[Federal Register: November 21, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 224)]
[Notices]
[Page 65571-65572]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21no07-51]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-8498-4]
State Innovation Grant Program, Notice of Availability of
Solicitation for Proposals for 2008 Awards
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Center for
Environmental Innovation (NCEI) is giving notice of the availability of
its solicitation for proposals for the 2008 grant program to support
innovation by state environmental regulatory agencies--the ``State
Innovation Grant Program.''
The solicitation is available at the Agency's State Innovation
Grant Web site: http://www.epa.gov/innovation/stategrants/solicitation2008.pdf
, or may be requested from the Agency by e-mail to: innovation--state--grants@epa.gov, telephone, or by mail. Only the
y mail. Only the
principal environmental regulatory agency within each State (generally,
where delegated authorities for Federal environmental regulations
exist) is eligible to receive these grants.
DATES: State environmental regulatory agencies will have until January
3, 2008 to respond with a pre-proposal, budget, and project summary.
The environmental regulatory agencies from the fifty (50) States;
Washington, DC, and four (4) territories were notified of the
solicitation's availability by fax and email transmittals on November
15, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the solicitation can be downloaded from the
Agency's Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/innovation/stategrants or may
be requested by telephone (202-566-2186), or by e-mail (
Innovation_State_Grants@epa.gov). You can request a solicitation application
package be sent to you by fax or by mail by contacting NCEI as
indicated below.
Applicants are requested to apply online using the Grants.gov Web
site with an electronic signature. Applicants are encouraged to submit
their pre-proposals early. For those applicants who lack the technical
capability to apply electronically via Grants.gov, please contact
Sherri Walker by phone at: (202) 566-2186 and/or by e-mail to:
innovation_state_grants@epa.gov for alternative submission
procedures. Proposals submitted in response to this solicitation, or
questions concerning the solicitation should be sent to: State
Innovation Grants Program, National Center for Environmental
Innovation, Office of the Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (MC 1807T), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460,
(202) 566-2186, (202) 566-2220 FAX, Innovation_State_Grants@epa.gov.
For courier delivery only: Sherri Walker, State Innovation Grants
Program, U.S. EPA, EPA West Building, Room 4214D, 1301 Constitution
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20005.
Proposal responses or questions may also be sent by fax to (202-
566-2220), addressed to the ``State Innovation Grant Program,''or by e-
mail to: Innovation_State_Grants@epa.gov. We encourage e-mail
responses. If you have questions about responding to this notice,
please contact EPA at this e-mail address or fax number, or you may
call Sherri Walker at 202-566-2186. EPA will acknowledge all responses
it receives to this notice.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) is soliciting pre-proposals for an assistance agreement program
(the ``State Innovation Grant Program'') in an effort to support
innovation by State environmental regulatory agencies. In April 2002,
EPA issued its plan for future innovation efforts, published as
Innovating for Better Environmental Result: A Strategy to Guide the
Next Generation of Innovation at EPA (EPA 100-R-02-002; http://www.epa.gov/innovation/pdf/strategy.pdf
). This assistance agreement
program strengthens EPA's partnership with the States by supporting
state innovation compatible with EPA's Innovation Strategy. EPA wants
to encourage states to build on previous experience (theirs and others)
to undertake strategic innovation projects that promote larger-scale
models for ``next generation'' environmental protection and promise
better environmental outcomes and other beneficial results. EPA is
interested in funding projects that: (i) Go beyond a single facility
experiment and provide change that is ``systems-oriented;'' (ii)
provide better results from a program, process, or sector-wide
innovation; and (iii) promote integrated (multi-media) environmental
management with a high potential for transfer to other states, U.S.
territories, and tribes.
``Innovation in Permitting'' is again the theme for the 2008
solicitation. Under this theme, EPA is interested in pre-proposals
that:
(a) Support the development of state Environmental Results Programs
(ERPs);
(b) Implement National Environmental Performance Track (PT) or
similar performance-based environmental leadership programs by states,
particularly including the development and implementation of
incentives; or
(c) Involve the application of Environmental Management Systems
(EMS), including those that explore the relationship of EMS to
permitting, or otherwise support integrated or multimedia strategies.
EPA continues to interpret ``innovation in permitting'' broadly to
include permitting programs, pesticide licensing programs, and other
alternatives or supplements to permitting programs. EPA is interested
in creative approaches for both: (1) Achieving mandatory federal and
state standards; and (2) encouraging performance and addressing
environmental issues above and beyond minimum requirements. EPA's focus
on a small number of topics within this general subject area
effectively concentrates the limited resources available for greater
strategic impact. EPA may contemplate a very limited number of projects
not linked to these focus areas, but otherwise related to the general
theme of innovation in permitting, in particular as they address EPA
regional and state environmental permitting priorities.
This solicitation begins the sixth State Innovation Grant
competition. Of the 35 projects that have been awarded in the prior
rounds seventeen (17) were provided for development of environmental
results programs, eight (8) were to enhance performance-based
environmental leadership programs, eight (8) were related to
environmental management systems and permitting, two (2) were for
watershed-based permitting, and one (1) was for an information
technology innovation for the application of geographic information
systems (GIS) and a web-based portal to a permitting process. For
information on prior State Innovation Grant Program solicitations and
awards, please see the EPA State Innovation Grants Web site at http://www.epa.gov/innovation/stategrants
.
[[Page 65572]]
Dated: November 6, 2007.
Elizabeth Shaw,
Director, Office of Environmental Policy Innovation.
[FR Doc. E7-22755 Filed 11-20-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P