[Federal Register: October 16, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 200)]
[Notices]
[Page 59611-59613]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16oc03-72]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability
Act (CERCLA), Section 104 (k); Announcement of Proposal Deadlines for
the Competition for the 2004 National Brownfields Assessment, Revolving
Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grants
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Notice of the availability of brownfields grant application
guidelines and deadlines for submissions of proposals.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will
begin to accept proposals for the National Brownfields Assessment,
Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grants on October 16, 2003. This
notice provides information on how to obtain the application
guidelines. These grants may be used to address sites contaminated by
petroleum and hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants
(including hazardous substances co-mingled with petroleum). The
brownfields assessment grants (each funded up to $200,000 over two
years) provide funding for a grant recipient to inventory,
characterize, assess, and conduct planning and community involvement
related to brownfield sites. The brownfields revolving loan fund grants
(each funded up to $1,000,000 over five years) provide funding for a
grant recipient to capitalize a revolving loan fund and to provide
subgrants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites that are
[[Page 59612]]
owned by the subgrant recipient. The brownfields cleanup grants (each
funded up to $200,000 over two years) provide funding for a grant
recipient to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites that are
owned by the grant recipient (see Catalogue of Federal Domestic
Assistance Number: 66.818).
For the brownfields assessment grants, an applicant may request a
waiver of the $200,000 limit and obtain funding up to $350,000 based on
the anticipated level of contamination, size, or ownership status of
the site. The revolving loan fund and cleanup grants require a 20
percent cost share, which may be in the form of a contribution of
money, labor, material, or services from a non-federal source. If the
cost share is in the form of contribution of labor, material, or other
services, it must be incurred for an eligible and allowable cost under
the grant and not for ineligible costs. An applicant may request a
waiver of the 20 percent cost share requirement based on hardship.
The National brownfields assessment, revolving loan fund, and
cleanup grants will be awarded on a competitive basis. To ensure a fair
selection process, evaluation panels consisting of EPA Regional and
Headquarters staff and other federal agency representatives will assess
how well the proposals meet the selection criteria outlined in the
application booklet, Proposal Guidelines for Brownfields Assessment,
Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grants (October 2003). Final
selections will be made by EPA senior management after considering the
ranking of proposals by the evaluation panels. EPA decisions may also
take into account other statutory and policy considerations, such as
fair distribution of funds between urban and non-urban and other
geographic factors; compliance with the statutory petroleum funding
allocation; the benefits of promoting the long-term availability of
funds under the RLF grants; designation as a federal Empowerment Zone,
Enterprise Community, or Renewal Community; population; and whether the
applicant is a federally recognized Indian tribe. In addition, special
consideration will be given to projects committed to achieving
recognized green building and/or energy efficiency building standards.
DATES: This action is effective as of October 16, 2003. EPA expects to
make up to 200 grant awards in fiscal year 2004, contingent upon the
availability of funds. The application deadline for proposals for the
2004 assessment, revolving loan fund, and cleanup grants is December 4,
2003. All proposals must be postmarked by USPS or delivered to Don
West, Environmental Management Support Inc., 8601 Georgia Avenue, Suite
500, Silver Spring, MD 20910 by other means, no later than December 4,
2003, and a duplicate copy sent to the appropriate U.S. EPA Regional
Office.
ADDRESSES: Mailing addresses for EMS, U.S. EPA Regional Offices and
U.S. EPA Headquarters are provided in the Proposal Guidelines.
Obtaining Proposal Guidelines: The proposal guidelines are
available via the Internet: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/.
Copies of the Proposal Guidelines will also be mailed upon request.
Requests should be made by calling the U.S. EPA Call Center at the
following numbers: Washington, DC, Metro Area at (703)-412-9810;
Outside Washington, DC, Metro at 1-800-424-9346; and TDD for the
Hearing Impaired at 1-800-553-7672.
In order to ensure that the Guidelines are received in time to be
used in the preparation of the proposal, applicants should request a
copy as soon as possible and in any event no later than ten (10)
working days before the proposal due date. Applicants who request
copies after that date might not receive the proposal guidelines in
time to prepare and submit a responsive proposal.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The U.S. EPA's Office of Solid Waste
and Emergency Response, Office of Brownfields Cleanup and
Redevelopment, (202) 566-2777.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 11, 2002, President George W.
Bush signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and
Brownfields Revitalization Act. This act amended the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act to authorize
federal financial assistance for brownfields revitalization, including
grants for assessment, cleanup, and job training.
Funding for the brownfields grants is authorized under section
104(k) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act of 1980, as amended, (CERCLA), 42 U.S.C. 9604(k).
Eligibility for brownfields assessment and revolving loan fund grants
is limited to ``eligible entities'' as defined in section 104(k)(1) of
CERCLA. These include a General Purpose Unit of Local Government; Land
Clearance Authority or other quasi-governmental entity that operates
under the supervision and control of, or as an agent of, a general
purpose unit of local government; Governmental Entity Created by State
Legislature; Regional council or group of general purpose units of
local government; Redevelopment Agency that is chartered or otherwise
sanctioned by a state; State; Indian Tribe other than in Alaska; and
Alaska Native Regional Corporation, Alaska Native Village Corporation,
and Metlakatla Indian Community. Eligibility for brownfields cleanup
grants is limited to ``eligible entities'' and nonprofits. For the
purposes of the brownfields grant program, EPA will use the definition
of nonprofit organizations contained in section 4(6) of the Federal
Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 1999, Public Law
106-107, 31 U.S.C. 6101, Note. The term ``nonprofit organization''
means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or other
organization that is operated primarily for scientific, educational,
service, charitable, or similar purpose in the public interest; is not
organized primarily for profit; and uses net proceeds to maintain,
improve, or expand the operation of the organization.
In addition, Intertribal Consortia, other than those composed of
ineligible Alaskan tribes, are eligible to apply for the brownfields
assessment, revolving loan fund, and cleanup grants. Coalitions of
eligible governmental entities are eligible to apply for the
brownfields revolving loan fund grants, but only one member of the
coalition may receive a cooperative agreement.
The evaluation panels will review the proposals carefully and
assess each response based on how well it addresses the criteria,
briefly outlined below. There are two different types of criteria--
threshold criteria and ranking criteria. Responses to the criteria will
be utilized to determine whether to make an award and the amount of
funds to be awarded. There is no guarantee of an award.
Assessment Grants
Threshold Criteria
A. Applicant Eligibility
B. Community Notification
C. Letter from the State or Tribal Environmental Authority
D. Site Eligibility and Property Ownership Eligibility
Ranking Criteria
A. Assessment Grant Proposal Budget (a maximum of 5 points may be
received for this criterion)
B. Community Need (a maximum of 15 points may be received for this
criterion)
C. Site Selection Process (a maximum of 10 points may be received
for
[[Page 59613]]
this criterion)
D. Sustainable Reuse of Brownfields/Development Potential (a
maximum of 10 points may be received for this criterion)
E. Creation and/or Preservation of Greenspace/Open Space or Other
Nonprofit Purpose (a maximum of 5 points may be received for this
criterion)
F. Reuse of Existing Infrastructure (a maximum of 5 points may be
received for this criterion)
G. Community Involvement (a maximum of 15 points may be received
for this criterion)
H. Reduction of Threats to Human Health and the Environment (a
maximum of 10 points may be received for this criterion)
I. Leveraging of Additional Resources (a maximum of 15 points may
be received for this criterion)
J. Ability to Manage Grants (a maximum of 10 points may be received
for this criterion)
Revolving Loan Fund Grants
Threshold Criteria
A. Applicant Eligibility
B. Community Notification
C. Letter from the State or Tribal Environmental Authority
D. Site Eligibility and Property Ownership Eligibility
E. Cleanup Authority and Oversight Structure
F. Cost Share
G. Legal Authority to Manage a Revolving Loan Fund
Ranking Criteria
A. RLF Grant Proposal Budget (a maximum of 5 points may be received
for this criterion)
B. Community Need (a maximum of 15 points may be received for this
criterion)
C. Description of Target Market for RLF Loans and Subgrants (a
maximum of 10 points may be received for this criterion)
D. Business Plan (a maximum of 10 points may be received for this
criterion)
E. Sustainable Reuse of Brownfields/Development Potential (a
maximum of 10 points may be received for this criterion)
F. Creation and/or Preservation of Greenspace/Open Space or Other
Nonprofit Purpose (a maximum of 5 points may be received for this
criterion)
G. Reuse of Existing Infrastructure (a maximum of 5 points may be
received for this criterion)
H. Community Involvement (a maximum of 15 points may be received
for this criterion)
I. Reduction of Threats to Human Health and the Environment (a
maximum of 10 points may be received for this criterion)
J. Leveraging of Additional Resources (a maximum of 15 points may
be received for this criterion)
K. Ability to Manage Grants/Management Structure (a maximum of 10
points may be received for this criterion)
Cleanup Grants
Threshold Criteria
A. Applicant Eligibility
B. Community Notification
C. Letter from the State or Tribal Environmental Authority
D. Site Eligibility and Property Ownership Eligibility
E. Cleanup Authority and Oversight Structure
F. Cost Share
Ranking Criteria
A. Cleanup Grant Budget (a maximum of 5 points may be received for
this criterion)
B. Community Need (a maximum of 15 points may be received for this
criterion)
C. Sustainable Reuse of Brownfields/Development Potential (a
maximum of 10 points may be received for this criterion)
D. Creation and/or preservation of Greenspace/Open Space or Other
Nonprofit Purpose (a maximum of 5 points may be received for this
criterion)
E. Reuse of Existing Infrastructure (a maximum of 5 points may be
received for this criterion)
F. Community Involvement (a maximum of 15 points may be received
for this criterion)
G. Reduction of Threats to Human Health and the Environment (a
maximum of 10 points may be received for this criterion)
H. Leveraging of Additional Resources (a maximum of 15 points may
be received for this criterion)
I. Ability to Manage Grants (a maximum of 10 points may be received
for this criterion)
EPA decisions may take into account other statutory and policy
considerations, such as fair distribution of funds between urban and
non-urban and other geographic factors; compliance with the statutory
petroleum funding allocation; the benefits of promoting the long-term
availability of funds under the RLF grants; designation as a federal
Empowerment Zone, Enterprise Community, or Renewal Community;
population; and whether the applicant is a federally recognized Indian
tribe. In addition, special consideration will be given to projects
committed to achieving recognized green building and/or energy
efficiency building standards.
Dated: October 7, 2003.
Linda Garczynski,
Director, Office of Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment, Office of
Solid Waste and Emergency Response.
[FR Doc. 03-26192 Filed 10-15-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P