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Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Descriptions

66.711:  Environmental Justice through Pollution Prevention Grants

Objectives:  To provide financial assistance to a variety of environmental, environmental justice, academic, tribal, community-based, and grass-roots groups for projects that address environmental justice concerns and use pollution prevention as the proposed solution. This grant program is designed to fund projects that have a direct impact on affected communities.

PROGRAM AND AWARD	FINANCIAL AND INFORMATION CONTACTS
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS	FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO.
APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS	INFORMATION CONTACTS
RELATED PROGRAMS	ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS
PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS	POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS

66.711 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:  Any affected, nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax status or State and Federally recognized Tribal organizations may submit an application upon the publication of this solicitation. "Nonprofit organization" is defined as any corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or other organization that: 1) operates primarily for scientific, educational, service, charitable, or similar purposes in the public interest; 2) is not organized primarily for profit; and 3) uses its net proceeds to maintain, improve, and/or expand its operations. While State and local governments and academic institutions are eligible to receive grants, preferences will be given to nonprofit, community-based/grass-roots organizations and State and federally recognized tribal organizations. Organizations excluded from applying directly are encouraged to work with eligible applicants in developing proposals and be included as participants in the project.

Beneficiary Eligibility:  Any affected, nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) IRS tax status or Federally recognized Tribes may submit an application upon the publication of this solicitation. As a result of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, EPA (and other Federal agencies) may not award grants to nonprofit, 501(c)(4) organizations that engage in lobbying activities. This restriction applies to any lobbying activities of a 501(c)(4) organization without distinguishing between lobbying funded by Federal money and lobbying funded by other sources. A nonprofit organization is defined as any corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or other organization that: 1) Operates primarily for scientific, educational, service, charitable, or similar purposes in the public interest; 2) is not organized primarily for profit; and 3) uses its net proceeds to maintain, improve, and/or expand its operations. State and local governments and academic institutions are also eligible. Organizations must be incorporated by April 20, 1998, to be eligible to receive funds. Private businesses, Federal agencies, and individuals are ineligible for these grants. Organizations excluded from applying directly, as well as those inexperienced in grant writing, are encouraged to develop partnerships and prepare joint proposals with eligible national, regional, or local organizations.

Credentials/Documentation:  Applicant must provide proof that the applicant is indeed a governmental organization, or that it has 501(c) (3) or 50l(c)(4) IRS tax status.

66.711 APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS:

Preapplication Coordination:  The Standard Forms 424, 424A and other forms as provided by the Environmental Protection Agency must be used for this program. Applicants are subject to the State's review. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs" and the review requirements of Section 204 of the Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act. Applicants 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 Federal assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.

Application Procedure:  Requests for information should be made to the appropriate EPA office listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog. Completed applications must be submitted to the EPA receiving office designated in the grant guidance by the specified date for consideration for an award. Applications must meet the requirements of the grant regulations and will be reviewed to determine relevancy of the proposed project.

Award Procedure:  Procedures for awards are outlined in General Grant Regulation 40 CFR Parts 30 and 31.

Deadlines:  Applications are usually received in April.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:  About 160 days.

Appeals:  As described in 40 CFR Parts 30 and 31.

Renewals:  None.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals:  The program has national eligibility criteria which include the following: 1) The proposal has clearly identified and addressed the communities' environmental justice concerns, 2) the proposal contains a clear objective and demonstrates a high utility for the community, 3) the pollution prevention approach has been clearly identified, 4) the proposed approach successfully addresses the environmental justice concerns of the affected communities, 5) the proposal contains community involvement component, (6) the proposal contains a strategy to communicate and work with affected communities, public, governmental entities, affected businesses and/or other community stakeholders, (7) the proposal seeks to develop long-term positive relationships between the community and those businesses and industries affecting the community, 8) the proposal identifies additional sources of funding or other resources, 9) the project seems cost effective, 10) the proposal plans to use existing sources of environmental information where possible, 11) the proposal identifies a method for measuring and documenting the project's results, either quantitatively or qualitatively, and 12) the solutions generated by the project can be used to benefit other communities.

Examples of Funded Projects:  1) Education, 2) training, 3) demonstration projects, 4) public-private partnerships; and 5) develop, evaluate, and demonstrate non-regulatory strategies and technologies.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  $7,000 to $210,000; $100,000.

66.711 RELATED PROGRAMS:

66.711 PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

66.711 FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO:

Federal Agency:  OFFICE OF PREVENTION, PESTICIDES, AND TOXIC SUBSTANCES, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Type of Assistance:  Project Grants.

Obligations:  (Project Grants) FY 99 $750,000; FY 00 est $4,000,000; and FY 01 est not identifiable.

Budget Account Number:  68-0108-0-1-304.

Authorization:  Solid Waste Disposal Act, Section 800(a); Clean Water Act, Section 104(b)(3); Safe Drinking Water Act, Section 1442(b)(3)(c); Clean Air Act, Section 103(b) and (g); Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10; Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Section 20.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature:  40 CFR Parts 29, 30, 31, and 32.

66.711 INFO CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:  None.

Headquarters Office:  Pollution Prevention Division, MC 7409, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW., Washington, DC 20460. Phone: (703) 841-0483.

(See Appendix IV for more contact info.)

66.711 ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:  This program has no statutory formula or matching requirements.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:  Grants are awarded for a project period not to exceed 2 years.

Uses and Use Restrictions:  The program is particularly interested in innovative approaches that can be applied to other communities. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) strongly encourages cooperative efforts between communities, business, industry, and government to address common pollution prevention goals. Projects funded under this grant program should focus on having a direct impact on the environmental justice community to be served and may involve such activities as public education, training, demonstration projects, public-private partnerships, or approaches to develop, evaluate, and demonstrate non-regulatory strategies and technologies.

66.711 POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:  Organizations that are awarded grant/cooperative agreement funds will be required to submit quarterly progress reports if the life of the project is less than 18 months, or semi-annual reports if the life of the project is 18 months or more, to the EPA Project Officer. Each report will summarize funds expended, talks accomplished, and results achieved to date. A summary final report will also be required at the end of the project period. This final report should include a discussion of the project's outcome, project evaluation, and prospect for project continuation without EPA funding.

Audits:  Periodic audits should be made as part of the recipient's system of financial management and internal control to meet terms and conditions of grants and other agreements. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that receive financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in OMB Circular No. A-133.

Records:  Financial records, including all documents to support entries on accounting records to substantiate charges to each grant, must be kept available to personnel authorized to examine EPA grant accounts. All records must be maintained for 3 years from the date of submission of the annual financial status report. If questions still remain, such as those raised as a result of an audit, related records should be retained until the matter is completely resolved.