FY25JT NOFO_Final.pdf

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OVERVIEW

AGENCY: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)

TITLE: FY25 BROWNFIELDS JOB TRAINING (JT) GRANTS

ACTION: REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA)

RFA NO: EPA-I-OLEM-OBLR-24-02

ASSISTANCE LISTING NO.: 66.815

DATES: The closing date and time for receipt of applications is August 15, 2024, 11:59 p.m.

ET. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov. Applications received after 11:59 p.m. ET August 15, 2024, will not be considered. Please refer to the Due Date and Submission Instructions in Section IV.B. and Appendix 1 for further instructions.

Entities that were awarded an FY24 Brownfields Job Training Grant (EPA-I-OLEM-OBLR-23-

08) may not apply for a FY25 Brownfields Job Training Grant under this solicitation.

For the purposes of these guidelines, the term “grant” refers to the cooperative agreement that EPA will award to a successful applicant. Please refer to Section II.C. for a description of EPA’s anticipated substantial involvement in the financial assistance agreements awarded under these guidelines.

EPA urges applicants to review the Frequently Asked Questions, which can be found at https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/frequently-asked-questions-about-brownfields-job-training-jt-grants.

NOTE: Prior to naming a contractor or subrecipient in your application as a “partner,” please carefully review the EPA’s “Contracts and Subawards” solicitation clause that is incorporated by reference in this announcement. Applicants must compete contracts for services and products, including consultant contracts, and conduct cost and price analyses, to the extent required by the procurement provisions of the regulations at 2 CFR Part 200. Applicants are not required to identify subrecipients and/or contractors (including consultants) in their grant application.

However, if they do, the fact that an applicant selected for award has named a specific subrecipient, contractor, or consultant in the application EPA selects for funding does not relieve the applicant of its obligations to comply with subaward and/or competitive procurement requirements as described in Section IV.D. of EPA’s Solicitation Clauses. Please note that applicants may not award sole source contracts to consulting or other firms assisting applicants with the application solely based on the firm's role in preparing the application or based on an assertion that the individual or firm has “unique qualifications.”

EPA will not consider the qualifications, experience, and expertise of named subrecipients and/or named contractor(s) during the application evaluation process unless the applicant provides documentation that it has complied with these requirements.

https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/frequently-asked-questions-about-brownfields-job-training-jt-grants https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/frequently-asked-questions-about-brownfields-job-training-jt-grants https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-solicitation-clauses ii

For additional guidance, applicants should review EPA’s Best Practice Guide for Procuring Services, Supplies, and Equipment Under EPA Assistance Agreements, EPA’s Subaward Policy, and EPA’s Subaward Policy Frequent Questions. EPA expects recipients of funding to comply with competitive procurement contracting requirements in 2 CFR Parts 200 and 1500 as well as EPA’s rule on Participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in EPA Programs in 40 CFR Part 33.

This program advances the Justice40 Initiative, which sets a goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal climate, clean energy, water and wastewater infrastructure, and other covered investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.1

1 EPA will use the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) to identify geographically defined disadvantaged communities. Under the Addendum to the Interim Implementation Guidance for the Justice40 Initiative, M-21-28, on using the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) or M-23-09, disadvantaged communities also include Federally Recognized Tribes, regardless of whether or not they have land.

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/grants-policy-issuance-gpi-16-01-epa-subaward-policy-epa-assistance-agreement-recipients https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-04/epa_subaward_policy_frequent_questions.pdf iii

CONTENTS BY SECTION

SECTION I. – FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

I.A. Description of Grant

I.B. Use of Grant Funds

I.C. Eligible Uses of Grant Funds

I.D. Eligible Trainings With Brownfields Job Training Grant Funds

I.E. Ineligible Uses of Grant Funds

I.F. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage

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

I.H. Supplementary Information

I.I. Additional Provisions for Applicants Incorporated Into The Solicitation

SECTION II. – AWARD INFORMATION

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

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

II.C. Substantial Involvement

SECTION III. – APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY & THRESHOLD CRITERIA

III.A. Who Can Apply?

III.B. Threshold Eligibility Criteria

1. Applicant Eligibility

2. Coalition Agreement

3. Demonstration that Proposed Project Does Not Duplicate Other Federally Funded Environmental Job Training Programs

4. Required HAZWOPER Training

5. Federal Funds Requested and Estimated Project Period

6. Substantial Conformity with Instructions and Format Requirements

7. Training Curriculum Chart Indicating the Cost of Each Course

8. Target Area

9. Previous Funding Requirement

10. Expenditure of Existing Brownfields Job Training Grant Funds

III.C. Cost Sharing and Matching Requirements

SECTION IV. – APPLICATION SUBMISSION INFORMATION

IV.A. How to Obtain an Application Package

IV.B. Due Date and Submission Instructions

IV.C. Content and Form of Application Submission iv

IV.D. Narrative Information Sheet

IV.E. Narrative

1. Community Need

2. Training Program Description

3. Budget

4. Program Structure, Anticipated Outputs, and Outcomes

5. Partnerships

6. Leveraging

7. Programmatic Capability

IV.F. Leveraging

IV.G. Narrative Attachments

IV.H. Confidential Business Information

SECTION V. – APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

V.A. Evaluation Criteria

V.B. Other Factors

V.C. Review and Selection Process

SECTION VI. – AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

VI.A. Award Notices

VI.B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

VI.C. Reporting Requirements

VI.D. Programmatic Requirements

VI.E. Disputes

SECTION VII. - AGENCY CONTACTS

Appendix 1 Grants.gov Application Submission Instructions

SECTION I. – FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

Applicants are strongly encouraged to read this funding announcement in its entirety. It provides important information on the goals and priorities of the program, explains statutory program requirements, explains criteria used to evaluate and score grant applications, and explains agency grant policies and procedures.

This funding opportunity is made available through EPA’s Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR). This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits applications from eligible entities and nonprofit organizations to deliver Brownfields Job Training programs that recruit, train, and retain a local, skilled workforce by prioritizing unemployed and under-employed residents to obtain the skills and credentials needed for pathways into full-time employment in various aspects of hazardous and solid waste management and within the larger environmental field, including sustainable cleanup and reuse, and chemical safety. This program is being funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Public Law 117-58 (the “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law”).

I.A. Description of Grant

As stated in the Assistance Listing for this program, “The objective of the Brownfields Job Training Program is to recruit, train, and place unemployed and under-employed residents of solid and hazardous waste-impacted communities with the skills needed to obtain full-time, sustainable employment. This program promotes the facilitation of activities related to assessment, cleanup, or preparation of contaminated sites, including brownfields, for reuse, while simultaneously building a local workforce with the skills needed to perform remediation work that is supportive of environmental protection and environmental health and safety.” A critical part of EPA’s Brownfields Job Training program is to further environmental justice by ensuring that all residents living in communities historically affected by economic disinvestment, health disparities, and disproportionate and adverse exposures to environmental contamination, which may include low-income, minority, Tribal and indigenous communities, have an opportunity to reap the benefits of revitalization and environmental cleanup. Through the link to on-the-ground assessment and cleanup activities, Brownfields Job Training Grants provide funding to attract, train, and retain a skilled local workforce by prioritizing unemployed and under-employed residents of communities impacted by a variety of waste facilities, blighted properties, and contaminated sites. This program also advances environmental justice through the Justice40 Initiative.

Training programs funded by the Brownfields Job Training Grant provide program graduates with the opportunity to seek and obtain environmental jobs that contractors may otherwise fill from outside the affected community. EPA intends to use this grant opportunity to support the creation of good-paying jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union and the incorporation of strong labor standards and workforce programs, in particular Registered Apprenticeship Programs, pre-apprenticeship programs (that have a direct connection to a Registered Apprenticeship Program), Labor-Managment Partnerships, partnerships with community colleges, Local Hire agreements in project planning stages to the extent authorized by 2 CFR § 200.319, and program delivery and similar proven workforce training programs.

Brownfields Job Training Grants help residents take advantage of jobs across a spectrum of brownfield related activities, including the assessment, cleanup, remediation, and planning/site preparation for the revitalization of brownfields. This can involve the assessment and cleanup of solid and hazardous waste; chemical risk management; stormwater management relating to site cleanup; planning and site preparation for low impact development activities; planning and site preparation for green infrastructure installation and maintenance; and vulnerability assessment and contamination mitigation planning.

Applications for grants under the Brownfields Job Training program will be reviewed more favorably under Section V.A.1.A. Community Description evaluation criteria if the applicant targets high-need individuals in the target area who will benefit from the program. Examples of high-need individuals are: unemployed or severely underemployed individuals, dislocated workers, formerly incarcerated persons, veterans, individuals with little to no advanced education past high school level, opportunity youth2, single custodial parents, Tribal Nations, and residents of communities disproportionately impacted by environmental or human health harms or risks (including disproportionately impacted low income, minority, Tribal and indigenous communities). Applicants proposing to serve populations facing significant barriers to employment should articulate a strong plan for how they will work with participants to address those barriers and support their success in both the training program and in achieving and retaining steady employment beyond completion of the training program through strategies such as supportive services to address barriers to employment, mentorship, and other proven strategies. Applicants must identify the target area that they intend to serve. A target area can be any area (e.g., county(ies), lands of Federally Recognized Tribes, a number of neighboring towns or cities, a district, a corridor, a shared planning area, or a census tract, etc.) that is impacted by the presence of one or more brownfield sites. EPA will consider applications that propose to serve large geographical areas, especially rural communities that include a number of towns and/or Tribal lands, as well as applicants able to serve sister-cities (partnership between U.S.

cities located in different states).

Applicants will be evaluated, as described in Section V.A.5., on the extent to which they partner with and secure hiring commitments from local contractors and other stakeholders in communities where EPA-funded projects are located. Such projects may include brownfields assessment, cleanup and redevelopment activities, solid and hazardous waste management, or the remediation of oil spills located on brownfield or Superfund cleanup sites. Applicants should have clear strategies to link graduates of Brownfields Job Training programs with environmental employment that involves preventing, assessing, managing, and cleaning up contaminated sites or working in environmental areas in the graduates’ respective communities. Proposed training should be employer-informed, demand-driven, and directly linked to ongoing environmental employment opportunities taking place in the respective community.

To date, EPA has funded 424 job training grants totaling approximately $105.5 million through the Brownfields Job Training Program, previously also known as the Environmental Workforce Development Training Program. As of March 2024, approximately 21,700 individuals completed training, and over 16,200 of those graduates obtained employment in the environmental field, earning average starting wages of approximately $15 per hour. Over the last 5 years, the average starting wage was approximately $21 per hour. This equates to a cumulative placement rate of

2 Opportunity Youth is defined as young people who are between the ages of 16 to 24 years old and are disconnected from school and work.

approximately 75% since the program was created in 1998.

Brownfields Job Training Coalition Applicants may, but are not required to, propose forming a coalition to carry out their Brownfields Job Training Program. Applying as a Brownfields Job Training Coalition may be beneficial to allow the Brownfields Job Training Provider to recruit, train, and place students in environmental jobs, especially in rural areas where the geographic area is larger.

A Job Training Coalition is comprised of one “lead” eligible entity that partners with one or more non-lead eligible entities. The lead eligible entity submits an application on behalf of the coalition members, who may receive subawards. The Job Training Coalition may request funding up to $500,000 to recruit, train, and place unemployed and under-employed residents of solid and hazardous waste-impacted communities with the skills needed to obtain full-time, sustainable employment. The non-lead coalition members may not be an agency or instrumentality of, or be affiliated with, the lead member (for example, a county and the redevelopment authority of the same county); except for coalitions in which the state is the lead and one of the members is a regional council or regional commission that is created by a state legislature through a charter or another official action.

A non-lead member of a coalition may not have an open3 Brownfields Job Training cooperative agreement with EPA. Also, the coalition members must be separate legal entities. For example, the following may not be members of the same coalition:

1. Different departments within the same unit of government;

2. A unit of government and an affiliated nonprofit organization exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code that the city controls; or

3. Affiliated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations (e.g., nonprofit organizations that have the same board of directors or staff). This does not preclude separately incorporated chapters of a national nonprofit organization from being non-lead members of coalitions in different geographic areas. For example, an organization is a national nonprofit with local chapters that are separately incorporated and have their own board of directors and staff.

Local chapter “A” conducts programming in the state of “Y.” Local chapter “B” conducts programming in the state of “Z.” Both chapters may be non-lead members of different FY25 Job Training Grant applications.

If selected, the lead entity will be the point of contact for the other coalition members. The lead entity will be the grant recipient and must administer the grant and be accountable to EPA for effectively carrying out the scope of work and the proper financial management of the grant.4

Coalition members may not be members of other FY25 Job Training Coalition Grant applications, nor may coalition members submit a Brownfields Job Training Grant application as an individual applicant. A coalition member wishing to apply as part of a

3 For the purposes of this requirement, the term “open” refers to a grant period of performance that has not ended.

4 If the application is successful, the lead applicant is the Recipient, as defined in 2 CFR § 200.1, that is accountable to EPA for performance of the assistance agreement. A lead applicant who provides subawards to coalition members is also a Pass-through entity, as defined in 2 CFR § 200.1, and must comply with the Subrecipient Monitoring and Management requirements in 2 CFR Part 200 (including 2 CFR § 200.332) and EPA’s Subaward Policy.

https://www.epa.gov/grants/grants-policy-issuance-gpi-16-01-epa-subaward-policy-epa-assistance-agreement-recipients https://www.epa.gov/grants/grants-policy-issuance-gpi-16-01-epa-subaward-policy-epa-assistance-agreement-recipients different Brownfields Job Training Coalition or as an individual applicant must withdraw from the coalition.

Please note that once the lead entity submits the application, it becomes the applicant, and the coalition members may not substitute another eligible entity as the lead entity after the deadline for submitting applications has passed. Additionally, the non-lead coalition members may not be substituted after the deadline for submitting applications has passed. If the application is selected for funding, the lead member must partner with the other coalition members that were named in the application unless EPA approves a post-award change to these arrangements pursuant to 2 CFR § 200.308(c).

The terms and conditions of the cooperative agreement will require recipients to have a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) documenting the coalition’s process must be in place prior to the expenditure and draw down of any funds that are awarded. The coalition members should identify and establish relationships necessary to achieve the project’s goal. A process for successful execution of the project’s goal, including a description and role of each coalition member, should be established along with the MOA. The purpose of the MOA is for coalition members to agree internally on the distribution of funds and the mechanisms for implementing the Brownfields Job Training Program.

I.B. Use of Grant Funds

Brownfields Job Training Grant funds can be used for brownfields assessment and cleanup training, as well as training in the areas of community involvement and site preparation for sustainability and equitable reuse and development. Applicants may choose to deliver a variety of other brownfields related environmental training activities as listed in the examples in Section I.C. Applicants should tailor curricula to the labor market needs of their targeted community in line with the eligible uses articulated in Section I.C. The only required training is OSHA 29 CFR § 1910.120 40-hour HAZWOPER which includes an in-person personal protective equipment (PPE) component. Applicants proposing an online OSHA 29 CFR § 1910.120 40-hour HAZWOPER course are responsible for ensuring their computer-based training course meets all OSHA requirements and is supplemented with the required in-person training. Beyond this, the applicant should design a curriculum of eligible courses that meets the training needs identified by a local labor market assessment and/or employer survey.

Eligible participants for Brownfields Job Training must be 18 years of age or older at the time of graduation to be placed into an environmental-related job, as the Fair Labor Standards Act prohibits youth under the age of 18 from being employed in hazardous occupations.

Additionally, a Brownfields Job Training participant must be a U.S. Citizen and/or Green Card holder5 permanently residing in the United States and/or its territories.

I.C. Eligible Uses of Grant Funds

Grant funds must be used for direct programmatic costs associated with implementing a Brownfields Job Training program. Examples of eligible uses of grant funds are listed below.

Please note that this list is intended to be illustrative. Applicants must indicate the specific types of training they propose to deliver in their training program description.

• Personnel costs, including fringe benefits, for instructors to conduct training and other tasks associated with programmatic training.

• Personnel and data infrastructure costs to support programmatic reporting requirements, performance-management, and program-evaluation.

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

• Personnel costs for caseworkers or other specialists who work with participants to identify barriers they face to employment, connect them to resources, and support their success in the program and in retaining employment, with support provided for up to one year following the completion of the training program.

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

• Development and refinement of existing curricula for training.

• Personnel costs for employer engagement activities, including building new employer relationships, working with employers to inform curriculum, involving employers in the training program, securing hiring commitments for graduates, and supporting trainee success in employment following the program.

• On-the-job training insurance for trainees.

• Mentorship associated with on-the-job training, such as peer mentors where an experienced employee is paired with a new trainee.

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

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

5 A Green Card holder, as defined by Homeland Security, is a permanent resident that has been granted authorization to live and work in the United States on a permanent basis. As proof of that status, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) grants a person a permanent resident card, commonly called a “Green Card.” For more information, see https://www.uscis.gov/green-card.

• Costs associated with eligible participant support costs, including for:

o Transportation for trainees for site visits during training or to transport trainees to and from class in the form of stipends or other allowable direct costs (e.g., transportation vouchers or vehicle rental).

o Reasonable stipends to compensate trainees for participating in training. Note that stipends may only be paid for actual time spent in training classes or on-the-job training activities and must not duplicate training support provided through other Federal, state, tribal or local programs.

o Reasonable childcare subsidies. Note that childcare subsidies must not duplicate childcare support provided through other Federal, state, tribal or local programs.

In their training program descriptions, applicants should describe the process they will follow for determining the amounts of allowable stipends, procedures for accounting for participant support cost payments (including receipts), and documenting that the costs are allowable and do not duplicate other support for the trainee. Additional information on participant support costs is available in EPA Guidance on Participant Support Costs.

On a limited basis, a Job Training Provider may hire the trainees as W2 employees. Applicants should include the trainees being hired as employees in the budget personnel and fringe line items. Job Training Grant funds used to hire trainees as employees plus any other type of participant support costs may not exceed 40% of the total amount of the total award. EPA reserves the right to reject any request to pay trainees as employees.

I.D. Eligible Trainings With Brownfields Job Training Grant Funds

Examples of eligible trainings with Brownfields Job Training grant funds are listed below. Please note that this list is intended to be illustrative. All training must relate to facilitating the inventory of brownfield sites, site assessments, remediation of brownfield sites, community involvement, or site preparation. Applicants must indicate the specific types of training they propose to deliver in their training program description.

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

• Training in sustainable deconstruction in preparation of a brownfield site cleanup or redevelopment.

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

https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-11/documents/epa-guidance-on-participant-support-costs.pdf

• Training in confined space entry.

• Training in first-aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and how to mitigate safety risks from bloodborne pathogens in a site remediation setting.

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

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

Final Rule, as required in CERCLA § 101(35)(B), and due diligence.6

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

• Training in Hazardous Material (HAZMAT) commercial driver’s license (CDL) 7, forklift, and machine operations associated with the transportation of hazardous waste.

• Training in freon removal or the removal of hazardous substances from white goods located on a brownfield site.

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

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

and soil science related to preparing sites for reuse and redevelopment.

• Awareness training in environmental stewardship and environmental justice to promote community involvement in assessment, cleanup and reuse of brownfield sites.

• Training in climate change mitigation and adaptation or resiliency as it relates to preparation of brownfield sites for cleanup and subsequent reuse.

• Training in green infrastructure and stormwater management; and erosion and sediment control for site remediation and preparation for reuse and redevelopment.

• Training in building trades related to constructing berms, caps, synthetic barriers, pumping facilities, bioretention systems, and similar structures to remediate contamination and site preparation.

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

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

7 Commercial Driver’s License must be incidental to an overall training course related to hazardous waste transportation. It may not be required or used for any other purpose.

• Training in vapor intrusion testing and mitigation.

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

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

• Training in release detection methods, techniques, and practices at underground storage tank (UST) facilities where hazardous substances and/or petroleum products are or were located, in order to assess whether the tanks have leaked or may be leaking. This includes training for jobs that conduct activities such as tank or piping tightness testing; testing of spill prevention equipment and containment sumps; inspections of overfill prevention equipment; testing of release detection equipment; and walkthrough inspections.

• Training in “green remediation” technologies, such as phytoremediation, bioremediation, or soil amendments; advanced sampling instrument operator training; or training in the reuse of biosolids and other industry residuals.

• Training in stormwater management; green infrastructure installation, management, and maintenance; or low impact development (LID) training for the purpose of preparing a brownfield site for sustainable reuse.

• Training in emergency planning, preparedness, and for emergencies leading to contamination on brownfields sites, such as organizing and implementing exercises;

outreach to the public; spill response and cleanup, including industrial and environmental (e.g., oil spills, natural disasters, etc.); first responder, disaster site worker certification, and National Incident Management System (NIMS) training; Disaster Recovery.

• Training in enhanced environmental health and safety related to site remediation, such as promoting chemical (substance, mixture, or article) safety awareness and stewardship; safe work practices (including an overview of the content of Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) (formerly material safety datasheets (MSDS)), information on exposure guideline limits (Occupational Exposure Limits and Recommended Exposure Limits), information contained within the NIOSH pocket guide to chemical hazards, or the OSHA/EPA Occupational Chemical Database); isolation of work areas; safe storage and handling of chemicals; prevention of spills; and training in an overview of any existing chemical-specific worker training and certification programs, including but not limited to: lead abatement; lead renovation, repair, and painting (RRP); asbestos; diisocyanates (auto-refinishing and spray polyurethane foam); pesticide worker protection standards; Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS); Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)/ Hexabromocyclododecane(HBCD); and others.

• Training in energy efficiency, and alternative energy technologies, such as training in retrofitting technologies, in order to prepare brownfield sites for renewable energy installation for reusing and redeveloping former brownfield sites.

I.E. Ineligible Uses of Grant Funds

Examples of ineligible uses of grant funds are listed below. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. Training that does not directly relate to facilitating the inventory of brownfield sites, site assessments, remediation of brownfield sites, community involvement, or site preparation are not eligible. Grant funds may not be used for the following activities:

• Training in general construction skills and trades (e.g., carpentry, plumbing, electricity, etc. relating to constructing buildings).

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

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

• Training in equipment repairs.

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

• Training and monitoring that do not relate to conducting response activities often associated with actual cleanups (e.g., landscaping, demolition, and groundwater extraction), except within the context of on-the-job training. Assessment, cleanup, and associated activity costs must be funded through other means.

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

• Costs for training individuals who are not citizens, excluding Green Card holders, of the United States, the territories, U.S. possessions or lawfully admitted to the U.S. for permanent residency are unallowable in the Brownfields Job Training Program.

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

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

• Scholarship funds to support students’ enrollment in college courses.

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

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

• Foreign travel.

• A penalty or fine.

• Costs that are unallowable (e.g., lobbying and alcoholic beverages) under Cost Principles in 2 CFR Parts 200 and 1500, as applicable.

• Application preparation costs.

• Matching any other federal funds (unless there is specific statutory authority for the match). The statutory authority for the Brownfields Job Training Program, section 104(k)(7) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) 42 U.S.C. 9604(k)(7) does not provide the requisite authority. Grant funds may be used to match state or local funds, if authorized by the relevant state statute or local ordinance.

• A cost of compliance with any federal law, excluding the cost of compliance with laws applicable to environmental cleanup.

• Administrative costs, including all indirect costs and direct costs for grant administration in excess of five (5) percent of the total amount of EPA grant funding, with the exception of financial and performance reporting costs (which are considered allowable programmatic costs and not subject to the 5% limitation). (Refer to Appendix 1:

Prohibitions on Use of Funds.)

I.F. EPA Strategic Plan Linkage

The activities to be funded under this announcement support EPA’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan.8 Awards made under this announcement will support Goal 6 – Safeguard and Revitalize Communities, Objective 6.1 – Clean Up and Restore Land for Productive Uses and Healthy Communities of EPA’s Strategic Plan. All applications must be for projects that support this goal and objective.

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

EPA requires that applicants adequately describe outputs (performance measures), and outcomes to be achieved under assistance agreements.9 Applicants must include specific statements describing the 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 Agency’s strategic plan goal and objective described above in Section I.E.

Applicants are required to describe how funding will help EPA achieve outputs and outcomes in their responses to the criteria in Section V. Outputs and outcomes specific to each project will be identified as deliverables in the negotiated workplan if the application is selected for award.

Recipients will be expected to report progress toward the attainment of expected project outputs and outcomes during the project performance period. Outputs and outcomes are defined as follows:

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

8 EPA’s Strategic Plan is available at https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan.

9 EPA Order 5700.7, EPA’s Policy for Environmental Results under EPA Assistance Agreements is available at https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements.

https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-03/fy-2022-2026-epa-strategic-plan.pdf https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-03/fy-2022-2026-epa-strategic-plan.pdf https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-03/fy-2022-2026-epa-strategic-plan.pdf https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/strategicplan https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-order-57007a1-epas-policy-environmental-results-under-epa-assistance-agreements qualitative but must be measurable during the project period. The expected outputs for the grants awarded under these guidelines may include but are not limited to:

Number of individuals recruited, trained, certified, and placed in environmental careers in communities impacted by solid and hazardous waste sites and facilities. Each grant award is anticipated to result in a minimum job placement rate of 70%. The number of individuals completing training will vary by recipient depending on the comprehensiveness of a curriculum and where the recipient is located (urban versus rural locations where a larger number of individuals may be more easily recruited than locations where recruitment may be more challenging as a result of smaller populations). While EPA does not set requirements on the minimum number of individuals entering and completing training, EPA encourages applicants to maximize the grant funding to train as many individuals as possible while delivering high-quality training to an appropriate number of jobseekers based on the demand in the local labor market.

Number of students working in an environmental career one year after the conclusion of the training program.

Number of classroom style trainings, practical trainings, and curricula modules.

Number of appropriate certifications and credentials in environmental sampling and site cleanup methods.

Number of individuals that receive certifications in OSHA 29 CFR § 1910.120 40-hour HAZWOPER training.

Number of relationships established with employers that are interested in hiring job training graduates.

2. Outcomes: The term “outcome” refers to the result, effect, or consequence that will occur from carrying out the activities under the grant. Outcomes may be environmental, behavioral, health-related, or programmatic; must be qualitative or quantitative; and may not necessarily be achievable during the project period. EPA anticipates the outcomes from the projects awarded under this announcement may be an increase in the capacity of governmental entities and nonprofit organizations to:

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

Support individuals with significant barriers to employment in gaining competitive job skills and achieving high quality employment to support meaningful economic mobility.

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

Improve community involvement in environmental projects and stimulate the development of constructive partnerships.

Reduce exposures to hazardous substances and other contaminants and improve the health of workers, occupants, and residents.

Foster self-sufficiency and enhance the skills and availability of labor for environmental remediation in particularly impacted communities, including those that are underserved communities.10

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

I.H. Supplementary Information

The statutory authorities for assistance agreements expected to be awarded by EPA under this announcement is CERCLA § 104(k)(7).

I.I. 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 in Section VII. Agency Contacts to obtain the provisions.

SECTION II. – AWARD INFORMATION

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

The total funding available under this competitive opportunity is approximately $14,000,000 subject to availability of funds, quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations for FY25. EPA anticipates awarding approximately 20 Brownfields Job Training grants. Applicants may apply for up to $500,000 of EPA funds. (Note, applicants may also request an amount that is less than $500,000.)

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

In appropriate circumstances, EPA reserves the right to partially fund applications by funding discrete portions, types of training, or phases of proposed projects. To maintain the integrity of

10 When EPA uses the term “underserved communities” it has the meaning defined in Executive Order 13985:

Advancing Racial Equity And Support For Underserved Communities Through The Federal Government, which defines “underserved communities” as “populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life as exemplified in the preceding definition of equity.” As described in the Executive Order, the term “equity” means the consistent and systematic fair, just, and impartial treatment of all individuals, including individuals who belong to underserved communities that have been denied such treatment, which may include Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.

the competition and selection process, EPA, if it decides to partially fund an application, will do so in a manner that does not prejudice any applicants or affect the basis upon which the application, or portion thereof, was evaluated and selected for award.

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

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

The project period for Brownfields Job Training Grants is five (5) years. Training is anticipated to conclude by the end of the fourth year, with the fifth year of the project period devoted to the placement of remaining graduates in employment and reporting accomplishments data to EPA.

Note: Applicants may propose completing the grant in less than five years.

II.C. Substantial Involvement

The Brownfields Job Training Grant will be awarded in the form of a cooperative agreement.

Cooperative agreements require EPA’s Project Officers to be substantially involved in overseeing the work performed by the selected recipients. Although EPA will negotiate precise terms and conditions related to substantial involvement as part of the award process, the anticipated substantial federal involvement for this project may include, but is not limited to:

• Close monitoring of the recipient’s performance to verify compliance with the EPA-approved workplan and achievement of environmental results.

• Collaboration during performance of the scope of work, including participation in project activities, to the extent permissible under EPA policies. Examples of collaboration include:

a. Consultation between EPA staff and the recipients on effective methods of carrying out the scope of work provided the recipient makes the final decision on how to perform authorized activities.

b. Advice from EPA staff on how to access publicly available information on EPA or other Federal agency websites.

c. With the consent of the recipient, EPA staff may provide technical advice to recipient contractors or subrecipients provided the recipient approves any expenditures of funds necessary to follow advice from EPA staff. (The recipient remains accountable for performing contract and subaward management as specified in 2 CFR § 200.318 and 2 CFR § 200.332 as well as the terms of the EPA cooperative agreement.)

d. EPA staff participation in meetings, webinars, and similar events upon the request of the recipient or in connection with a co-sponsorship agreement.

• In accordance with 2 CFR § 200.325, as appropriate, review of proposed procurements.

• Reviewing proposed procurements in accordance with 2 CFR §§ 200.317 and/or 200.325, as well as the substantive terms of proposed contracts or subawards as appropriate. This may include reviewing requests for proposals, invitations for bids, scopes of work and/or plans and specifications for contracts over $250,000 prior to advertising for bids.

• Reviewing qualifications of key personnel. (EPA does not have the authority to select employees or contractors, including consultants, employed by the award recipient or subrecipients receiving pass-through awards.)

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=34183e930e741a04ff06debe9d858069&mc=true&node=se2.1.200_1318&rgn=div8 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=fad22b17b4bd4c04ee1eafc308099edd&mc=true&node=se2.1.200_1332&rgn=div8

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

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

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

SECTION III. – APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY & THRESHOLD CRITERIA

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

III.A. Who Can Apply?

In accordance with Assistance Listing (CFDA) 66.815, the following entities are eligible to apply for a Brownfields Job Training Grant:

� General Purpose Unit of Local Government (EPA uses the definition of Local government in 2 CFR § 200.1.)

� Land Clearance Authority or other quasi-governmental entity that operates under the supervision and control of, or as an agent of, a general purpose unit of local government.

� Government entity created by State Legislature.

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

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

� State.11 � Federally recognized Indian Tribe other than in Alaska. (The exclusion of Alaskan Tribes in Alaska, with the exception of the Metlakatla Indian Community as noted below, from grant eligibility is statutory at CERCLA §104(k)(1)). Intertribal Consortia are eligible for funding in accordance with EPA’s policy for funding intertribal consortia published in the Federal Register on November 4, 2002, at 67 Fed. Reg. 67181. (This policy also may be obtained from your EPA Regional Job Training Coordinator listed.)

� Alaskan Native Regional Corporation, Alaska Native Village Corporation, and the Metlakatla Indian Community. (Alaskan Native Regional Corporation and Alaska Native Village Corporation as those terms are defined in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 and following).)

� Nonprofit organizations. For purposes of this grant program, consistent with the definition of Nonprofit organization in 2 CFR § 200.1 the term “nonprofit organization” means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or other organization that is operated mainly for scientific, educational, service, charitable, or similar purpose in the public interest; is not organized primarily for profit; and uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or expand the operation of the organization. Eligible nonprofit organizations may, but are not required to be, exempt from taxation under section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code.

As defined in CERCLA 101(27), the definition of State for purposes of the Brownfields program…