[Federal Register: September 14, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 178)]
[Notices]
[Page 52558-52561]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14se07-42]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-8468-6]
State Innovation Grant Program, Preliminary Notice and Request
for Input on the Development of a Solicitation for Proposals for 2008
Awards
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency),
National Center for Environmental Innovation (NCEI) is giving
preliminary notice of its intention to solicit pre-proposals for a 2008
grant program to support innovation by state environmental agencies--
the ``State Innovation Grant Program.'' The Agency is also seeking
input from state environmental regulatory agencies on the topic areas
for the solicitation. In addition, EPA is asking each state
environmental regulatory agency to designate a point of contact (in
addition to the Commissioner or Cabinet Secretary level) who will be
the point of contact for further communication about the upcoming
solicitation. If your point of contact from previous State Innovation
Grant solicitations is to be your contact for this year's competition,
there is no need to send that information again, as all previously
designated points of contact will remain on our notification list for
this year's competition. EPA anticipates publication of a Solicitation
Announcement of Federal Funding Opportunity on the Federal government's
grants opportunities Web site (http://www.grants.gov) to announce the
availability of the next solicitation within 45 days.
DATES: State environmental regulatory agencies will have 30 days from
the date of this pre-announcement notice in the Federal Register
publication until October 15, 2007 to respond with: (1) Suggestions for
specific topics that should be included under the general subject area
of ``Innovation in Environmental Permitting Programs'' (e.g., topics
with 1-2 paragraphs description) for the next solicitation; and (2)
point of contact information for the person within the state
environmental regulatory agency (in addition to Commissioner or Cabinet
Secretaries) who will be designated to receive future notices about the
State Innovation Grant competition. We will automatically transmit
notice of availability of the solicitation to people in state agencies
identified for previous solicitations.
ADDRESSES: We encourage e-mail responses. Information should be
submitted in writing via: e-mail to: innovation_state_grants@epa.gov;
regular mail (see below); or fax to ``State Innovation Grant Program''
at (202) 566-2220. If you have questions about responding to this
notice, please contact EPA at this e-mail address or fax number, or you
may call Sherri Walker at (202) 566-2186. For regular mail send to
Sherri Walker, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1807T), State
Innovation Grant Program; National Center for Environmental Innovation;
Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation; 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue,
NW., Washington, DC 20460. Comments sent by regular or overnight mail
must be received prior to close of business on October 15, 2007. Please
be advised that mail sent via regular postal service may be delayed due
to additional security screening requirements. For overnight delivery,
send to Sherri Walker, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1807T),
State Innovation Grant Program; 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., EPA
West, Room 4214 D, Washington, DC 20004.
EPA will acknowledge all responses it receives to this notice. If
you have not received an acknowledgment from EPA within three (3) days
of the end of the notice period, please send an e-mail to:
innovation_state_grants@epa.gov or call Sherri Walker at (202) 566-2186. Failure
to do so may result in your information or comments not being received
by the deadline. EPA will respond to all questions in writing, and all
questions and responses will be posted on the EPA State Innovation
Grant Web site at http://www.epa.gov/innovation/stategrants. State
agencies are advised to monitor this Web site for information posted in
response to questions received prior to and during the competition
period.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
In April 2002, EPA issued its plan for future innovation efforts,
published as Innovating for Better Environmental Results: A Strategy to
Guide the Next Generation of Innovation at EPA (EPA 100-R-02-002);
(http://www.epa.gov/innovation/pdf/strategy.pdf). EPA's Innovation
Strategy presents a framework for environmental innovation consisting
of four major elements:
1. Strengthening EPA's innovation partnership with states and
tribes;
2. Focusing on priority environmental issues;
3. Diversifying environmental protection tools and approaches; and
4. Fostering more ``innovation-friendly'' systems and
organizational cultures.
The State Innovation Grant Program strengthens EPA's partnership
with the states by supporting state innovation compatible with EPA's
Innovation Strategy. EPA wants to encourage states to build on previous
experience (theirs and others) to undertake strategic innovation
projects that promote larger-scale models for ``next generation''
environmental protection that promise better environmental outcomes and
other beneficial results. EPA is interested in funding projects that:
(i)
[[Page 52559]]
Go beyond a single facility experiment and provide change that is
``systems-oriented;'' (ii) provide better results from a program,
process, or sector-wide innovation; and (iii) promote integrated
(multi-media) environmental management with a high potential for
transfer to other states, U.S. territories, and tribes.
Since 2002, EPA has sponsored five State Innovation Grant Program
competitions that asked for State project pre-proposals that support
innovation generally related to environmental permitting programs. This
has included alternatives to permitting and the establishment of
incentives to go beyond compliance with permit requirements. To date,
projects have clustered primarily around three strategic topic areas:
Environmental Results Programs (ERP), Environmental Management Systems
(EMS), and the National Environmental Performance Track (PT) Program
and similar state performance-based environmental leadership programs.
Thirty-five awards to States have been made from the five prior
competitions. These projects awarded over 6.5 million dollars in
assistance to States. Some of the projects fit into more than one
category (e.g., combination projects of ERP with EMS, or ERP with PT).
Among the grant projects, including those with pending awards: eighteen
(18) were provided for development of environmental results programs,
eight (8) were related to environmental management systems and
permitting, eight (8) were to enhance performance-based environmental
leadership programs, two (2) were for watershed-based permitting, and
one (1) was for an information technology innovation for the
application of geographic information systems (GIS) and a web-based
portal to a permitting process. For information on prior State
Innovation Grant Program solicitations and awards, please see the EPA
State Innovation Grants Web site at http://www.epa.gov/innovation/stategrants
.
Eligible Agencies to Compete for the State Innovation Grant:
Historically, we have limited the competition to state agencies with
the primary delegations from EPA for permitting programs. We are aware
that some state agencies re-delegate their authorities for permitting
programs to regional, county, or municipal agencies. This year, EPA is
considering enlarging the competitive range of the solicitation to
include those to regional, county, or municipal agencies with delegated
authority, but a tantamount factor for our consideration of this
proposed eligibility scenario in order to ensure the broader
application of the innovation being tested by the local agency will be
that the local agency include the principal state environmental
regulatory agency as an active member of the project team. Agencies are
encouraged to collaboratively partner with other governmental agencies
or non-governmental organizations within the State (or outside of their
state) that have complementary environmental mandates or symbiotic
interests (e.g., energy, agriculture, natural resources management,
transportation, public health). EPA will accept only one proposal from
an individual state. States are also encouraged to partner with other
states and American Indian tribes to address cross-boundary issues, to
encourage collaborative environmental partnering within industrial
sectors or in certain topical areas (e.g., agriculture), and to create
networks for peer-mentoring. We anticipate, that as in previous years,
a multi-state or state-tribal proposal will be accepted in addition to
an individual state proposal, but a state may appear in no more than
one multi-state or state-tribal proposal in addition to its individual
proposal. EPA regrets that because of the limitation in available
funding it is not yet able to open this competition to American Indian
tribal environmental agencies but we strongly encourage tribal agencies
to join with adjacent states in project proposals. EPA is interested in
hearing from regional, county, or municipal agencies about their
interest, capacity, and the likelihood of commitment from the principal
statewide regulatory entity to assist a potential project.
Proposed General Topic Areas for Solicitation: To increase the
likelihood of strategic impact with what we anticipate to be limited
funds, EPA proposes to continue with the general theme of ``innovation
in permitting,'' and additionally to continue with the focus on the
three strategic topic areas similar to the last competition: (1)
Projects that support the development of state Environmental Results
Programs (ERP); (2) projects which involve the application of
Environmental Management Systems (EMS) including those that explore the
relationship of EMS to permitting or otherwise promote the use of EMS
to improve environmental performance beyond permit requirements (see
EPA's Strategy for Determining the Role of EMS in Regulatory Programs
at http://www.epa.gov/ems or http://www.epa.gov/ems/docs/EMS_and_the_Reg_Structure_41204Fpdf
)(3) projects that support state
support state
for implementation of the National Environmental Performance Track
Program, particularly including the development and implementation of
incentives. EPA's focus on a small number of topics within this general
subject area effectively concentrates the limited resources available
for greater strategic impact.
Projects will be much less likely to be funded through the State
Innovation Grant Program if agency resources pertinent to the topic are
already available through another EPA program.
Request for Input on Solicitation Topics and Priorities: EPA
encourages communication from States and other parties about these
three thematic areas mentioned here and other areas potentially ripe
for innovation. EPA is asking for state environmental regulatory
agencies and other interested parties to provide brief (about 1
paragraph) suggestions about additional innovation topics within the
subject of innovation in permitting for possible inclusion in the
upcoming solicitation. In addition to the three topic areas ERP, EMS,
and PT, EPA will continue to encourage project proposals that address
the four major elements (i.e., strengthening innovation partnerships;
focusing on priority environmental issues; diversifying environmental
protection tools and approaches; and fostering ``innovation-friendly''
systems and organizational cultures) and use tools (i.e., incentives,
information resources, results-based goals and measures, etc.)
highlighted in the Innovation Strategy. EPA may contemplate a very
limited number of projects otherwise related to the general theme of
innovation in permitting, in particular as they may address EPA
regional and state environmental permitting priorities. To date, the
State Innovation Grant Program has supported ERPs for: auto body/ auto
repair/auto salvage sectors in six (6) state projects, underground
storage tanks (UST) in three (3) states, dry cleaning in two (2)
states, stormwater management in two (2) states, printing sector in one
(1) state, animal feedlot operations in one (1) state, underground
injection wells management in one (1) state, and oil and gas production
in one (1) state. We are interested in continuing the EMS theme, but
may consider some change to this theme. Also, we may be interested in
projects that promote a developmental component or type of ``on-ramp''
for potential environmental leaders that require upfront compliance
assistance. We may also be interested in
[[Page 52560]]
exploring PT projects with an air permit component.
State Innovation Grants will not be applied to the development or
demonstration of new environmental technologies. These assistance
agreements will not be awarded for the development of information
systems or data or projects that have as a primary focus the upgrading
of information technology systems, unless there is a clear link to
innovation in specific permitting programs. Projects would be much less
likely to be funded through this State Innovation Grant if agency
resources are already available through another agency program. Project
selections and awards will be subject to funding availability. State
environmental regulatory agency and other respondents should send their
suggestions to EPA by mail, e-mail, or fax as described in the
ADDRESSES section above.
Request for Input on Diffuse Delegations and Designation of a
Primary Point of Contact: One of the principal goals of the State
Innovation Grant program is the testing of an integrated (multi-media)
innovation with the potential for replication or broader application in
other sectors, permitting programs, agencies, states, or tribes.
Because of the limitation of funds we have historically limited the
competition to state agencies with a primary delegation from EPA for
permitting programs. We have concerns that opening the competition to
regulatory entities at lower levels (e.g. air control boards, water
quality management districts, counties or municipalities) may limit the
range of results and the potential for transferability of innovative
approaches. We recognize, however, that in some instances states have
re-delegated programs to regional or local agencies and that those
agencies may manage substantial permitting programs. EPA is seeking
comment from states that may have re-delegated several authorities to
other governing regional or municipal agencies or boards rather than in
one centralized state environmental regulatory agency and from the
boards and districts on how we might accommodate those delegations in
this program and take advantage of the expertise in those programs
while maintaining the strategically important goal of testing
innovation for broad application and transferability. EPA asks that
each state environmental regulatory agency designate a primary point-
of-contact who we will add to the EPA notification list for further
announcements about the State Innovation Grant Program. For point of
contact information, please provide: name, title, department and
agency, street or post office address, city, state, zip code,
telephone, fax number, and e-mail address. If your point of contact
from previous State Innovation Grant solicitations is to be your
contact for this year's competition, there is no need to send that
information again, as all previously designated points of contact will
remain on our notification list for this year's competition. We are
asking that any new name be submitted with the approval of the highest
levels of management within an Agency (Commissioner, Director,
Secretary, or their deputies) within 30 days after publication of this
notice in the Federal Register. Please submit this information to EPA
by mail, fax, or e-mail prior to October 15, 2007 in the following
manner:
By mail to: State Innovation Grant Program, National Center for
Environmental Innovation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1807T),
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington DC 20460.
By fax to: State Innovation Grant Program, (202) 566-2220.
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 of
fax number, or you may call Sherri Walker at (202) 566-2186. For point-
of-contact information, please provide: Name, title, department and
agency, mailing address (street or P.O. Box), city, state, zip code,
telephone, fax number, and e-mail address. EPA will acknowledge all
responses it receives to this notice.
Opportunity for Dialogue: Between now and the initiation of the
competition with the release of the solicitation, communication with
potential applicants may include helping potential applicants determine
whether the applicant itself is eligible or if the scope of an
applicant's potential project is suitable for funding, and responding
to general requests for clarification of the notice. To ensure an equal
opportunity for all potential applicants, responses to questions that
come to us during the period between this pre-announcement and the
release of the solicitation along with helpful resource materials will
be posted on the State Innovation Grant Web site at http://www.epa.gov/innovation/stategrants.
States are also invited to communicate with
NCEI about ideas for future competition themes by contacting the EPA
Headquarters contact listed below. The contacts for the EPA Regions and
the EPA HQ National Center for Environmental Innovation are as follows:
Anne Leiby or Josh Secunda, U.S. EPA Region 1, 1 Congress Street, Suite
1100, Boston, MA 02114-2023, (617) 918-1076 or (617) 918-1736,
leiby.anne@epa.gov or secunda.josh@epa.gov. States: CT, MA, ME, NH, RI,
VT.
Michael Dunn, U.S. EPA Region 3, 1650 Arch Street (3EA40),
Philadelphia, PA 19103, (215) 814-2712, dunn.michael@epa.gov. States:
DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, WV.
Marilou Martin, U.S. EPA Region 5, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago,
IL 60604-3507, (312) 353-9660, martin.marilou@epa.gov. States: IL, IN,
MI, MN, OH, WI.
Wendy Lubbe, U.S. EPA Region 7, 901 North 5th Street, Kansas City, KS
66101, (913) 551-7551, lubbe.wendy@epa.gov. States: IA, KS, MO, NE.
Loretta Barsamian, U.S. EPA Region 9, 75 Hawthorne Street (SPE-1), San
Francisco, CA 94105, (415) 947-4268, barsamian.loretta@epa.gov. States
and Territories: AS, AZ, CA, GU, HI, NV.
Jennifer Thatcher, U.S. EPA Region 2, 290 Broadway, 26th Floor, New
York, NY 10007-1866, (212) 637-3593, thatcher.jennifer@epa.gov. States
& Territories: NJ, NY, PR, VI.
LaToya Miller, U.S. EPA Region 4, 61 Forsyth Street, SW., Atlanta, GA
30303, (404) 562-9885, miller.latoya@epa.gov. States: AL, FL, GA, KY,
MS, NC, SC, TN.
Craig Weeks, U.S. EPA Region 6, Fountain Place, Suite 1200, 1445 Ross
Avenue, Dallas, TX 75202-2733, (214) 665-7505, weeks.craig@epa.gov.
States: AR, LA, NM, OK, TX.
Whitney Trulove-Cranor, U.S. EPA Region 8, 999 18th Street, Suite 300,
Denver, CO 80202-2466, (303) 312-6099, trulove-cranor.whitney@epa.gov.
States: CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY.
Bill Glasser, U.S. EPA Region 10, 1200 Sixth Avenue (ENF-T), Seattle,
WA 98101, (206) 553-7215, glasser.william@epa.gov. States: AK, ID, OR,
WA.
Headquarters Office: Sherri Walker, U.S. EPA (MC 1807T), Office of the
Administrator, National Center for Environmental Innovation, State
Innovation Grants Program, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington,
DC 20460, (202) 566-2186, (202) 566-2220 fax.
For courier delivery only: Sherri Walker, U.S. EPA, EPA West Building,
Room 4214D, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20005.
Opportunity for Pre-Competition Briefings and Addressing Questions:
In
[[Page 52561]]
addition, prior to this year's solicitation, we are planning to host a
series of briefings and opportunities for question and answer (Q&A)
sessions via teleconference calls, one with each EPA Region and all of
their States. These conference calls will enable us to offer a two-hour
streamlined proposal development briefing to all States prior to our
solicitation, and will allow us to answer any questions that the States
have prior to the competition, in keeping with Federal requirements
that we afford assistance fairly in a competition process. Specific
conference call logistics and grant resource information will be
provided to each Region and the States as well as being posted on our
Web site at http://www.epa.gov/innovation/stategrants. Pre-competition
briefing summaries, and all other all resource materials will be posted
on the Web site at http://www.epa.gov/innovation/stategrants. Through
this effort, we are hoping to encourage individual States (and/or
State-led teams) to submit well-developed pre-proposals that
effectively describe in particular how their project will achieve
measurable environmental results.
Dated: September 10, 2007.
David Widawsky,
Associate Office Director, Office of Environmental Policy Innovation.
[FR Doc. E7-18164 Filed 9-13-07; 8:45 am]
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