United States Solid Waste EPA 500-F-03-001
Environmental Protection and Emergency February 2003
Agency Response (5105-T) www.epa.gov/brownfields/
Brownfields Training, Research, and Technical Assistance Grants
and Cooperative Agreements Program
1. Introduction
The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number for Brownfields Training, Research, and
Technical Assistance Grants and Cooperative Agreements is 66.814.
1.1 Background
EPA's brownfields program thrives on four basic goals and principles - protecting the
environment, partnering for success, stimulating the marketplace, and promoting sustainable
reuse. As the federal leader of the national Brownfields Program, EPA is committed to
supporting training, research and technical assistance that will further the goals of the program
and provide enhanced knowledge, tools, and processes to the broad range of non-Federal
brownfields stakeholders (e.g., state, local and other non-governmental entities)
On January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the Small Business Liability
Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. This law expands potential federal financial
assistance for training, research, and technical assistance related to brownfields cleanup and
redevelopment. The new law requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to
publish guidance to assist applicants in preparing grant proposals. These guidelines implement
that requirement for training, research, and technical assistance grants and cooperative
agreements.
1.2 Training, Research and Technical Assistance under the National
Brownfields Program
The need for training, research, and technical assistance of increasing depth and breadth has
expanded as the Brownfields program has grown. Projects addressing various topics and
reaching various stakeholders will allow for sound decision-making and will help cleanup and
revitalize brownfields properties. As brownfields issues affect many different stakeholders, we
anticipate a variety of organizations, representing a variety of non-Federal constituents will have
an interest in brownfields-related issues and will want to conduct relevant training, research and
technical assistance for the benefit of its constituents.
These guidelines provide eligible applicants an opportunity to apply for federal funding for
brownfields-related training, research or technical assistance. Subsequent sections of
these guidelines provide definitions of training, research, and technical assistance, as well
as a description of the subject areas for which EPA is interested in supporting projects for
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the benefit of brownfields stakeholders.
1.3 Deadlines
Proposals must be postmarked by April 14, 2003. Depending on the availability of funds, EPA
expects to select approximately 10 Brownfields Training, Research, and Technical Assistance
Grants/Cooperative Agreements by the end of June 2003. EPA plans to provide pre-
application assistance in the form of an open meeting. The tentative date for the meeting is
March 14, 2003. In addition, potential applicants may submit written requests for
clarifications to Beth Zelenski at zelenski.beth@epa.gov. She will post significant
clarifications on www.epa.gov/brownfields. This is the only pre-application assistance
available. EPA staff will not meet with applicants to discuss draft proposals or provide
informal comments on draft proposals.
Please note that taking advantage of pre-application assistance from EPA does not guarantee
selection by the evaluation panel.
1.4 Authority for Financial Assistance
Funding for the brownfields training, research, and technical assistance grants and cooperative
agreements is authorized under §104(k)(6) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended, (CERCLA or Superfund), 42 U.S.C.
9604(k)(6). This statute authorizes EPA to provide, or fund eligible entities or nonprofit
organizations to provide brownfields training, research, and technical assistance to individuals
and organizations. EPA awards grants and cooperative agreements authorized by §104(k) under
a ranking system that includes factors relating to community need, impact on human health and
the environment, stimulation or leveraging of other funds, eligibility for funding from other
sources, effective use of existing infrastructure.
EPA anticipates awarding both grants and cooperative agreements under this RFA. Cooperative
agreements provide for substantial involvement on the part of the federal government. By
awarding a cooperative agreement, EPA anticipates substantial involvement in your training,
research or technical assistance activities. EPA may collaborate with cooperative agreement
recipients through routinely scheduled conference calls, as well as ad-hoc e-mails, faxes, site
visits, and any other necessary communications.
1.5 Funds Available for Award
Funding for financial assistance under CERCLA 104(k)(6) is limited, by statute, to no more than
15% of the amount available for CERCLA 104(k) grants. EPA estimates that $2 Million will be
available to make up to 10 assistance agreement awards, contingent upon the availability of
funds. EPA reserves the right to make no awards.
Grants and cooperative agreements under this RFA will be incrementally funded on a year to
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year basis. Approval of subsequent funding increments is dependent on satisfactory project
progress, continued relevance of the project to EPA's priorities, and availability of funds. EPA
expects the period of performance for projects funded under this RFA to range from 2 to 5 years.
Please note: As financial assistance will be awarded incrementally, it is important that you
provide annual budgets as well as a total budget for your project in your proposal.
1.6 Eligible Applicants
Eligibility is limited to governmental applicants and non-profit organizations. Public and private
universities are eligible as well. For profit organizations are not eligible.
Eligible governmental applicants include a general purpose unit of local government, a land
clearance authority or other quasi-governmental entity that operates under the supervision and
control of or as an agent of a general purpose unit of government; a governmental entity created
by a state legislature; a regional council or group of general purpose unit of local government; a
redevelopment agency that is chartered or otherwise sanctioned by a state; a state; "an Indian
Tribe (other than in Alaska), or an Alaskan Native Regional Corporation and an Alaska Native
Village Corporation as those terms are defined in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act(43
U.S.C. 1601 and following) and the Metlakatla Indian Community. State colleges, community
colleges, and universities may be eligible as a governmental entity created by a state, depending
on state law.
Eligible nonprofit organizations include any organizations that meet the definition of a nonprofit
in Section 4(6) of the Federal Financial Management Assistance Act of 1999, Public Law 106-
107, 31 U.S.C. 6101 Note. This definition includes nonprofit universities and educational
institutions. However, nonprofit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal
Revenue Code that engage in lobbying activities as defined in Section 3 of the Lobbying
Disclosure Act of 1995 are not eligible to apply.
1.7 Coalition Applications
Groups of two or more eligible applicants may choose to form a coalition and submit a single
application for these assistance agreements. Intertribal consortia, except consortia comprised on
ineligible Alaska tribes, are eligible to apply as well. Coalitions must identify which eligible
organization will be the recipient of the assistance agreement, and which eligible organization(s)
will be subawardees of the recipient. Subawards must be consistent with the definition of that
term in 40 CFR 30.2(ff). Any contracts for services or products funded with EPA financial
assistance must be awarded under the competitive procurement provisions of 40 CFR Part 30.
The recipient must administer the assistance agreement, is accountable to EPA for proper
expenditure of the funds, and will be the point of contact for the coalition. As provided in 40
CFR 30.2(gg), subrecipients are accountable to the recipient for proper use of EPA funding.
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1.8 Limitations on Uses of EPA Funds
All funds from the grant or cooperative agreement must be used specifically for activities related
to brownfields training, research, or technical assistance. Pursuant to CERCLA §104(k)(6),
assistance agreement funds cannot be used to cover administrative costs. For additional
information on the statutory administrative cost prohibition, please refer to Appendix A
(Prohibition on Use of Funds).
The assistance agreements awarded under this RFA will be subject to 40 CFR Parts 30 and 34
and OMB Cost Circulars A-21 (Universities) A-87 (governmental applicants), and A-122 (non-
profit applicants). In accordance with EPA guidance and the OMB Circulars, as appropriate, the
recipient must agree that it will not use assistance funds for lobbying, fund-raising or political
activities (e.g., lobbying members of Congress, or lobbying for other federal grants, cooperative
agreements or contracts). The terms and conditions of the formal assistance agreement may put
additional and specific limitations on the funding.
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2. Definitions of Training, Research and Technical Assistance for
Grants/Cooperative Agreements
General definitions of training and technical assistance for the purposes of these grant guidelines
are provided below. Research is defined at 40 CFR 30.2(dd). These definitions are meant to
provide a general guideline for the type of activities EPA is interested in supporting. EPA will
use its discretion to determine if an activity not listed below, and proposed by an applicant, falls
under the definition of one of these activities, and is therefore eligible for funding. We
anticipate that many proposals will include elements of training, research, and technical
assistance within one project.
• Training - providing special and practical knowledge of a specialized brownfields
subject area through various methods, including: class-room style training, workshops,
conferences, roundtables, and computer-based training. Training must impart
brownfields knowledge, with the goal that the person(s) or organization(s) being trained
will achieve some level of self-sufficiency with regard to the subject matter.
• Technical Assistance - providing ongoing advice and support, in the form of specialized
knowledge, to a person(s) or organization(s) with the goal of guiding them through a
particular process, or helping them understand complex brownfields-related subject
matter.
• Research (as defined at 40 CFR 30.2(dd)) - a systematic study directed toward fuller
scientific knowledge or understanding of the subject studied. The term research also
includes activities involving the training of individuals in research techniques where such
activities utilize the same facilities as other research and development activities and
where such activities are not included in the instruction function.
If you believe that your proposed project fits under one or more of these definitions, please
proceed to the next section of these guidelines to review the subject area descriptions.
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3. Description of Subject Areas for Training, Research, and
Technical Assistance
3.1 Introduction
Under CERCLA 104(k)(6), EPA is authorized to provide financial assistance which facilitates
"the inventory of brownfield sites, site assessments, remediation of brownfield sites, community
involvement, or site preparation." The following section describes the general subject areas for
which EPA would like to fund brownfields training, research, or technical assistance projects,
namely:
• Community Involvement
Health Impacts of Brownfields sites
Science and Technology Relating to Brownfields assessment, remediation, and site
preparation
• Integrated Approaches to Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment
• Economics of Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment
• Results Analysis
• State, Local and Tribal Government Brownfields Programs.
These subject areas reflect EPA's understanding of the current needs of various state, local, and
tribal brownfields stakeholders. Please note that EPA cannot legally fund projects that provide
products or services for the direct use or benefit of EPA or other federal agencies. EPA will
consider other projects that don't fit into these subject areas. However, EPA believes the subject
areas it has provided in these guidelines represent most of the needs of brownfields stakeholders
at this time.
Projects may, but need not, have components that fit under more than one subject area. EPA
expects the applicant to submit a realistic proposal that will provide meaningful outcomes. That
is, an in-depth focus on one or two topics with a realistic project plan will be looked upon more
favorably than a project that includes a shallow examination of several topics.
Sample topic areas for projects are provided in Appendix B. The list of sample topics is
representative of topics for which EPA would be interested in supporting training, research, or
technical assistance. However, the list is not exhaustive; EPA will consider projects other than
those related to the sample topics provided. Additionally, selecting from the sample topics to
develop your project does not guarantee an award.
EPA plans to award 10 grants ranging in annual value from approximately $50,000 to
$500,000 annually under this RFA.
Please note: Your organization may submit a proposal for more than one project. You will
need to submit separate budgets and separate responses to threshold and ranking criteria for each
distinct project.
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3.2 Subject Area Descriptions
Community Involvement
Training, research and technical assistance in this subject area should look at brownfields issues
from a community-based perspective. In particular, projects should address social, economic,
and health impacts on communities surrounding brownfields properties. Projects may also
examine the level of community participation and coordination with local government officials
when making brownfields-related decisions. Training and technical assistance, as well as
research projects should aim to provide communities with information, tools and technology to
better understand or participate in the brownfields cleanup and redevelopment process, or to
understand the impacts of living near a potentially contaminated brownfields property.
Health Impacts of Brownfields Sites
Projects in this subject area should address the connection between health issues and
brownfields. Training, research, and technical assistance should focus on the impacts to health
and quality of life when brownfields are not cleaned up and redeveloped, or examine effects on
health and quality of life as a result of brownfields cleanup and redevelopment. Training and
technical assistance, and research projects should strive to improve the health of individuals
living near brownfields (particularly, those belonging to sensitive populations) and to increase
the level of understanding of brownfields-related health issues.
Science and Technology Relating to Brownfields Assessment, Remediation
and Site Preparation
Projects in this subject area should focus on technical aspects of brownfields cleanup and
redevelopment, including: assessment and inventory methods, sampling and cleanup methods,
institutional controls to ensure long-term protection of human health and the environment, and
risk assessment methods and policies. Projects that examine how access or lack of access to
technology and technical information can affect brownfields cleanup and redevelopment and
communities will also be considered in this subject area.
Integrated Approaches to Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment
Projects in this subject area should explore linkages between brownfields and other
environmental, economic, and social issues, including: port and waterfront utilization,
transportation planning, city and regional planning, sustainable development, energy issues, air
and water quality issues, and green building design approaches. Training, technical assistance,
and research outputs should aim to increase knowledge of linkages amongst various types of
cleanup, redevelopment and planning efforts, and to increase coordination amongst such efforts.
Economics of Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment
Projects in this subject area should examine the economic issues surrounding brownfields
redevelopment, from financing brownfields cleanup and redevelopment to market forces that
may help or hinder brownfields cleanup and redevelopment. Outputs should increase state,
local, and tribal stakeholders' knowledge base of economic issues allowing for informed
decision-making.
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Results Analysis
Projects in this category should analyze the impacts of brownfields and brownfields-related
programs on state, local, tribal, and non-governmental constituents, impacts of the new
brownfields legislation, and long-term impacts of brownfields cleanup and redevelopment on
these entities. Project outputs should increase understanding of various program results as well
as identify areas of opportunity and improvement.
State, Local, and Tribal Government Brownfields Programs
Projects in this subject area should focus on providing information to state, local, and tribal
government representatives to allow them to understand brownfields issues, various brownfields
and brownfields-related government programs, and opportunities to receive support (e.g.,
financial, technical assistance) for their brownfields cleanup and redevelopment efforts. Projects
in this subject area may also examine aspects of state, local, and/or tribal brownfields and
brownfields-related programs and measure their impacts as well as identify areas of opportunity
and improvement.
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4. Requested Assistance Type(s) and Funding
Requested Grant/Cooperative Agreement Type and Funding
(print/copy and complete and submit with proposal)
Name of Applicant:
Please respond as appropriate.
Subject Area (check all that apply)
Q Community Involvement
Q Health Impacts of Brownfields sites
Q Science and Technology Relating to Brownfields Assessment,
Remediation, and Site Preparation
Q Integrated Approaches to Brownfields Cleanup and
Redevelopment
Q Economics of Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment
Q Results Analysis
Q State, Local, and Tribal Government Brownfields Programs
What is the total amount of funds requested? $
What is the approximate period of performance for your project?
Q 2 year Q 3 year Q 4 year Q 5 year
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5. Proposal Contents
NOTE: Applicants must clearly mark any information they consider to be proprietary,
confidential business information. EPA will make final confidentiality decisions in
accordance with Agency regulations at 40 CFR Part 2, Subpart B.
5.1 Cover Page
This page is intended to identify the applicant and a point of contact for communication with
EPA. The cover page should be on a single page and include the following data elements in the
format of your choice.
• Applicant identification: the name of the main implementor of the project
• Contact: the name of the person who is responsible for the proposal. We will contact this
person if we need further information.
Mailing address of the contact
Telephone/Fax/E-mail of the contact
Date Submitted: the date when the proposal is post-marked or sent to EPA via registered
or tracked mail
5.2 Overview
The Overview section of the proposal provides an important opportunity to briefly summarize
the overall vision for your training, research, or technical assistance project, as well as your
strategy for accomplishing this vision. Information you provide in the Overview may overlap
with your responses to the evaluation criteria. Provide an overview of the following topics:
Background
Describe your experience in providing training or technical assistance or
conducting research related to complex environmental and/or technical
subject matter.
• Describe your relationships with stakeholders in the brownfields community
and your knowledge of brownfields issues.
Goals and Objectives
Describe your vision of success for your Brownfields training, research, or
technical assistance project
Strategy
Provide an overview of your proposed project plan.
Provide an overview of your plan to achieve a successful project.
5.3 Budget
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Provide a comprehensive proposed budget for your training, research, or technical assistance
project. This should include cost estimates for each of the proposed project activities to be
conducted using EPA funds. EPA does not require that applicants include a matching or cost
share. Applicants may use the budget categories presented in the chart below to organize their
budget. Please note that use of EPA financial assistance compensation for consultants is limited
under EPA's appropriations act to the daily equivalent of the rate paid to Federal employees at
the ES-IV level. See 40 CFR 30.27(b).
Tasks
Budget
Categories
Personnel
Travel
Equipment
Supplies
Contractual
Other
Please note: As financial assistance will be awarded incrementally, it is important that you
provide yearly budgets and a total budget for your project in your proposal. Approval of
subsequent funding increments is dependent on satisfactory project progress, continued
relevance of the project to EPA's priorities, and availability of funds.
Budget Narrative
A budget narrative should accompany the budget and explain each activity, including how it is
relevant to the EPA funding authority and to the objective of providing training or technical
assistance or conducting research. Describe how each activity and cost is relevant to the EPA
funding authority.
All costs incurred under this program must be allowable under the applicable OMB Cost
Circulars (A-21 for universities, A-87 for governments, and A-122 for nonprofit organizations)
and eligible for funding under the Brownfields Training, Research, and Technical Assistance
Grant See Appendix A for a description of prohibited administrative costs and eligible
programmatic costs.
Applicants must comply with the procurement requirements of the EPA financial assistance
regulations, 40 CFR Part 30 for nonprofit organizations, and 40 CFR Part 31 for states, tribes,
and local governments.
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5.4 Response to Threshold Criteria
Provide your response to Threshold Criteria. Responses for this section of the proposal should
not exceed two pages.
5.5 Response to Ranking Criteria
Provide your response to the Ranking Criteria. Your response should address each criterion or
provide an explanation for why a particular criterion is not applicable. Responses for this entire
section should not exceed 15 pages per project.
5.6 Attachments
As appropriate, please include any attachments. If you have multiple attachments, pi
provide an index.
lease
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6. Threshold Criteria
Respond to the following two threshold criterion. Responses for this section of the proposal
should not exceed two pages.
Applicant Eligibility
Describe how you are an eligible applicant for a training, research, or technical assistance grant.
See description of eligible applicant below.
Eligible governmental applicants include a general purpose local unit of government, a
land clearance authority or other quasi-governmental entity that operates under the
supervision and control of or as an agent of a general purpose unit of government; a
governmental entity created by a state legislature; a regional council or group of general
purpose unit of local government; a redevelopment agency that is chartered or otherwise
sanctioned by a state; a state; "an Indian Tribe (other than in Alaska), or an Alaskan
Native Regional Corporation and an Alaska Native Village Corporation as those terms
are defined in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act(43 U.S.C. 1601 and following)
and the Metlakatla Indian Community. Intertribal consortia, except consortia comprised
on ineligible Alaska tribes, are eligible to apply as well. State colleges, community
colleges, and universities may be eligible as a governmental entity created by a state,
depending on state law.
Eligible nonprofit organizations include any corporation, trust, association, cooperative,
or other legally established organization that is operated mainly for scientific,
educational, service, charitable, or similar purpose in the public interest; is not organized
primarily for profit; and uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or expand the operation
of the organization. This definition includes non profit universities and educational
institutions. However, nonprofit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the
Internal Revenue Code that engage in lobbying activities as defined in Section 3 of the
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 are not eligible to apply. For profit or proprietary
training organizations or trade schools are not eligible to apply.
EPA welcomes and encourages applications from coalitions of eligible applicants, but a single
eligible applicant must be identified as the legal recipient. See Section 1.7 for additional
information on coalition applications.
Knowledge of Brownfields Issues
The applicant must provide demonstrated understanding and experience with the Brownfields
program, including the impacts of the recent brownfields legislation. Provide evidence of your
understanding of the brownfields program and examples of your involvement in brownfields-
related activities, including your roles and responsibilities in such activities.
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7. Ranking Criteria
Please note: Respond to the following ranking criteria. If a particular criterion is not applicable
to your project, please provide an explanation. Responses for this entire section should not
exceed 15 pages per project.
Past Performance (20 points)
Describe your history of managing federal funds generally. You must include
information on all adverse audit findings made within the last five years and special or
"high risk" terms and conditions imposed as a result of grant compliance issues within
the last five years.
• Describe your history of providing required reporting in a timely manner.
Constituent/Community Need (20 points)
Provide a detailed description of the target state, local, or tribal constituency or
community that the project will benefit.
• Characterize the impact of brownfields on your constituency(ies) or community(ies) by
describing the extent of brownfields (e.g., size, number, and location) and the economic,
health, and/or environmental impacts of the brownfields.
• Describe the extent to which a grant would meet the needs of a community(ies) or
constituency(ies) that has an inability to draw on other sources of funding for
environmental remediation and subsequent redevelopment of the area in which a
brownfield site is located because of the small population or low income of the
community(ies) or constituency(ies).
Impact on human health and the environment (20 points)
Describe the extent to which a grant would address or facilitate the identification and
reduction of threats to human health and the environment, including threats in areas in
which there is a greater-than-normal incidence of diseases or conditions (including
cancer, asthma, or birth defects) that may be associated with exposure to hazardous
substances, pollutants, or contaminants.
Describe the extent to which a grant would address or facilitate the identification and
reduction of threats to the health or welfare of children, pregnant women, minority or
low-income communities, or other sensitive populations.
Describe the extent to which a grant would facilitate the creation of, preservation of, or
addition to a park, a greenway, undeveloped property, recreational property or other
property used for nonprofit purposes.
Stakeholder Involvement (15 points)
• Describe the extent to which a grant would foster involvement of local communities in
the process of making decisions relating to cleanup and future use of brownfield
properties.
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Institutional Capacity (10 points)
• Describe your organization's ability to conduct sound research, and/or effective training,
and/or effective technical assistance related to brownfields. This can be demonstrated
through a description of personnel and other resources of the organization, and may
include description of past performance of similar activities.
• Describe your ability to manage this grant or describe the system(s) you have in place to
hire the requisite expertise.
Leveraging of Resources (15 points)
• Describe the extent to which your project will stimulate the availability of other funds for
environmental assessment or remediation, and subsequent reuse, of an area in which one
or more brownfields sites are located.
• Describe your plan for obtaining additional financial and in kind support for your project.
Applicants are encouraged to provide information regarding resources (cash/in-kind
services) that they, or a project partner would commit to brownfields research, training,
and/or technical assistance. As noted above, a formal match is not required. EPA will
consider leveraged commitments as part of this ranking factor. Leveraged costs are not
limited to allowable costs.
Please note that under OMB Circulars EPA financial assistance cannot be used for fund-raising.
Therefore, any costs associated with fund-raising must not be included in the budget for your
proposal. In addition, you must make clear, in any solicitation for funds that your organization,
and not EPA is asking for funding. You cannot imply that EPA endorses any fund-raising
activities in connection with your project. You must also make clear to donors that any gift to
the recipient for use in connection with brownfields training, research, and/or technical
assistance will go solely toward defraying the expenses of the recipient, not EPA.
Objectives and Plans (15 points)
• Describe the objectives of your proposed project.
For training projects, provide a course outline as an attachment and include a list of
training tools and materials that will be provided to trainees.
For research projects, provide a project outline or research hypothesis as an attachment.
For technical assistance projects, provide (as attachments) a description of the specific
topics for which technical assistance will be provided, as well as a list of any tools and
materials that will be provided.
Quality Assurance/Quality Control (10 points)
Describe monitoring and quality assurance and project management activities. For
example, describe management tools, management plans, scheduling tools,
organizational charts, and any other methods and tools you will use to ensure timely,
efficient, and coordinated completion of tasks. Describe your quality assurance/quality
control procedures and how they will ensure development of high quality final products.
• Provide a timetable showing start and completion dates for significant tasks.
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Describe an ongoing evaluation process that will assess the management of the grant and
achievement of goals. Describe how an ongoing evaluation process will be
accomplished.
Describe any reports or other deliverables you plan to provide to EPA as documentation
of your project's progress and success.
Please Note: Additional Considerations
EPA has drafted a proposed new Order that formally documents EPA's policy on research
misconduct, entitled, Policy and Procedures for Addressing Research Misconduct, which
establishes the policy on research misconduct that governs all research conducted, sponsored or
funded, in whole or in part, by EPA. The proposed new Order is in response to legislation,
issued on December 6, 2000, (65 Federal Register 76260), that requires all Federal Agencies that
conduct or support research to implement a uniform policy on research misconduct. The
recipient of a research cooperative agreement must agree to abide by the policies and procedures
set forth in this order and any subsequent orders which supercede it.
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8. Evaluation of the Proposals
Brownfields Training, Research, and Technical Assistance Grants and Cooperative Agreements
are awarded to the highest ranking applicants, as determined by EPA under a competitive
ranking system. National experts in brownfields, including EPA staff, will comprise the
evaluation panels and will evaluate the proposals and make recommendations to EPA senior
management. All final decisions will be made by EPA senior management. Disputes will be
resolved under 40 CFR 30.63 and 40 CFR Part 31, Appendix F.
The evaluation panels will assess how well the proposals meet the evaluation criteria outlined
below. There are two different types of criteria-threshold criteria and ranking criteria. If a
response to the threshold criteria fails, the proposal will be disqualified from further
consideration under these guidelines. However, EPA may seek clarification from an applicant
regarding its response to the threshold criteria.
Scores on each ranking criterion will be totaled to determine proposal rankings. EPA will not
seek clarification of responses to ranking criteria. The panels determine which proposals have
the potential to effectively use the limited funds EPA has available for awards. The highest
ranking proposals will be selected by EPA senior management taking into consideration the
recommendations of the review panel and other policy considerations such as geographic
distribution of funds, avoiding duplication of other EPA financial assistance programs, and
ensuring that the needs of state, local, and tribal co-implementers of the Brownfields law are
met.
Proposals must be clear and concise and strictly follow each of the criteria. Sufficient detail
must be provided for the panel to evaluate the merits of each proposal and decide which
proposals best support the intent of the assistance agreement program. Vague descriptions,
redundancy, and failure to address budgetary responsibility may result in a lower rating.
Incomplete proposal packages will not be accepted.
EPA plans to provide pre-application assistance in the form of an open meeting. The
tentative date for the meeting is March 14, 2003. Date and location information for the
open meeting will be posted on http://www.epa.gov/brownfields. In addition, potential
applicants may submit written requests for clarifications to Beth Zelenski at
zelenski.beth@epa.gov. She will post significant clarifications on
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields. This is the only pre-application assistance available.
EPA staff will not meet with applicants to discuss draft proposals or provide informal
comments on draft proposals. Please note that taking advantage of pre-application assistance
from EPA staff does not guarantee selection by the evaluation panel.
Following the panel review and senior management selection, successful applicants will receive
a confirmation letter. EPA anticipates that other applicants will be informed of EPA's decision
within approximately 60 days of final decisions on grants by senior management.
EPA will ask the successful applicants to submit a formal assistance agreement application
package. This package will include a formal work plan that describes the work to be performed,
including a final budget, and the required certification forms. EPA staff and Grants Specialists
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will work closely with the applicants to process and finalize the assistance agreement package.
Additionally, Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs, applies to
the award of these assistance agreements. EPA encourages successful applicants to contact their
State Intergovernmental Review Office early so that the required intergovernmental review
process may begin immediately upon selection by EPA. If the state does not have an
Intergovernmental Review Office, the successful applicant must provide notice of the proposed
agreement directly to affected state, area-wide, regional, and local entities.
Proposal funding is not guaranteed at any stage of the proposal process until the Financial
Assistance Agreement is finalized and the final award is made. EPA reserves the right to reject
all proposals and make no awards.
EPA anticipates awarding both grants and cooperative agreements under this RFA. Cooperative
agreements provide for substantial involvement on the part of the federal government. By
awarding a cooperative agreement, EPA anticipates substantial involvement in your training,
research or technical assistance activities. EPA may be in contact with cooperative agreement
recipients through routinely scheduled conference calls, as well as ad-hoc e-mails, faxes, site
visits, and any other necessary communications.
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9. Proposal Submission Schedule
February 26, 2003 Web Posting of Request for Applications (RFA)
April 14, 2003 Proposals due to EPA
June 2003 Announcement of Grants
Submit three hard copies of your proposal, including attachments, to EPA headquarters.
Proposals must be sent to EPA by April, 14 2003. The Standard Form 424 (SF 424) Application
for Federal Assistance should be included with your proposal and may be obtained by following
the links to SF forms on the following web site: www.gsa.gov/forms.
Mail your proposal to:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
OSWER Office of Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment
MailCode5105-T
Attn: Beth Zelenski
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20460
OR send your proposal by private delivery service to:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
OSWER Office of Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment
Attn: Beth Zelenski (MC 5105-T)
1301 Constitution Ave, NW (Rm 2402)
Washington, DC 20004
(202) 566-2745
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Appendix A. Prohibited Uses of Funds
The following discussion of the administrative cost prohibition is provided to you for illustrative
purposes only. If you receive a grant as a result of this competition, your agreement will include
a more detailed term and condition specifying requirements for complying with the
administrative cost prohibition.
The Brownfields law prohibits the use of any "part of a grant or loan" awarded under Section
104(k) of CERCLA for the payment of:
• a penalty or fine
• a federal cost-share requirement (for example, a cost share required by other federal
funds)
an administrative cost, including indirect costs
In implementing the administrative cost prohibition, EPA has made a distinction between
prohibited administrative costs and eligible programmatic costs.
Administrative Costs
Prohibited administrative costs are direct costs including those in the form of salaries, benefits,
contractual costs, supplies, and data processing charges incurred to comply with most provisions
of the "Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants" contained in 40 CFR Part 30 or 40
CFR Part 31. Direct costs for grant administration are ineligible even if the grantee or sub-
grantee is required to carry out the activity under the grant agreement. Ineligible grant
administration costs include expenses for:
Preparation of applications for Brownfields grants and sub-grants,
Record retention required under 40 CFR 30.53 and 40 CFR 31.42,
• Record-keeping associated with supplies and equipment purchases required under 40
CFR 30.33, 30.34, and 30.35 and 40 CFR 31.32 and 31.33,
• Preparing revisions and changes in the budgets, scopes of work, program plans and other
activities required under 40 CFR 30.25 and 40 CFR 31.30,
Maintaining and operating financial management systems required under 40 CFR 30.20
and 40 CFR 31.20,
Preparing payment requests and handling payments under 40 CFR 30.22 and 40 CFR
31.21,
Nonfederal audits required under 40 CFR 30.26, 40 CFR 31.26, and OMB Circular A-
133, and,
Close out under 40 CFR 30.71 and 40 CFR 31.50.
Prohibited administrative costs are also all indirect costs under OMB Circulars A-21
(Educational Institutions), A-87 (Governments), and A-122 (Non-profit Organizations), and
Subpart 31.2 (Commercial Organizations) of the Federal Acquisition Regulation.
For governmental recipients, indirect costs include the indirect costs originating in departments
of the governmental unit carrying out the assistance agreement and the costs of central
governmental services distributed through the central service cost allocation plan. Indirect costs
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are normally charged to Federal awards by the use of an indirect cost rate. Because of the diverse
characteristics and accounting practices of governmental units, the types of costs which may be
classified as indirect costs cannot be specified in all situations. However typical examples may
include certain State/local-wide central service costs, general administration of the grantee
department, accounting and personnel services performed within the grantee department,
depreciation or use allowances on buildings and equipment, the costs of operating and
maintaining facilities, etc.
For non-profit organizations, indirect costs are those that have been incurred for common or joint
objectives and cannot be readily identified with a particular final cost objective. After direct
costs have been determined and assigned directly to awards or other work as appropriate,
indirect costs are those remaining to be allocated to benefitting cost objectives. Typical examples
of indirect costs for many non-profit organizations may include depreciation or use allowances
on buildings and equipment, the costs of operating and maintaining facilities, and general
administrative costs, such as the salaries and expenses of executive officers, personnel
administration, and accounting.
Programmatic Costs
EPA has determined that the administrative cost prohibition does not apply to "programmatic"
costs, i.e., costs for activities that are integral to achieving the purpose of the assistance
agreement, even if the Agency considered the costs to be "administrative" under the prior
Brownfields program. In the case of assistance agreements for implementation of Brownfields
programs under CERCLA 104(k)(6), programmatic costs would include expenses for providing
training, research, and technical assistance. Eligible programmatic costs can include expenses
for travel, training, equipment, supplies, reference materials and contractual support if those
costs are reasonable and allocable to tasks specified in a recipient's approved scope of work.
Direct costs, as defined in the applicable OMB Cost Principle Circular, for the following
programmatic activities are not subject to the administrative cost prohibition:
• Costs incurred for complying with procurement provisions of 40 CFR Part 30 and 31 are
considered eligible programmatic costs only if the procurement contract is for services or
products that are direct costs for research, training, and/or technical assistance.
• Costs for performance and financial reporting required under 40 CFR 30.51 and 30.52,
and 40 CFR 31.40 and 31.41 are eligible programmatic costs. Performance and financial
reporting are essential programmatic tools for both the recipient and EPA to ensure that
assistance agreements are carried out in accordance with statutory and regulatory
requirements.
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Appendix B. Sample Topics for Brownfields Training, Research and
Technical Assistance Projects
This appendix provides a listing of sample topics for training, research, and technical assistance
projects. The list below is not exhaustive; it is meant to be representative of the general
types of projects EPA is interested in supporting. EPA will consider projects focused on
other topics.
• Technical assistance to enhance community involvement
• Research on health risk averted by brownfields redevelopment (sensitive populations)
• Ecological risk considerations in brownfields cleanup and redevelopment
• Improving site characterization and QA/QC for state, local, and tribal assessments and
cleanups
• Brownfields inventorying tools
Technical assistance to state, local, and tribal governments on how to link land reuse
strategies to state cleanup standards
Connection between ports and brownfields, rail yards and brownfields
• Impact of brownfields sites on air quality, water quality, erosion, wildlife populations
• Sustainable future uses of Brownfields
• Environmental Insurance
• Cost estimates for site assessment and cleanup
Financing tools for brownfields cleanup and redevelopment
Impact of brownfields assessment and cleanup on real estate transactions
• Technical assistance for state, local, and tribal revolving loan fund programs
• Technical assistance on laboratory analytical and toxicological services to augment tribal
response programs
Impact of environmental workforce development on state, local, and tribal economies
• State relations/local government relations
• State environmental liability provisions and protections
• Institutional controls
• Technology and information transfer (amongst State programs, local governments)
State brownfields response programs
• Technical assistance in leveraging funding for brownfields cleanup and redevelopment
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