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EPA Region 10 Brownfields Grant Workshop: Creating the Successful Grant Application

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EPA Region 10 Brownfields Cleanup Grant Workshop: Creating a Successful Grant Proposal for 2009

September 3, 2008, 10:00 to 11:00 am PST

Presented by: US EPA Region 10 Brownfields Program http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/CLEANUP.NSF/sites/bf

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EPA Speakers

Presenters

• Brooks Stanfield, EPA Region 10 Brownfields Team Project Officer

• Deborah Burgess, EPA Region 10 Brownfields Team Project Officer

Moderator

• Ernest DeWaters, EPA Region 10 Brownfields Team

Data Management Coordinator

Contact Information: stanfield.brooks@epa.gov burgess.deborah@epa.gov dewaters.ernest@epa.gov

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Agenda

• Brownfields Overview • Brownfields Competitive Grant Process • Cleanup Grants Overview

• Who is eligible • Types of contamination • How many & how much

• Threshold Criteria • Ranking Criteria – How to be more competitive • Useful Application Preparation Tips • Additional Resources and Final Questions

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Brownfields Overview

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Brownfields History and now Mission

• Get brownfield sites back into productive reuse

• Support projects with strong community engagement

• Leverage additional redevelopment resources through key partnerships

• Develop partnerships with states and tribes

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“... real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of hazardous substances, pollutants, contaminants, controlled substances, petroleum or petroleum products, or is mine-scarred land.”

Brownfields Definition

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“Hazardous Substances, Pollutants, and Contaminants”

• Hazardous Substances

• Petroleum Contamination

• Asbestos & Lead Paint are eligible

• Controlled Substances (e.g., Meth labs)

• Mine-Scarred Lands

• Other environmental contaminants

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• EPA received over 845 proposals for funding

• Funded 314 grants nationally ($74 million)

• 194 assessment grants

• 108 cleanup grants

• 12 RLF grants

• Region 10

• 25 proposals

• 8 selected for funding

FY2008 Brownfields ARC Grant Program

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FY2009 Application Timeline

• EPA issues RFP (August 22)

• Applicants discuss projects with EPA/State

• Proposals postmarked by deadline (November 14)

• Threshold Review – Eligibility to compete

• Ranking Review

• Selection and Announcements (April/May)

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• Region 10 Brownfields Homepage is your resource to: • Guidelines and associated links • Guidelines Changes Fact Sheet: • Assessment Coalitions Fact Sheet • FAQs • Up to date information on additional

workshops

� This workshop is NO SUBSTITUTE for reading and closely following the Guidelines!

Brownfields ARC Grants – Getting Started

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• To carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites • Up to $200K per property • May apply for up to 3 properties: Separate proposals

for each property • Hazardous substances or petroleum contamination • Applicants can apply for both hazardous substance

and petroleum for the same site

Cleanup Grant Program

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Overview of ARC Threshold Criteria

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• Applicant Eligibility

• Letter from the State or Tribal Environmental

Authority

• Site Eligibility and Property Ownership Eligibility

• Cost Share

• Cleanup Authority and Oversight Structure

• Community Notification

Threshold Criteria – Must Pass

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Applicant Eligibility (con't)

• Site Ownership • Must have FEE SIMPLE TITLE by June 30, 2009.

• Site Assessment Completed • Requires an AAI compliant Phase I is complete.

• Requires an ASTM E1903-97 or equivalent Phase II site assessment report completed prior to proposal submission in order to best describe cleanup plan and estimated costs.

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Overview of ARC Ranking Criteria

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Ranking Criteria

4 Ranking Criteria Sections for ARC Applicants:

1. Community Need

2. Project Description and Feasibility of Success

3. Community Engagement and Partnerships

4. Project Benefits

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• Community Need [15 pts] - Under this criterion, ARC proposals will be evaluated on:

• Applicant’s description of the health, welfare, environmental, and

• Financial needs of the targeted community as it is affected by the presence of brownfields.

� Responses should clearly identify the sources of information used in this section.

1. Community Need (ARC Applicants)

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Health, Welfare, and Environment

1. Brownfields Effect On Target Community [4 pts] 2. Sensitive Population In Community & Disproportionate Environmental

Impact Data [4 pts]

Financial Need

1. Economic Impacts of Brownfields Provide On Target Community [4 pts] 2. Provide factors explaining why other financial resources are not available

for assessment of brownfields [3 pts]

� Did we mention to identify all information sources!

1. Community Need (con’t)

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• Project Description and Feasibility of Success [40 pts]- Under this criterion, proposals will be evaluated in three main sub-criteria:

1. Project Description [10 pts]

2. Budget and Leveraging [10 pts]

3. Programmatic Capability [20 pts]

2. Project Description/Feasibility of Success

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• Project Description [5 pts]: ALL ARC Applicants must describe the project they are proposing to be funded. [5 pts]

• Cleanup proposals also describe [5 pts]

• Proposed Cleanup Plan

• Institutional and/or Engineering Controls, and

• Site Reuse Plans

2. Project Description/Feasibility of Success (ARC Applicants) (con’t)

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• Budget [10 pts]

• Table (Use Sample Format for Budget)

• Don’t forget the Detailed Narrative

• Know your terms (i.e. “administrative” costs)

• Personnel costs – Double Edged Sword

2. Project Description/Feasibility of Success (con’t)

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2. Project Description/Feasibility of Success (ARC Applicants) - Cleanup Budget

Sample Format for Budget

Budget Categories Project Tasks

(programmatic costs only) [Task 1] [Task 2] [Task 3] [Task 4] Total

Personnel

Fringe Benefits

Travel1

Equipment2

Supplies

Contractual3

Other (specify) ___________________

Subtotal:

Cost Share 1 Travel to brownfield-related training conferences is an acceptable use of these grant funds. 2 EPA defines equipment as items that cost $5,000 or more with a useful life of more than one year. Items costing less than $5,000 are considered

supplies. Generally, equipment is not required for RLF grants. 3 Applicants must comply with the procurement procedures contained in 40 CFR 31.36, or for non-profits, with 40 CFR 30.40 through 30.48.

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• Leveraging [5 pts]- If you determine that additional cleanup work may be required, describe the funding or resources (public and private) you have or will seek to complete the additional work.

• Describe Any Gap In Overall Project Funding • Cleanup Planning, • Cleanup, and • Reuse

• Describe ALL Possible Gap Funding Sources • Provide Examples Of Past Leveraging

2. Project Description/Feasibility of Success (ARC Applicants) (con’t)

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• Programmatic Capability [20 pts]–

• Prior Brownfields Grantee • Past Grant(s) Management & Performance • Adverse Audit Findings • Corrective Action For Past Grant Management Issue

• Prior Federal/Non-federal Assistance Agreements • Plan For Management & Performance • In-house or Plan For Expertise Acquisition • Prior Three Years Grant Management

• No Prior Assistance Agreements

2. Project Description/Feasibility of Success (con’t)

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3. Community Engagement and Partnerships

• Community Engagement and Partnerships -Under this criterion, proposals will be evaluated on:

• Plan for engaging the targeted community

• Relationships identified and established with the partners necessary to achieve the project’s goals

• Support letters provided by community-based organizations

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4. Project Benefits

Project Benefits - Under this criterion, proposals will be evaluated on the extent to which your project’s anticipated outcomes:

• Promote general welfare through the improvement of the public health and safety, economy, and environment of the targeted community; and

• Contribute to your overall community “vision” for the revitalization of brownfield sites.

� Consideration will be given to how public health issues are addressed during the project, the anticipated benefits of redevelopment, and the incorporation of sustainable practices .

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4. Project Benefits (con’t)

• Welfare and/or Public Health [10 pts]

• Economic Benefits and/or Greenspace [5 pts]

• Environmental Benefits from Infrastructure Reuse/Sustainable Reuse [10 pts]

• Plan for tracking & measuring progress [5 pts]

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• Environmental Benefits from Infrastructure Reuse/Sustainable Reuse -Describe How the ARC Grant will help Facilitate Infrastructure Reuse –Be Specific!

• For Example: Water, Sewer, Electricity, Roads, Storm Drain, Public Transit, Building

• Describe How the ARC Grant will help Facilitate Sustainable Reuse - Be Specific! • For Example: Green Building, Energy Efficiency, LEED

Certification, Building Renovation, Innovative Storm Water Controls, Construction & Demolition Recycling*, Green Cleanup*, Community Character, Conserve Resources, Transit, Live/Work

4. Project Benefits (ARC Applicants) (con’t)

*RLF and Cleanup Only

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Hints for Getting Started, Additional Resources, and Final Questions

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• Read the FY2009 Proposal Guidelines for ARC Grants -Individual Program Booklets

• Attend the Region 10 online workshop/conference calls -Opportunity to ask questions on Ranking Criteria

• Contact your state or Tribal Environmental Authority -Initiates coordination through acknowledgment letter -Letters for Petroleum funding eligibility determination

• Contact the Region 10 Brownfields Team with project eligibility questions

-Eligibility can be complicated, call to help navigate through the requirements.

Hints for Getting Started

(3 separate guidelines booklets for Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup grants available on EPA’s Brownfields Website)

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Hints to Getting Started (cont.)

• Connect with the community(ies) and community-based organizations in your target area

-Community Notification for Cleanup Grants -Letters of Support from community-based organizations -Set the project up for meaningful involvement

• Consider all the associated costs with assessment or cleanup. -Incorporate project requirements into your planning and costs of what it takes to manage an EPA grant (quarterly reporting, Endangered Species or Historic Preservation, Permits, etc.)

And remember… This presentation is NOT A SUBSTITUTE for reading

and closely following the detailed Guidelines!

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State Brownfield Leads in Region 10

• Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Contact: John Carnahan Phone: (907) 451-2166

Email: John_Carnahan@dec.state.ak.us

• Idaho Department of Environmental Quality Contact: Aaron Scheff Phone: (208) 373-0420 Email: aaron.scheff@deq.idaho.gov

• Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Contacts: Gil Wistar Phone: (503) 229-5512 Email: Wistar.Gil@deq.state.or.us

• Washington Department of Ecology Contact: John Means Phone: (360) 407-7188 Email: jmea461@ecy.wa.gov

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The Region 10 Brownfields Team We’re here to answer questions

Susan Morales, Brownfields Coordinator and Alaska Lead, morales.susan@epa.gov, 206-553-7299

Terri Griffith, Project Officer and ARC Grants Lead griffith.terri@epa.gov, 206-553-8511

Deborah Burgess, Project Officer and Washington State Lead burgess.deborah@epa.gov, 360-753-9079

Laura Caparroso, Project Officer and Job Training Lead caparroso.laura@epa.gov, 206-553-6378

Joanne LaBaw, Project Officer and TBA Coordinator Labaw.joanne@epa.gov, Tel: 206-553-2594

Mike Slater, Project Officer and Oregon Lead slater.mike@epa.gov, Tel: 503-326-5872

Brooks Stanfield, Project Officer and Idaho Lead stanfield.brooks@epa.gov, 206-553-4423

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Web-Based Resources

• FY09 ARC Proposal Guidelines http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/applicat.htm#fy09

• FY09 ARC Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/publications/fy2009faqs.pdf

• Fact sheet on changes to FY09 Brownfields ARC Grant Guidelines http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/publications/arc_factsheet.pdf

• Fact sheet on Brownfield Assessment Coalitions http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/publications/acfs_062408.pdf

• Assessment Coalition Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/publications/fy2009moa.pdf

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Web-Based Resources (cont.)

• Region 10 Information on-line -http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/CLEANUP.NSF/sites/bf

• EPA Land Revitalization Projects and Construction and Demolition (C&D) Recycling -http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/debris-new/factsheet.htm

• Headquarters Information on-line -www.epa.gov/brownfields

• SmartE-Online Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools - www.smarte.org

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