EPA-OAR-OAQPS-22-01 Revised2 2021 12 15.pdf

AGENCY: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)

TITLE: Enhanced Air Quality Monitoring for Communities

ACTION: Request for Applications (RFA)

RFA NUMBER: EPA-OAR-OAQPS-22-01

Assistance Listing No: 66.034

IMPORTANT DATES

December 13, 2021 RFA OPENS

January 11, 2022 INFORMATION SESSION

January 14, 2022 OPTIONAL INTENT TO APPLY

February 18, 2022 LAST DAY TO SUBMIT QUESTIONS

February 25, 2022 RFA CLOSES – APPLICATIONS DUE

July-August 2022 ANTICIPATED NOTIFICATION OF SELECTION

September-October 2022 ANTICIPATED AWARD

Application packages must be submitted electronically to EPA through Grants.gov

(www.grants.gov) no later than February 25, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. (ET) in order to be considered for funding.

To allow for efficient management of the competitive process, EPA requests submittal of an informal notice of an Intent to Apply by January 14, 2022 to AirMonitoring@epa.gov. Please include your approximate funding amount, set-aside preference (if applicable), and one to two sentences about the scope of your project. Submission of an Intent to Apply is optional; it is a process management tool that will allow EPA to better anticipate the total staff time required for efficient review, evaluation, and selection of submitted applications.

COVID-19 UPDATE

EPA is providing flexibilities to applicants experiencing challenges related to COVID-19. Please see the Flexibilities Available to Organizations Impacted by COVID-19 clause in Section IV of

EPA’s Solicitation Clauses.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP), this notice announces the availability of funds and solicits applications from eligible entities to conduct ambient air monitoring of pollutants of greatest concern in communities with environmental and health outcome disparities stemming from pollution and the COVID-19 pandemic. EPA will award funds to support community and local efforts to monitor their own air quality and to promote air quality monitoring partnerships between communities and tribal, state, and local governments.

FUNDING/AWARDS: The total estimated funding for this competitive opportunity is approximately $20,000,000. Approximately $2 million dollars of this amount will be awarded to tribal governments under a tribal government set-aside, and approximately $2 million will be awarded to eligible community-based organizations under a community-based organization set-http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:AirMonitoring@epa.gov https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses aside.

Overall, EPA anticipates awarding a total of approximately 50-70 assistance agreements

(cooperative agreements or grants) from this announcement, subject to availability of funds, the quality of applications received, agency priorities, and other applicable considerations. EPA anticipates awarding approximately 20-30 assistance agreements ranging in value from $25,000 to $100,000 (i.e., “Small Grants”) and 30-40 assistance agreements ranging in value from

$100,001-$500,000 (i.e., “Large Grants”). EPA may increase or decrease the total funding or set-aside amounts based on the number of meritorious applications received, agency priorities, funding availability, and other applicable considerations.

NOTE: If you intend to name a contractor (including an individual consultant or equipment vendor) or a subrecipient as a project partner or otherwise in your application, EPA recommends that you carefully review, and comply with, the directions contained in the “Contracts and

Subawards” clause that can be accessed under Section I.F. of this RFA. and at www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses. Refer to EPA’s Best Practice Guide for Procuring

Services, Supplies, and Equipment Under EPA Assistance Agreements and EPA’s Subaward

Policy and supplemental Frequent Questions for additional guidance. Applicants must demonstrate that named contractors (including individual consultants and equipment vendors) were selected in compliance with the competitive requirements of the Procurement Standards in

2 CFR Part 200 as interpreted in EPA guidance and/or that named subrecipients meet the eligibility requirements in EPA’s Subaward Policy for EPA to consider their qualifications and role in the proposed project.

INFORMATION SESSION: EPA will host a webinar to discuss this RFA. Participants will have the opportunity to have their questions answered by EPA in a public forum. Pre-registration is not required.

Date: Tuesday, January 11, 2022

Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM EST

More Information: https://www.epa.gov/grants/enhanced-air-quality-monitoring-communities

Approximately one week after the information session, EPA will post the webinar recording and slides on https://www.epa.gov/grants/enhanced-air-quality-monitoring-communities.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: Applicants are encouraged to review the questions and answers document for further information about this grant program and RFA, available at https://www.epa.gov/grants/enhanced-air-quality-monitoring-communities. EPA will respond to questions from applicants regarding:

• Threshold eligibility criteria;

• Administrative issues related to the submission of the application;

• Requests for clarification about any of the language or provisions in the announcement;

and,

• Compliance with regulatory requirements and EPA guidance for competition for procurement of professional services and equipment purchases and entering into proper http://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses https://www.epa.gov/grants/best-practice-guide-procuring-services-supplies-and-equipment-under-epa-assistance https://www.epa.gov/grants/best-practice-guide-procuring-services-supplies-and-equipment-under-epa-assistance https://www.epa.gov/grants/best-practice-guide-procuring-services-supplies-and-equipment-under-epa-assistance https://www.epa.gov/grants/enhanced-air-quality-monitoring-communities https://www.epa.gov/grants/enhanced-air-quality-monitoring-communities https://www.epa.gov/grants/enhanced-air-quality-monitoring-communities subawards.

Please note that EPA will not respond to questions from applicants seeking help in drafting applications. Questions must be submitted via email before February 18, 2022. EPA will answer relevant questions and post them in the Question/Answer document the following week, while the RFA is open, at: https://www.epa.gov/grants/enhanced-air-quality-monitoring-communities.

All applicants are encouraged to check the document regularly. EPA will post the final questions and answers document no later than February 22, 2022.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE: Enhanced Air Quality Monitoring for Communities

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Background

B. Scope of Work

C. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage, Anticipated Outputs/Outcomes and Performance Measures

D. Statutory Authority

F. Additional Provisions For Applicants Incorporated Into The Solicitation

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. What is the amount of funding available?

B. Partial Funding

C. How many agreements will EPA award in this competition?

D. What is the project period for awards resulting from this solicitation?

E. Funding Type

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Entities

B. Voluntary Cost Sharing/Matching Funds and Leveraged Resources

C. Threshold Eligibility Criteria

D. Ineligible Costs or Activities and Other Considerations

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. Requirement to Submit Through Grants.gov and Limited Exception Procedures

B. Grants.gov Application Submission Instructions (see Appendix A)

C. Content of Application Submission

D. Submission Date and Times

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. Evaluation Criteria

B. Review and Selection Process

C. Other Factors

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. Award Notices

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

C. Reporting Requirement

D. Disputes

VII. AGENCY CONTACTS

APPENDIX A – Grants.gov Application Submission Instructions

APPENDIX B – Project Narrative Instructions, Format, and Content

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Background

Under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP), Congress provided EPA with a one-time supplemental appropriation of $100 million to address health outcome disparities from pollution and the COVID-19 pandemic. EPA will make a portion of these funds available to enhance air quality monitoring in and near underserved communities across the United States. EPA is competing $20 million of these funds for projects to monitor air pollutants of greatest concern in communities with adverse health outcome disparities through the process outlined in this solicitation. EPA will award funds to eligible entities to support community and local efforts to monitor their own air quality and to promote air quality monitoring partnerships between communities and tribal, state, and local governments.

B. Scope of Work

The scope of work described in this section applies to all the funding available under this competition.

EPA is soliciting applications from eligible entities, as described in Section III.A., for projects designed to monitor air pollutants of greatest concern in communities with disproportionate and adverse health outcomes. EPA’s objective in issuing these awards is to enable communities to monitor their own air quality and to promote monitoring partnerships between communities and tribal, state, and/or local governments that:

• Leverage existing air quality monitoring expertise;

• Expand use of community monitoring advisory groups and other approaches that give the community a voice in the monitoring of their air quality; and

• Build a foundation of trusting relationships and enhanced understanding from which sustainable solutions to community air pollution problems can be found.

Applications should include detailed, well thought-out projects for enhancing air quality monitoring, including but not limited to: building capacity and knowledge of local-scale, real-time air quality; measuring levels of certain air pollutants; collecting data in situations where there is persistent and complex air pollution (e.g., wildfires); or advancing air monitoring system resiliency.

This is a one-time infusion of funds, so projects must be completed within three years without the expectation of additional resources and/or funds to maintain and operate equipment beyond this timeframe.

Pollutant Scope

To be considered for funding under this RFA, each application must address at least one of the following:

• Carbon Monoxide

• Lead

• Nitrogen Dioxide

• Ozone, including ozone precursors o Precursors for ozone collected in the Photochemical Assessment Monitoring

Stations (PAMS) Program including oxides of nitrogen, (NO, NO2, NOx, NOy) volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and carbonyls. A list of ozone precursors can be found in the Technical Assistance Document for Sampling and Analysis of

Ozone Precursors for the Photochemical Assessment Monitoring Stations

Program, Revision 2 – April 2019. This is available at: https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-

11/documents/pams_technical_assistance_document_revision_2_april_2019.pdf o Additional ozone precursors such as methane.

• Sulfur Dioxide

• Particle Pollution (ultrafine, PM2.5, or PM10), including aerosol composition and PM precursors o Aerosol composition is determined by the Chemical Speciation Network

(CSN). A full list of the CSN reported parameters is available at: https://www.epa.gov/amtic/chemical-speciation-network-parameters-reported-air-quality-system-aqs.

o PM precursors including ammonia, sulfur dioxide (SO2), oxides of nitrogen, CO, and VOCs.

• Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs), commonly referred to as air toxics. A full list of HAPs is available at: https://www.epa.gov/haps/initial-list-hazardous-air-pollutants-modifications#mods.

Proposed projects cannot include activities that address pollutants that are not listed above.

Air Monitoring Technology

To provide timely air quality information in communities, applicants should use commercially available technology and/or proven methods to monitor these air pollutants. For example, projects must utilize commercially available air quality monitoring equipment (e.g., a continuous

PM2.5 monitor), EPA procedures (e.g., EPA’s Compendium of Methods for the Determination of

Toxic Organic Compounds in Ambient Air), and/or other air quality methods that have been previously researched and documented in literature. EPA will not fund projects that involve the research, development, demonstration or evaluation of new air monitoring methods or equipment under this RFA.

Community Partnerships and Engagement

EPA encourages eligible entities as identified in Section III.A. of this RFA to partner with local communities to monitor air pollutants of greatest concern in communities with disproportionate and adverse health outcomes. EPA will evaluate how community partners and supporting organizations will participate in or directly assist in the design and performance of the project, or how obtaining support from project partners will allow the applicant to more effectively perform the project under criterion 2 of Section V.A. of this RFA. Community engagement and partnership efforts may engage various organizations representing a broad spectrum of the community; examples include grassroots, neighborhood, school, faith-based, city council, business, local government, and other organizations. Applications that demonstrate recent involvement of project partners and community members working together on past projects may be evaluated more favorably than others. Applicants are encouraged to include letters of https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-11/documents/pams_technical_assistance_document_revision_2_april_2019.pdf https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-11/documents/pams_technical_assistance_document_revision_2_april_2019.pdf https://www.epa.gov/amtic/chemical-speciation-network-parameters-reported-air-quality-system-aqs https://www.epa.gov/amtic/chemical-speciation-network-parameters-reported-air-quality-system-aqs https://www.epa.gov/haps/initial-list-hazardous-air-pollutants-modifications#mods https://www.epa.gov/haps/initial-list-hazardous-air-pollutants-modifications#mods https://www.epa.gov/amtic/compendium-methods-determination-toxic-organic-compounds-ambient-air https://www.epa.gov/amtic/compendium-methods-determination-toxic-organic-compounds-ambient-air commitment that demonstrate strong, long-term involvement throughout the proposed project from a variety of project partners. While EPA is encouraging partnerships, only eligible entities as described in Section III.A. of this RFA can directly apply for an assistance agreement under this competition. Additionally, as indicated earlier, financial transactions with partners that will be financed with EPA funding must comply with applicable regulatory requirements and EPA policies and guidance. Any partners named in the application are subject to the “Contracts and

Subawards” clause that can be accessed under Section IV.d. of the additional EPA Solicitation

Clauses: www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses.

Projects must address engagement with relevant communities to ensure their meaningful participation with respect to the design, planning, and performance of the proposed project. All selected projects must disseminate collected data and/or other observations to interested stakeholders in a practicable amount of time throughout the lifetime of the project. EPA will evaluate community engagement under criterion 2.B. of Section V.A. of this RFA.

Environmental Justice and Underserved Communities

Environmental justice (EJ) is 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 no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, governmental and commercial operations or policies.

Meaningful involvement means people have an opportunity to participate in decisions about activities that may affect their environment and/or health; the public's contribution can influence the regulatory agency's decision; community concerns will be considered in the decision-making process; and decision makers will seek out and facilitate the involvement of those potentially affected. EPA will evaluate environmental justice issues under criterion 3 of Section V.A. of this

RFA.

For purposes of this competition and the evaluation of applications, “underserved communities” means people/communities of color, low income, tribal and indigenous populations, and other vulnerable populations such as the elderly, children, and those whose pre-existing medical conditions make them vulnerable to the adverse effects of air pollution.

Applications will be evaluated based on the extent to which they demonstrate how the project will effectively address disproportionate health outcomes from pollution and the COVID–19 pandemic that have affected and/or currently affect people/communities of color, low income, tribal, and indigenous populations, and if applicable other vulnerable populations such as the elderly, children, and those with pre-existing medical conditions. Adverse impacts may be the result of the COVID-19 pandemic, industrial, governmental, commercial and/or other actions and include the accompanying economic challenges of such impacts.

In addressing these criteria, as applicable, applicants should describe how the project benefits these communities and/or populations including those that have experienced a lack of resources or other impediments to addressing the adverse impacts described above. Additionally, applicants should describe the extent to which the project addresses engagement with these http://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses communities and/or populations to ensure their meaningful participation with respect to the design, planning, and performance of the project.

NOTE: Disproportionate health outcomes from pollution and the COVID–19 pandemic, as well the accompanying economic challenges of such impacts, may result when greater pollution burdens or consequences, and the impact of them, are more likely to affect people/communities of color, low income, tribal and indigenous populations and vulnerable populations including those identified above. The impacts may result from various factors including but not limited to being a function of historical trends and policy decisions.

Factors that may indicate disproportionate and adverse impacts as referenced above include:

• Differential proximity and exposure to environmental hazards;

• Greater susceptibility to adverse effects from environmental hazards (due to genetic predisposition, age, chronic medical conditions, lack of health care access, the COVID-19 pandemic, or poor nutrition);

• Unique environmental exposures because of practices linked to cultural background or socioeconomic status (e.g., subsistence fishing or farming);

• Cumulative effects from multiple stressors;

• Reduced ability to effectively participate in decision-making processes due to language barriers, inability to access traditional communication channels, or limited capacity to access technical and legal resources; and

• Degraded physical infrastructure, such as poor housing, poorly maintained public buildings

(e.g., schools), or lack of access to transportation.

Applicants are encouraged, as appropriate, to include data from EPA’s EJSCREEN tool (or other

EJ-focused geospatial mapping tools) as part of their application to help characterize and describe the affected communities/populations and area(s). Data from other sources (e.g., studies, census, and third-party reports) should also be included to give a more complete picture of the impacted communities and populations. Instructions, resources, and tutorials on how to use

EJSCREEN are included at the hyperlink above.

Quality Assurance & Quality Control

Quality Assurance (QA) is a series of management activities, including planning, implementation, and assessment, necessary to ensure the quality and defensibility of the final product (e.g., air monitoring data). Quality Control (QC) is the system of technical activities conducted to measure the attributes and performance of a process against defined standards. QC provides a reasonable level of checking (verification) at various stages of the data collection process to ensure quality is maintained. Examples of QC activities include calibrations and precision checks. Each application must describe the approaches needed to successfully complete the research project and obtain documented quality data. Additionally, the applicant must also identify and document the activities that will ensure that the product is of adequate quality to be used as planned. EPA will evaluate the applicant’s quality assurance and quality control practices under criterion 5 of Section V.A. of this RFA.

https://www.epa.gov/ejscreen

Number of Applications

Applicants can submit a total of two (2) applications overall under this solicitation. If an applicant is submitting two (2) applications, each application must be for a different project and must be submitted separately. Applicants can target multiple air pollutants and/or air monitoring methods within one application, but they cannot include the same project(s) in multiple applications. If an applicant submits more than two applications to EPA, or more than one application requests funding for the same project, the applicant will be contacted prior to EPA review of any of the applications to determine which application(s) the applicant will withdraw from the competition.

C. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage, Anticipated Outputs/Outcomes and Performance

Measures

Pursuant to Section 6.a. of EPA Order 5700.7A1, “Environmental Results under EPA Assistance

Agreements,” EPA must link proposed assistance agreements with the Agency’s Strategic Plan.

EPA also requires that grant applicants and recipients adequately describe environmental outputs and outcomes to be achieved under assistance agreements (see EPA Order 5700.7A1, Environmental Results under Assistance Agreements).

1. Linkage to EPA Strategic Plan: The activities to be funded under this announcement support EPA’s Draft Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-2026 Strategic Plan. Awards made under this announcement will support Goal 4, “Ensure Clean and Healthy Air for All Communities;”

Objective 4.1, “Improve Air Quality and Reduce Localized Pollution and Health Impacts.”

Under this objective, “EPA will work with air agencies and local communities to prioritize engagement with low-income and marginalized communities that for decades have been overburdened with air pollution and other environmental hazards.” Applications must be for projects that support this goal and objective. For more information see: EPA’s Draft FY

2022-2026 Strategic Plan.

EPA also requires that grant applicants adequately describe environmental outputs and outcomes to be achieved under assistance agreements (see EPA Order 5700.7A1, Environmental Results 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 priorities described above.

2. Outputs: 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 an assistance agreement funding period.

Expected outputs from the projects to be funded under this announcement may include, but are not limited to:

• Identification of air pollution;

• Community-specific assessments of air pollution data;

http://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf http://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan http://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf http://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-03/documents/epa_order_5700_7a1.pdf

• Deployment of equipment to conduct air quality monitoring in or near underserved communities;

• Near real-time air quality data availability for communities and other stakeholders;

and,

• Promotion of partnerships and community involvement through various activities and information exchanges.

Progress reports and a final report will also be required outputs, as specified in Section VI.C.

“Reporting Requirement,” of this RFA.

3. Outcomes: The term “outcome” means the result, effect or consequence that will occur from carrying out an environmental program or activity that is related to an environmental or programmatic goal or objective. Outcomes may be environmental, behavioral, health-related or programmatic in nature, but must also be quantitative. They may not necessarily be achievable within an assistance agreement funding period.

In and near areas with disproportionate environmental and human health impacts to underserved communities, expected outcomes from the projects to be funded under this announcement may include, but are not limited to:

• Short-term Outcomes (i.e., a change in knowledge) o Problem identification.

o Increased community awareness.

o Increased access to information and tools that increase understanding and reduction of environmental and human health risks.

• Intermediate Outcomes (i.e., a change in behavior) o State or local policy action(s).

o Mitigation action(s) from parties responsible for certain air pollution.

o Community action to mitigate certain air pollutant(s).

• Long-term Outcomes (i.e., a change in conditions) o Reduction of certain air pollutant emissions.

o Reduction of ambient concentrations of certain air pollutant(s).

o Reduction of human exposure to certain air pollutant(s).

4. Performance Measures. The applicant should also develop performance measures they expect to achieve through the proposed activities and describe them in their application.

These performance measures will help gather insights and will be the mechanism to track progress concerning successful processes and output and outcome strategies and will provide the basis for developing lessons to inform future recipients. Additional details on reporting requirements are included in Section VI.C. It is expected that the description of performance measures will directly relate to the project outcomes and outputs. The description of the performance measures will directly relate to the project’s outcomes and outputs, including but not limited to:

• Overseeing subrecipients, and/or contractors and vendors;

• Tracking and reporting project progress on expenditures and purchases; and

• Tracking, measuring, and reporting accomplishments and proposed timelines/milestones.

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

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

• How will progress toward achieving the expected results be measured (including outputs and outcomes) and how will the approach use resources effectively and efficiently?

D. Statutory Authority

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (P.L. 117-2) provided funding to EPA to address health outcome disparities from pollution and the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, ARP §6002(a)(2) provides funding for grants and activities authorized under subsections (a) through (c) of section

103 of the Clean Air Act.

The statutory authority for this action is Clean Air Act, §103(b)(3), which authorizes the award of grants for research, investigations, experiments, demonstrations, surveys, and studies related to the causes, effects, (including health and welfare effects), extent, prevention, and control of air pollution. Projects designed to monitor air pollutants of greatest concern in communities with disproportionate and adverse health outcomes is consistent with this authority.

F. Additional Provisions For Applicants Incorporated Into The Solicitation

Additional provisions that apply to sections III, IV, V, and VI of this solicitation and/or awards made under this solicitation, can be found at EPA Solicitation Clauses. These provisions are important for applying to this solicitation and applicants must review them when preparing applications for this solicitation. If you are unable to access these provisions electronically at the website above, please contact the EPA point of contact listed in this solicitation (usually in

Section VII) to obtain the provisions.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. What is the amount of funding available?

The total estimated funding for this competitive opportunity is approximately $20,000,000.

Approximately $2 million dollars of this amount will be awarded to tribal governments under a tribal government set-aside under which only applications from tribal governments will be considered, and approximately $2 million will be awarded to community-based organizations under a community-based organization set-aside under which only applications from community-based organizations will be considered. Applications for each set-aside will be reviewed separately and separate ranking lists prepared (see Section V.B. of this competition for more information). The anticipated award amounts and the relative allocations for the set-asides are approximations, and EPA may increase or decrease the amounts and number of projects selected under each set-aside based on the number of meritorious applications received, agency priorities, funding availability, and other applicable considerations.

B. Partial Funding

In appropriate circumstances, EPA reserves the right to partially fund applications by funding discrete portions of proposed projects. If EPA decides to partially fund an application, it will do so in a manner that does not prejudice any applicants or affect the basis upon which the application was evaluated and selected for award, thereby maintaining the integrity of the competition and selection process.

C. How many agreements will EPA award in this competition?

EPA anticipates awarding a total of approximately 50 to 70 grants or cooperative agreements under this announcement, subject to the availability of funds, the quantity and quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations. EPA anticipates awarding approximately 20-30 assistance agreements ranging in value from $25,000 to $100,000 (i.e., “Small Grants”) and 30-40 assistance agreements ranging in value from $100,001-$500,000 (i.e., “Large Grants”). EPA may increase or decrease the number of small or large grants based on the number of meritorious applications received, agency priorities, funding availability, and other applicable considerations.

If EPA selects multiple applications from an applicant, EPA may combine the selected applications into one grant award for the successful applicant (See Section VI.A. Combining of

Successful Applications into One Award).

EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement, consistent with

Agency policy and other applicable considerations, if additional funding becomes available after the original selections. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than six months from the date of the original selections.

In addition, EPA reserves the right to reject all applications and make no awards under this announcement or to make fewer awards than anticipated.

D. What is the project period for awards resulting from this solicitation?

The estimated project period for awards resulting from this solicitation is expected to begin by

July 2022. Proposed project periods may be up to three years from the project start date. Because this is one-time funding, projects must be completed within three years and/or address how equipment will be maintained and operated beyond this timeframe without the expectation of additional resources. EPA will only consider extending project periods due to extraordinary circumstances that an applicant could not foresee when the application was submitted.

E. Funding Type

The funding for selected projects will be in the form of a grant or cooperative agreement.

Cooperative agreements provide for substantial involvement between the EPA project officer and the selected applicants in the performance of the work supported. Although EPA will negotiate precise terms and conditions relating to substantial involvement as part of the award process, the anticipated substantial federal involvement for these projects may include:

• Close monitoring of the successful applicant’s performance to verify the results proposed by the applicant;

• Collaboration during performance of the scope of work;

• EPA prior review or approval of project phases or the substantive provisions of proposed contracts or subawards found within the scope of the cooperative agreement;

• EPA approval of a quality assurance project plan prior to issuing an award that involves environmental data collection, production, or use.

• Approving qualifications of key personnel (EPA will not select employees or contractors employed by the award recipient); and

• Review and comment on reports prepared under the cooperative agreement (the final decision on the content of reports rests with the recipient).

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

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Note: Additional provisions that apply to this section can be found at EPA Solicitation

Clauses.

A. Eligible Entities

In accordance with Assistance Listing 66.034, applications will be accepted from states

(including the District of Columbia); local governments; U.S. territories and possessions; Indian tribes; public and private hospitals and laboratories; and other public or private nonprofit organizations.

Nonprofit organization, as defined by 2 CFR 200.1, means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative or other organization that: (1) is operated primarily for scientific, educational, service, charitable or similar purposes in the public interest; (2) is not organized primarily for profit; and (3) uses its net proceeds to maintain, improve and/or expand its operations. The term includes tax-exempt nonprofit neighborhood and labor organizations. Note that the definition of nonprofit in 2 CFR Part 200.1 specifically excludes the following types of organizations from the definition of “nonprofit organization” because they are separately defined in the regulation: (i) institutions of higher education; and (ii) state, local and federally-recognized Indian tribal governments. Institutions of Higher Education are not eligible to submit applications under this

RFA. Hospitals operated by state, tribal, or local governments or that meet the definition of nonprofit at 2 CFR 200.1 are eligible to apply. Nonprofit organizations do not need be tax exempt under the Internal Revenue Code but may use documentation of tax-exempt status to demonstrate that it is a nonprofit. EPA will verify applicants’ non-profit status on SAM.gov. For-profit colleges, universities, trade schools, and hospitals are ineligible.

For-profit organizations are not an eligible entity for this funding opportunity. Additionally, 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.

To be eligible for the tribal set-aside, the applicant must meet the definition of Indian tribe under

Section 302(r) of the Clean Air Act: “The term ‘Indian tribe’ means any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including Alaska Native village, which is

Federally recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United

States to Indians because of their status as Indians.”

To be eligible for the community-based organization set-aside, the applicant must be an eligible nonprofit or not for profit corporation in good standing under state or tribal law with authority to enter into binding legal agreements. The community-based organization need not be tax exempt under the Internal Revenue Code but may use documentation of tax-exempt status to demonstrate that it is a nonprofit. Entities applying for the community-based set-aside must specify the community they represent and provide documentation, such as their charter, mission statement, or other official documentation of the organization; and include a statement demonstrating the effectiveness as a representative of the applicable community (See Section

III.C.6).

B. Voluntary Cost Sharing/Matching Funds and Leveraged Resources

No cost sharing/matching funds or leveraged resources are required as a condition of eligibility under this competition.

C. 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 applicants (see Section III.A. of this RFA) that meet all of these criteria will be evaluated against the ranking criteria in Section V. of this RFA. If necessary, EPA may contact applicants to clarify threshold eligibility questions prior to making an eligibility determination. Applicants deemed ineligible for funding consideration due to the threshold eligibility review will be notified within 15 calendar days of the ineligibility determination.

1. Application Content and Submission

a. Applications must substantially comply with the application submission instructions and application content requirements set forth in Section IV. and Appendices A and B or else they will be rejected.

b. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov as stated in Section IV.A. 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 application submission deadline published in Section IV.D. of this announcement. Applicants are responsible for following the submission instructions in Section IV. of this announcement to ensure that their application is timely and properly submitted.

http://www.grants.gov/

Applications submitted after the submission deadline 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

Grants.gov or relevant SAM.gov system issues. An applicant’s failure to timely submit their application through Grants.gov because they did not timely or properly register in

SAM.gov or Grants.gov will not be considered an acceptable reason to consider a late submission. EPA suggests registering in Grants.gov and SAM.gov as early as possible. Additional information about SAM.gov registration is available in the EPA

Solicitation Clauses under Section IV.f., System for Award Management (SAM) Unique

Identifier Requirements.

2. Applications must support Goal 4 “Ensure Clean and Healthy Air for All Communities;”

Objective 4.1: “Improve Air Quality and Reduce Localized Pollution and Health Impacts” of

EPA’s Draft FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan described in Section I.C.1.

3. Applications which request EPA funds in excess of $500,000 or less than $25,000, as specified in Section II.A of this RFA, are not eligible for funding under this RFA and will not be reviewed.

4. Applications must include a statement on quality assurance, as specified in Section IV.C.3 of this RFA.

5. Applications must specify whether or not they are applying for a set-aside and specify which set-aside. Applications that fail to identify a desired set-aside will be evaluated as though they selected the “no set-aside” option (i.e., they will be evaluated in the general pool of applications).

6. If applying for the community-based organization set-aside, applicants must explain how their organization meets the definition of “community-based organization.” A “community-based organization” generally means a non-governmental organization that has demonstrated effectiveness as a representative of a community1 or a significant segment of a community as defined in its charter, mission statement, or other official document and that helps members of that community or segment obtain environmental, health, educational, or other social services. Such organizations may include, for example, those representing communities with environmental justice concerns including health outcome disparities stemming from air pollution and the COVID-19 pandemic. Local chapters of a national organization that can meet this definition can apply for the community-based organization set-aside. To be considered for the community-based organization set-aside, the applicant must:

a. Provide documentation that it is a nonprofit or not for profit corporation under federal, state, or tribal law with authority to enter into binding legal agreements.

b. Specify the community they represent and provide documentation, such as their charter, mission statement, or other official documentation of the organization.

1 As defined in the Office of Management and Budget’s M-21-08, “community” means: either a group of individuals living in geographic proximity to one another, or a geographically dispersed set of individuals (such as migrant workers or Native Americans), where either type of group experiences common conditions https://grants.gov/ https://www.sam.gov/SAM/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.sam.gov/SAM/ https://grants.gov/ https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-02/documents/external-clauses-2021-02-17.pdf https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-02/documents/external-clauses-2021-02-17.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/M-21-28.pdf

c. Include a statement demonstrating the effectiveness as a representative of the applicable community.

Please note that this information will be evaluated under evaluation criterion 2.C. under

Section V.A. of this RFA.

7. If applying for the tribal set-aside, applicants must meet the definition of Indian tribe under

Section 302(r) of the Clean Air Act: “The term ‘Indian tribe’ means any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including Alaska Native village, which is

Federally recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United

States to Indians because of their status as Indians

8. Applications must address disproportionate and adverse environmental or human health impacts to underserved communities.

9. Applications must address one or more of the following air pollutants from Section I.B.:

• Carbon Monoxide

• Lead

• Nitrogen Dioxide

• Ozone, including ozone precursors o Precursors for ozone collected in the Photochemical Assessment Monitoring

Stations (PAMS) Program including oxides of nitrogen, (NO, NO2, NOx, NOy) volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and carbonyls. A list of ozone precursors can be found in the Technical Assistance Document for Sampling and Analysis of

Ozone Precursors for the Photochemical Assessment Monitoring Stations

Program, Revision 2 – April 2019. This is available at: https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-

11/documents/pams_technical_assistance_document_revision_2_april_2019.pdf o Additional ozone precursors such as methane.

• Sulfur Dioxide

• Particle Pollution (ultrafine, PM2.5, or PM10), including aerosol composition and PM precursors o Aerosol composition is determined by the Chemical Speciation Network

(CSN). A full list of the CSN reported parameters is available at: https://www.epa.gov/amtic/chemical-speciation-network-parameters-reported-air-quality-system-aqs.

o PM precursors including ammonia, sulfur dioxide (SO2), oxides of nitrogen, CO, and VOCs.

• Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs), commonly referred to as air toxics. A full list of HAPs is available at: https://www.epa.gov/haps/initial-list-hazardous-air-pollutants-modifications#mods.

D. Ineligible Costs or Activities and Other Considerations

Any of the following may lead to a portion or all of the application not being reviewed:

https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-11/documents/pams_technical_assistance_document_revision_2_april_2019.pdf https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-11/documents/pams_technical_assistance_document_revision_2_april_2019.pdf https://www.epa.gov/amtic/chemical-speciation-network-parameters-reported-air-quality-system-aqs https://www.epa.gov/amtic/chemical-speciation-network-parameters-reported-air-quality-system-aqs https://www.epa.gov/haps/initial-list-hazardous-air-pollutants-modifications#mods https://www.epa.gov/haps/initial-list-hazardous-air-pollutants-modifications#mods

1. Ineligible Costs or Activities. If an application is submitted that has ineligible items, tasks, or activities, that portion of the application will not be reviewed and will be ineligible for funding and may, depending on the extent to which it affects the application, render the entire application ineligible for funding. The following activities are not eligible for funding under this RFA:

a. Air monitoring activities, equipment, and/or methods that are not previously existing, commercially available technologies as specified in Section I.B. of this RFA.

b. Activities that address pollutants not identified in Section I.B.

c. Costs that are included as a cost or used to meet cost sharing or matching requirements of any other federally financed grant, as required under 2 CFR

200.306(b)(5) and 200.403(f).

2. Other Considerations:

a. Where a page limit is expressed in Section IV.C. with respect to the project narrative, pages in excess of the page limitation will not be reviewed. The page limit of the project narrative is 12 pages.

b. Applicants can submit no more than two applications, as specified in Section I.B of this RFA. If an applicant submits more than two applications, EPA will contact the applicant to determine which application(s) to withdraw.

c. If an applicant is submitting two applications, each application must include a different project(s) and must be submitted separately. Applicants can include multiple types of projects within one application, but they cannot include the same project(s) in multiple applications. If an applicant submits more than one application that requests funding for the same project, the applicant will be contacted prior to EPA review of any of the applications to determine which application(s) the applicant will withdraw from the competition.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. Requirement to Submit Through Grants.gov and Limited Exception Procedures

Applicants, except as noted below, must apply electronically through Grants.gov under this funding opportunity based on the Grants.gov instructions in this announcement. If your organization has no access to the internet or access is very limited, you may request an exception for the remainder of this calendar year by following the procedures outlined here. Please note that your request must be received at least 15 calendar days before the application due date to allow enough time to negotiate alternative submission methods. Issues with submissions with https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.epa.gov/grants/exceptions-grantsgov-submission-requirement respect to this opportunity only are addressed in section Appendix A. under Technical Issues with Submission.

B. Grants.gov Application Submission Instructions (see Appendix A)

Your organization’s authorized official representative (AOR) must submit your complete application electronically to EPA through Grants.gov no later than February 25, 2022, 11:59

PM Eastern Time.

See Appendix A for full Grants.gov submission instructions.

C. Content of Application Submission

Applicants should review Appendix B for specific instructions for the project narrative.

Applicants should note which materials are required for the application package.

1. Grant Application Forms. Please complete the forms as appropriate.

a. Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance (Required). Please note that the organizational Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Number System

(DUNS) number must be included on the SF-424. Organizations may obtain a DUNS number at no cost by calling the toll-free DUNS number request line at 1-866-705-

5711.

b. Standard Form 424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs

(Required)

c. EPA Form 4700-4, Pre-Award Compliance Review Report for All Applicants

Requesting Federal Financial Assistance (Required)

d. EPA Form 5700-54, Key Contacts Form (Required)

e. Project Narrative Attachment Form (Required, see Section IV.C.2. below for additional information)

f. Attachments using the Other Attachments Form (See Section IV.C.3.–6. below for additional information)

2. Project Narrative Attachment Form – see Appendix B (Required; part of the 12-page limit). Applicants may use the Project Narrative Attachment form in Grants.gov. The project narrative must explicitly describe how the proposed project meets the threshold eligibility criteria in Section III.C., and address the evaluation criteria set forth in Section

V.A. The project narrative cannot exceed a maximum of (12) single-spaced typewritten pages, including the summary page, workplan, and budget table and detail. Pages in excess of the 12-page limit will not be reviewed. Additionally, the project narrative should be in a legible font (e.g., size 12 Times New Roman font, size 11 Calibri font, etc); smaller font sizes may be used for tables and figures.