16 -01.pdf

OVERVIEW

AGENCY: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)

TITLE: FY16 ENVIRONMENTAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND JOB

TRAINING (EWDJT) GRANTS

ACTION: Request for Proposals (RFP)

RFP NO: EPA-OSWER-OBLR-16-01

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA) NO.: 66.815

DATES: Proposals are due by January 14, 2016. Proposals must be submitted through www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on January 14, 2016. Please refer to Section IV.B., for further instructions.

SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits proposals from eligible entities, including nonprofit organizations, to deliver environmental workforce development and job training programs that recruit, train, and place local, unemployed and under-employed residents with the skills needed to secure full-time employment in the environmental field, with a focus on solid and hazardous waste remediation, environmental health and safety, integrated pest management, and wastewater-related training.

While Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training grants require that Hazardous

Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) training be provided to all individuals being trained, as outlined in Section III.C., applicants may design their own curricula and choose what types of supplemental environmental training they want to deliver as referenced in Section I.C. Additionally, under this competition, applicants also may choose to deliver training in various other environmental media as referenced in Section I.B. EPA encourages applicants to develop their curricula based on local labor market assessments and employers’ hiring needs, while also delivering comprehensive training that results in graduates securing multiple certifications.

For the purposes of these guidelines, the term “grant” refers to the cooperative agreement that

EPA will award to a successful applicant. Please refer to Section II.C for a description of EPA’s anticipated substantial involvement in the financial assistance agreements awarded under these guidelines.

NOTE: EPA also urges applicants to review the Frequently Asked Questions, which can be found at: www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-11/documents/fy16_ewdjt_faqs.pdf.

FUNDING/AWARDS: The total funding available under this competitive opportunity is approximately $3,500,000, subject to availability of funds, quality of proposals received, and other applicable considerations for FY 2016. EPA anticipates awarding approximately 17-18 environmental workforce development and job training cooperative agreements at amounts up to $200,000 each. (Refer to Section II.A, What is the Amount of Available Funding?)

http://www.grants.gov/ https://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-11/documents/fy16_ewdjt_faqs.pdf

CONTENTS BY SECTION

SECTION I – FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION page 4

I.A. Description of Grant

I.B. Use of Grant Funds

I.C. Additional Eligible Uses of Grant Funds – Supplemental Training

I.D. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage

I.E. Measuring Environmental Results: Anticipated Outcomes/Outputs

I.F. Supplementary Information

SECTION II – AWARD INFORMATION page 12

II.A. What is the Amount of Available Funding?

II.B. What is the Project Period for Award(s) Resulting from this Solicitation?

II.C. Substantial Involvement

SECTION III – APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY page 14

III.A. Who Can Apply?

III.B. Cost Share Requirement

III.C. Threshold Eligibility Criteria

1. Applicant Eligibility

2. Demonstration that Proposed Project Does Not Duplicate Other Federally Funded

Environmental Job Training Programs

3. Required HAZWOPER Training

4. Federal Funds Requested/Funding Amount

5. Substantial Conformity with instructions and Format Requirements

6. Training Curriculum Chart Indicating the Cost of Each Course

7. Target Area and Proposal Submission Requirement

8. Grants.gov Submission Requirement

9.Deadline for Submission of Proposals

SECTION IV – PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INFORMATION page 18

IV.A. How to Obtain an Application Package

IV.B. Due Date and Submission Instructions

IV.C. Content and Form of Proposal Submission

IV.D. Additional Provisions For Applicants Incorporated Into The Solicitation:

SECTION V – PROPOSAL REVIEW INFORMATION page 24

V.A. Review and Selection Process

V.B. Ranking Criteria

1. Community Need

2. Training Program Description

3. Budget

4. Program Structure, Anticipated Outputs and Outcomes

5. Programmatic Capability

6. Community and Employer Partnerships

7. Leveraging

V.C. Other Factors

V.D. Proposal Checklist

SECTION VI – AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION page 33

VI.A. Award Notices

VI.B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

VI.C. Reporting Requirements

VI.D. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated Into the Solicitation

SECTION VII – AGENCY CONTACTS page 35

SECTION VIII – OTHER INFORMATION page 37

APPENDIX 1 – Prohibition on Use of Funds page 38

APPENDIX 2 – Grants.gov Proposal Submission Instructions page 40

APPENDIX 3 – Other Factors Checklist page 42

SECTION I – FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

In 2010, the EPA’s Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR) led an effort to more closely collaborate with other programs within the Agency to expand workforce development and job training. Program offices now participating in the broader training program include the

Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery (ORCR), Office of Superfund Remediation and

Technology Innovation (OSRTI), Center for Program Analysis (CPA), Innovation, Partnerships, and Communication Office (IPCO), Office of Wastewater Management (OWM), the Urban

Waters Program, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), and the Office of Emergency Management (OEM). This initiative was created to develop a job training cooperative agreement opportunity that includes training in other environmental media outside the traditional scope of brownfields hazardous waste assessment and cleanup. As a result of this effort, the Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training program allows applicants to deliver a broader array of training in the environmental field, in addition to the traditional brownfields hazardous waste and petroleum cleanup training historically provided.

Through the more comprehensive Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training program, graduates develop additional skill sets that improve their ability to secure full-time, sustainable employment in various aspects of hazardous and solid waste management and within the larger environmental field, including water quality improvement, chemical safety, and pesticide management. This effort also gives communities more flexibility to provide different types of environmental training based on local labor market assessments and employers’ hiring needs.

I.A. Description of Grant

A critical part of the EPA’s Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training (EWDJT) program is to further environmental justice by ensuring that residents living in communities historically affected by economic disinvestment, health disparities, and environmental contamination, including low-income, minority, and tribal communities, have an opportunity to reap the benefits of revitalization and environmental cleanup. Through the link to on-the-ground assessment and cleanup activities, Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training grants train unemployed and under-employed residents of communities impacted by a variety of waste facilities, blighted properties, contaminated sites, and other environmental issues, for environmental jobs that contractors may otherwise fill from outside the affected community.

Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training grants help residents take advantage of the jobs created by the management, assessment, cleanup, and revitalization of solid and hazardous waste sites, as well as other environmental projects in their communities, such as water quality improvement, chemical risk management, and pesticide management efforts.

Applicants must target dislocated workers, or those laid off as a result of recent manufacturing plant closures, severely under-employed individuals, or unemployed individuals, including low-income and minority residents of waste-impacted communities, veterans, and those with little to no advanced education.

Applicants will be evaluated on the extent to which they have partnered with, and secured hiring commitments from local contractors and other stakeholders where EPA-funded projects for brownfields, Superfund sites, landfills, oil spill sites, recent disaster areas, wastewater treatment facilities, or EPA-funded state or tribal corrective actions, closures at solid or hazardous waste facilities, or landfills are located. Applicants should make efforts to link graduates of EWDJT programs with environmental employment that involves preventing, assessing, managing, and cleaning up contaminated sites or working in environmental areas in the graduates’ respective communities. Proposed training should be directly linked to ongoing environmental employment opportunities taking place in the respective community.

To date, EPA has funded 256 job training grants totaling over $54 million through the Job

Training program. As of August 2015, approximately 14,100 individuals have completed training, and approximately 10,200 of those graduates obtained employment in the environmental field, with an average starting hourly wage of $14.27. This equates to a cumulative placement rate of approximately 72% since the program was created in 1998.

I.B. Use of Grant Funds

In addition to brownfields hazardous waste training, applicants may choose to deliver a variety of environmental training listed in items 1-7 below. Training may include none of the items below or multiple items. Please note that applicants have the option to deliver all of the training listed below either at awareness levels or advanced levels. However, the EPA will only be able to fund a limited number of training courses other than brownfields hazardous waste training. Applicants are encouraged to review the available funding amounts related to each training area, as referenced on page 12, prior to developing their curriculum. These funds will be distributed amongst grant awards where a limited amount fo funds will be available to support corresponding training types. Applicants must indicate the type of training and at what level the training will be delivered in their transmittal letter. Applicants also have the option to deliver only brownfields hazardous waste training.

As referenced in Section IV.C., the applicant’s transmittal letter must indicate what other types of environmental training listed below, if any, they choose to deliver, including:

1. Solid waste management or cleanup training, such as integrated solid waste management, including, but not limited to household and industrial recycling management and operations; collection; operators of material recovery facility and/or recycling centers;

electronics and household hazardous waste collection and recycling program operators;

construction and demolition debris collection and recycling management; recycling center operators; training associated with solid and hazardous waste facility corrective action, landfill closures and capping activities; and waste minimization efforts.

2. Superfund site cleanup and innovative and alternative treatment technologies training, “green remediation” technologies, such as phytoremediation, bioremediation, or soil amendments; advanced sampling instrument operator training; or training in the reuse of biosolids and other industry residuals associated with remediation of contaminated lands or solid waste facilities.

3. Wastewater treatment training, such as wastewater treatment facility operations (treatment, collection, storage, and disposal) training, decentralized wastewater treatment systems maintenance, or other related wastewater management topics. Please note that the EPA will use brownfields hazardous waste (CERCLA 104(k)(6)) funds on grant awards where applicants propose to deliver stormwater management; green infrastructure installation, management, and maintenance; or low impact development (LID) training. The corresponding $47,000 of wastewater management funds, referenced on page 12, will primarily be used to fund proposals that seek to deliver wastewater treatment facility operator training with approximately 1 or 2 awards being made in this category.

4. Emergency planning, preparedness, and response training, such as training for conducting hazards analysis on the chemical facility risks in the community; developing local emergency response plans; organizing and implementing exercises; outreach to the public;

spill response and cleanup, including industrial and environmental (e.g., oil spills, natural disasters, etc.); first responder, disaster site worker certification, and National Incident

Management System (NIMS) training.

5. Enhanced environmental health and safety training, such as promoting chemical

(substance, mixture, or article) safety awareness and stewardship; safe work practices

(including an overview of the content of material safety datasheets (MSDS), information on exposure guideline limits (Occupational Exposure Limits and Recommended Exposure

Limits), information contained within the NIOSH pocket guide to chemical hazards, or the

OSHA/EPA Occupational Chemical Database); chemical inventories; inspection and proper chemical storage; engineering controls, such as well-designed ventilation to promote air exchange; use of correct personal protective equipment, including respiratory protection, gloves, goggles, or coveralls; isolation of work areas; safe storage and handling of chemicals; promoting sanitation and hygiene; prevention of spills; universal hazard communication; green chemistry; medical waste handling and disposal; and training in an overview of any existing chemical-specific worker training and certification programs, including but not limited to: lead abatement; lead renovation, repair, and painting (RRP);

asbestos; diisocyanates (auto-refinishing and spray polyurethane foam); pesticide worker protection standards; PFCs; PBDEs/HBCD; and others.

6. Integrated pest management (IPM) training for public housing and project-based rental assistance properties, including training in pesticide prevention and the safe application of pesticides.

7. Alternative energy technologies, such as training in the installation of solar, wind, or geothermal power systems or alternative fuels (e.g., biofuels), including preparing sites for renewable energy installation.

I.C. Additional Eligible Uses of Grant Funds - Supplemental Training

Additional eligible uses of grant funds are listed below. Please note that this list is intended to be illustrative and applicants may apply for funding for other types of related environmental training consistent with the statutory authority for this Request for Proposals (RFP). Applicants must indicate what other training they propose to deliver in their course outline, as referenced in

Section V.B.2. Other examples of eligible uses of grant funds and training are listed below.

Personnel costs for instructors to conduct training, fringe benefits, and/or personnel costs for tasks associated with programmatic reporting requirements.

Costs for screening and placement of individuals in the training program.

Costs for training materials and work gear associated with the training curriculum.

Development and refinement of existing curricula for training.

Implementing job development outreach activities directed toward engaging prospective employers to be involved in the job training program and to hire graduates.

Training in the assessment, inventory, analysis, and remediation of sites or facilities at which hazardous substances, pollutants, contaminants, and petroleum are located, transported, or disposed, including training for jobs in environmental sampling, demolition, underground storage tank removal, groundwater extraction, and site remediation associated with brownfields.

Training participants in the use of techniques and methods for cleanup of hazardous substances, petroleum, and pollutants, such as asbestos abatement; lead abatement; lead renovation, repair, and painting (RRP); mold remediation; and cleaning up sites contaminated by the manufacturing of illegal drugs (e.g., methamphetamine labs), abandoned gas stations, or mine-scarred lands.

Training in confined space entry.

Training in first-aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and blood-borne pathogens.

Training in chemistry, toxicology, and geology to the extent necessary to inventory, assess, remediate, and clean up contaminated sites.

Training in the requirements and implementation of the All Appropriate Inquiries (AAI)

Final Rule, as required in CERCLA Section 101(35)(B), and due diligence.1

Training in radiation safety and the cleanup of uranium mine tailings.

Training in HAZMAT, commercial driver’s license (CDL), forklift, and machine operations associated with the transportation of hazardous waste.

Training in Freon removal or the removal of hazardous substances from white goods.

Training in weatherization; Building Performance Institute (BPI) training; energy efficiency retrofitting; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC); and energy auditing.

Training in the use of compost and soil amendments and associated sampling, testing, and design considerations, and management techniques to support the assessment and cleanup of sites for urban agriculture and horticulture.

1 Due diligence is the process for evaluating a property for the potential presence of environmental contamination, and for assessing potential liability for any contamination present at the property.

Training participants in planning and conducting ecological restoration of contaminated land, including general botanical classes or introductory horticultural classes related to land and stream restoration or indigenous species and native plant re-vegetation; landscaping;

and soil science.

Training in climate adaptation or climate resiliency, including wildlife hazing.

Training in the various certifications of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

(LEED).

Training in building trades related to constructing beams, caps, synthetic barriers, pumping facilities, and similar structures to remediate contamination.

Training in national historic preservation and tribal historic preservation regulations associated with cleanup projects.

Training in vapor intrusion testing and mitigation.

Training in site surveying, mapping, blueprint reading, computer-aided design and drafting

(CADD), and geographic information systems (GIS).

On-the-job training insurance for trainees.

Costs associated with health exams (e.g., pulmonary function tests), drug testing, or licensing fees directly related to the training and/or the placement of graduates in environmental work.

Costs used to cover rental fees associated with training facilities or minor alteration of existing facilities. (Construction costs are not allowable.)

Costs associated with eligible participant support costs, including transportation for trainees for site visits during training or to transport trainees to and from class.

Grant funds may not be used for the following activities:

Training in general construction skills and trades (e.g., carpentry, plumbing, electricity, etc.).

Training in natural resource extraction or related processes, such as hydraulic fracturing, oil refinery, or mining operations.

Conducting site assessments or actual cleanups, except within the context of on-the-job training.

Conducting response activities often associated with cleanups (e.g., landscaping, demolition, and groundwater extraction), except within the context of on-the-job training assignments. Assessment, cleanup, and associated activity costs must be funded through other means.

General or life skills education activities, such as remedial classes in math and reading;

job readiness training, such as developing resumes and acquiring interview skills; GED costs; website development; vehicle or medical insurance; or child care and daycare costs.

Stipends for students, including on-the-job training costs, or scholarship funds to support students’ enrollment in college courses. As noted above, stipends for student transportation expenses are eligible.

Membership fees, such as fees required to join placement service organizations or environmental organizations.

Providing food or light refreshments to employees, instructors, and trainees - except at graduation ceremonies.

Training that seeks to test a product or is intended to expand a business, including training that seeks to expand construction and demolition debris recycling businesses for example, or training that is intended to only serve staff of an existing business who are already employed with that business.

Training in firefighting, including wildfire firefighting, unless the training is a component of environmental disaster response training.

Costs that are unallowable (e.g., lobbying, fundraising, alcoholic beverages) under Cost

Principals 2 CFR 200 and 1500, as applicable.

Matching any other federal funds (unless there is specific statutory authority for the match). None of the statutory authorities listed above provide this authority. Grant funds may be used to match state or local funds, if authorized by the relevant state statute or local ordinance.

Construction or substantial rehabilitation of buildings or other facilities to house training.

Foreign travel.

Proposal preparation costs.

Administrative costs, management fees, penalties, or fines. (Refer to Appendix 1:

Prohibitions on Use of Funds.)

See http://www.epa.gov/brownfields for additional information on ineligible grant activities and

Frequently Asked Questions.

I.D. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage

EPA’s Strategic Plan 2014-2018 defines goals, objectives, and sub-objectives for protecting human health and the environment. The Environmental Workforce Development and Job

Training grants awarded through this competition will support progress towards EPA Strategic

Plan Goal 3 (Cleaning Up Communities and Advancing Sustainable Development), Objective http://www.epa.gov/brownfields

3.1 (Promote Sustainable and Livable Communities), Objective 3.2 (Preserve Land), and

Objective 3.3 (Restore Land). These grants also will help promote chemical safety and pollution prevention through EPA’s Strategic Plan Goal 4 (Ensuring the Safety of Chemicals and

Preventing Pollution), Objectives 4.1 (Ensure Chemical Safety: Reduce the risk of chemicals that enter our products, our environment, and our bodies) and 4.2 (Promote Pollution Prevention:

Conserve and protect natural resources by promoting pollution prevention and the adoption of other stewardship practices by companies, communities, governmental organizations, and individuals); and support progress towards Strategic Plan Goal 2 (Protecting America’s Waters), Objective 2.1 (Protect Human Health) and Objective 2.2 (Protect and Restore Watersheds and

Aquatic Ecosystems). Specifically, recipients of these grants will recruit, train, and place unemployed and under-employed residents from communities impacted by contaminated sites, polluting facilities, and idle properties in careers in the environmental field. As a result, this program promotes cleanup of sites contaminated with hazardous substances, pollutants, contaminants, petroleum, or solid waste, and also prepares individuals for employment in wastewater treatment facility operations, water quality, and chemical safety related fields.

Simultaneously, it ensures the economic benefits derived from remediation activities remain with affected residents in those communities while advancing environmental justice.

I.E. Measuring Environmental Results: Anticipated Outcomes/Outputs

Pursuant to EPA Order 5700.7, “Environmental Results under EPA Assistance Agreements,”

EPA requires that all grant applicants and recipients adequately address environmental outputs and outcomes.

EPA must report on the success of its Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training program through measurable outputs and outcomes, such as the number of individuals recruited, trained, certified, and placed directly in environmental careers, as well as average hourly starting wage. Applicants must discuss in their proposals how funding will achieve environmental outputs and outcomes. Outputs specific to each project will be identified as deliverables in the work plan negotiated if the proposal is selected for award. Grantees will be expected to report progress toward the attainment of project outputs during the project performance period.

Outputs and Outcomes are defined as follows:

1. Outputs: The term “output” refers to an environmental activity, effort, and/or associated work product related to an environmental goal or objective that will be produced or provided over a period of time or by a specified date. Outputs may be quantitative or qualitative but must be measurable during the project period.

EPA anticipates the outputs for the grants awarded under this announcement may include but are not limited to the following:

Increased number of individuals recruited, trained, certified, and placed in environmental careers in communities impacted by solid and hazardous waste sites and facilities, including an expected national minimum of at least 600 persons completing training per year with a minimum job placement rate of at least 70%. Each grant award is anticipated to result in at least 50 individuals completing training with a total of 17-18 awards anticipated to be made in

FY16. (These target numbers, again, are approximations and will vary by grantee depending on the comprehensiveness of a curriculum and for grantees located in urban versus rural locations where a larger number of individuals may be more easily recruited versus regions where recruitment may be more challenging as a result of smaller populations.)

Classroom style training, practical training, and curricula modules.

Appropriate certification in environmental sampling and site cleanup methods.

Certification in OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120 40-hour HAZWOPER training.

Training in innovative and alternative treatment technologies and related subjects.

Training in emergency response.

Training in wastewater treatment facility operations, green (stormwater) infrastructure maintenance, stormwater management, decentralized wastewater system maintenance, and other wastewater management-related topics.

Training in environmental health and chemical safety.

Training in solid waste management and/or cleanup-related skills.

Training in integrated pest management (IPM) associated with public housing and project-based rental assistance properties and the safe application of pesticides.

2. Outcomes: The term “outcome” refers to the result, effect, or consequence that will occur from carrying out the activities under the grant. Outcomes may be environmental, behavioral, health-related, or programmatic, must be quantitative, and may not necessarily be achievable during the project period.

EPA anticipates the outcomes from the projects awarded under this announcement may be an increase in the capacity of governmental entities and nonprofit organizations to:

Help residents of communities take advantage of jobs created by the assessment, cleanup, and management of solid and hazardous waste sites and facilities while addressing environmental justice concerns.

Provide training that leads to sustainable employment in the environmental field.

Improve community involvement and stimulate the development of constructive partnerships.

Reduce chemical exposures and improve the health of workers, occupants, and residents.

Improved knowledge—in acquisition and attainment—of pest and pesticide safety information.

Increase safety by improving pest and pesticide management.

Improve pest management and reduced pest complaints.

Foster self-sufficiency and enhance the skills and availability of labor for environmental remediation in environmental justice and other communities impacted by environmental contamination.

Enable residents to participate in the promotion of environmental health and occupational safety, both on the job and in their communities.

(View EPA’s Strategic Plan on the Internet at: www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan, and view http://www2.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan

EPA’s Order 5700.7 at www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreementsfor more information about environmental results).

I.F. Supplementary Information

The statutory authorities for assistance agreements expected to be awarded by EPA under this announcement are listed below.

1. Section 104(k)(6) of CERCLA-State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG) appropriations

(hazardous substances and petroleum)

2. Section 311(b)(3) of CERCLA-Superfund appropriations

3. Section 104(b) of the Clean Water Act

4. Section 8001 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act-Environmental Programs and Management

(EPM) appropriations

5. Section 10 of Toxic Substances Control Act-Environmental Programs and Management

(EPM) appropriations

6. Section 20 of Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act- Environmental

Programs and Management (EPM) appropriations

As required by 2 CFR § 200.113, non-federal entities or applicants for a Federal award must disclose, in a timely manner, in writing to the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity all violations of Federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the Federal award. Failure to make required disclosures can result in any of the remedies described in 2 CFR § 200.338 including suspension and debarment.

SECTION II – AWARD INFORMATION

II.A. What is the Amount of Available Funding?

The total funding available under this competitive opportunity is approximately $3,500,000, subject to availability of funds, quality of proposals received, and other applicable considerations for FY16. EPA anticipates awarding approximately 17-18 environmental workforce development and job training cooperative agreements. Applicants may apply for up to $200,000 of EPA funds.

Of the total $3,500,000 available, the EPA estimates that the following funding amounts will be available to support the various types of training either at the awareness or advanced level, with the majority of funding being used to support brownfields assessment, cleanup, and hazardous waste related training:

Brownfields hazardous waste assessment and cleanup training, including petroleum cleanup training: $3,363,000

Solid Waste Management or Cleanup training: $10,000

Superfund site cleanup and innovative and alternative treatment technologies training:

$25,000

Wastewater treatment training: $47,000

Emergency planning, preparedness, and response training: $20,000 http://www2.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements http://www2.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements

Enhanced environmental health and safety training: $10,000

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) training: $10,000

Alternative energy technologies (e.g. solar installation training, training in the preparation of formerly contaminated sites for renewable energy purposes, etc.): $15,000

Please note that applicants are required to provide cost estimates for each training course identified in their proposed training curriculum. Applicants must also indicate what percentage of their total grant funds are being designated to support each training course as described in

Section III.C.6 and V.B.2.A. Based on the funding amounts listed above and budget constraints, EPA anticipates being able to only make 1-2 awards that focus on advanced level training in any of the above categories beyond the core brownfield training. However, depending on the quality of proposals received and what level of training is proposed, EPA may be able to fund several proposals that seek to deliver awareness-level training in the categories listed above.

EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this competition, consistent with Agency policy, if additional funding becomes available. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than six months from the date of the original selection decision. EPA reserves the right to reject all proposals and make no awards under this announcement or make fewer awards than anticipated.

In appropriate circumstances, EPA reserves the right to partially fund proposals by funding discrete portions, types of training, or phases of proposed projects. Based on the limited amounts of funding to support certain types of training, EPA may not be able to fund all training courses proposed by an applicant. Prior to applying, applicants should carefully decide what types of training, and at what level the training will be delivered. Applicants will not have the ability to revise their proposals or alter their training curricula if the proposal is selected for funding and certain types of training are unable to be funded. To maintain the integrity of the competition and selection process, EPA, if it decides to partially fund a proposal, will do so in a manner that does not prejudice any applicants or affect the basis upon which the proposal, or portion thereof, was evaluated and selected for award.

Awards may be fully or incrementally funded, as appropriate, based on funding availability, satisfactory performance, and other applicable considerations.

Generally, applicants are not prohibited from submitting the same or virtually the same proposal to EPA under multiple EPA competitions, if appropriate. However, if an applicant does so, and the proposal (or one virtually the same) that was submitted under this solicitation is selected for award under another EPA competition, that may affect their ability to receive an award under this competition for that proposal. Moreover, if an applicant will be funded by EPA or another agency or entity for the same or virtually the same project that it submitted to EPA under this solicitation then that may affect their ability to receive an award under this competition.

II.B. What is the Project Period for Award(s) Resulting from this Solicitation?

The project period for Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training grants is three years. Training is anticipated to have concluded by the end of year two, with the third year of the award devoted to the placement of remaining graduates in employment and reporting accomplishments data to the EPA.

II.C. Substantial Involvement

The Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training grant will be awarded in the form of a cooperative agreement. Cooperative agreements permit the EPA’s Project Officers to be substantially involved in overseeing the work performed by the selected recipients. Although

EPA will negotiate precise terms and conditions relating to substantial involvement as part of the award process, the anticipated substantial federal involvement for this project may include:

Close monitoring of the recipient’s performance to verify the results.

Collaborating during performance of the scope of work.

Reviewing substantive terms of proposed contracts.

Reviewing qualifications of key personnel. (EPA will not select employees or contractors employed by the award recipient).

Reviewing and commenting on reports prepared under the cooperative agreement. (The final decision on the content of reports rests with the recipient.)

Reviewing outcomes and outputs to ensure substantial progress has been made in accordance with the cooperative agreement terms and conditions.

Approval of project phases, such as curriculum development, prior to the implementation of training.

SECTION III – APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY

III.A. Who Can Apply?

In accordance with CFDA 66.815, the following entities are eligible to apply for an

Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training grant:

General Purpose Unit of Local Government (as defined under 2 CFR 200.64).

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 local government.

Government entity created by State Legislature.

Regional Council or group of General Purpose Units of Local Government.

Redevelopment Agency that is chartered or otherwise sanctioned by a State.

State.

Indian Tribe other than in Alaska. (The exclusion of Alaskan tribes from grant eligibility is statutory at CERCLA §104(k)(1).) Intertribal Consortia are eligible for funding in accordance with EPA’s policy for funding intertribal consortia published in the Federal

Register on November 4, 2002, at 67 Fed. Reg. 67181. (This policy also may be obtained from your EPA Regional Job Training Coordinator listed in Section VII.)

Alaskan Native Regional Corporation, Alaska Native Village Corporation and the

Metlakatla Indian Community. (Alaskan Native Regional Corporation and Alaska Native

Village Corporation as those terms are defined in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act

(43 U.S.C. 1601 and following).)

Nonprofit organizations. For purposes of this grant program, the term “nonprofit organization” means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or other 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. Workforce Investment Boards and organized Labor Unions that meet these criteria may be eligible nonprofit organizations.

Public and nonprofit private educational institutions are eligible to apply. 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.

III.B. Cost Share Requirement

There is no cost sharing requirement for EWDJT grants. Although cost sharing is not required as a condition of eligibility under this competition, under Section V of this announcement, EPA will evaluate proposals based on a leveraging criterion. Leveraging is generally when an applicant proposes to provide its own additional funds/resources or those from third-party sources to support or complement the project they are awarded under the competition that are above and beyond the EPA grant funds awarded. Any leveraged funds/resources, and their source, must be identified in the application, as referenced in Section V.B. of the announcement.

Leveraged funds and resources may take various forms as noted below.

Voluntary cost share is a form of leveraging. Voluntary cost sharing is when an applicant voluntarily proposes to legally commit to provide costs or contributions to support the project when a cost share is not required. Applicants who propose to use a voluntary cost share must include the costs or contributions for the voluntary cost share in the project budget on the SF-

424. If an applicant proposes a voluntary cost share, the following apply:

A voluntary cost share is subject to the match provisions in the grant regulations (2 CFR

Section 200.306).

A voluntary cost share may only be met with eligible and allowable costs.

The recipient may not use other sources of federal funds to meet a voluntary cost share unless the statute authorizing the other federal funding provides that the federal funds may be used to meet a cost share requirement on a federal grant.

The recipient is legally obligated to meet any proposed voluntary cost share that is included in the approved project budget. If the proposed voluntary cost share does not materialize during grant performance, then EPA may reconsider the legitimacy of the award and/or take other appropriate action as authorized by CFR 200 and/or 1500, as applicable.

Other leveraged funding/resources that are not identified as a voluntary cost share: this form of leveraging may be met by funding from another federal grant, from an applicant's own resources, or resources from other third-party sources. This form of leveraging should not be included in the budget and the costs need not be eligible and allowable project costs under the

EPA assistance agreement. While this form of leveraging should not be included in the budget, the grant workplan should include a statement indicating that the applicant is expected to produce the proposed leveraging consistent with the terms of the announcement and the applicant's proposal. If applicants propose to provide this form of leveraging, EPA expects them to make the effort to secure the leveraged resources described in their proposals. If the proposed leveraging does not materialize during grant performance, then EPA may reconsider the legitimacy of the award and/or take other appropriate action as authorized by 40 CFR Parts 200 or 1500 as applicable.

III.C. Threshold Eligibility Criteria

This section contains the threshold eligibility criteria that ensure applicants are eligible to receive EWDJT grants. Threshold criteria are evaluated on a pass or fail basis. Only those proposals that specifically address and pass each of the nine threshold criteria listed below, and comply with the other requirements, will be evaluated against the ranking criteria in Section

V.B. of this announcement. Applicants deemed ineligible for funding consideration as a result of failing threshold eligibility review will be notified within 15 calendar days of the ineligibility determination.

For purposes of the threshold eligibility review, EPA may seek clarification of applicant information. Applicants that simply fail to address a threshold criterion may not be provided an opportunity to respond or submit clarifying information so as not to provide an applicant an unfair competitive advantage or to provide the appearance of an unfair competitive advantage over applicants who submit complete proposals. The applicant’s responses to the threshold criteria must be included in the transmittal letter submitted to EPA. See Section IV.C for a complete list of required proposal content.

Ineligible costs/activities: If a proposal is submitted that includes any ineligible tasks or activities, that portion of the proposal will be ineligible for funding and may, depending on the extent to which it affects the proposal, render the entire proposal ineligible for funding.

1. Applicant Eligibility

Describe how you are an eligible applicant as described in Section III.A. For entities other than cities, counties, tribes, or states, please attach documentation of your eligibility, such as nonprofit status, resolutions, or statutes.

2. Demonstration that Proposed Project Does Not Duplicate Other Federally Funded

Environmental Job Training Programs

Demonstrate that the proposed training project does not duplicate other federally funded programs for environmental job training in your target community, including training provided through the EPA’s Superfund Job Training Initiative (SuperJTI); the EPA’s

Environmental Justice Small grants program CFDA 66.604; and the EPA’s Surveys, Studies, Investigations, Training, and Special Purpose Activities Relating to Environmental

Justice grants program CFDA 66.309. Applicants must demonstrate that the proposed training project does not duplicate National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

(NIEHS) Hazardous Waste Worker Training programs in their target community or

Department of Labor (DOL) grant funds that include brownfields remediation, renewable energy, HVAC, or other energy-related training or wastewater treatment technology operator training. Federal agencies maintain lists of these grant programs at the following sites:

EPA: www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-job-training-initiative www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/grants

NIEHS: www.niehs.nih.gov/careers/hazmat/about_wetp/ecwtp/index.cfm http://www2.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-job-training-initiative http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/grants/index.html http://www.niehs.nih.gov/careers/hazmat/about_wetp/ecwtp/index.cfm

DOL: www.dol.gov/ocia/grants.htm

If you are listed on any of these websites as a recipient, you must demonstrate how services under this proposed project will complement, but not duplicate the existing federal environmental job training activities in your targeted service area (i.e., different target audience, such as a different age group, differing types of certification training).

If you are not listed on the above websites, but are the recipient of other federally funded environmental or “green job” training programs serving your area or community(ies), you must similarly demonstrate how services under this proposed project will complement, but not duplicate, the existing federal environmental job training activities. These other programs may include funding provided by Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Department of Energy (DOE), Health and Human Services (HHS), and other federal agencies. The EPA may also conduct internal screening to ensure demonstration of non-duplication and will coordinate duplication screening with federal partners.

If your proposed target community is not a recipient of any federally funded environmental or “green job” training programs, a statement to this effect must be included in the threshold criteria section of your transmittal letter.

3. Required HAZWOPER Training

Your proposal must include OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120 40-hour Hazardous Waste

Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) training and be provided to all trainees in the proposed program. Please provide a statement indicating that you have integrated the HAZWOPER training into your curriculum and that every individual entering your training program will be required to complete the 40-hour HAZWOPER training.

4. Federal Funds Requested/Funding Amount

Proposals with project periods exceeding three (3) years or requesting more than $200,000 in federal funds for the entire project period will not be reviewed. Please indicate your requested funding amount.

5. Substantial Conformity with Instructions and Format Requirements

Proposals must substantially conform to the proposal submission instructions and format requirements set forth in Section IV of this announcement or else they will be rejected.

Pages in excess of the page limitations described in Section IV will not be reviewed. Please provide a statement confirming that you have followed the formatting requirements.

6. Training Curriculum Chart Indicating the Cost of Each Course

Applicants must ensure they submit a detailed training curriculum chart with associated costs for each training course as referenced in Section V.B.2.A. Please provide a statement that you have provided costs for each training course as well as an associated cost percentage. Applicants must calculate and indicate what percentage of the grant budget will be allocated for each training course. Applicants must also submit a budget chart, as well as a budget narrative, not to be confused with the training curriculum chart and course cost breakout. Both the training curriculum chart, that indicates the cost for each training course, as well as the budget chart and budget narrative are included as part of the narrative http://www.dol.gov/ocia/grants.htm proposal. The training curriculum chart with associated costs for each training course, the budget chart, and budget narrative are not considered attachments and must be included with responses to the ranking criteria as part of the narrative proposal.

7. Target Area and Proposal Submission Requirement

Applicants can only propose to serve one target area. Applicants can not submit multiple proposals. Please note that applicants who received an EWDJT grant from EPA in Fiscal

Year 2015 (FY15) are not eligible to apply under this competition. Grantees who received

EWDJT funding in FY15 may not apply under this competition under any circumstance, even if the applicant proposes to serve a different city or target area. Applicants who received an EWDJT grant in, or before, Fiscal Year 2014, and who did not receive funding in FY15 as described above, are eligible to apply for funding under this competition. Please indicate what community you propose to serve, including the town or city, as well as the neighborhood(s). As discussed, applicants cannot propose to serve multiple metropolitan areas or target areas. However, the EPA will consider proposals that propose to serve large areas, especially in rural communities, which may include a number of towns or proposals that seek to serve sister-cities for example.

8. Grants.gov Submission Requirement

Proposals must be submitted through www.grants.gov as stated in Section IV of this announcement, except in the limited circumstances where another mode of submission is specifically allowed for as explained in Section IV, on or before the proposal submission deadline of January 14, 2016, published in Section IV of this announcement. Applicants are responsible for following the submission instructions in Section IV of this announcement to ensure that their proposal is timely submitted. Please provide a statement that you have applied through www.grants.gov.

9. Deadline for Submission of Proposals

Proposals submitted after the submission deadline of January 14, 2016 will be considered late and deemed ineligible without further consideration unless the applicant can clearly demonstrate that it was late due to EPA mishandling or because of technical problems associated with www.grants.gov or relevant www.SAM.gov system issues. An applicant’s failure to timely submit their proposal/application through www.grants.gov because they did not timely or properly register in www.SAM.gov or www.grants.gov will not be considered an acceptable reason to consider a late submission. Applicants should confirm receipt of their proposal with

Joseph Bruss at EPA at (202) 566-2772, or via email at: bruss.joseph@epa.gov, as…