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Prevention Incentives for states (Pollution Prevention Act [PPA] Section 6605); (14) Pesticide Cooperative Enforcement (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act [FIFRA] Section 23(a)(1); (15) Pesticides and program implementation (FIFRA Section 23(a)(1)); (16) Pesticide Applicator Certification and Training (FIFRA Section 23 (a)(2)); (17) Environmental Information Network Exchange Grants (Consolidated Appropriations Resolution for the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies of 2003, Public Law 108-7; Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2004, Public Law 108-199); (18) Brownfields state and Tribal Response Program Grants (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 [CERCLA], Section 128(a), as amended; Public Law 107-118; Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act); (19) Capacity Building Grants and Cooperative Agreements for states and Tribes (CWA, Section 104; FIFRA, Section 20; CAA, Section 103; Solid Waste Disposal Act, Section 8001; SDWA, Section 1442; TSCA, Section 10; Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act, Section 203; CERCLA, Section 311; National Environmental Policy Act [NEPA], Section 102(2)(F) [for international awards]; and (20) General Assistance Grants to Indian Tribes (Indian Environmental General Assistance Program Act of 1992) only eligible tribes can propose to include these funds in a PPG application. Recipients may use PPGs to fund activities that are within the cumulative eligibilities of the 20 categorical grants programs listed above for which they are eligible. Assistance agreement awards under this program may involve or relate to geospatial information. Further information regarding geospatial information may be obtained by viewing the following website: http://geodata.epa.gov.

Applicant Eligibility:

All states, interstate agencies, U.S. territories, and federally recognized Indian tribes eligible to receive more than one of the 20 categorical grants program referred to in "Uses and Use Restrictions" above are eligible to apply for PPGs. Any duly authorized state or tribal entity that currently receives or is eligible to receive EPA categorical program grants may request a PPG for the funds it administers. This may include agencies other than environmental agencies (for example, agricultural and health agencies), where authorized by state or tribal law. For certain competitive funding opportunities under this CFDA description, the Agency may limit eligibility to compete to a number or subset of eligible applicants consistent with the Agency's Assistance Agreement Competition Policy.

Beneficiary Eligibility:

States, U.S. territories, federally recognized Indian tribal governments, and interstate agencies.

Credentials/Documentation:

All recipients are agencies of state, local, tribal, or territorial governments. All documentation requirements for recipients are presented at 40 CFR Part 31, "Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments," and 40 CFR Part 35, "State and Local Assistance.". OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program. Preapplication Coordination:

Applicants interested in pursuing PPGs should coordinate with their appropriate EPA Regional Office to develop a PPG through joint negotiations. (See Appendix IV of the Catalog.) Regarding pre-application/pre-proposal assistance with respect to competitive funding opportunities under this program description, EPA will generally specify the nature of the pre-application/pre-proposal assistance, if any, that will be available to applicants in the competitive announcement. For additional information, contact the individual(s) listed as "Information Contacts" or see Appendix IV of the Catalog. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.

Application Procedures:

OMB Circular No. A-102 applies to this program. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110. Requests for applications should be made to the appropriate EPA Regional Grants Management Office.

Applicants will negotiate the content of their PPG with their EPA Regional Office and submit an application for the PPG based on these negotiations. Applicants for PPGs must submit an "Application for Federal Assistance: State and Local Non-Construction Programs," (Standard Form 424), including the required supporting documents. Applicants may be able to use http://www.grants.gov to electronically apply for certain grant opportunities under this CFDA.

Award Procedure:

Grant applications are reviewed by the appropriate EPA Regional Office, and if approved, awarded by the Regional Administrator. For competitive awards, EPA will review and evaluate applications, proposals, and/or submissions in accordance with the terms, conditions, and criteria stated in the competitive announcement. Competitions will be conducted in accordance with EPA policies/regulations for competing assistance agreements. After the applicant is chosen for the competitive award, the applicant will work with the EPA regional office to add those competitive grant funds to the PPG. The workplan and supporting documentation that were the basis of the competitive award also will be added to the PPG.

Deadlines:

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:
Approximately 60 days.

Appeals:

Assistance agreement competition-related disputes will be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures published in 70 FR (Federal Register) 3629, 3630 (January 26, 2005). Copies of these procedures may also be requested by contacting the individual(s) listed as "Information Contacts." Disputes relating to matters other than the competitive selection of recipients will be resolved under 40 CFR 30.63 or 40 CFR 31.70, as applicable. Renewals:

Not Applicable.

Formula and Matching Requirements:

This program has no statutory formula.

Matching Requirements: Major portions of the PPGs are by statutory formula.
The allocation for a PPG consists of the cumulative allocations for the
categorical grants included in the PPG. Recipients should calculate a single,
composite minimum cost share (based on the match or maintenance of effort
requirements of the categorical grants included in the PPG) for each of their
PPGs. To calculate the minimum cost share for a PPG, start with the amount of
Federal dollars from each program (source of funds) going into the PPG. The
minimum required cost share for each portion is determined by identifying the
cost share requirements of the relevant categorical grant program (based on the
source of funds). The minimum recipient cost share for the PPG is the sum of
the minimum cost shares of the contributed categorical grants. Tribal
governments and intertribal consortia may be eligible for match requirement
waivers based on demonstrated hardship. The determination of eligibility will
be completed by the Regional Administrator and will be based on
socio-economic criteria.

This program does not have MOE requirements.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:

The terms of the grant shall be determined during pre-application negotiations
and at the time of the award. Applicants may choose to submit annual or
multi-year work plans and project periods. Budget periods will be for 12
months with the applicant having the flexibility to select, in consultation with
the Regional Administrator, the specific start and end date for the budget
period. Grant awards are made after review and approval of the application.
Grantees are reimbursed for actual expenses based on submissions in financial
status reports. See the following for information on how assistance is
awarded/released: Annually.

Reports:

Applicants must provide reports and conduct joint evaluations in accordance with 40 CFR Part 31 and 40 CFR Part 35, Subparts A and B. Refer to the program descriptions for the individual STAG program grants eligible for inclusion in PPGs (see section [70] for a list). Cash reports may be required.

Progress reports may be required. Expenditure reports may be required. Performance monitoring may be required.

Audits:

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. Grants and cooperative agreements are subject to inspections and audits by the Comptroller General of the United States, the EPA Office of Inspector General, other EPA staff, or any authorized representative of the Federal government. Reviews by the EPA Project Officer and the Grants Specialist may occur each year.

Records:

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

68-0103-0-1-304.

Obligations:

(Formula Grants) FY 08 $391,000,000; FY 09 est $411,000,000; FY 10 est $427,000,000 - NOTE: See General Objectives, section [50], for a description of PPGs. The amounts cited above are inclusive of, not in addition to, obligations reported under individual STAG program grants eligible for inclusion in PPGs (see section [70] for a list).

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:

There is no low-end limit for PPG awards to tribes. EPA may make awards as small as two programs and thousands of dollars to tribes. EPA may award PPGs that combine up to 19 categorical grants to states. PPGs for larger states can exceed $10 million. In FY 2008, state PPGs generally contained six or seven categorical grants, with award amounts averaging around $5 million. PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Fiscal Year 2008: PPGs have allowed states to take advantage of administrative and program efficiencies and innovations to achieve greater environmental and program results. States and tribes have used PPGs to address critical emergencies and unplanned events (for example, responses to hurricanes Rita and Katrina). They have used PPG flexibility to overcome periodic budget needs or high program demands in specific programs. States and tribes have used PPGs to implement multi-program initiatives and innovations that impact many environmental programs. They also have taken advantage of streamlined administrative procedures to make grant processes more efficient. PPGs have allowed tribes to develop and implement environmental programs in situations where it would have been more difficult using categorical grants. Agencies may request to receive their categorical grant funds in a PPG. Nearly all PPG applicants receive a grant, since they generally fund ongoing environmental programs. The total number of PPGs in effect in FY 2008 was 147, including 40 to state environmental agencies; 23 to state agriculture agencies; and 84 to tribal agencies. The total number of PPGs in effect in FY 2009 is 167, including 39 to state environmental agencies; 23 to state agricultural agencies; and 105 to tribal agencies. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:

40 CFR Part 35 Subparts A and B; 40 CFR Part 31, "Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments."

Regional or Local Office:

See Regional Agency Offices. See Appendix IV of the Catalog for EPA Regional Office contacts.

Headquarters Office:

Michael Osinski USEPA Headquarters

Ariel Rios Building

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N. W.

Mail Code: 1306A, Washington, District of Columbia 20460 Email: osinski.michael@epa.gov Phone: (202) 564-3792

Website Address:

http://www.epa.gov/ocir

RELATED PROGRAMS:

Not Applicable.

EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:

Fiscal Year 2008: (1) Performance Partnership Grant combines funds from ten categorical grant programs to implement major operating environmental programs for clean air, clean water, drinking water, hazardous waste, and others; (2) Grants taps funding from media programs combined in the PPG to fund pollution prevention activities; 3) Grant negotiates with the regional office to use unexpended prior year funds for special projects to meet state priorities. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:

Applicants must meet selection criteria for the categorical grants to be combined in the PPG. The evaluation and selection criteria for competitive awards under this CFDA description will be described in the competitive announcement.

66.608 ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION EXCHANGE NETWORK
GRANT PROGRAM AND RELATED ASSISTANCE
FEDERAL AGENCY:

Office of Environmental Information, Environmental Protection Agency
AUTHORIZATION:

Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10; Marine Protection, Research and
Sanctuaries Act, Section 203; National Environmental Policy Act, Section
102(2)(F); Clean Water Act, Section 104(b)(3); Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, Section 104; Safe Drinking Water
Act, Section 1442; Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Section
20; Clean Air Act, Section 103; Solid Waste Disposal Act, Section 8001.
OBJECTIVES:

EPA and its state, territorial, and tribal partners are building a nationwide Environmental Information Exchange Network. The Exchange Network is an Internet and standards-based information network that facilitates electronic reporting and the exchange and integration of environmental data and information from many different sources. The Exchange Network makes it easier for EPA and its partners to obtain the timely and accurate information needed when making decisions concerning the natural environment and related human health issues. The Exchange Network Grant Program provides financial assistance to states, territories, federally recognized Indian tribes, and intertribal consortia of federally recognized tribes to support the development of information technology and information management (IT/IM) infrastructure and capabilities needed to participate in the Exchange Network; the development of dataflows using the Exchange Network, including geospatial dataflows; planning, mentoring, and training activities; and a challenge group of activities that advance the development and use of the Exchange Network. Exchange Network Grants also provide strategic program support for the Exchange Network through non-competitive awards to state- and tribal-supporting co-regulator/co-implementor organizations. Funding Priority Fiscal Year 2009: Projects supported by the FY 2009 Exchange Network Grant Program, which are funded through EPA's STAG account, must address at least one of the following priorities: developing or upgrading IM/IT capabilities and tools to participate in the Exchange Network; developing the capabilities to exchange environmental, human health, or related data flows using the Exchange Network, and developing related data analysis and integration tools; planning and implementing collaborative, innovative projects that use the Exchange Network to help address the business needs of government agencies at all levels; providing mentoring and training to other Exchange Network partners; providing outreach, communications, technical assistance, and other support to states that are participating in, or may wish to participate in, the Exchange Network; and providing support for state

participation in the Network Operations Board and related workgroups. Other FY 2009 Exchange Network-related awards that focus on providing support to all tribes not just those that are currently participating in the Exchange Network and that are funded through EPA's EPM account must address the following priorities: providing programmatic support to federally recognized Indian tribes and intertribal consortia of federally recognized tribes that are participating in or may wish to participate in the Exchange Network; providing outreach, communications, training/mentoring, and technical assistance to tribes to increase their knowledge about the Exchange Network, enhance their IT/IM capabilities, and encourage their development of Exchange Network nodes and dataflows; providing support for tribal participation in the Exchange Network governance structure; and providing periodic reports to the Exchange Network management organization on the status of tribal participation in the Exchange Network. Other FY 2009 Exchange Network-related awards that focus on enhancing state participation in the state/EPA information management governance structure and that are funded through EPA's EPM account must address the following priority: providing support for state participation in the Exchange Network Leadership Council, which is responsible for developing the strategic direction and overall policies for the Exchange Network. TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:

PROJECT GRANTS

USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:

Funding is available for direct costs associated with carrying out grant-supported projects and for allocations of allowable indirect costs, in accordance with established EPA policies. Assistance agreement awards under this program may involve or relate to geospatial information. Further information regarding geospatial information may be obtained by viewing the following website: http://geodata.epa.gov.

Applicant Eligibility:

Eligible applicants for the Exchange Network Grant Program include states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories (American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands), federally recognized Indian tribes, and intertribal consortia of federally recognized tribes. An intertribal consortium is eligible to apply for assistance from the Exchange Network Grant Program by meeting the following criteria: a) the majority of the consortium members are federally recognized Indian tribes; b) all consortium federally recognized tribal members have authorized the consortium to apply for and receive assistance (if awarded) from the Exchange Network Grant Program; and c) the intertribal consortium has adequate accounting controls to manage awarded funds while ensuring that only federally recognized tribal members will benefit directly from the award. Regional air pollution control districts may apply for assistance if they are legally considered to be agencies or instrumentalities of the state under applicable state laws. The following entities are not eligible to apply for funding from the competitive Exchange Network Grant Program: state/territorial/tribal universities; city, town, county, or regional governments; nonprofit organizations, including organizations that represent the interests of co-regulators/co-implementors in executing environmental programs. For certain competitive funding opportunities under this CFDA description, the Agency may limit eligibility to compete to a number or subset of eligible applicants consistent with the Agency's Assistance Agreement Competition Policy. In addition to issuing competitive awards to states/territories/tribes and intertribal consortia, EPA may use a portion of the Exchange Network Grant Program funds to issue one or more non-competitive awards for associated program support to a co-regulator/co-implementor organization. A co-regulator/co-implementor organization is one that represents the interests of governmental units (for example, state or regional governments) in executing a national or regional environmental program. The membership of such a national or regional organization is composed of officials of the co-regulator or co-implementor entities (for example, state environmental commissioners). Eligible applicants for non-competitive awards that relate to the Exchange Network and are funded through EPA's EPM account include non-profit organizations that are co-regulator/co-implementor organizations. Beneficiary Eligibility:

Federal, state, territory, city, town, county, and regional governments; federally recognized Indian tribes and intertribal consortia of federally recognized tribes; public institutions and industries subject to EPA regulatory reporting

requirements; and the public.

Credentials/Documentation:

OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program.
Preapplication Coordination:

Please contact Marla Sheppard ((202) 564-5954) for questions involving
Intergovernmental Review. Regarding pre-application/pre-proposal assistance
with respect to competitive funding opportunities under this program
description, EPA will generally specify the nature of the
pre-application/pre-proposal assistance, if any, that will be available to
applicants in the competitive announcement. For additional information, contact
the individual(s) listed as "Information Contacts" or see Appendix IV of the
Catalog. Environmental impact information is not required for this program.
This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedures:

OMB Circular No. A-102 applies to this program. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program. Applicants for the FY 2009 Exchange Network Grant Program must submit application packages to EPA by November 21, 2008. Applicants have the option to submit application packages in hard copy through the U.S. Postal Service or an overnight mail or courier delivery service. Applicants may be able to use http://www.grants.gov to electronically apply for certain grant opportunities under this CFDA. Electronic applications submitted through Grants.gov have to be received no later than 11:59 pm Eastern Time on November 21, 2008. EPA will not review or fund any applications that are postmarked or received by Grants.gov after (November 21, 2008, or any applications that are received from ineligible applicants. The application package included the following materials: Overview of Application Package 1. Cover letter that outlines the following information: A. Contact information for the Project Lead B. Number of copies of the application (one original plus two copies) C. One sentence description of the project's goal D. Data exchanges (and data standards) for which the applicant is requesting funding E. Any additional partner on the grant F. The amount of funds requested G. Coordination efforts between the IM/IT and Environmental/Health Programs H. Signature of executive level official; 2. A list of no more than five (5) Federally or non-Federally funded assistance agreements performed in the last three (3) years of similar size and scope to the current proposal; 3. Project Narrative Work Plan, including a Quality Assurance Narrative Statement (Work Plans must address the Evaluation Results (Section I-1) and Evaluation Criteria (Section V) in the work plan; 4. Budget Narrative and Detailed Itemized Budget; 5. Copy of applicant organization's Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement, if indirect costs are included in the budget or a copy of the submitted application to the cognizant fiduciary agency; and 6. Resume(s) of the Project Manager(s) or Project Lead(s). Inter-tribal consortia applying for the Exchange Network Grant Program must include written documentation in the application package that demonstrates the following: A formal partnership exists among the Indian tribal governments that are members of the inter-tribal consortium, and the majority of the members and federally recognized Indian tribes; and the consortium's Federally recognized tribal members have authorized the consortium to apply for and receive assistance (if awarded) from the Exchange Network Grant Program. Please note that after a potential grantee is notified of their selection for a recommendation for an award, additional documents will be needed to complete the funding package. Annual solicitation notices outline the format and page limitations for the work plan and provide more detailed application instructions. EPA will not review work plan pages in excess of the stipulated page limitation. If the proposal is funded, the recipients would be required to submit a separate, tailored Quality Assurance Project Plan based on guidance in the applicable solicitation notice. EPA posted the solicitation notice for the FY 2009 Exchange Network Grant Program on the Web site on September 16, 2008

(http://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/grants). Please see the solicitation notice for complete application instructions.

Award Procedure:

For competitive awards, EPA will review and evaluate applications, proposals, and/or submissions in accordance with the terms, conditions, and criteria stated in the competitive announcement. Competitions will be conducted in accordance with EPA policies/regulations for competing assistance agreements. EPA will evaluate the project proposal based on how well and clearly the applicant has articulated project outputs, outcomes and environmental results,

and whether they are tied to the intermediate outcomes as defined in Section I of this Solicitation Notice (i.e., burden reduction, cost savings, improved quality of data, etc.). EPA will also evaluate the applicant's work plan for tracking and measuring their progress towards achieving the expected outputs, outcomes, and environmental results of the project proposal.

Deadlines:

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:

Applicants whose applications are denied for funding will be notified approximately five months after the application deadline. Applicants whose applications are recommended for funding will be notified, initially to request additional documentation to finalize the application, and, later, when the assistance agreements are issued and mailed by EPA's Grants and Interagency Agreements Management Division, which is expected to be approximately eight to nine months after the application deadline. Appeals:

Assistance agreement competition-related disputes will be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures published in 70 FR (Federal Register) 3629, 3630 (January 26, 2005). Copies of these procedures may also be requested by contacting the individual(s) listed as "Information Contacts." Disputes relating to matters other than the competitive selection of recipients will be resolved under 40 CFR 30.63 or 40 CFR 31.70, as applicable. Renewals:

Not Applicable.

Formula and Matching Requirements:

This program has no statutory formula.

This program has no matching requirements.
This program does not have MOE requirements.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:

Assistance will be provided through grants and cooperative agreements. EPA may provide support in the form of direct funding and/or in-kind assistance, in lieu of direct funding. EPA plans to issue awards for applications that are recommended for funding approximately seven months after the application deadline. The standard period of performance for projects funded by the Exchange Network Grant Program is two years. EPA may consider requests from award recipients for project/budget period extensions; and if deemed appropriate by EPA, the Grants and Interagency Agreements Management Division may issue amendments extending the project/budget periods. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: lump sum.

Reports:

Award recipients must submit semi-annual progress reports and a final project report that covers the entire project period. The semi-annual progress reports must be submitted within one month of the end of each semi-annual reporting period. The reporting periods are from October through March and April through September of each fiscal year. Award recipients must submit the final project report and a final Financial Status Report (Standard Form 269) to EPA within 90 days after the end of the project/budget period. Program reports are required. Cash reports are required. Progress reports are required. Expenditure reports are required. Performance monitoring is required. Audits:

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. Grants and cooperative agreements are subject to inspections and audits by the Comptroller General of the United States, the EPA Office of Inspector General, other EPA staff, or any authorized representative of the Federal government. Reviews by the EPA Project Officer and the Grants Specialist may occur each year. Records:

Financial records, including all accounting records that substantiate the charges

to each grant, must be maintained and accessible to personnel authorized to examine EPA grant accounts. If certain financial records are part of an audit investigation, then they must be retained until the matter under investigation has been completely resolved. Award recipients must retain complete records documenting their projects for a period of seven years after the close-out of the agreement. Such records include, but are not limited to, financial records, technical reports, periodic performance progress reports, project management files, correspondence with other project partners, and correspondence with EPA. Final products and deliverables that result from the project are considered to be permanent records and should be retained indefinitely. Account Identification:

68-0103-0-1-304; 68-0108-0-1-304.

Obligations:

(Project Grants) FY 08 $15,210,000; FY 09 est $12,300,000; FY 10 est $10,520,000 - STAG Account: FY 2008 $14,700,000; FY 2009 est $11,780,000; and FY 2010 est $10,000,000.

EPM Account: FY 2008 $510,000; FY 2009 $520,000; and FY 2010 est. $520,000.

EPA will set aside approximately ten percent of appropriated funding for tribal assistance agreements to further facilitate expanded tribal participation in the Exchange Network.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:

STAG Account: Award amounts will range from $75,000 to $500,000 for the entire two-year project period. The average award amount will be $300,000 for the entire two-year project period. EPM Account: The average award amount will be $260,000 for the entire two-year project period.

PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Fiscal Year 2008: FY 2009 will be the eighth year of the Exchange Network Grant program. As of 2008 EPA provided an estimated total of $135,000,000 for state/territorial/tribal awards and associated program support awards through the Exchange Network Grant program. EPA's FY 2009 appropriations requests include an additional $11.0 million for the Exchange Network Grant program. In previous fiscal years, EPA received applications and made awards to state/territorial/tribal entities and associated program support awards as follows: FY 2007,77 applications,57 awards. FY 2008, 70 applications,55 awards (estimated). As of early November 2007, all states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and more than 50 tribes have received awards and been involved in the development of the Exchange Network. As of April 2008, the Exchange Network Grant Program had contributed to the development of 50 State, one territorial and 8 Tribal Exchange Network nodes. A number of additional nodes are currently under development. EPA and its partners are currently using or planning to use the Exchange Network to exchange data that relate to the following: Beaches (beaches water quality and closure data), Air Facility System (AFS), Air Quality System (AQS), Arsenic and Radon, Asbestos, Biodiversity Data Exchange, Drinking Water Laboratory Results, electronic Discharge Monitoring Reports (e-DMR), Facility Registry System (FRS), Geospatial, Institutional Controls Tracking System (ICTS), Integrated Compliance Information System/National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (ICIS-NPDES), Methamphetamine, National Emissions Inventory (NEI), National Pollution Prevention (P2) Results System, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Information System (RCRA Info), Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS),Source Water Protection (SWP), Toxics Release Inventory System (TRIS), Underground Injection Control (UIC), and Water Quality Monitoring. Fiscal Year 2009: FY 2009 will be the eighth year of the Exchange Network Grant program. As of 2008 EPA provided an estimated total of $135,000,000 for state/territorial/tribal awards and associated program support awards through the Exchange Network Grant program. EPA's FY 2009 appropriations requests include an additional $11.0 million for the Exchange Network Grant program. In previous fiscal years, EPA received applications and made awards to state/territorial/tribal entities and associated program support awards as follows: FY 2007,77 applications,57 awards. FY 2008, 70 applications,55 awards (estimated). As of early November

2007, all states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and more than 50 tribes have received awards and been involved in the development of the Exchange Network. As of April 2008, the Exchange Network Grant Program had contributed to the development of 50 State, one territorial and 8 Tribal Exchange Network nodes. A number of additional nodes are currently under development. EPA and its partners are currently using or planning to use the Exchange Network to exchange data that relate to the following: Beaches (beaches water quality and closure data), Air Facility System (AFS), Air Quality System (AQS), Arsenic and Radon, Asbestos, Biodiversity Data Exchange, Drinking Water Laboratory Results, electronic Discharge Monitoring Reports (e-DMR), Facility Registry System (FRS), Geospatial, Institutional Controls Tracking System (ICTS), Integrated Compliance Information System/National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (ICIS-NPDES), Methamphetamine, National Emissions Inventory (NEI), National Pollution Prevention (P2) Results System, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Information System (RCRA Info), Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), Source Water Protection (SWP), Toxics Release Inventory System (TRIS), Underground Injection Control (UIC), and Water Quality Monitoring. Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:

The Exchange Network Grant Program assistance agreements issued to state, territorial, and tribal governments are governed by EPA's regulations at 40 CFR Part 31, "Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments." The assistance agreements issued to nonprofit organizations (i.e., co-regulator/co-implementor organizations) for associated program support for the Exchange Network Grant Program or other Exchange Network activities are governed by EPA's regulations at 40 CFR Part 30, "Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations." General information and guidance documents regarding the Exchange Network are available at

http://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork. Information about the Exchange Network Grant Program and previously funded activities is available at http://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/grants.

Regional or Local Office:

See Regional Agency Offices.

Headquarters Office:

Jonathan Jacobson Information Exchange Partnership Branch

Office of Information Collection

Office of Environmental Information

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Mail Code (2823-T), Washington, District of Columbia 20460 Email: Jacobson.jonathan@epa.gov Phone: (202) 566-1984 Website Address:

http://www.epa.gov/oei

RELATED PROGRAMS:

Not Applicable.

EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:

Fiscal Year 2008: Examples of some projects funded by the Exchange Network Grant Program are described below: A state environmental agency is using grant funds to advance the use of the state's Exchange Network node and to promote the efficient and effective use of data to improve environmental conditions across the state. In particular, the state EPA is using the Exchange Network to exchange data associated with the Facility Registry System (FRS), the National Emissions Inventory (NEI), and the Integrated Compliance Information System - National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (ICIS-NPDES). A state's Office of Technology is using federal assistance to enhance the use of watershed modeling in the state's environmental decision-making. In addition to the Office of Technology, project partners include the state's Department for Environmental Protection, the Office of Geographic Information, the Open GIS Consortium, and the U.S. Geological Survey. The project involves developing a web-based watershed modeling information portal to provide timely watershed modeling data to support state environmental decision-making. Project partners will also work toward making the watershed modeling data available to other Exchange Network partners

through the state's Exchange Network node, which is currently under development. A state's Department of the Environment is continuing to develop an Exchange Network node to facilitate the exchange of information from the state's Enterprise Environmental Management System (EEMS) with EPA and other Exchange Network partners. The primary purpose of the project is to advance the electronic exchange of data with EPA. The project focuses on submitting data associated with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Information System (RCRAInfo) and ICIS-NPDES from MDE's node to EPA's node on the Central Data Exchange. A state Department of Environmental Protection is working in partnership with other regional state and watershed partners to use the Exchange Network to share data on Best Management Practices (BMP) for addressing non-point source pollution. This effort involves developing and registering XML schema for exchanging BMP data. The watershed office receives BMP data from jurisdictions that participate in the program and then enters the data in a regional watershed module and various presentation tools for regional use. Four state environmental agencies collaborated to develop an application that would provide a range of critical information to field personnel responding to emergencies such as flooding at facilities that store toxic chemicals or an explosion at a chemical plant. By using the Exchange Network technology, the project team created the Heartland Emergency Response Exchange which can reach across organizational lines to retrieve integrated environmental and natural resource data from agencies in partner states. Emergency planners can quickly identify potential dangers posed by chemical inventories or hazardous waste storage. In minutes, response teams can assess threats to drinking water infrastructure or other environmental interests. One of the key features of this system is its ability to visualize the data using popular web-based mapping applications such as Google Earth or Microsoft Virtual Earth. In short, better information will offer opportunities for more comprehensive planning and more informed responses. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:

The evaluation criteria for the FY 2009 Exchange Network Grant program was described in the FY 2009 solicitation notice. The quantitative evaluation criteria included such factors as expected project outputs/outcomes, the feasibility and approach of the work plan, the relevance and significance of the proposed project to the Exchange Network, the adequacy of resources and key personnel, and past performance. EPA may also consider various qualitative criteria when determining which applications to recommend for funding. Examples of such qualitative criteria may include, but are not limited to, factors such as achieving a balance among projects, distributing funds among different states/territories/ tribes, and having EPA programmatic support for the project. Applications for non-competitive awards to co-regulator/co-implementor organizations, funded by the Exchange Network Grant program through EPA's STAG appropriation, will be evaluated based on the ability of the applicant to provide the following: outreach, communications, technical assistance, and other support to states/tribes that are participating in, or may wish to participate in, the Exchange Network; and support for state/territorial/tribal participation in the Network Operations Board and related workgroups. Applications for non-competitive awards to a co-regulator/co-implementor organization, funded through EPA's EPM appropriation, will be evaluated based on the applicant's ability to implement the types of activities described in the Objectives section of this description.

66.609 PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND OLDER ADULTS
(ELDERLY) FROM ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RISKS
(Children's Environmental Health and the Aging Initiative)
FEDERAL AGENCY:

Office of the Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency
AUTHORIZATION:

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Section 20; Clean Air Act,
Section 103; Solid Waste Disposal Act, Section 8001; Toxic Substances
Control Act, Section 10; Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act,
Section 203; Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act (CERCLA), Section 311; Solid Waste Disposal Act, Section 1442;
National Environmental Policy Act, Section 102(2)(F); Clean Water Act,
Section 104.

OBJECTIVES:

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