EJSG 2021 RFA_final_v2_3.2.21.pdf

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AGENCY: U. S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)

Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ)

TITLE: ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM

ACTION: REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA)

FUNDING NO.: EPA-OP-OEJ-21-01

ASSISTANCE NO.: 66.604

DATES: ANNOUNCEMENT DATE: March 2, 2021

CLOSING DATE: May 7, 2021

Translations available: To receive a Spanish translation of this announcement, contact Jacob Burney in the Office of Environmental Justice at (202) 564-2907 or via email at burney.jacob@epa.gov. Please note that applications must be written in English only.

Applications written in languages other than English will not be considered for award.

Hay traducciones disponibles de este anuncio en Español. Si usted esta interesado en obtener una traduccion de este anuncio en Español, por favor llame a La Oficina de Justicia Ambiental conocida como “Office of Environmental Justice,” linea gratuita (1-800-962-6215).

DEADLINE: Application packages must be submitted by May 7, 2021 at 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) through Grants.gov. Applications received after the closing date and time will not be considered for funding.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working to improve the environment and public health conditions of low-income communities and communities of color through the advancement of racial equity and environmental justice. This funding announcement supports the priorities detailed in President Biden’s Executive Order 13985 titled Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government and Executive Order 14008 titled Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. EPA continues to make effective responses to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the climate crisis top priorities. To address these multiple crises, this announcement places emphasis on projects focusing on COVID-19 impacts, as well as climate and disaster resiliency. Additionally, EPA is emphasizing projects addressing diesel pollution in underserved communities living near ports and railyards as part of EPA’s Ports Initiative (see details further described in this solicitation).

Finally, to promote equitable accessibility to EPA grant funding and to assist small entities, approximately half of the total available funding under this announcement is intended to be reserved for small non-profit organizations with 10 or fewer full-time employees subject to the quality of applications received and other relevant considerations. Under this solicitation, therefore, there will be two separate ranking lists developed- one for small non-profit organizations of 10 or fewer full-time employees and one for all other eligible applicants as further described in this solicitation.

The Environmental Justice Small Grants (EJSG) Program provides funding directly to eligible applicants for projects that help residents of underserved communities understand and address mailto:burney.jacob@epa.gov https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021-01753/advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/02/01/2021-02177/tackling-the-climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad https://www.epa.gov/ports-initiative

- 2 -local environmental and public health issues. For purposes of this announcement, the term “underserved community” refers to a community with environmental justice concerns and/or vulnerable populations, including people of color, low income, rural, tribal, indigenous, and homeless populations that may be disproportionately impacted by environmental harms and risks.

In general, the EJSG program awards grants that support community-driven projects designed to engage, educate, and empower communities to better understand and address local environmental and public health issues. Community-driven projects are projects that include activities where community residents and/or representatives are integrally involved in the thinking behind and execution of those activities. Therefore, applying organizations should have a direct connection to the underserved community impacted by environmental harms and risks. See Appendix A for additional information on applying to this opportunity.

FUNDING/AWARDS: The total estimated funding for this competitive opportunity is approximately $2,800,000 for projects related to one of the seven statutes listed in Section I.C.

Approximately $300,000 of the estimated total will be specifically for Ports Initiative projects (see details further described in this solicitation). EPA anticipates awarding approximately five grants per EPA region in amounts of up to $50,000 per award. Approximately $1.4 million (or half of the available funding) will be set-aside for awards to small non-profit organizations defined as organizations with 10 or fewer full-time employees as of the time of application submission and award. However, EPA may adjust the funding for the set-aside based on the quality of applications received and other relevant considerations - it could be more or less than $1.4 million. Applicants should plan for projects to begin on October 1, 2021. See other sections of this announcement for more detailed information on these issues.

Note - prior to naming a contractor (including consultants) or subrecipient in your application as a “partner”, please carefully review Section IV.d, “Contracts and Subawards” of EPA’s Solicitation Clauses that are incorporated by reference in Section V.E of this announcement.

IS THE EJSG PROGRAM RIGHT FOR MY ORGANIZATION’S PROJECT?

Before you read further into this Request for Applications (RFA), you need to first determine which program – the Environmental Justice Small Grants Program (EJSG) that is the subject of this RFA or the EJ Collaborative Problem Solving Program (EJCPS) which is issued separately-to apply for. Be aware, an applicant can receive a grant under only one of these programs – not both – so you need to carefully consider which one to apply for. While you are not prohibited from applying for both, you can only receive an award under one of them. If you receive an award under one of them, you will be ineligible to receive an award under the other one. If an applicant applies to both of them and is tentatively identified for selection under both of them, they will be notified that they will have to decide which award they want. Therefore, applicants need to think carefully about which program better lines up with their capacity and the scope of the project you will be proposing. Both programs promote the use of collaborative partnerships in addressing local environmental and/or public health issues, but they are very different.

In short, EJCPS funding under the other competition is designed for organizations that are more established and familiar with federal grants, while EJSG funding is designed for organizations that are: 1) just starting out, 2) have smaller staffs and operating budgets, and/or 3) have never received a federal grant before. The following chart may be helpful in deciding which competition(s) to apply for:

https://www.epa.gov/ports-initiative https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/environmental-justice-small-grants-program https://www.epa.gov/environmental-justice/environmental-justice-collaborative-problem-solving-cooperative-agreement-0

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EJ SG EJCPS

Grant – no substantial EPA involvement (Semi-annual Reports, some Programmatic Terms and Conditions)

Cooperative Agreement – has substantial EPA involvement (Semi-annual Reports, monthly conference calls, and additional Programmatic Terms and Conditions)

Partnerships – need to develop and implement a plan to build, maintain, and sustain partnerships. Note that any financial transactions with partners that involve EPA funds are subject to the requirements described in EPA’s Solicitation Clauses that are incorporated by reference in Section IV of this announcement.

Partnerships – must have established partnerships demonstrated through submission of three signed Memoranda of Agreement from different stakeholder groups. Note that any financial transactions with partners that involve EPA funds are subject to the requirements described in EPA’s Solicitation Clauses that are incorporated by reference in Section IV of this announcement.

Project Purpose - to form collaborative partnerships, educate the community, develop a comprehensive understanding of the local environmental and/or public health issues, and identify ways to address these issues at the local level

Project Purpose - to address an existing local environmental and/or public health issue. To expand beyond community education to include more substantive activities (e.g. training, monitoring, experiments, etc.) that further address the issue(s).

Project Performance Measures – must link project performance measures to the following OEJ Program Performance Measures:

• Empowered Communities

• Stakeholder Consensus

Project Performance Measures – must link project performance measures to the following OEJ Program Performance Measures:

• Empowered Communities

• Stakeholder Consensus

• Environmental Results

• Sustainability

For more information about the EJSG and the EJCPS Programs visit OEJ’s Web site at: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/environmental-justice-grants-funding-and-technical-assistance

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS: For this competition, during the selection process for both tracks1, EPA may give special consideration to high ranking applications that focus on the following program priorities:

1) Public Education, Training, Emergency Planning, and/or Investigations on Impacts of

COVID-19 on Underserved Communities and Vulnerable Populations– EPA may give special consideration to projects that address the impacts that the current COVID-19 pandemic has on vulnerable populations. Applicants may use funding to conduct public education, training, outreach, investigations and/or develop plans and programs to specifically work on mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 on EJ communities. Applicants are encouraged to develop innovative plans and processes to conduct effective outreach to underserved communities in the midst of social-distancing and local stay-at-home orders, 1 Under this RFA there are two separate tracks that will result in two separate ranking lists: a track for small non-profit organizations under the set-aside described in the RFA and a track for all the other applications.

https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/environmental-justice-grants-funding-and-technical-assistance https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/environmental-justice-grants-funding-and-technical-assistance

- 4 -especially in places where internet access may not be readily available to all residents. To qualify for this special consideration, applications must address the impacts of COVID-19 through eligible activities (see Section I.) Examples of eligible activities include (but are not limited to) 1) sharing information related to EPA-approved disinfectants to combat COVID-19 (List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2), 2) addressing underserved residents’ increased exposure to in-home air or water pollutants and healthy housing issues as an unintended consequence of local stay-at-home orders, and 3) training of community health workers as community educators for environmental justice communities. NOTE: EJSG funds cannot be used for Human Health Studies, including taking blood or other medical information from humans.

2) Projects addressing Climate, Disaster Resiliency, and/or Emergency Preparedness – The effects of climate change and extreme weather events tend to adversely impact the most vulnerable communities and populations disproportionately. Therefore, EPA may give special consideration to projects that address the needs of underserved and vulnerable communities that have been adversely impacted or are likely to be adversely impacted by natural disasters, including, but not limited to, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, floods, earthquakes, and future pandemics.

The special considerations listed above may only be considered as “other factors,” in addition to the scoring criteria in Section V, in making selection decisions among high ranked applicants. The selection official may consider any (or all) of these “other factors” or none at all in making selection decisions.

PORTS INITIATIVE PARTNERSHIP: For this announcement, EPA’s Ports Initiative program led by the Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) anticipates funding approximately six projects that address clean air issues at coastal and inland ports or rail yards or other relevant projects2. Since 2016, EPA’s Environmental Justice and Ports Initiative programs have partnered to support effective and meaningful engagement between communities, the port industry and other port stakeholders. Emissions from diesel equipment at ports disproportionately impact nearby communities that are often comprised of low-income populations and people of color. To promote community-port collaboration for effective planning, EPA has developed the Community-Port Collaboration Toolkit, which is designed to help communities and ports develop collaboration skills and to enhance understanding of stakeholders’ priorities and challenges associated with port-related activities. The Toolkit includes the Ports Primer for Communities, the Community Action Roadmap, and the Environmental Justice (EJ) Primer for Ports along with associated training materials and worksheets. The tools were developed through a collaborative process with feedback from port operators, communities, environmental justice organizations and government agencies.

A demonstrated use of the Toolkit during the project period is strongly encouraged, with particular emphasis on Steps 1, 2, and 3 of the Community Action Roadmap: prioritizing goals and concerns;

identifying levers of change; and identifying influencers and other stakeholders with whom to

2 Port/Railyard Definitions:

Ports - places alongside navigable water with facilities for the loading and unloading of passengers and/or cargo from ships, ferries, and other vessels. See also “inland port”.

Inland Port - a port that is not located on a coast (e.g. Great Lakes or Mississippi River ports) or an area with large intermodal freight facilities that is not near navigable water (e.g., landlocked intermodal rail and truck facilities).

Rail Yards - places where trains originate or terminate, or where they are distributed or combined https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2 https://www.epa.gov/ports-initiative https://www.epa.gov/community-port-collaboration/community-port-collaboration-toolkit https://www.epa.gov/community-port-collaboration/community-port-collaboration-toolkit https://www.epa.gov/community-port-collaboration/community-action-roadmap-empowering-near-port-communities

- 5 -build relations. NOTE - To qualify for the Ports Initiative funding, your project must only include activities related to the Clean Air Act, Section 103(b)(3). See Section I.C for more details about eligible project activities for this funding.

SMALL NON-PROFIT SET-ASIDE TRACK

EPA intends to set aside approximately half of the total available funding under this announcement, $1.4M, for awards to non-profit organizations who have 10 or fewer full-time employees on staff at the time of submission of their application and award. The dollar amount intended for these awards may be adjusted depending upon the quality of applications received and other relevant considerations. This set-aside is intended to promote environmental justice funding to those communities and grassroots organizations that need it the most. Applications from these applicants will be evaluated separately, based on the Section V criteria, from the applications from other eligible applicants. Accordingly, there will be two selection lists developed under this competition- for small non-profit organizations and for the remaining applications. To qualify for consideration under this set-aside, applicants must submit documentation with their application (such as an employee roster) verifying the number of full-time employees on staff and the associated hours per week and salary/wage details for each full-time employee. For this announcement, a full-time employee is defined as an employee who works 40 or more hours per week for the applying organization. NOTE - Applicants who meet the standard set forth above for inclusion under the set-aside at the time of submission of their application, but who during this competition subsequently grow larger than 10 full-time employees, must immediately notify EPA of their change in size. If an applicant can confirm that their change in size has no material impact on their original workplan, then they will be moved from the set-aside track and considered for award under the non-set aside track. However, if an applicant fails to notify EPA, then they may be deemed ineligible to receive an award under this competition. Also, please note that Ports Initiative projects as described above will either be in the set aside track or regular non-set aside track depending on whether the applicant who submits the project qualifies for the set aside—if they do they will be considered in the set-aside track; if they do not they will be considered under the non-set aside track.

CONTENTS BY SECTION

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Ports Initiative Funding – see details in Section I.C II. Award Information III. Eligibility Information IV. Application and Submission Information V. Application Review Information VI. Award Administration Information VII. Agency Contacts VIII. Other Information /Appendices

A – Tips on Preparing an EJ Grant Application B – Blank Logic Model Template C – Logic Model Guide – What each Category Means

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D – Example Completed Logic Model E – Blank EJSG Detailed Budget Template F – Sample EJSG Detailed Budget G – Quality Assurance Project Plan Questionnaire

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION (back to Contents by Section)

A. DEFINITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines “environmental justice” as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Fair treatment means that no one group of people, including racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic groups, should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, municipal, and commercial operations or the execution of federal, state, local, and tribal environmental programs and policies. Meaningful involvement means that: (1) potentially affected community residents have an appropriate opportunity to participate in decisions about a proposed activity that will affect their environment and/or health; (2) the public’s contribution can influence the regulatory agency’s decision; (3) the concerns of all participants involved will be considered in the decision-making process; and (4) the decision-makers seek out and facilitate the involvement of those potentially affected.

B. BACKGROUND

EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) established the Environmental Justice Small Grants Program in fiscal year (FY) 1994. The purpose of this grant program is to support communities dealing with environmental justice concerns through projects designed to engage, educate, and empower these communities to better understand environmental and public health issues and to identify ways to address these issues at the local level.

EJSG PROGRAM GOALS: The immediate goals of the EJSG program are to support underserved communities through some of the initial steps of understanding, addressing, and developing solutions to local environmental and public health issues. Additionally, the EJSG program is structured to be one of the more accessible federal grant programs, especially for community-based organizations who are unfamiliar with the federal grants process. EPA strives to support community-based organizations that apply to EJ grant opportunities, regardless of their ultimate success in receiving a grant, by 1) familiarizing applicants with federal grant application requirements, 2) sharing expectations and responsibilities of managing federal grants, 3) providing constructive feedback and recommendations on ways to strengthen future applications, and 4) helping organizations build sustainability into projects so they continue to grow and develop after the project period is over. To facilitate the achievement of these immediate goals, all applicants who apply to the 2021 opportunity will be added to our EJ Grants Applicant Database. The database will help the EPA EJ program identify and work with additional underserved communities outside the context of grant awards.

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The long-term goals of the program are to help build the overall capacity of communities with environmental justice concerns and help them create self-sustaining, community-based partnerships that will continue to improve local environments in the future.

The EJSG Program has funded a wide range of projects and project types over the years that address local environmental and public health concerns through collaborative partnerships. All proposed projects should include activities designed to engage, educate, and empower communities to understand the local environmental and public health issues and to identify ways to address these issues at the local level. Types of projects the EJSG program has funded in the past include, but are not limited to, the following:

Air Quality & Asthma Water Quality & Sampling Food Access to reduce vehicle travel and fuel emissions Stormwater & Green Infrastructure Lead Contamination Pesticides and other Toxic Substances Healthy Homes Illegal Dumping Emergency Preparedness & Disaster Resiliency Environmental Job Training Youth Development through Environmental Education

To find the latest information about the EJSG program visit the following link:

Full Project Summaries of past projects dating back to the year 2000 are also available at the link above.

All projects considered for funding under this announcement must include a work plan. All work plans should include strategies for addressing local environmental and public health issues, educating and empowering the community about those issues, and approaches to building consensus and setting community priorities. In addition, the work plan should demonstrate collaboration with other stakeholders (e.g., other community-based organizations, environmental groups, businesses, industry, federal, tribal, state and local governments, and academic institutions) in an effort to realize project goals and objectives and build project sustainability leading to on-going efforts that address the local environmental justice issue(s).

Virtual EJ Grantee Training Workshop - All EJSG recipients will be required to attend a virtual EJ Grantee Networking and Training Workshop to be hosted by their nearest EPA regional office.

Each EPA regional office will schedule and develop the agenda for their own workshop. The networking workshop is designed to: 1) connect current EJ grant recipients with past recipients and community partners, 2) assist all community stakeholders with strategic planning for their communities, and 3) provide general project management and federal grant guidance.

C. QUALIFIED ENVIRONMENTAL STATUTES

The EJSG Program is designed to address multi-statute environmental and/or public health issues.

For this reason, in order to be eligible under this solicitation, each project must include activities

- 8 -related to at least one of the following federal environmental statutes. Any failure to clearly and conclusively identify and cite at least one of the federal statutes in your work plan may result in your project not being considered for award.

1. Clean Air Act, Section 103(b)(3): conduct research, investigations, experiments, demonstration projects, surveys, and studies (including monitoring) related to the causes, effects (including health and welfare effects), extent, prevention, and control of air pollution.

2. Clean Water Act, Section 104(b)(3): conduct and promote the coordination of research, investigations, training, demonstration projects, surveys, and studies (including monitoring) relating to the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of water pollution.

3. Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Section 20(a): conduct research, development, monitoring, public education, training, demonstration projects, and studies on pesticides.

4. Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act, Section 203: conduct research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstration projects, surveys, and studies relating to the minimizing or ending of ocean dumping of hazardous materials and the development of alternatives to ocean dumping.

5. Safe Drinking Water Act, Section 1442(b)(3): develop and expand the capability to carry out a program (that may combine training, education, and employment) for occupations relating to the public health aspects of providing safe drinking water.

6. Solid Waste Disposal Act, Section 8001(a): conduct and promote the coordination of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstration projects, surveys, public education programs, and studies relating to solid waste (e.g., health and welfare effects of exposure to materials present in solid waste and methods to eliminate such effects).

Please note that applications supporting brownfields work or that include extensive clean-up activities beyond the need for a demonstration/experiment/training are not eligible for funding under this announcement.

7. Toxic Substances Control Act, Section 10(a): conduct research, development, monitoring, public education, training, demonstration projects, and studies on toxic substances.

Eligible Activities - To be eligible for funding, as noted above, a project must consist of activities that fall within the terms of at least one of the above statutory grant authorities. Projects can address multiple statutes and include multiple eligible activities. Most of the statutes above authorize funding for the following activities:

• research

• public education

• demonstration projects

• training

• monitoring

• development

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• investigations

• surveys and studies

• experiments

NOTE: EJ grant activities must relate to gathering or transferring information or advancing awareness. Applications should emphasize this “learning” concept, rather than trying to “fix” an environmental problem using a well-established method. All the eligible activities listed above promote learning and understanding and are acceptable activities. Examples of unacceptable grant applications involve performing: large-scale clean-ups, treatments, routine recycling services, and major disposal and/or energy recovery projects.

For projects that will support demonstration activities, the project must involve new or experimental technologies, methods, or approaches; where the results of the project will be shared so that others can benefit from the knowledge gained. A project that is accomplished through the performance of routine, traditional, or well-established practices, or a project that is simply intended to carry out a task rather than transfer information or advance the state of knowledge, however worthwhile the project might be, is not a demonstration. The applicant must clearly explain in the application how the technologies, methods, or approaches used are new or experimental and how the project otherwise meets the requirements of a demonstration as described in this RFA. If your project uses technologies, methods or approaches that have been used previously in other geographic areas and/or business sectors, then your application must include an explanation as to how your demonstration project is different from such prior projects and is a true demonstration. You must also explain what will be learned from the demonstration project and how information regarding the results of the project will be disseminated to interested stakeholders who may be able to replicate the techniques that have been demonstrated. If your project is truly a demonstration and complies with other eligibility factors, then it will be considered for funding. Remember, your project doesn’t have to include demonstration activities.

But if it does, then those activities must comply with the details listed above.

1. Examples of Potentially Eligible EJSG Projects related to COVID-19

This is not an exhaustive list of project examples and is provided for illustrative purposes only to help applicants as they develop their applications. Types of COVID-19 projects include, but are not limited to, the following:

a. Development of public education and community outreach programs for underserved communities and vulnerable populations focusing on EPA-approved disinfectants (List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2) for combating COVID-19 virus outbreaks, as well as education activities related to COVID-19 vaccine information.

Outreach may include activities performed by and training for community health workers to share information about approved disinfecting chemicals, how to properly use them to mitigate viral outbreaks, and educational information about COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine safety. Outreach may also include training materials to best protect vulnerable residents who work in the environmental services fields that clean hospitals and manage trash removal within communities (i.e., hospital cleaning staff and sanitation workers). NOTE: EPA funds cannot be used to administer COVID- 19 vaccines.

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b. Public awareness programs addressing reducing childhood lead exposures and reducing exposure to asthma triggers in COVID-19 impacted communities with environmental justice concerns and/or vulnerable populations. Projects may include the use or examination of blood lead level data and/or research activities to identify effective ways to provide outreach and education to the public about causes and prevention of lead exposure and asthma, as well as ambient and indoor air quality issues within a community; and assessments that examine the impacts that COVID-19 has had on lead exposures and asthma triggers.

c. Projects focusing on food insecurity issues leading to excessive vehicle miles traveled due to “food deserts” exacerbated in communities heavily impacted by COVID-19.

Projects may include the development of urban agriculture and environmental workforce training programs; planning and education related to demonstration gardens and raised garden beds; and development of partnerships between local farmers markets, grocers, and/or school districts to identify potential food waste solutions and/or planning related to food access programs for underserved residents and students.

d. Healthy Homes campaigns to promote and share information about in-home environmental and health hazards that may increase vulnerability due to extended periods indoors due to local stay-at-home orders because of COVID-19, especially for residents in multi-family housing, sub-standard housing, and/or trailer park settings.

2. Examples of General EJSG Projects

EJSG projects can address a range of different environmental and public health issues unrelated to COVID-19 including those related to climate, disaster resiliency, and/or emergency preparedness. See the list below for general examples of EJSG projects. This is not an exhaustive list:

a. Development of emergency preparedness and disaster resiliency plans and programs for underserved communities and vulnerable populations to minimize the exposure to pollutants in the event of a natural disaster. Disasters tend to disproportionately impact communities of color, low-income, rural, elderly, and youth populations. Disasters include but are not limited to hurricanes, tornadoes, coastal flooding, oil spills, wildfires, and earthquakes. Projects should address and/or prepare communities for the increases in pollution that can result from these and other disasters.

b. Research, assessment, and/or study of air quality issues related to living close to transportation networks (e.g., railroads, railyards, ports, heavily trafficked roadways) in the local area, especially in areas where data may be limited.

c. Assessment of nonpoint or point source releases of waterborne pollutants in underserved communities and the creative approaches used for mitigation.

d. Establishment of collaborative and coordinated efforts, processes or procedures, and communication strategies between neighborhoods and communities with local

- 11 -governments regarding ongoing environmental projects and initiatives at local levels to maximize use of local resources and reduce duplication of efforts.

NOTE: For all of the above described activities, reasonable costs to encourage program participation (e.g. training and/or childcare stipends, rebates for disinfectants) may be allowable with prior EPA approval to the extent provided for in EPA’s Interim Guidance on Participant Support Costs.

Project Activities Eligible for Ports Initiative Funding – EPA’s Ports Initiative program led by the Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) anticipates funding approximately six projects that address clean air issues at coastal and inland ports or rail yards or other relevant projects. Emissions from diesel equipment at ports disproportionately impact nearby communities that are often comprised of low-income populations and people of color. To qualify for this funding, applicants may propose projects that prepare community stakeholders to effectively engage with operators and other stakeholders of nearby port or rail facilities to influence decision-making on operations and projects that may impact diesel engine emissions and related air quality.

Examples of potential project activities that may be considered under this initiative include prioritizing goals and concerns; identifying levers of change; and identifying influencers and other stakeholders with whom to build relations as outlined in Steps 1, 2, and 3 in the EPA Ports Initiative Community Action Roadmap. To be considered for this Ports Initiative funding, applications should include the following:

• Explanation of community concerns related to diesel engine emissions from a port or rail facility.

• Description of how project will prepare the community to engage with other port or rail facility stakeholders to address these concerns.

• Your project must only include activities related to the Clean Air Act, Section 103(b)(3). See Section I.C above for more details about eligible activities under this statute.

EPA intends to fund approximately six high-ranking Ports Initiative applications. Additional high-ranking Ports Initiative applications may be funded as appropriate. See Sections II and V for further information.

D. EPA STRATEGIC PLAN/EXECUTIVE ORDER LINKAGE & ANTICIPATED

OUTPUTS, OUTCOMES & PERFORMANCE MEASURES:

This announcement supports key priorities of the Biden-Harris Administration as detailed in Executive Order 13985 signed by President Biden on January 20, 2021 titled, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, and Executive Order 14008 signed by President Biden on January 27, 2021 titled Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. Specifically, the projects selected under this announcement will support the federal government’s efforts to advance racial equity, climate concerns, and support for underserved communities.

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-09/documents/interim_guidance_on_participant_support_costs.pdf https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-09/documents/interim_guidance_on_participant_support_costs.pdf https://www.epa.gov/ports-initiative https://www.epa.gov/community-port-collaboration/community-action-roadmap-empowering-near-port-communities https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021-01753/advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/02/01/2021-02177/tackling-the-climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad

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In addition, pursuant to Section 6a of EPA Order 5700.7, “Environmental Results under EPA Assistance Agreements,” (see https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements). EPA must link proposed assistance agreements to the Agency’s Strategic Plan.

EPA’s Strategic Plan 2018 - 2022 is available at https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan The activities to be funded under this announcement are intended to further EPA’s current priorities for:

• EPA’s Strategic Plan 2018 - 2022 Goal 2 (More Effective Partnerships); Objective 2.2 (Increase Transparency and Public Participation) which states that EPA will: “Listen to and collaborate with impacted stakeholders and provide effective platforms for public participation and meaningful engagement…EPA will meet community needs through public participation and will build community capacity through grants, technical assistance, partnering, and meaningful engagement.”

Applicants should explain in their application how their project will further Goal 2; Objective 2.2.

(Increase Transparency and Public Participation).

EPA Order 5700.7 also requires that grant applicants adequately describe environmental outputs and outcomes to be achieved under assistance agreements. Applicants must include specific statements describing the environmental results of the proposed project in terms of well-defined outputs and, to the maximum extent practicable, well-defined outcomes that will demonstrate how the project will contribute to the goals and objectives described above.

1. Outputs (Evaluation Criteria, Section V.A) The term “output” means an environmental activity, effort, and/or associated work product related to an environmental goal and 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 funding period. Examples of some expected outputs from the project(s) may include the following:

• The number of residents or workers who receive specific training to mitigate an environmental/public health hazards (e.g., number of residents trained on safe shellfish harvesting)

• The number of homes assessed for specific environmental/public health hazards

• A survey tool for collecting data from residents for a community assessment of environmental/public health hazards.

• The number of resident participants in a survey to identify and prioritize environmental/public health needs of a community.

• A study into the feasibility of creating an environmental and/or public health program to achieve and sustain environmental and/or public health improvements (e.g., a community-wide indoor air monitoring program)

2. Outcomes (Evaluation Criteria, Section V.A.) The term “outcome” means the result, effect or consequence that will occur from carrying out an environmental program or activity that relates to an environmental or programmatic goal or objective. Outcomes may be environmental, behavioral, health-related, or programmatic in nature; must be quantitative; and may not necessarily be achievable within an assistance agreement funding https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan

- 13 -period. Additionally, outcomes should be organized by expected time period (short-term, intermediate, and long-term). Short-term outcomes refer to changes in knowledge or attitudes and usually occur during the project period. Intermediate outcomes refer to changes in behaviors and actions due to the knowledge acquired and are usually measured within several months after the end of the project. Long-term outcomes refer to changes in conditions and are measured a year or several years after project completion. Short-term, intermediate, and long-term outcomes are related and build on one another. EPA encourages recipients to identify outcomes wherever possible because they lead to environmental and/or public health improvement more clearly than outputs. Using the previously listed output (creation of a community-wide indoor air monitoring program), here are examples of possible outcomes:

1. Short-term (change in knowledge) - Increase in number of residents that know about indoor asthma triggers (during project)

2. Intermediate (change in behavior) - Increase in number of residents that install and routinely check their home indoor air monitor (6 - 12 months after project)

3. Long-term (change in conditions) – Reduction in asthma rates among community residents (2+ years after project)

3. Performance Measurement Plan (Evaluation Criteria, Section V.A.) Applicants should describe how they plan to track and monitor their project performance and progress throughout the project period. Outputs and outcomes are critical components of an applicant’s overall plan for measuring their project’s performance. An applicant will be evaluated on the quality of their overall performance measurement plan including the proposed outputs, outcomes, and associated timeframes for achieving those results.

Generally, higher quality logic models and performance measurement plans include specific target metrics where possible for both outputs and outcomes. An applicant’s performance measurement plan will help gather insights, will be the mechanism to track successful progress, output and outcome strategies, and will provide the basis for developing lessons learned to inform future recipients. A logic model is useful in developing an overall performance measurement plan. See Appendices C and D for a sample logic model template.

The following questions are also useful to consider when developing output and outcome measures of quantitative and qualitative results:

1. What are the measurable short term and longer term results the project will achieve?

2. How does the project measure progress in achieving the expected results (including outputs and outcomes) and how will the approach use resources effectively and efficiently?

3. Are the projected outputs and outcomes specific and detailed? Did I include specific target measures where possible? Are my target measures reasonable and achievable within the project period and for the funding amount?

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II. AWARD INFORMATION (back to Contents by Section)

A. FUNDING AVAILABILITY AND PROJECT PERIOD

The total estimated funding for this competitive opportunity is approximately $2,800,000 for projects related to one of the seven statutes listed in Section I.C. The EJ Program is providing approximately $2,500,000 of funding with EPA’s OTAQ contributing approximately an additional $300,000 for approximately six Ports Initiative projects. These awards are for one-year projects.

Applicants should plan for projects to start October 1, 2021. Approximately half of the total available funding ($1.4 million) is intended to be set aside for awards for small non-profit organizations with 10 or fewer full-time employees. Funding amounts for the set aside may be adjusted based on the quality of applications received and other relevant considerations.

B. NUMBER OF ANTICIPATED AWARDS

EPA anticipates awarding approximately 56 grants nationwide, with EPA regions awarding approximately 5 grants each. There are 10 EPA regions. Each award will be for up to $50,000.

As further described in this RFA, there will be two separate ranking lists of applications developed under the RFA: for small non-profit organizations under the set-aside, and for all other applications. All awards are subject to the availability of funds, the quality of the applications submitted, and other applicable considerations.

EPA reserves the right to increase or decrease the total number of grants awarded or reject all applications and make no awards under this announcement. Such changes may be necessary as a response to the quality of applications received by EPA or the amount of funds available.

For a listing of EPA’s ten regions and the states for which they are responsible, please see Section VII. If additional funding becomes available after the original selections are made, EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement consistent with Agency policy and guidance. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than six months after the original selections have been made.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION (back to Contents by Section)

A. Eligible Entities based on the Assistance Listing. In accordance with Assistance Listing 66.604, an eligible applicant must be one of the following:

• incorporated non-profit organizations—including, but not limited to, community-based organizations, grassroots organizations, environmental justice networks, faith-based organizations and those affiliated with religious institutions;*

• US Territories

• Tribal governments which must be either federally-recognized or state-recognized – including Alaska Native Villages; or

• Tribal organizations

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NOTE - In order to qualify for consideration under the small non-profit organization set-aside described in this RFA—an applicant must be a non-profit organization with 10 or fewer full-time employees on staff - interested applicants must submit documentation with their application (such as an employee roster) verifying the number of full-time employees on staff and the associated hours per week and salary/wage details for each full-time employee. For this announcement, a full-time employee is defined as an employee who works 40 or more hours per week for the applying organization. Furthermore, in order to qualify for consideration under the set-aside, interested applicants must meet these standards both at the time of application submission and, if selected, at time of award. Applicants who meet the standard set forth above for inclusion under the set-aside at the time of submission of their application, but during this competition subsequently grow larger than 10 full-time employees, must immediately notify EPA of their change in size. If an applicant can confirm that their change in size has no material impact on their original workplan, then they will be moved from the set-aside track and considered for award under the non-set aside track.

*Applicant non-profit organizations must include documentation that shows the organization is either a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization as designated by the Internal Revenue Service; OR a non-profit organization recognized by the state, territory, commonwealth or tribe in which it is located. For the latter, documentation must be on official state government letterhead.

Applicants must be located within the same state, territory, commonwealth, or tribal jurisdiction in which the proposed project is located. This means that an applicant’s registered address of record (i.e. the address designated on their IRS or State-sanctioned documentation) must be in the same state, territory, commonwealth or tribal jurisdiction as the location of the proposed project.

The following entities are INELIGIBLE to receive an award, but applicants may partner with these organizations, as appropriate (see Contracts and Subawards solicitation clause referenced in Section IV), for technical assistance:

• colleges and universities;

• hospitals;

• for-profit businesses;

• state and local governments and their entities;

• quasi-governmental entities (e.g., water districts, utilities)*;

• national organizations and chapters of the aforementioned organizations**;

• non-profit organizations exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code supporting lobbying activities as defined in Section 3 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995; and***

• Individuals

* Generally, a quasi-governmental entity is one that: (1) has a close association with the government agency, but is not considered a part of the government agency; (2) was created by the government agency, but is exempt from certain legal and administrative requirements imposed on government agencies; or (3) was not created by the government agency but performs a public purpose and is significantly supported financially by the government agency.

https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses#contractssubawards

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** National organizations are defined as comprising of one centralized headquarters or principal place of business that creates and controls the mission, structure and work carried out by its chapters or affiliates.

*** Funds awarded under this announcement may not be used to support lobbying activities or any activities related to lobbying or the appearance thereof. Subawards made to 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations that lobby are not allowed.

B. THRESHOLD ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

These are requirements that, if not met by the time of application submission, will result in elimination of the application from consideration for funding. Only applications from eligible entities (Section III.A) that meet all of these criteria will be evaluated against the ranking factors in Section V. Applicants deemed ineligible for funding consideration because of the threshold eligibility review will be notified within 15 calendar days of the ineligibility determination.

1. Applications must substantially comply with the application submission instructions and requirements set forth in Section IV of this announcement or else they will be rejected.

However, where a page limit is expressed in Section IV with…