Gulf of Mexico Program Office Funding Opportunity, 39269-39273 [05-13379]

Agencies

• ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 129 (Thursday, July 7, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39269-39273]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-13379]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7934-7]


Gulf of Mexico Program Office Funding Opportunity

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA).

ACTION: Announcement of funding opportunity.

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SUMMARY: An estimated amount of $275,000 for one to five cooperative 
agreements may be awarded under this announcement. Projects must 
actively involve stakeholders and focus on the reduction of nutrient 
loads to the lower Mississippi River and its tributaries through 
innovative partnerships for developing locally led non-point source 
nutrient management solutions in the sub-basins of the Mississippi 
River Watershed.

DATES: Deadline for Submissions is 5 p.m., central time, August 17, 
2005.

ADDRESSES: Submissions should be sent electronically to 
car.gloria@epa.gov with the proposal attached. Electronic messages must 
use the subject line: GMPO Request for Initial Proposal Submission.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Esther Coblentz, Gulf of Mexico 
Program Office, at (228) 688-1281 or coblentz.esther@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Overview Information

    Federal Agency Name: Environmental Protection Agency, Gulf of 
Mexico Program Office.
    Funding Opportunity Title: EPA Gulf of Mexico Program Office 
Request for Initial Proposals: Innovative Producer Partnership 
Initiatives to Reduce Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico.
    Announcement Type: Initial Announcement.
    Funding Opportunity Number: GM2005-1.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 66.475.
    Dates: For further information, see Section IV. The deadline for 
submissions is 5 p.m., central time, August 17, 2005. If you do not 
have the capability to submit electronically, please contact Esther 
Coblentz (228) 688-1281 or coblentz.esther@epa.gov for information on 
how you may apply under this announcement. Initial proposals must be 
submitted by electronic mail. This announcement will be posted on the 
Web site at https://www.epa.gov/gmpo and https://www.fedgrants.gov and 
announced in the Federal Register. All Initial Proposals must be 
submitted by the closing date and will not be accepted after that date.
    Funding Opportunity Description: An estimated amount of $275,000 
for one to five cooperative agreements may be awarded under this 
announcement for improving the health of the Gulf of Mexico. Projects 
must actively involve stakeholders and focus on the reduction of 
nutrient loads to the lower Mississippi River and its tributaries 
through innovative partnerships for developing locally led non-point 
source nutrient management solutions in the sub-basins of the 
Mississippi River Watershed.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Background

    The Gulf of Mexico Program's (GMP) mission is to protect, restore, 
and enhance the coastal and marine waters of the Gulf and its natural 
habitats; to sustain living resources; to protect human health and the 
food supply; and to ensure the long-term use of the Gulf shores, 
beaches, and waters. To carry out the GMP mission, we must continue to 
develop and maintain a partnership of State and Federal agencies, local 
governments, academia, regional business and industry, agricultural and

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environmental organizations, and individual citizens and communities 
that effectively addresses the complex ecological problems that cross 
State, Federal, and international jurisdictions and boundaries.

Linkage to EPA Strategic Plan/Expected Environmental Outcomes

    The Gulf of Mexico Program Office (GMPO) is announcing the 
availability of funding and issuing this Request For Initial Proposals 
addressing one or more activities that are specifically focused on the 
Mississippi River Basin and are designed to achieve the environment 
outcome of reducing nutrient loading and ultimately the size of the 
Hypoxic Zone in the Gulf of Mexico to less than 5,000 square kilometers 
by the year 2015.
    Successful proposals must have clear and measurable environmental 
results directly related to EPA's Strategic Plan Goal 4 (Healthy 
Communities and Ecosystems), Objective 3 (Ecosystems), Subobjective 5 
(Improve the Health of the Gulf of Mexico).
    In support of Subobjective 4.3.5, and consistent with EPA Order 
5700.7 on environmental results, the consequences of the awards issued 
pursuant to the respective topics will be the accomplishment of the 
environmental outcome of reducing nitrogen loading and thus the size of 
the hypoxic zone to less than 5,000 square kilometers by year 2015. 
Each topic area includes a description of some of the possible 
activities for that area, not all of which would be achievable within 
an assistance agreement funding period and not all of which would 
necessarily result from each project selected.
    All proposals submitted will be reviewed for eligibility under 
Section 104 (b)(3) of the Clean Water Act. Assistance Agreements are 
authorized under this statutory authority to conduct and promote the 
coordination and acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, 
training, demonstrations, surveys, and studies relating to the causes, 
effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of pollution. 
This Federal financial assistance program is identified in the Catalog 
of Federal Domestic Assistance as CFDA 66.475, see https://www.cfda.gov.
    For this announcement, priority will be given to proposals that 
actively involve stakeholders and focus on the environmental outcome of 
achieving reduction of nutrient loads to the lower Mississippi River 
and its tributaries through innovative partnerships for developing 
locally led non-point source nutrient management solutions in the sub-
basins of the Mississippi River Watershed which will reduce the size of 
the hypoxic zone. For information on the sub-basins see https://
www.epa.gov/msbasin/index.htm#intro. These activities are intended to 
help support the implementation of the Action Plan for Reducing, 
Controlling, and Mitigating Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. 
https://www.epa.gov/msbasin/planintro.htm.
    Specific activities to be included are part of a strategy to 
achieve the environmental outcome of reduced nitrogen into the Gulf of 
Mexico thus reducing the size of the hypoxic zone to less than 5,000 
square kilometers by 2015:
    1. Conducting a workshop designed to empower industry leaders to 
proactively identify effective approaches for addressing complex 
nutrient management challenges related to production agriculture. The 
workshop will be designed and conducted to develop a detailed plan to 
fulfill commitments for nutrient reductions using Best Management 
Practices (BMPs) and other measures in the Mississippi River Basin on a 
sub-watershed or sub-basin basis in support of the Hypoxia Action Plan. 
Output: A detailed plan for commitment to implement self-sustaining 
stakeholder-led, sub-watershed nutrient reduction strategies to achieve 
measurable environmental outcomes as indicated in the Hypoxia Action 
Plan; a final report after the workshop.
    2. Introducing and supporting innovative nutrient reduction 
strategies in three sub-basins in the Mississippi River watershed. Key 
producer leaders will be placed on the sub-basin committees to 
integrate this effort through on-going collaboration with the Upper 
Mississippi River and Lower Mississippi River sub-basin teams and to 
help conduct specifically targeted regional workshops to develop a 
multi-state strategy to reduce nutrient loads to the Gulf of Mexico. 
Output: Development of nutrient reduction strategies to achieve the 
environmental outcome of reducing the size of the hypoxic zone in the 
Gulf of Mexico: placement of producers on sub-basin committees; and 
final report. Supports Hypoxia Action Plan Item 2.
    3. Securing participation of model research farms to ensure focused 
working relationships. Determine a joint framework and agreement to 
support comprehensive Best Management Practices (BMPs) and water 
quality monitoring efforts. Supports Hypoxia Action Plan Items 3, 4 and 
5.
    4. Working collaboratively with EPA, NRCS, sub-basin committees, 
and other stakeholders in the identification and selection of pilot 
microwatersheds. Output: Report on the progress of efforts to develop 
criteria for selection of microwatersheds.
    5. Maintaining and building an innovative agriculture leadership 
coalition to pilot a planned microwatershed approach to reduce nutrient 
loads in six Mississippi River Basin microwatersheds. Output: Develop 
nutrient reduction management plans in 6 microwatersheds; increase the 
innovative leadership coalition by 50 percent; annual report on the 
coalition building.
    6. Building a comprehensive awareness of nutrient reduction actions 
within a training plan for a uniform approach to microwatersheds. 
Hypoxia Action Plan Item 6.
    7. Building a system of expert teams tasked with science-based 
planning, coordination and communication of outcomes including 
benchmarking, modeling, and interpretation of monitoring efforts. (See 
Section III, Eligibility Criteria) Hypoxia Action Plan 4, 5, and 10.

II. Award Information

Funding Amounts and Number of Awards

    Under this funding opportunity, we expect to award an estimated 
$275,000 depending on availability of funds. One to five projects will 
be awarded. EPA reserves the right to make no awards under this 
announcement. We will reserve the right to offer partial funding of a 
proposal by funding discrete activities, portions, or phases of the 
proposed project. If EPA decides to partially fund the proposed 
project, it will do so in a manner that does not prejudice any 
applicants or affect the basis upon which the proposed project, or 
portion thereof, was evaluated and selected, and that maintains the 
integrity of the competition and the selection/evaluation process. 
Additional awards may be made if additional funding becomes available 
up to 4 months after the original selection decisions are announced. 
The period of performance is from 0.5 years to two years.

Type of Award

    Successful applicants will be issued a cooperative agreement. 
Cooperative agreements require substantial EPA involvement with the 
recipient in the form of programmatic oversight and review and comment 
on all agreement activities and products. When a cooperative agreement 
is awarded, EPA's involvement in carrying out the

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work with the applicant will be described in a selection letter and 
identified in the terms and conditions of the award document. In 
general, cooperative agreements awarded will be one-time awards and 
recipients should use the funds within the period of performance (from 
0.5 years to two years).

III. Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants

    State and local governments, interstate agencies, tribes, colleges 
and universities, individuals, and other public or nonprofit 
organizations. An applicant's failure to meet eligibility criterion by 
the time of any award will preclude EPA from making an award. EPA/GMPO 
will require nonprofit organizations selected for funding to provide 
verification of their nonprofit status prior to the grant award.

Eligibility Criteria

    Projects must be consistent with the Clean Water Act Section 
104(b)(3) authority. All initial proposals submitted will be reviewed 
for eligibility under Section 104(b)(3) of the Clean Water Act (CWA). 
Water Quality Cooperative Agreements are authorized under this 
statutory authority to conduct and promote the coordination and 
acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, training, 
demonstrations, surveys, and studies relating to the causes, effects, 
extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of pollution.
    Projects that implement ``Best Management Practices'' or any type 
of construction activities must qualify as a demonstration project 
under CWA Sec.  104(b)(3). A demonstration project must involve new or 
experimental technologies, methods, or approaches, where the results of 
the project will be disseminated so that others can benefit from the 
knowledge gained in the demonstration project. A project that is 
accomplished through the performance of routine, traditional, or 
established practices, or a project that is simply intended to carry 
out a task rather than transfer information or advance the state of 
knowledge is not a demonstration.
    Projects must focus on reducing nutrient loads to the lower 
Mississippi River and its tributaries and nutrient management solutions 
in the sub-basins of the Mississippi River Watershed in order to reduce 
the size of the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico.

Matching Requirements

    There is no matching requirement; however, the evaluation criteria 
requires partnerships and leverage funding which will be considered by 
reviewers during evaluation. Nonfederal match is strongly encouraged 
(at least 5%), and may be provided in the form of cash or in-kind 
services, such as staffing. Matching funds are considered to be 
cooperative agreement funds and may be used for reasonable and 
necessary expenses of carrying out the project described in the Final 
Project Workplan. Any restrictions on the use of grant funds, including 
project budget periods, also apply to the use of matching funds. All 
project expenditures, including both the federal and nonfederal share, 
are subject to federal regulations governing the use of federal funds. 
Other federal money cannot be used as match unless authorized by the 
statute governing the award of the other federal funds. Reductions to 
the amount of the match after a proposal is selected for funding may 
result in loss of funding.

Ineligible Activities

    Applicants must adhere closely to the types of projects authorized 
for funding under CWA Sec.  104(b)(3) in developing initial proposals. 
Unauthorized project types will be disqualified. Types of projects that 
are ineligible for funding are routine construction projects, except to 
a limited degree to demonstrate innovation, prevention, or removal of 
pollution; land acquisition; or projects that are largely general 
education/outreach or conferences unless they meet a clear need to 
accomplish a public purpose and not for the direct benefit of EPA. In 
accordance with Executive Order 12579, organizations that have been 
debarred or suspended from a program by any federal agency will not be 
eligible to receive an award or subaward through this solicitation.

Threshold Eligibility Requirements

    Initial Proposal packages that are incomplete will be disqualified. 
Applicants must follow Initial Proposal Format in developing and 
submitting your proposal.
    Applications which do not comply with the administrative review 
requirements contained in the Application and Submission of Information 
Section (Part IV) will not be reviewed and those submissions will be 
returned to the applicant.

IV. Application and Submission Information

Content and Format of Project Preproposals

     Follow the initial proposal format and instructions 
provided below.
     Use Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat for electronic 
submissions.

Examples From Previous Years

    When developing project submissions, you may look at types of 
successful projects from previous years, available at https://
www.epa.gov/gmpo.

Dates and Times

     Transmit electronically by 5 p.m. Central Time, August 17, 
2005.
     Initial proposals dated after this time will be 
disqualified.
     Use an e-mail return receipt for verification of receipt 
if you want to confirm delivery.
    Funding Restrictions: See Section III. Eligibility Information.

Submission

    Send electronic submittals to car.gloria@epa.gov/gmpo with the 
initial proposal attached.
    Electronic messages must use the subject line: ``GMPO Request for 
Initial Proposal Submission.'' Messages from unknown senders without 
this subject line may be inadvertently deleted to avoid computer 
viruses.
    For initial proposals submitted electronically, electronic 
signatures are not required at the time of submission. If GMPO selects 
the proposal for funding, the signature of an authorized off cial and 
any contributors of 3rd party in-kind match will be required when the 
full proposal is submitted. We recommend that applicants use e-mail 
return receipt that provides verification of receipt if you wish to 
confirm that GMPO has received your project proposal.

Confidentiality

    In accordance with 40 CFR 2.203, applicants may claim all or a 
portion of their application/proposal as confidential business 
information. EPA will evaluate confidentiality claims in accordance 
with 40 CFR part 2. Applicants must clearly mark applications/proposals 
or portions of applications/proposals they claim as confidential. If no 
claim of confidentiality is made, EPA is not required to make the 
inquiry to the applicant otherwise required by 40 CFR 2.204(c)(2) prior 
to disclosure.

Other Considerations

    Projects are subject to Intergovernmental Review under Executive 
Order 12372.

Initial Proposal Format

Applicant Information
    Applicant Information: Business Mailing and Contact information, 
including e-mail address. DUNS number if Applicant Organization has 
one.

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    Type of Organization: State or local government, interstate agency, 
tribe, college or university, individual, or other public or nonprofit 
organizations.
    Applicants must submit information relating to the programmatic 
capability criteria to be evaluated under the ranking factor(s) in 
section V of the announcement. EPA will consider information from other 
sources including Agency files.
Project Summary Information
    Project Title.
    Brief Project Description: Summarize the project. Do not use 
acronyms.
    Duration: Specify project period of performance, from 0.5 years up 
to 2 years.
    Topic: Choose one: Identify by Tasks in Funding Announcement.
Geographic Applicability
    Applicable Mississippi River Basin: Mississippi River Basin(s) 
which would be most impacted by this project.
    Applicable Geographic Location: If applicable, geographic locations 
which would be most impacted by this project, include the Hydrologic 
Unit Code (HUC) for the Project location. HUCs can be found on EPA's 
Surf Your Watershed Web site at https://www.epa.gov/surf/locate/
index.cfm.
    Project Location: As applicable, enter City, County, and State(s).
Problem, Work, Results
    Problem Statement: Describe the issue that will be addressed and 
its relevance to the Gulf of Mexico, particularly to needs and 
priorities in Sub-objective 4.3.5 (Improve the Health of the Gulf of 
Mexico Ecosystem) of EPA's Strategic Plan; addressing one or more 
activities that are specifically focused on the Mississippi River Basin 
and are designed to achieve the environmental outcome of reducing 
nutrient loading and ultimately the size of the Hypoxic Zone in the 
Gulf of Mexico. Projects must actively involve stakeholders and focus 
on reducing nutrient loads to the lower Mississippi River and its 
tributaries through innovative partnerships for developing locally led 
non-point source nutrient management solutions in each of the sub-
basins of the Mississippi River Watershed. (For information on 
subbasins https://www.epa.gov/msbasin/index.htm#intro.) These activities 
are intended to implement the Action Plan for Reducing, Controlling, 
and Mitigating Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico.
    Proposed Work: Describe what will be done and how. Many of the 
criteria will be addressed here.
    Environmental Results: Describe anticipated environmental outputs 
and outcomes and their linkages to the problem statement. (See 
Outcomes/Outputs described in Section 1 and Environmental Results Order 
5700.7 at: https://www.epa.gov/ogd/grants/award/5700.7.pdf). Specify 
affected pollutants, industry sectors, economic impacts, habitats, and/
or species as applicable for the topic, and proposed progress toward 
delisting, toward restoration of beneficial use impairments, and/or 
toward reducing nitrogen loading and the size of the hypoxic zone in 
the Gulf of Mexico.
    Measuring Progress: Describe your plan for tracking, measuring, and 
reporting progress toward achieving expected outputs and outcomes. 
Initial Proposals must address the applicant's past performance in 
documenting the achievement of expected outcomes/outputs including, if 
applicable, satisfactory explanations of why outcomes/outputs were not 
achieved. The applicant must describe the ability to specify and 
measure the expected environmental outcomes/outputs and performance 
measures to be accomplished as a result of the project. See 
Environmental Results Order 5700.7 at https://www.epa.gov/ogd/grants/
award/5700.7.pdf
Project Milestones
    Milestones: Specify milestones and/or final products and projected 
due dates, including Project Start and End.
Education
    Education/Outreach Component: Identify whether project includes an 
education/outreach component. If applicable, describe the target 
audience and how that group would be impacted by the project.
Collaboration
    Collaboration/Partnerships: Describe plans and status of 
collaboration and partnerships amongst the public, private, and 
independent sectors.
Project Budget
    Budget: Specify how the total of EPA funds and Applicant matching 
funds will be used for: Personnel/salaries, fringe benefits, travel, 
equipment, supplies, contract costs, and other costs. Include narrative 
descriptions for costs you identify as ``contract'' or ``other''. You 
may include a separate line for indirect costs if your organization has 
in place (or will negotiate) an ``indirect cost rate.'' Budget should 
represent the total which would be requested from EPA for the project's 
duration. Funding is not assured for subsequent years for any project.
Other Sources of Funding
    Other Funding: If others are expected to contribute funds to your 
Project, list Name(s) of providers, amount provided, and commitments 
made by each.

V. Application Review Information

Criteria

    Projects will be evaluated based on the Criteria specified as 
follows:
1. Relevance/Rationale: (20 Points)
    Importance and/or relevance and applicability of the proposed 
approach to the Hypoxia Action Plan and the level of support of long-
term goals and implementation actions.
    There is intrinsic value in the proposed work and/or relevance to 
the Hypoxia Action Plan and Task Force activities. Refers to the 
likelihood that the approach proposed will make substantial nutrient 
reductions or develop strategies leading to improved nutrient 
management within the basin.
2. Scientific/Professional Merit: (20 Points)
    The approach is technically sound and/or innovative; the methods, 
approaches, concepts are appropriate; there are clear goals and 
objectives, and there is a plan for tracking and measuring progress 
toward achieving the expected outcomes/outputs identified.
3. Programmatic Capability: (20 Points)
    The technical capability of the applicant to successfully carry out 
a project taking into account such factors as the applicant's (1) past 
performance in successfully completing projects similar in size, scope, 
and relevance to the proposed project, (2) history of meeting reporting 
requirements on prior or current assistance agreements and submitting 
acceptable final technical reports and applicable closeout 
documentation, (3) organizational experience and plan for timely and 
successfully achieving the objectives of the project, and (4) staff 
expertise/ qualifications, education, training, facilities, 
administrative resources, staff knowledge, and resources or the ability 
to obtain them, to successfully achieve the goals of the project. 
(Refer also to EPA Order 5700.8 https://www.epa.gov/ogd/grants/award/
5700_8.pdf).
4. Budget: (10 Points)
    The reasonableness and appropriateness of the proposed budget for 
the level of work proposed and with the expected benefits to be 
achieved.

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5. Stakeholders: (20 Points)
    The quality of proposed partnerships, including the degree of broad 
participation within the Mississippi River Watershed and demonstration 
of significant partnering among the agricultural community that results 
in socio-economic merits and outreach and education. Applications will 
also be evaluated on whether they provide a partnership with a focused 
and effective education and outreach strategy regarding the long-term 
commitment to the proposed objectives of the Hypoxia Action Plan.
6. Leveraging Funding: (10 Points)
    Ability of applicant to leverage other public or private funding to 
complete or complement the project.

Review and Selection Process

    Evaluation and selection process will include the following steps:
    Screen for threshold eligibility.
    Review and score proposals against criteria (Reviewers/Panel).
    Rank all proposals according to total score.
    Announce selections.
    Contact Successful applicants and request a detailed grant 
application and final workplan.
    Final Applications/Workplans reviewed and ranked.
    Approval Official determines Final Projects.
    EPA employees as well as GMP reviewers and/or panel members who 
score project proposals will be required to sign a Conflict of Interest 
Disclosure Form and will not score any proposal in which they have a 
personal, familial, or financial interest. If an individual has a 
conflict of interest with respect to any proposal, then they cannot 
review any proposal. The Director of the Gulf of Mexico Program will 
make the final selections.

Anticipated Announcement Date

    GMPO will post a list of all initial proposals selected for funding 
on or about September 15, 2005. The list will be posted at the 
following site: https://www.epa.gov/gmpo. All applicants, including 
those who are not selected for funding will be notified by mail.

VI. Award Administration Information

Award Notices

    EPA has 60 days to issue an award following receipt of the 
complete, fundable Application Package. Final funding decisions are 
based upon the Application Packages.

Pre-Award Review for Administrative Capability

    Non-profit applicants that are recommended for funding will be 
subject to pre-award administrative capability reviews consistent with 
paragraphs 8.b, 8.c, and 9.d of EPA Order 5700.8 https://www.epa.gov/
ogd/grants/award/5700_8.pdf and may be required to fill out and 
document an ``Administrative Capability'' form.
Administrative and Reporting Requirements
    The successful applicant will be required to adhere to the Federal 
grants requirements, particularly those found in applicable OMB 
circulars on Cost Principles (A-21, A-87, or A-122), Administrative 
Requirements (A-102 or 110), and Audit Requirements (A-133) available 
from https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/. This includes government-
wide requirements pertaining to accounting standards, lobbying, 
minority or woman business enterprise, publication, meetings, 
construction, and disposition of property. EPA regulations governing 
assistance programs and recipients are codified in Title 40 of the Code 
of Federal Regulations. Those requirements, GMPO-specific requirements 
currently in effect, and the application materials that will be needed 
by applicants ultimately selected in this process can be found at 
https://www.epa.gov/gmpo. The successful Federal applicant will be 
required to comply with the OMB Circular and appropriate sections of 
Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations determined applicable by 
GMPO. This determination will be embodied in the terms and conditions 
of an interagency agreement.

Dispute Resolution Process

    Assistance agreement competition-related disputes involving any 
applicant, including Federal applicants, will be resolved in accordance 
with the dispute resolution procedures published in 70 FR (Federal 
Register) 3629, 3630 (January 26, 2005) 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 
coblentz.esther@epa.gov.
    Please note that this is not a complete list of all regulations and 
policies that govern these funds. Our Grants Management Office Web site 
at https://www.epa.gov/region4/grants/regulations.html identifies other 
grant regulations that apply.

VII. Agency Contact Information

    Contacts may provide appropriate assistance to help potential 
applicants determine whether the applicant itself or the applicant's 
proposed project is eligible for funding, to assist with administrative 
issues relating to submission, and to respond to requests for 
clarification of the announcement. Applicants are solely responsible 
for the content of their submissions. General Gulf of Mexico Program 
Contact: Esther Coblentz, 228-688-1281 or coblentz.esther@epa.gov.

VIII. Other Information

    Funding amounts are estimates of the maximum amount that will be 
available, based on our best available information. These amounts are 
subject to change without further notification, based on the amount of 
federal funds actually appropriated and allocated for these programs. 
EPA reserves the right to reject all proposals and make no awards.
    Although an Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424 
and attachments) is not required when the initial proposal is 
submitted, we encourage you to review our grant application package at 
https://www.epa.gov/gmpo to become familiar with the information and 
certifications that will be required if your proposal is selected for 
funding.

    Dated: June 29, 2005.
Gloria D. Car,
Deputy Director, Gulf of Mexico Program Office.
[FR Doc. 05-13379 Filed 7-6-05; 8:45 am]
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