Surveillance of Hazardous Substances Emergency Events Introduction

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

[Announcement 431]

Surveillance of Hazardous Substances Emergency Events

Introduction

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)

announces the availability of fiscal year (FY) 1994 funds for a

cooperative agreement program to conduct surveillance of hazardous

substances emergency events. The Public Health Service (PHS) is

committed to achieving the health promotion and disease prevention

objectives of ``Healthy People 2000,'' a PHS-led national activity to

reduce morbidity and mortality and improve the quality of life. This

announcement is related to the priority areas of Surveillance and Data

Systems and Environmental Health. (To order a copy of ``Healthy People

2000,'' see the section Where To Obtain Additional Information.)

Authority

This program is authorized in sections 104(i)(1)(E) and (15) of the

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

(CERCLA) as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act

(SARA) (42 U.S.C. 9604 (i)(1)(E) and (15)).

Smoke-Free Workplace

The PHS strongly encourages all grant recipients to provide a

smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco products.

This is consistent with the PHS mission to protect and advance the

physical and mental health of the American people.

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants are the official public health departments of

the States or their bona fide agents. This includes the District of

Columbia, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin

Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Northern Mariana

Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau,

and federally recognized Indian tribal governments.

Availability of Funds

Approximately $1,000,000 is available in FY 1994 to fund

approximately 15 awards. It is expected that the average new award will

be $70,000 ranging from $60,000 to $80,000 per award. It is expected

that the awards will begin on or about September 30, 1994, with a 12-

month budget period within a project period of up to 5 years. Funding

estimates may vary and are subject to change. Continuation awards

within the project period will be made on the basis of satisfactory

progress and the availability of funds.

Grantees currently funded under ATSDR's Program Announcement 207

can apply and, if successful, the current award would roll over into

this one (competitive renewal) for a project period of 5 years. If a

current grantee applies under this competitive renewal announcement and

is unsuccessful, it would not jeopardize the current award; ATSDR will

honor the current awards through the expiration of the project period,

subject to satisfactory progress and the availability of funds. If a

current grantee should choose not to apply for this competitive

renewal, ATSDR will honor the current award through the expiration of

the project period, subject to satisfactory progress and the

availability of funds.

Use of Funds

Funds may be expended for reasonable program purposes, such as

personnel, travel, supplies, and services. Equipment may be purchased

with cooperative agreement funds; however, justification must be

provided which should include a cost comparison of purchase versus

lease options. All purchased equipment must be compatible with ATSDR

equipment and shall be returned to ATSDR at the completion of the

project.

Purpose

The primary purpose of this cooperative agreement program is to

assist State health departments in developing a state-based

surveillance system for monitoring hazardous substances emergency

events to allow the State health department to better understand the

public health impact of hazardous substances emergencies.

The objectives of the surveillance system are to:

1. Describe the distribution of hazardous substances emergencies

within individual States;

2. Describe the type and cause of morbidity and mortality

experienced by employees, first responders, and the general public as a

result of selected hazardous substances emergencies;

3. Analyze and describe risk factors associated with the morbidity

and mortality; and

4. Develop and propose strategies to reduce subsequent morbidity

and mortality when comparable events occur in the future.

Program Requirements

All Hazardous Substances Emergency Event Surveillance (HSEES) will

be performed in accordance with the methodology provided in the HSEES

protocol. The protocol was developed to meet the objectives outlined

under Purpose. A copy of the protocol will be provided in the

application kit. For purposes of this program, the following criteria

define an emergency event:

1. An uncontrolled or illegal release or threatened release of one

or more hazardous substances (Note: The substances that are actually

released or threatened to be released include all hazardous substances

except petroleum products), and

2. The quantity of the hazardous substances which are released, or

are threatened to be released, need (or would need) to be removed,

cleaned up, or neutralized according to Federal, State, or local law;

or

3. There is only a threatened release of hazardous substances, but

this threat leads to an action (e.g., an evacuation) that can

potentially impact the health of employees, responders, or the general

public. This action makes the event eligible for inclusion into the

surveillance system, even though the hazardous substances are not

released.

A hazardous substance includes, but is not limited to, any element,

substance, compound, or mixture, including disease-causing agents,

which after release into the environment and upon exposure, ingestion,

inhalation, or assimilation into any organism, either directly from the

environment or indirectly by ingestion through the food chain, will or

may reasonably be anticipated to cause death, disease, behavioral

abnormalities, cancer, genetic mutation, physiological malfunctions

(including malfunctions in reproduction) or physical deformations, in

such organisms or their offspring; except that the term ``hazardous

substance'' does not include petroleum products, including crude oil or

any fraction thereof which is not otherwise specifically listed or

designated as a ``hazardous substance.''

To achieve the purpose of this program, the recipient shall be

responsible for conducting activities under A., below, and ATSDR will

be responsible for conducting activities under B., below:

A. Recipient Activities

1. Develop a mechanism that ensures that the State health

department is notified of hazardous substances emergency events in a

timely fashion. This should include negotiating formal or informal

agreements with all State agencies that are normally notified when

hazardous substances emergencies have occurred. These State agencies

should include, but not be limited to, State police, fire departments,

environmental agencies, and various offices of emergency government.

2. Investigate the emergency event by gathering and entering the

information obtained from all sources into the HSEES tracking system.

Sources may include, but not be limited to, those agencies mentioned in

A.1., and other relevant Federal, State, local, and private agencies in

keeping with the surveillance protocol.

3. Establish and maintain appropriate procedures to ensure the

timely gathering and entering the information into a database as

prescribed by the HSEES protocol.

B. ATSDR Activities

1. Assist recipients in acquiring appropriate information for

performance of HSEES and evaluating the completeness and quality of

relevant information.

2. Provide prototype information gathering instrument.

3. Assist recipients in establishing and maintaining appropriate

and timely schedules for the HSEES surveillance process.

4. Assist recipients in selecting training that will be useful in

maintaining the surveillance system.

5. Analyze environmental and/or biological results for specific

situations in which ATSDR has concerns.

6. Evaluate the overall performance of recipient's adherence to the

surveillance protocol.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be reviewed and evaluated according to the

following criteria:

A. Review Criteria for States New to HSEES

1. Appropriateness and Knowledge of Surveillance System--25%

Demonstrate a need for such a surveillance system within their

State. Additionally, the applicant should demonstrate an understanding

of the needs, limitations, and experience with surveillance systems as

a means of assessing the impact of hazardous substances on public

health.

2. Proposed Methodology--25%

Applicant must demonstrate experience in, or an ability to develop,

implement, maintain, and evaluate surveillance systems in accordance

with the HSEES Protocol.

3. Capability and Coordination Efforts--20%

Demonstrate the ability to develop, maintain, or expand a formal or

an informal working relationship with agencies outside of the State

health departments that receive notifications of hazardous substances

emergencies. This is necessary to assure that State health departments

are notified of all hazardous substances emergencies.

4. Quality of Information Collection--20%

Applicant should describe experience in collaborative projects for

which the agency has had the responsibility collecting information in a

consistent format. Examples include surveillance projects, surveys, and

prospective or retrospective hypothesis-testing studies. The timely

submission of data for analysis is critical in ensuring the success of

this surveillance. Accordingly, the applicant must demonstrate

experience in, or the ability to collect, enter, and transfer data on a

timely basis.

5. Program Personnel--10%

Demonstrate that the proposed program staff is qualified and

appropriate, and the time allocated for them to accomplish program

activities is adequate. With limited funds available, the applicant

must demonstrate that an infrastructure exists within the health

department that will allow for full participation in the surveillance

system with partial ATSDR financial support. Such in-kind support can

include existing support staff, technical staff (e.g., epidemiologist,

data management staff, environmental health scientists, emergency

response personnel, computer specialists), and computer hardware.

6. Program Budget--(Not scored)

Budget must be reasonable, clearly justified, and consistent with

intended use of cooperative agreement funds.

B. Review Criteria for States with Existing HSEES

1. Appropriateness and Knowledge of Surveillance System--25%

Applicant must demonstrate experience in collecting emergency event

surveillance information within the State. This should include, but not

be limited to, an assessment of the extent of hazardous substances

emergencies and/or the morbidity and mortality associated with these

events. Additionally, the applicant should demonstrate an understanding

of the needs, limitations, and experience with surveillance systems as

a means of assessing the impact of hazardous substances on public

health.

2. Proposed Methodology--25%

Applicant must demonstrate experience in HSEES. This should include

the development, implementation, and evaluation of an HSEES system in

accordance with the surveillance Protocol.

3. Capability and Coordination Efforts--20%

Applicant must demonstrate the ability to develop, maintain, or

expand a formal or an informal working relationship with agencies

outside of the State health departments that receive notifications of

hazardous substances emergencies. This is necessary to assure that

State health departments are notified of all hazardous substances

emergencies.

4. Quality of Information Collection--20%

Applicant should describe previous experience in HSEES systems,

including collecting information for which the organization is

responsible in a consistent format. Of critical importance to the

success of the surveillance project is the timely submission of data

for analysis. The applicant must demonstrate experience in, or the

ability to collect, enter, and transfer data on a timely basis.

5. Program Personnel--10%

Demonstrate that the proposed program staff is qualified and

appropriate, and the time allocated for them to accomplish program

activities is adequate. With limited funds available, the applicant

must demonstrate that an infrastructure exists within the health

department that will allow for full participation in the surveillance

system with partial ATSDR financial support. Such in-kind support can

include existing support staff, technical staff (e.g., epidemiologist,

data management staff, environmental health scientists, emergency

response personnel), and computer hardware.

6. Program Budget--(Not scored)

Budget must be reasonable, clearly justified, and consistent with

intended use of cooperative agreement funds.

C. Review of Noncompeting Continuation Applications

Continuation awards within the project period will be made on the

basis of the following criteria:

1. Satisfactory progress has been made in meeting project

objectives;

2. Objectives for the new budget period are realistic, specific,

and measurable;

3. Proposed changes in described long-term objectives, methods of

operation, need for cooperative agreement support, and/or evaluation

procedures will lead to achievement of project objectives; and

4. The budget request is clearly justified and consistent with the

intended use of cooperative agreement funds.

Funding Priorities

Applicants must demonstrate the abilities described earlier in the

Program Requirements section of this announcement. Priority will be

given for the following:

1. Geographic distribution across the entire United States.

2. Representation from both agricultural and industrial States.

3. Electronic data management/transfer capabilities, and in-kind

technical support.

Public Comments are not being solicited regarding the funding

priority because time does not permit solicitation and review prior to

the funding date.

Executive Order 12372 Review

Applications are subject to Intergovernmental Review of Federal

Programs as governed by Executive Order (E.O.) 12372. E.O. 12372 sets

up a system for State and local government review of proposed Federal

assistance applications. Applicants (other than federally recognized

Indian tribal governments) should contact their State Single Point of

Contact (SPOC) as early as possible to alert them to the prospective

applications and receive any necessary instructions on the State

process. For proposed projects serving more than one State, the

applicant is advised to contact the SPOC of each affected State. A

current list of SPOCs including their names, addresses, and telephone

numbers is included in the application kit. If SPOCs have any State

process recommendations on applications submitted to CDC, they should

forward them to Henry S. Cassell, III, Grants Management Officer,

Grants Management Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 255 East Paces Ferry Road, NE.,

Atlanta, Georgia 30305, no later than 60 days after the application

deadline. The granting agency does not guarantee to ``accommodate or

explain'' for State process recommendations it receives after that

date.

Indian tribes are strongly encouraged to request tribal government

review of the proposed application. If tribal governments have any

tribal process recommendations on applications submitted to CDC, they

should forward them to Henry S. Cassell, III, Grants Management

Officer, Grants Management Branch, Procurement and Grants Office,

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 255 East Paces Ferry

Road, NE., Mail Stop E-13, Atlanta, Georgia 30305. This should be done

no later than 60 days after the application deadline date. The granting

agency does not guarantee to ``accommodate or explain'' for tribal

process recommendations it receives after that date.

Public Health System Reporting Requirements

This program is not subject to the Public Health System Reporting

Requirements.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number is 93.161.

Other Requirements

Paperwork Reduction Act

Projects that involve collection of information from 10 or more

individuals and funded by cooperative agreement will be subject to

review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork

Reduction Act. OMB clearance has been obtained for the Hazardous

Substances Emergency Events Data Collection Form OMB Number 0923-008,

expiration date June 30, 1995.

Application Submission Deadline

The original and two copies of the application (PHS Form 5161-1)

should be submitted to Henry S. Cassell, III, Grants Management

Officer, Grants Management Branch, Procurement and Grants Office,

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 255 East Paces Ferry

Road, NE., room 300, Mail Stop E-13, Atlanta, Georgia 30305, on or

before July 21, 1994. By formal agreement, the CDC Procurement and

Grants Office will act on behalf of and for ATSDR on this matter.

A. Deadline

Applications shall be considered as meeting the deadline if they

are either:

1. Received on or before the deadline date; or

2. Sent on or before the deadline date and received in time for

submission to the independent review group. (Applicants must request a

legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark or obtain a legibly dated

receipt from a commercial carrier or the U.S. Postal Service. Private

metered postmarks shall not be acceptable as proof of timely mailing.)

B. Late Applications

Applications that do not meet the criteria in A.1. or A.2. above

are considered late applications. Late applications will not be

considered in the current competition and will be returned to the

applicant.

Where to Obtain Additional Information

A complete program description, information on application

procedures, an application package, and business management assistance

may be obtained from Maggie Slay, Grants Management Specialist, Grants

Management Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention (CDC), 255 East Paces Ferry Road, NE., room 300,

Mail Stop E-13, Atlanta, Georgia 30305, telephone (404) 842-6797.

Programmatic assistance may be obtained from Dr. Wendy Kaye, Chief,

Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch, Division of Health Studies,

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 1600 Clifton Road,

NE., Mail Stop E-31, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, telephone (404) 639-6203.

Please refer to Announcement Number 431 when requesting information

and submitting an application.

Potential applicants may obtain a copy of ``Healthy People 2000''

(Full Report, Stock No. 017-001-00474-0) or ``Healthy People 2000''

(Summary Report, Stock No. 017-001-00473-1) through the Superintendent

of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325,

telephone (202) 783-3238.

Dated: May 27, 1994.

Claire V. Broome,

Acting Deputy Administrator, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease

Registry.

[FR Doc. 94-13492 Filed 6-2-94; 8:45 am]

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