Training, Investigations, and Special Purpose Activities of Federally-Recognized Indian Tribes Consi
To ensure tribes
To ensure that all tribes have the tools they need to understand and participate in local, regional and national issues, regulatory and policy developments, and to protect their air quality from activities off the reservation that may affect or impact them.
To improve the ability of tribes to understand, define, design and participate in activities that affect their air quality.
Funding Priority-Fiscal Year 2008: EPA and Tribes, in partnership, will protect public health, the environment, and unique Tribal air resources, consistent with the CAA, its Amendments, and EPA's trust responsibilities.
This program will ensure Tribes have appropriate levels of support and opportunity to understand their own air quality and take proactive measures to preserve, restore, and protect air quality for their reservations and other lands over which they have jurisdiction through CAA implementation, radiation protection, mobile source controls, and voluntary programs to address idoor and outdoor air and other concerns.
Activities will ensure that all Tribes have the tools they need to understand and participate in local, regional, and national issues and to protect their air quality from changes off reservation that may impact them.
Key activities include: (1) Training and Program Development - this area includes technical, administrative, and policy related training conducted in-person, on-line, and/or by any remote technological method supporting the enhancement of skills that contribute to development of tribal air quality management activities; (2) Assessment and Monitoring - activities related to assessment may include short or long term efforts to define, design, understand, and assess in a qualitative or quantitative manner (such as through an emission or source inventory) the impacts of air pollutants to human health, the environment, and items of cultural importance.
Monitoring includes numerous activities that gather data about the state of the environment and measuring the concentrations and potential effects of criteria and/or toxic air pollutants; (3) Developing capacity or a plan for eligibility under the Tribal Authority Rule - developing capacity includes activities that increase the experience and expertise of tribes to understand and assess air quality, including technical, administrative, policy, regulatory, education and outreach, communication skills, training, and building contacts, networks and experience.
Capacity includes carrying-out these programs and activities, interacting with the national air program and providing input, guidance, and perspective to efforts to develop policies, regulations, and guidance at the local, regional, and national level including reading, report writing, grant writing and reporting, budgeting, public speaking, developing presentations, preparing comments, editing documents, operating and maintaining equipment, and participating in meetings.
Developing a plan for eligibility under the Tribal Authority Rule (TAR) includes report reading and writing, grant writing and reporting, budgeting, public speaking, presentation development, comment preparation, document editing, equipment operation and maintenance, and meeting participation; (4)DelegationorOngoingCapabilityDevelopment - This activity includes developing technical, administrative, and management skills, knowledge, and abilities through experience, training, and education to enable activities such as reading and interpreting federal regulations, operating equipment, preparing and presenting technical information and reports, interacting with tribal communities and governments, federal bureaucrats and bureaucracy, providing outreach and education, public speaking, conducting public hearings, collecting and analyzing data, developing plans and innovative approaches to pollution control in a culturally sensitive manner; and (5) Tribal Implementation Plan development - tribes may conduct all aspects of air quality management at an advanced level, including data analysis, analyzing, interpreting and commenting on administrative and regulatory requirements and activities at local, state, regional and national levels, developing advanced technical, policy and planning document preparation, and tribal government representation.
The mission of the Environmental Protection Agency is to protect human health and the environment. Since 1970, EPA has been working for a cleaner, healthier environment for the American people.
Program Accomplishments
None.
Uses and Use Restrictions
Grants and cooperative agreements are available to support recipient's allowable direct costs incident to approved Tribal air resources activities that will protect public health and the environment, plus allowable indirect costs, in accordance with established EPA policies and regulations.
Assistance agreement awards under this program may involve or relate to geospatial information.
Further information regarding geospatial information may be obtained by viewing the following website: http://geodata.epa.gov.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
Assistance under this program is generally available to Federally-recognized Indian Tribes and Intertribal Consortia, which submit applications proposing projects with significant technical merit and relevance to EPA's Office of Air and Radiation's mission.
For certain competitive funding opportunities under this CFDA description, the Agency may limit eligibility to compete to a number or subset of eligible applicants consistent with the Agency's Assistance Agreement Competition Policy.
Beneficiary Eligibility
Federally-recognized Indian Tribes and Intertribal Consortia.
Credentials/Documentation
Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-87 for State and local governments and Indian Tribes. Applicants may be requested to demonstrate they have appropriate background, academic training, experience in the field, and necessary equipment to carry out projects. EPA may ask applicants or principle investigators to provide curriculum vitae and relevant publications.
Aplication and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
Regarding pre-application/pre-proposal assistance with respect to competitive funding opportunities under this program description, EPA will generally specify the nature of the pre-application/pre-proposal assistance, if any, that will be available to applicants in the competitive announcement.
For additional information, contact the individual(s) listed as "Information Contacts" or see Appendix IV of the Catalog.
This program is excluded from coverage under E.O.
12372.
Application Procedures
EPA requires final applications to be made on Standard Form 424. Requests for application kits must be submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency, Grants and Interagency Agreement Management Division, 3903R, Washington, DC 20460 or through the appropriate EPA Regional Office listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog. Applicants may be able to use http://www.grants.gov to electronically apply for certain grant opportunities under this CFDA.
Award Procedures
For competitive awards, EPA will review and evaluate applications, proposals, and/or submissions in accordance with the terms, conditions, and criteria stated in the competitive announcement. Competitions will be conducted in accordance with EPA policies/regulations for competing assistance agreements.
Deadlines
As stated in the Request for Applications (RFA) or Request for Proposals (RFP).
Authorization
Clean Air Act of 1963, Section 103, as amended, Public Law 95-95, 42 U.S.C. 7403.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Approximately 180 days.
Appeals
Assistance agreement competition-related disputes will be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures published in 70 FR (Federal Register) 3629, 3630 (January 26, 2005). Copies of these procedures may also be requested by contacting the individual(s) listed as "Information Contacts." Disputes relating to matters other than the competitive selection of recipients will be resolved under 40 CFR 30.63 or 40 CFR 31.70, as applicable.
Renewals
None. Generally, EPA incrementally funds grants and cooperative agreements for Training, Investigations, and Special Purpose. Approval of subsequent funding increments is dependent on satisfactory project progress, continued relevance of the project to EPA's priorities, availability of funds, and Agency policy on the competitive grant process.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
Not applicable.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
EPA normally funds grants and cooperataive agreements on a 12-month basis. However, EPA can negotiate the project period with each applicant based on project requirements. EPA limits project periods to 5 years. Grants and cooperative agreements are generally fully funded or on an incremental funding basis. Successful applicants will be notified either via U.S. mail or electronically. Such notification is contingent upon information contained in the resulting solicitation.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
EPA includes reporting requirements for grants and cooperative agreements in the terms and conditions of the agreements.
Agreements may require quarterly, interim, and final progress reports, and financial, equipment, and invention reports.
Reporting requirements are also identified in the Grant Regulations found at 40 CFR Part 31.
Audits
Grants and cooperative agreements are subject to inspections and audits by the Comptroller General of the United States, the EPA Office of Inspector General, other EPA staff, or any authorized representative of the Federal government. Reviews by the EPA Project Officer and the Grants Specialist may occur each year. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend $500,000 or more in a year in Federal awards shall have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in OMB Circular No. A-133.
Records
Recipients are subject to the retention and access requirements for records under 40 CFR Part 31.42. Recipients must keep financial records, including all documents supporting entries on accounting records and to substantiate changes in grants available to personnel authorized to examine EPA recipients' grant and cooperative agreement records. Recipients must maintain all records until 3 years from the date of submission of final expenditure reports. If questions, such as those raised as a result of audits remain following the 3-year period, recipients must retain records until the matter is completely resolved.
Financial Information
Account Identification
68-1810-0-1-304. Resulting awards are
funded using the following accounts: Environmental Program & Management
(EPM), Science & Technology (S&T), and State & Tribal Air Grants (STAG).
Obigations
FY 07 $0; FY 08 $9,589,688; FY 09 est $9,590,000.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
There is no minimum amount of assistance; the maximum is $7,750,000. The general range of the amount of assistance is $25,000 to $500,000. The average is $75,000.
Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature
Training, Investigations, and Special Purpose grants and cooperative agreements are subject to EPA General Grant Regulations 40 CFR Part 31. Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-87 for State and local governments and Indian Tribes.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
EPA encourages potential applicants to communicate with the appropriate EPA Regional Office listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog, and the Headquarters program contacts listed below.
Headquarters Office
For information on grant applications and procedures, contact: Environmental Protection Agency, Grants and Interagency Agreement Management Division, 3903R, Washington, DC 20460. For program information contact: Darrel Harmon, Telephone: (202) 564-7416, E-mail: harmon.darrel@epa.gov, Fax: (202) 501-1153.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
Competitive applications and proposals are selected for funding based on factors such as relevancy to EPA's mission, technical merit, and the likelihood of success. The evaluation and selection criteria for competitive awards under this CFDA description will be described in the competitive announcement. Tribal Governments and inter-tribal consortia are exempted from competition under EPA Order 5700.5A1.
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