Tribal Educational Outreach on Lead Poisoning and Baseline Assessment of Tribal Children's Existing and Potential Exposure and Risks Associated With Lead; Notice of Funds Availability, 37831-37837 [05-12953]

Agencies

• ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 125 (Thursday, June 30, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37831-37837]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-12953]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPPT-2005-0011; FRL-7706-6]


Tribal Educational Outreach on Lead Poisoning and Baseline 
Assessment of Tribal Children's Existing and Potential Exposure and 
Risks Associated With Lead; Notice of Funds Availability

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: EPA is soliciting grant proposals from Indian tribes to 
support Tribal educational outreach and to conduct a baseline 
assessment of Tribal children's existing and potential exposure to 
lead. EPA is awarding grants which will provide approximately $1.2 
million to Indian tribes to perform those activities and to encourage 
Indian tribes to consider continuing such activities in the future. 
This notice describes eligibility, activities, application procedures 
and requirements, and evaluation criteria.

DATES: All grant proposals must be received on or before August 15, 
2005.

ADDRESSES: Grant proposals must be submitted by mail. Please follow the 
detailed instructions as provided in Unit IV.F. of the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information contact: Colby 
Lintner, Regulatory Coordinator, Environmental Assistance Division 
(7408M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (202) 554-1404; e-mail address: TSCA-
Hotline@epa.gov.
    For technical information contact: Darlene Watford, Program 
Assessment and Outreach Branch, National Program Chemicals Division 
(7404T), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (202) 566-0516; e-mail address: 
watford.darlene@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following listing provides certain key 
information concerning the funding availability opportunity.

Overview

     Federal agency name: Environmental Protection Agency.
     Funding opportunity title: Tribal Educational Outreach on 
Lead Poisoning and Baseline Assessment of Tribal Children's Existing 
and Potential Exposure to Lead.
     Announcement type: Notice of funds availability.
     Funding opportunity number: FON-T002.
     Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number: 
66.715.
     Dates: All grant proposals must be received on or before 
August 15, 2005.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Authority

    Section 10 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), as 
supplemented by Public Law No. 106-74, provides the authority for this 
grant program. It authorizes EPA to award grants for the purpose of 
conducting research, development, monitoring, education, training, 
demonstrations, and studies necessary to carry out the purposes of the 
Act. These funds are not eligible for use in a Performance Partnership 
Agreement.

B. Program Description

    1. Scope and purpose. The purpose of these grants is to support 
Tribal lead educational outreach activities and the efforts of Indian 
tribes to identify children's risks to lead by conducting a baseline 
assessment of existing and/or potential lead exposures. The outreach 
activities may be provided to children, parents, daycare providers, and 
legal custodians on the potential health risks associated with lead 
exposure. As a result of the baseline assessment activities, Tribes may 
use the resulting data and information to evaluate whether there is a 
need to develop and implement an authorized Tribal lead-based paint 
program (40 CFR 745.324). The overall purpose of the grant program is 
to have an increased number of Tribal communities educated in lead 
poisoning prevention, a decreased number of Tribal children lead 
poisoned, and an increased number of Tribal children tested for lead

[[Page 37832]]

poisoning. Projects are expected to be completed within 2 years of 
award of the grant.
    2. Activities to be funded. EPA will provide financial assistance 
in the form of grants to Indian tribes or Tribal consortia to conduct 
any or all of the following activities:
    i. Educational outreach activities. EPA will provide financial 
assistance in the form of grants to Indian tribes or Tribal consortia 
to develop and conduct organized outreach efforts to educate Tribal 
families about the dangers to children from exposure to lead-based 
paint hazards, distribute educational information, and encourage Tribal 
families to have their children screened for lead poisoning and have 
their homes tested for lead hazards. Activities may include, but are 
not limited to, training medical professionals, developing culturally 
specific lead outreach materials, distributing pamphlets, and 
establishing an in-home education program to visit the homes of young 
Tribal children.
    Tribes may develop their own outreach materials; however, the use 
and reproduction of pre-existing products is strongly encouraged and 
preferred. EPA is aware that many State, Tribal, and local departments 
of health and environmental protection, as well as advocacy groups and 
community development groups, have developed useful lead poisoning 
prevention materials to conduct educational outreach activities. EPA 
and other Federal agencies have developed, and currently provide, a 
wide range of outreach materials available from the National Lead 
Information Center (1-800-424-LEAD). Trained specialists at the Center 
can help identify specific types of lead awareness materials that 
already exist and thereby avoid spending the limited resources to 
recreate these materials. Grant funding may be used to reproduce 
existing lead educational outreach materials or to develop and 
implement a lead poisoning awareness and prevention program. Any new 
lead awareness materials developed must be consistent with the Federal 
(EPA, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, formerly the Centers for 
Disease Control)) lead hazard awareness and poisoning prevention 
programs (https://www.epa.gov/lead/, https://www.hud.gov/offices/lead/, 
and https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/lead.htm).
    ii. Baseline assessment activities.
     Conduct blood-lead screening of Tribal children age 6 
years and under. For blood-lead screening activities, the focus should 
be on Tribal children between the ages of 12-36 months because blood-
lead levels tend to be highest in this age group. More children in this 
age group have blood-lead levels above the level of concern, >10 
micrograms/deciliter ([mu]g/dL). The CDC's recommended level of concern 
that encourages followup activities is 10 [mu]g/dL, with specific 
actions/interventions recommended at various elevated blood-lead 
levels. All blood-lead samples collected from Tribal children must be 
analyzed using a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-
certified laboratory. Portable, hand-held blood-lead analyzers may be 
used, but must be operated by a laboratory that is CLIA-certified for 
moderately complex analysis. CLIA, published in 1992 (42 CFR part 405), 
is administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS, 
formerly the Health Care Finance Administration). CLIA-certified 
laboratories must successfully participate in a testing proficiency 
program that is CLIA-approved. Information regarding CLIA may be 
downloaded from the CMS web site at https://www.cms.gov/clia/.
     Conduct inspections and risk assessments of pre-1978 
Tribal housing and/or child-occupied facilities for lead-based paint 
hazards. (Housing and facilities may be owned or occupied by Tribal 
members.) This includes collection and analysis of paint, dust, and 
soil samples for hazardous lead levels. Inspections and risk 
assessments may only be conducted by individuals certified by EPA for 
Indian country in the EPA Region where the Tribe is located or 
certified by the recipient Tribe if the Tribe has received EPA program 
authorization. Inspections and risk assessments must be conducted 
according to the work practice standards found in 40 CFR 745.227 or 
those of the authorized Tribal program. Analysis of paint, dust, and 
soil samples must be conducted by a National Lead Laboratory 
Accreditation Program (NLLAP)-recognized laboratory. EPA has 
established the NLLAP to recognize laboratories that demonstrate the 
ability to analyze paint chip, dust, or soil samples for lead. A 
current list of NLLAP-recognized laboratories can be obtained by 
calling the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD.
     Train workers to perform lead inspections and risk 
assessments. Grant funds may be used for initial, refresher, or any 
other training and/or third party testing required to obtain 
certification (as discussed in Unit I.B.2.ii.) to perform lead-based 
paint inspections and risk assessments. Grant funds cannot be used to 
pay for any administrative fees for certification to conduct lead 
inspections and/or risk assessments.
     Compile and summarize demographic data collected from 
activities listed in Unit I.B.2.ii. In order for Tribes to qualify for 
other Federal funds for lead activities, sufficient data need to be 
compiled and well organized. It is strongly recommended that Tribes 
develop or use an existing data management system (manual or automated) 
to collect and maintain the data collected during the project, 
including laboratory results and data on followup cases for Tribal 
children with elevated blood-lead levels. This information may be 
essential in determining if Tribes have the capacity for a Tribal lead 
program (40 CFR 745.324) and are eligible for other Federal funding for 
lead activities. (An existing Tribal tracking system, Tribal Relational 
Environmental Numeric Health Database System (TRENHDS), may be viewed 
or downloaded from https://www.bluejaydata.com/trenhds.) It is 
recommended that the data include: Tribe or Tribal consortium name and 
location; an identifier that protects the privacy of the child; age of 
housing in which the child resides; age of the child (in months); 
gender; sample media (blood, soil, dust, or paint); date of sample 
collection; method of sample collection (for blood samples indicate 
whether method was capillary or venous); laboratory analysis method and 
date; the levels of lead in blood (in micrograms per deciliter ([mu]g/
dL)), soil (in micrograms per gram ([mu]g/g)), dust (in micrograms per 
square foot ([mu]g/ft2)), and paint (in [mu]g/g or 
milligrams per centimeter square (mg/cm2)); the number of 
homes and/or child-occupied facilities where risk assessments or 
inspections were conducted; the number of paint, dust, and soil samples 
collected; and possible exposure routes from other sources (such as 
hobby materials, pottery, parent occupational exposure, special native 
foods, medications) for each Tribal child screened.
     Travel to conferences. Grant funds may be used to support 
travel expenses and attendance of key Tribal lead program personnel at 
EPA Regional and National Lead Conferences.
    3. Goal and objectives. The objective of these grants is to support 
Tribal lead educational outreach and the efforts of Indian tribes to 
identify children's risks to lead by conducting a baseline assessment 
of existing and/or potential lead exposures. The outreach activities 
may be provided to children, parents, daycare providers, and legal 
custodians on the potential health risks associated with lead exposure. 
As a result of the

[[Page 37833]]

baseline assessment activities, Tribes may use the resulting data and 
information to evaluate whether there is a need to develop and 
implement an authorized Tribal lead-based paint program (40 CFR 
745.324). Projects are expected to be completed within 2 years of award 
of the grant.

II. Award Information

    The funding for the selected projects will be in the form of 
grants. The total funding available for awards in FY 2005 is 
approximately $1.2 million.
    Applicants may receive one grant for up to $75,000 for educational 
outreach activities, or $50,000 for baseline assessment activities, or 
$125,000 for a combined grant proposal for both educational outreach 
and baseline assessment activities. Applicants must submit separate 
budget breakdowns for educational outreach and baseline assessment 
activities in combined grant proposals.
    Final distribution of the funds will be dependent upon the number 
of qualified applicants, Tribal populations served by each grant, and 
other factors, as deemed appropriate by EPA (i.e., the evaluation 
criteria as stated in Unit V.A.). Tribes may use a portion of the grant 
funds for contractor support for these activities; however, contractor 
support may not account for more than 25% of the amount of the grant, 
except where contract services include blood-lead analysis, training, 
and/or lead-based paint inspections and risk assessments). EPA reserves 
the right to reject all proposals and make no awards under this 
announcement.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Threshold Eligibility Factors

    There are no threshold eligibility factors under this grant.

B. Eligibility Criteria

    To be eligible for consideration, proposals must come from 
Federally Recognized Indian Tribes or Tribal consortia only. Failure to 
meet this criteria will result in automatic disqualification of the 
proposal for funding. Federally Recognized Indian Tribes are listed in 
the Federal Register document published by the Bureau of Indian Affairs 
(BIA) on July 12, 2002 (67 FR 46327). There is no requirement that a 
Tribe provide documentation that it meets the treatment in a manner 
similar to a State (TAS) standard. After receiving two EPA awards under 
this program, Tribes are not eligible for additional awards under this 
grant program.

C. Cost Sharing or Matching

    There are no requirements for matching funding under this grant 
program.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Address to Request Application Package

    There are no application or proposal packages. No application forms 
are required to be submitted with the proposal.

B. Content and Form of Application Submission

    Proposals must be typewritten, unbound, stapled or clipped in the 
upper left-hand corner, on white paper, and with page numbers. 
Proposals must include a work plan(s) as described in this unit. The 
work plan(s) may be for either educational outreach or baseline 
assessment activities or a combination, including both activities. 
However, only one proposal will be accepted from each Tribe or Tribal 
consortia in response to this notice. Each work plan must be 4-6 typed 
pages in length (excluding appendices). If a package consists of more 
than five pages, the package will be considered but the additional 
pages will not be reviewed. One page is one side of a single-spaced 
typed page. Submit one original and three double-sided copies of the 
proposal, including a contact name, return mailing address, and 
telephone number. All proposals must include a work plan organized and 
outlined as follows:

Section I.--Work Plan for Educational Outreach Grant Proposal

     Title of project, table of contents, and summary.
     Educational outreach activities. This section should 
include, but not be limited to, the following items/activities: 
Purpose, goal, and scope of the project; types of lead educational 
material that will be used and/or reproduced; types, if any, of lead 
educational materials that will be developed; distribution and 
delivery plans; and percentage estimate of the number of Tribal 
families who will receive the lead awareness information. The grant 
proposal must include a statement which describes how the 
effectiveness of the project will be determined. The proposal should 
be consistent with the overall purpose of the grant program: To have 
an increased number of Tribal communities educated in lead poisoning 
prevention, a decreased number of Tribal children lead poisoned, and 
an increased number of Tribal children tested for lead poisoning.
     Project management. Include a description of staff 
positions, roles, and responsibilities; a description of experience 
in or potential to conduct activities described in section B; 
efforts of partnership and collaboration with other local-health 
agencies; extent of contractor support; schedule and/or a time line 
showing the major activities and estimated time frames for 
initiation and completion; and a budget summary.
     Budget. Provide a reasonable budget that is clearly 
identifiable with work plan activities.
     Appendices. The appendices must be no more than 10 
pages total and follow the same paging and spacing description as 
provided in this outline.
    -- Resumes of key personnel (also include title, description, 
and reference name with telephone number) for work on previous or 
current grants or contracts within the last 5 years).
    -- Letters of support from Tribal representatives for Tribal 
consortia. For individual Tribes, include a letter or resolution 
from Tribal Council or Chairperson showing support for and 
commitment to the project. (If it is not possible to obtain a 
letter/resolution from the Tribal Council or Chairperson to submit 
with your application, an interim letter of explanation must be 
included with the application.) The letter/resolution will still be 
required prior to award of the grant.
    -- Detailed information on other lead-based paint or lead-
related activities conducted by the Tribe or Tribal consortium.

Section II.--Work Plan for Baseline Assessment Grant Proposal

     Title of project, table of contents, and summary.
     Baseline assessment activities. This section should 
include the purpose, goal, and approach of the project. This section 
should also include a discussion of the separate phases of the 
project; the criteria for selecting properties to be inspected and/
or to have risk assessments performed and children screened; methods 
to be used for data collection and quality control; and training and 
certification of individuals to perform lead-based paint evaluation 
activities. The grant proposal must include a statement which 
describes how the effectiveness of the project will be determined. 
EPA is extremely interested in knowing what actions Tribes plan to 
follow regarding monitoring, education, and/or treatment for 
children whose blood-lead levels are determined to be elevated (>10 
[mu]g/dL) while screened under baseline assessment activities 
conducted under this grant. It is important that the children who 
are found to have elevated blood-lead levels are treated. A 
description of specific steps and related information for followup 
activities must be included in this section.
     Project management. Include a description of staff 
positions, roles, and responsibilities; a description of experience 
in or potential to conduct activities described in section B; 
efforts of partnership and collaboration with other local-health 
agencies; extent of contractor support; schedule and/or time line 
showing the major activities and estimated time frames for 
initiation and completion; and a budget summary.

[[Page 37834]]

     Budget. Provide a reasonable budget that is clearly 
identifiable with work plan activities.
     Appendices. The appendices must be no more than 10 
pages total and follow the same paging and spacing description as 
provided in this outline.
    -- Resumes of key personnel (also include title, description, 
and reference name with telephone number) for work on previous or 
current grants or contracts with the Federal Government within the 
last 5 years).
    -- Letters of support from Tribal representatives for Tribal 
consortia. For individual Tribes, include a letter or resolution 
from Tribal Council or Chairperson showing support for and 
commitment to the project. (If it is not possible to obtain a 
letter/resolution from the Tribal Council or Chairperson to submit 
with your application, an interim letter of explanation must be 
included with the application.) The letter/resolution will still be 
required prior to award of the grant.
    -- Detailed information on other lead-based paint or lead-
related activities (if applicable).

    The format for proposals submitted for combined baseline assessment 
and outreach activities must include both Sections I and II above.

C. Submission Dates and Times

    The deadline for EPA's receipt of grant proposals is 5 p.m. eastern 
standard time on August 15, 2005.

D. Intergovernmental Review

    Applicants should be aware that formal requests for assistance 
(i.e., SF-424 and associated documentation) may be subject to 
intergovernmental review under Executive Order 12372, 
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.'' Applicants should 
contact their State's single point of contact (SPOC) for further 
information. There is a list of these contacts at the following web 
site: https://whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html. However, Executive 
Order 12372, does not apply to this assistance program since grant 
proposals will be submitted in lieu of comments on developing this 
program.

E. Funding Restrictions

    Grant funding may not be used for the following:
    1. Buying real property, such as land or buildings.
    2. Lead hazard reduction activities, such as performing interim 
controls or abatement (as defined in 40 CFR 745.223).
    3. Construction activities, such as renovation, remodeling, or 
building a structure.
    4. Office equipment that costs more than 10% of the amount of the 
grant, such as a copying machine or a color printer.
    5. Analysis equipment in excess of 10% of the amount of the grant.
    6. Lead-based paint certification fees for individuals and firms.
    7. Contractor support in excess of 25% of the amount of the grant 
award, except where contract services include blood-lead analysis, 
training, and/or lead-based paint inspections and risk assessments.
    8. Duplication of any lead-related activities that have been 
previously funded by EPA, or other Federal Government sources.
    9. Case-management costs, including treatment for Tribal children 
with elevated blood-lead levels (e.g., followup visits by a doctor or 
chelation therapy).

F. Other Submission Requirements

    As indicated above, each proposal must include the original and 
three double-sided copies. Include a contact name, return mailing 
address, and telephone number on the proposal. Submit your proposal 
using one of the following methods:
    By mail to: Darlene Watford, Program Assessment and Outreach 
Branch, National Program Chemicals Division (7404T), Office of 
Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001.
    By overnight/express or courier delivery service to: Darlene 
Watford, Program Assessment and Outreach Branch, National Program 
Chemicals Division (7404T), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics 
(OPPT), Environmental Protection Agency, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., 
EPA West (Old Customs Bldg.), 4\th\ Floor Connecting Wing, Room 4355, 
Washington, DC 20004-0001.

G. Confidential Business Information

    Proposals should be clearly marked to indicate any information that 
is to be considered confidential. EPA will make final confidentiality 
decisions in accordance with Agency regulations in 40 CFR part 2, 
subpart B. All proposals received under this notice are subject to the 
dispute resolution process defined at 40 CFR 30.63 and part 31, subpart 
F.

V. Application Review Information

A. Criteria

    All proposals will be reviewed, evaluated, and ranked by a selected 
panel of EPA reviewers based on the following criteria and points:
    1. Lead educational outreach--i. General (20 points). The overall 
description of implementing the Tribal lead educational outreach 
program in the proposal must address the scope and purpose of this 
notice of funding availability as detailed in Unit I.B.1. It must 
include reasonable and attainable goals and an approach that is clearly 
detailed. The proposal must describe the method that will be used to 
determine the effectiveness of the project. The proposal must provide 
detailed information on all lead-based paint or lead-related 
educational outreach activities for which the Tribe has received 
funding from any Federal, State, or local government. If the Tribe has 
conducted, or is currently working on a related project(s), a brief 
description of those projects, funding sources, primary commitments, 
and an indication as to whether those commitments were met must be 
included in the grant proposal. The description must also indicate how 
the proposed project is different from other funded work conducted by 
the Tribe(s) or unfunded work conducted by another entity (e.g., Indian 
Health Service, Superfund), and how the proposed project will not 
duplicate previous or on-going projects. It is important to note that 
funds cannot be awarded to conduct activities which have been 
previously funded through any other Federal grant program.
    ii. Educational outreach activities (40 points). The grant proposal 
should fully describe the proposed educational outreach efforts for 
Tribal Indian communities. The messages in the grant proposal should be 
consistent with EPA/HUD/CDC lead-based paint program policies, 
guidelines, regulations, and recommendations. The following elements 
will be specifically evaluated:
     Types of existing lead educational material to be used 
and/or reproduced (i.e., reports, pamphlets, brochures, video tapes, CD 
ROMs, etc.); types, if any, of lead awareness (educational) outreach 
materials that will be developed.
     Method of distribution of materials throughout the Tribal 
population.
     How the messages will be delivered, e.g., lecture, written 
material distribution, one-on-one interviews.
     Printing, special video taping, advertising (billboards, 
posters, flyers), collaboration with radio or television, or other 
methods used to reach the Tribal Indian population regarding the 
outreach effort.
     Estimate of the number of Tribal families who will receive 
the lead awareness information; efforts that will be employed to target 
hard-to-reach Tribal communities to inform families about childhood 
lead poisoning and screening, if applicable; the number of

[[Page 37835]]

people/families/medical personnel/etc., who will be reached.
     An indication as to whether the proposed educational 
outreach materials and activities are suitable for the target audience 
(i.e., appropriate language comprehension and cultural identification).
    iii. Project management (30 points). The grant proposal should 
describe the staff positions, roles, and responsibilities, and their 
qualifications. The following elements will also be evaluated: Resumes 
of key personnel; Tribal experience in or potential to conduct 
activities such as those described in the ``Educational Outreach 
Activities'' section; previous experience managing similar projects; 
and availability of references; access to properly trained staff and 
facilities to conduct the project; schedule for completing the project; 
and the extent of activities to be performed by a contractor.
    iv. Budget (10 points plus 5 bonus points). The evaluation will be 
based on the extent to which the proposed budget is reasonable, clear, 
and consistent with the intended use of the funds. Although matching 
funds are not required, up to five bonus points will be given to grant 
proposals indicating financial contributions and/or in-kind services 
provided to the project.
     2. Baseline assessment--i. General (20 points). The overall 
description of the Tribal lead baseline assessment program will be 
evaluated. The grant proposal must address the scope and purpose of 
this notice as detailed in Unit I.B.1. It must include reasonable and 
attainable goals and an approach that is clearly detailed. The proposal 
must include a statement which describes how the effectiveness of the 
project will be determined. The grant proposal must provide detailed 
information on all lead-based paint or lead-related activities for 
which the Tribe has received funding from any Federal, State, or local 
government.
    ii. Baseline assessment activities (40 points).
     Blood-lead screening activities. The grant proposal will 
be evaluated on the description of the sampling, collection, handling, 
and analysis activities; the data collection and tracking system, 
quality control measures; the description of the facility/facilities 
where the blood-lead sampling will occur (i.e., school, library, health 
department facility, clinic, private building, mobile van, etc.); and 
the estimated number and a percentage estimate of the number of Tribal 
children to be screened in the project. The evaluation will also be 
based on the description of the method that will be used to solicit 
maximum participation of Tribal children; the methods (i.e., printing, 
video taping, collaboration with radio or television, etc.), to be used 
to reach the Indian population regarding the blood-lead screening 
effort; efforts to be used to ensure patient confidentiality; and a 
description of how the CLIA standards will be met.
     Inspection/risk assessment of Tribal housing. The proposal 
will be evaluated on the description of residential/child occupied 
properties that will undergo lead-based paint inspection and/or risk 
assessment; the selection criteria used to identify the properties; the 
description of methods used to reach Tribal population regarding lead 
paint inspections and/or risk assessment efforts; the description of 
inspection, risk assessment, and sampling and analysis procedures; the 
qualifications of inspection personnel; and the description of 
reporting procedures. All inspections and risk assessments must be 
conducted according to the work practice standards found in 40 CFR 
745.227 or those of an authorized Tribal program.
     Paint, dust, and soil testing. The grant proposal 
evaluation will be based on the description of the sampling, 
collection, handling, and analysis activities; the description of the 
data that will be collected, tracked, and reported to EPA; the quality 
control measures implemented, including a description of how NLLAP-
recognized laboratories will be used for analysis.
     Training. Use of EPA accredited training providers or 
training providers approved by an EPA authorized State or Tribe for 
risk assessments and inspections and use of inspectors and/or risk 
assessors certified by EPA or by an EPA authorized State or Tribe.
    iii. Project management (30 points). The grant proposal will be 
evaluated based on the description of the staff positions, roles and 
responsibilities, and their qualifications. The following elements will 
also be evaluated: Resumes of key personnel; Tribal experience in or 
potential to conduct activities such as those described in the 
``Inspection/risk assessment of tribal housing,'' and ``Paint, dust, 
and soil testing'' sections; previous experience managing similar 
projects; and availability of references; access to properly trained 
staff and facilities to conduct the project; schedule for completing 
the project; and the extent of activities to be performed by a 
contractor.
    iv. Budget (10 points plus 5 bonus points). The evaluation will be 
based on the extent to which the proposed budget is reasonable, clear, 
and consistent with the intended use of the funds. Although matching 
funds are not required, up to five bonus points will be given to grant 
proposals indicating financial contributions and/or in-kind services 
provided to the project.

B. Review and Selection Process

    Award decisions will be made on the basis of the proposals. 
Decisions on awarding the grant funds will be made based on the 
evaluation of the proposals using the criteria specified in Unit V.A. 
All proposals will be screened to ensure that they meet the eligibility 
requirement as stated in Unit III. Those not meeting the requirement 
will not be considered. EPA reserves the right to reject all proposals 
and make no awards.
    The lead educational outreach and baseline assessment proposals 
(work plans) will be reviewed separately. The maximum rating score for 
each proposal will be 105 points (five bonus points for in-kind 
services). A Tribe or Tribal consortium that submits a combined 
proposal (for both the lead educational outreach and baseline 
assessment) may receive a grant for one, both, or none, depending on 
evaluation and ranking. The final funding decision will be made from a 
group of top rated proposals. The Agency reserves the right to reject 
all proposals and make no awards.
    Assistance agreement competition-related disputes will be resolved 
in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures published in the 
Federal Register of January 26, 2005 (70 FR 3629) which can be found 
at: https://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/
edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-1371.htm. Copies of these procedures may 
also be requested by contacting the agency contact below.

VI. Award Administration Information

A. Award Notices

    The appropriate EPA Regional Lead Coordinator will mail a 
notification to the contact person identified in the proposal once all 
proposals have been reviewed, evaluated, and ranked. An applicant whose 
proposal is selected will be required to submit additional forms to EPA 
for grant application (such as Standard Form SF-424, Application for 
Federal Assistance). Specific information will be provided in the 
written notification from EPA. In addition, successful applicants will 
be required to certify that they have not been debarred or suspended 
from participation in Federal assistance awards in accordance with 40 
CFR part 32. The application forms are available on line at https://
www.epa.gov/ogd/

[[Page 37836]]

AppKit/application.htm. These forms should not be submitted with the 
proposals.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    All environmental or health-related measurements or data generation 
(such as activities in baseline assessment) must adequately address the 
requirements of 40 CFR 31.45 relating to quality assurance/quality 
control. Information on EPA quality assurance requirements may be 
downloaded from the EPA Quality Staff web site at https://www.epa.gov/
quality. To begin the process of developing the quality assurance 
documentation, a quality assurance project plan template has been 
developed that may be helpful to use as a guide. The template may be 
downloaded from the EPA/OPPT web site at https://www.epa.gov/lead/
new.htm. For further EPA guidance on preparation of the quality 
documentation, please contact the appropriate EPA Regional Lead Contact 
listed below in this unit.
    Region I: (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode 
Island, and Vermont), Regional Contact: James M. Bryson, USEPA Region 
I, One Congress St., Suite 1100 (CPT), Boston, MA 02114-0203, telephone 
number: (617) 918-1524; fax number: (617) 918-1505; e-mail: 
bryson.jamesm@epa.gov.
    Region II: (New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin 
Islands), Regional Contact: Lou Bevilacqua, USEPA Region II, MS-225, 
2890 Woodbridge Ave., Edison, NJ 08837, telephone number: (732) 321-
6671; fax number: (732) 321-6757; e-mail: bevilacqua.louis@epa.gov.
    Region III: (Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West 
Virginia, and the District of Columbia), Regional Contact: Demian 
Ellis, USEPA Region III (3WC33), 1650 Arch St., Philadelphia, PA 19103-
2029, telephone number: (215) 814-2088; fax number: (215) 814-3114; e-
mail: ellis.demian@epa.gov.
    Region IV: (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North 
Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee), Regional Contact: Liz Wilde, 
USEPA Region IV, 61 Forsyth St., SW., Atlanta, GA 30303, telephone 
number: (404) 562-8528; fax number: (404) 562-8972; e-mail: 
wilde.liz@epa.gov.
    Region V: (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and 
Wisconsin), Regional Contact: David Turpin, USEPA Region V (DT-8J), 77 
W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604, telephone number: (312) 886-7836; 
fax number: (312) 353-4788; e-mail: turpin.david@epa.gov.
    Region VI: (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas), 
Regional Contact: Eva Steele, USEPA Region VI, 1445 Ross Ave., 12\th\ 
Floor (6MD-RP), Dallas, TX 75202, telephone number: (214) 665-7211; fax 
number: (214) 665-6762; e-mail: steele.eva@epa.gov.
    Region VII: (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska), Regional 
Contact: Larry Stafford, USEPA Region VII, ARTD/RALI, 901 North 5\th\, 
Kansas City, KS 66101, telephone number: (913) 551-7394; fax number: 
(931) 551-7065; e-mail: stafford.larry@epa.gov.
    Region VIII: (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, 
and Wyoming), Regional Contact: Amanda Hasty, USEPA Region VIII, 999 
18\th\ St., Suite 300, Denver, CO 80202, telephone number: (303) 312-
6966; fax number: (303) 312-6044; e-mail: hasty.amanda@epa.gov.
    Region IX: (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, 
and Guam), Regional Contact: Nancy Oien, USEPA Region IX (CMD-4), 75 
Hawthorne St., San Francisco, CA 94105, telephone number: (415) 927-
3780; fax number: (415) 947-3583; e-mail: oien.nancy@epa.gov.
    Region X: (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington), Regional 
Contact: Barbara Ross, USEPA Region X, Solid Waste and Toxics Unit 
(WCM-128), 1200 Sixth Ave., Seattle, WA 98101, telephone number: (206) 
553-1985, fax: (206) 553-8509, e-mail: ross.barbara@epa.gov.

C. Statutory Authority and Executive Order Reviews

    Section 10 of TSCA, as supplemented by Public Law 106-74, 
authorizes EPA to award grants for the purpose of conducting research, 
development, monitoring, education, training, demonstrations, and 
studies necessary to carry out the purposes of the Act. Presently, 
these funds are not eligible for use in a Performance Partnership 
Agreement.

D. Reporting

    The successful recipient must provide to EPA written progress 
reports within 30 days after the end of each quarter and a final report 
within 90 days after the end of the project periods. The specific 
information contained in the report will include at a minimum, a 
comparison of actual accomplishments to the objectives established for 
that period. The recipient must also submit annual financial reports to 
EPA. EPA may require additional progress reports which will be listed 
in the final award package.

VII. Agency Contacts

    Darlene Watford, Program Assessment and Outreach Branch, National 
Program Chemicals Division (7404T), Office of Pollution Prevention and 
Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (202) 566-0516; e-mail 
address: watford.darlene@epa.gov.

VIII. Other Information

A. Does This Action Apply to Me?

    You may be potentially affected by this action if you are a 
Federally Recognized Indian Tribe or Tribal consortium. For the 
purposes of this notice, a partnership between two or more Federally 
Recognized Indian Tribes is considered a consortium. Potentially 
affected entities may include, but are not limited to:
    American Indian and Alaskan Native Tribal Governments (921150).
    Other types of entities not listed in this unit could also be 
affected. The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) 
codes have been provided to assist you and others in determining 
whether this action might apply to certain entities. To determine 
whether you or your business may be affected by this action, you should 
carefully examine the Federal Register document published by the BIA on 
July 12, 2002 (67 FR 46327), which lists all Federally Recognized 
Indian Tribes. If you have any questions regarding the applicability of 
this action to a particular entity, consult the technical person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

B. How Can I Get Copies of this Document and Other Related Information?

    1. Docket. EPA has established an official public docket for this 
action under docket identification (ID) number OPPT-2005-0011. The 
official public docket consists of documents specifically referenced in 
this action and other information related to this action. Although a 
part of the official docket, the public docket does not include 
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose 
disclosure is restricted by statute. The official public docket is the 
collection of materials that is available for public viewing at the EPA 
Docket Center, Rm. B-102 Reading Room, EPA West, 1301 Constitution 
Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center is open from 8:30 a.m. 
to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The EPA 
Docket Center Reading Room telephone number is (202) 566-1744 and the 
telephone number for the OPPT Docket, which is

[[Page 37837]]

located in the EPA Docket Center, is (202) 566-0280.
    2. Electronic access. You may access this Federal Register document 
electronically through the EPA Internet under the ``Federal Register'' 
listings at https://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.
    An electronic version of the public docket is available through 
EPA's electronic public docket and comment system, EPA Dockets. You may 
use EPA Dockets at https://www.epa.gov/edocket/ to access the index 
listing of the contents of the official public docket, and to access 
those documents in the public docket that are available electronically. 
Although not all docket materials may be available electronically, you 
may still access any of the publicly available docket materials through 
the docket facility identified in Unit VIII.B.1. Once in the system, 
select ``search,'' then key in the appropriate docket ID number.
     You may also access this document at the Office of Pollution 
Prevention and Toxics Lead Home Page at https://www.epa.gov/lead/
new.htm.

C. Information on Related Lead Grant Program

    This notice is one of two EPA grant opportunities to conduct 
various lead-based paint activities. The second grant program, the 
lead-based paint section 404(g) lead grant program (Solicitation of 
Applications for Lead-Based Paint Program Grants; Notice of 
Availability of Funds), was made available to all States and Tribes 
through the EPA Regional Offices (see listing of EPA Offices under Unit 
VI.B.). Although a Tribe may apply to receive grant funding from both 
programs, they each have very distinct objectives. The grant program 
opportunities described in this notice may serve as a precursor to, but 
not as an equivalent or supplement to, the section 404(g) lead-based 
paint grant program. The section 404(g) lead-based paint grant program 
involves infrastructure development for the anticipated implementation 
of a lead-based paint training and certification program and does not 
include the activities (testing for lead in blood, paint, dust, or soil 
samples, or the general educational outreach activities) listed in this 
notice. Tribes may determine from the sample results and data 
interpretation that they obtain from the grant program described in 
this notice, that they have a need to develop a lead-based paint grant 
program and may apply for section 404(g) grant funds. Alternatively, a 
Tribe may decide that it is not in their best interest to pursue such a 
training and certification oversight program. Tribes or Tribal 
consortia with an EPA-approved lead-based paint program may become 
eligible for other Federal funding opportunities for lead activities.

IX. Submission to Congress and the Comptroller General

    Grant solicitations such as this are considered rules for the 
purpose of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) (5 U.S.C. 801 et seq.). 
The CRA generally provides that before a rule may take effect, the 
agency promulgating the rule must submit a rule report, which includes 
a copy of the rule, to each House of the Congress and to the 
Comptroller General of the United States. EPA will submit a report 
containing this grant solicitation and other required information to 
the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Comptroller 
General of the United States prior to its publication in the Federal 
Register. This rule is not a ``major rule'' as defined by 5 U.S.C. 
804(2).

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Lead, Lead-based paint, Grants, Indians, 
Native Americans, Maternal and child health, Tribal.


    Dated: June 23, 2005.
Margaret Schneider,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Prevention, Pesticides and 
Toxic Substances.
[FR Doc. 05-12953 Filed 6-29-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S