Toxic Substances Compliance Monitoring Cooperative Agreements

The objectives of this program are to: 1) assist grantees, including States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, America Samoa, the Northern Marianas, the Trust Territories of the Pacific Islands, the Virgin Islands, and

The Toxic Substances Compliance Monitoring Grant builds environmental partnerships with states, tribes, and territories to strengthen their ability to address environmental and public health threats from toxic substances. This State and Tribal Assistance Grant (STAG) is used to prevent or eliminate unreasonable risks to health or the environment and to ensure compliance with toxic substance regulations. These grants support inspection programs associated with Lead-based Paint (§402(a), §406(b), and the Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (RRP); the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA); and Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The compliance monitoring activities conducted by the grantees are a cooperative endeavor addressing the priorities of the federal TSCA program and state, tribal, and territorial issues.

For the Lead-based paint program, state agencies, Indian tribes, and tribal consortiums that have toxic substance compliance responsibilities, who have the authority to enter into these cooperative agreements, and who have their own Lead laws in place are eligible to apply for assistance. For the PCB and Asbestos programs, grantees should have toxic substance compliance responsibilities and be designated as the lead agency with the authority to enter into these cooperative agreements.

For the Lead-based paint, PCB, and Asbestos programs: States, including the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, America Samoa, the Northern Marianas, the Trust Territories of the Pacific Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Indian Tribes.

Grant funds are available for costs specifically incurred by grantees to develop, enhance, and maintain comprehensive compliance monitoring/enforcement programs under TSCA, specifically Lead-based paint, PCBs, and Asbestos. Funded activities may include inspector training, inspection supplies, and laboratory costs, including personnel and equipment; reimbursement for salaries, travel, training, and per diem expenses for inspectors, analysts, and program managers; and other functions related to grant activities. Assistance agreement awards under this program may involve or relate to geospatial information. Further information regarding geospatial information may be obtained by viewing the following website: https://www.epa.gov/geospatial. Assistance agreement awards under this program may involve generating or using environmental data, such as, environmental sampling, field measurements, and/or laboratory analyses. Further information on the "Policy to Assure the Competency of Organizations Generating Environmental Measurement Data Under Agency-Funded Assistance Agreements" should refer to the following website: https://www.epa.gov/measurements-modeling.

Grants are normally funded for a 12-month period.

Issuing office will provide location of application procedure details as appropriate. Discussions or informal meetings with Regional program offices concerning program preparation are advisable.

Each application will be reviewed by the Environmental Protection Agency according to criteria including the following: (1) Need: The need for the development, improvement, and/or maintenance of a comprehensive compliance monitoring/enforcement program within the grantee community; (2) Level of Activity: The amount of regulated chemicals and facilities, and the potential risk to human health and the environment; (3) Long-Term Impact: The potential of the cooperative agreement to have a long-term beneficial impact on human health and the environment resulting from the compliance program; and (4) Effectiveness of program: The past level and effectiveness of the grantee regulatory program, number of inspections conducted by the grantee and number of trained inspectors that have completed the minimum training set forth in the September 30, 2004 "Guidance for Issuing Federal EPA Inspector Credentials to Authorize Employees of State/Tribal Governments to Conduct Inspections on Behalf of EPA."

Each application shall be subjected to administrative coordination to determine adequacy in relation to grant regulations, and to technical and program evaluation to determine merit and relevancy of the project. States will be notified of Federal Assistance awards through the Federal Assistance Awards Data System (FAADS).

Applications are due 60 days prior to the beginning of the next budget period.

A standard grant application should be prepared and submitted electronically as a new grant using Grants.gov, which will be reviewed in the same manner as the original application and will compete for available funds.

Disputes relating to matters other than the competitive selection of recipients will be resolved under 2 CFR 1500 Subpart E, as applicable.