Plans" can be found at the EPA QA Division's website: http://www.epa.gov/quality/.

Contact GLNPO's QA Manager, Louis Blume (312) 353-2317 or the QA Associate, John Crncic (312) 886-9698, with questions or to request a sample QAPP.

Locational Information. Locational information (latitude and longitude) shall be reported for all areas of interest in this agreement (ex: sampling sites/areas, restoration sites/areas, etc.) according to the in the Agency's Locational Data Standard. 

Data Reporting. All environmental monitoring data collected under this agreement shall be reported to GLNPO in spreadsheet format, preferably Microsoft Excel.  Contact Louis Blume (312) 353-2317 or Mary Beth Giancarlo (312) 886-2253 with questions or to receive a hard copy of the format.

Safety Manual. Lab and field activities conducted for this project must be in accordance with provisions of the GLNPO Health, Safety, and Environmental Compliance Manual. Contractors and Recipients are required to have read the contents of the Manual prior to initiating field operations.

Signage. The Recipient will erect a visible project identification sign at each significant access point to the project. Each sign must give project information and credit the United States Environmental Protection Agency - Great Lakes National Program Office for funding. Subject to the USEPA Project Officer's approval, the Recipient will determine the design, placement, and materials for each sign. [Source: 40 CFR §30.515]

Disposition of Wastes. Disposal of all wastes will be in accordance with State and Federal regulations, and is the responsibility of the Recipient.

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