Supplemental Emergency Preparedness Grant Program

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Special Programs Administration

[Notice No. 98-1]

Supplemental Emergency Preparedness Grant Program

AGENCY: Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: RSPA is providing notice of the availability of grant funds in

the amount of $250,000 and soliciting applications from national

nonprofit employee organizations engaged solely in fighting fires to

train instructors to conduct hazardous materials response training

programs. RSPA also seeks comments on the provisions contained in this

notice in order to improve operation of the program. Grant application

packages, reflecting comments made, will be available on April 1, 1998.

DATES: Comments. Comments must be submitted on or before March 10,

1998.

Applications. Applications must be submitted by May 15, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Address comments and applications to the Grants Unit, DHM-

64, Room 8104, Research and Special Programs Administration, Department

of Transportation, 400 Seventh St., SW, Washington, DC 20590-0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles G. Rogoff, Grants Manager,

Office of Hazardous Materials Planning and Analysis, Research and

Special Programs Administration, Department of Transportation, 400

Seventh St., SW, Washington, DC 20590-0001, telephone: (202) 366-0001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Introduction

The Hazardous Materials Transportation Authorization Act of 1994

(HMTAA; Pub. L. 103-311) amended 49 U.S.C. 5116 and added a new

subsection (j) concerning supplemental training grants. These

supplemental grants are intended to further the purposes of the State

and Indian tribe grants under section 5116(b) to train public sector

employees to respond to accidents and incidents involving hazardous

material. Section 5116(j)(1) provides that the Secretary of

Transportation shall, subject to the availability of funds, make grants

to national nonprofit employee organizations engaged solely in

firefighting to train instructors to conduct training programs for

individuals responding to hazardous materials accidents. Section

5116(j)(2) requires the Secretary to consult with interested

organizations to identify regions or locations in which fire

departments are in need of training and prioritize those needs. Section

5116(j)(3) provides that funds granted to an organization may only be

used to train instructors to conduct hazardous materials response

training programs, to purchase equipment used to train those

instructors, and to disseminate information necessary to conduct those

training programs. Section 5116(j)(4) provides that a grantee must

agree to use courses developed under the National Training Curriculum,

and section 5116(j)(5) provides that the Secretary may impose such

additional terms and conditions on grants as the Secretary determines

are necessary to carry out the objectives of the supplemental grant

program. RSPA asks comments to address the definitions of eligible

applicants and criteria for grant selection described below.

Availability of Funds

Section 119(b) of the HMTAA amended 49 U.S.C. 5127(b) to provide

that there shall be available to the Secretary, from the registration

fee account established under section 5116(i), $250,000 for each of

fiscal years 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998 (60 Federal Register 4,657,

January 24, 1995). Under section 5116(i), amounts in the registration

fee account are available without further appropriation.

[[Page 6608]]

Approximately $250,000 is projected to be available in fiscal year

1998. Awards will be made for a 12-month budget period.

Eligible Applicants

By law, grants are intended for ``national nonprofit employee

organizations engaged solely in fighting fires for the purpose of

training instructors to conduct hazardous materials response training

programs for individuals with statutory responsibility to respond to

hazardous materials accidents and incidents.'' 49 U.S.C. 5116(j)(1).

RSPA interprets the first part of the quoted phrase to mean nonprofit

organizations with employee members who fight fires.

Objectives of the Grant Program

RSPA expects that, by training additional instructors, course

deliveries to hazardous materials emergency responders will increase.

Because many responders cannot leave their immediate locations for

extended periods of time, due to budget and other limitations, one way

to deliver training to them is to train sufficient instructors for

required course deliveries at convenient locations.

As provided by statute, funds awarded to an organization under this

grant program may only be used to train instructors to conduct

hazardous materials response training programs, to purchase training

equipment used exclusively to train instructors to conduct those

training programs, and to disseminate information and materials

necessary for the conduct of those training programs. RSPA will make a

grant to an organization under this program only if the organization

enters into an agreement with RSPA to train instructors, on a

nondiscriminatory basis, to conduct hazardous materials response

training programs using a course or courses developed or identified as

qualified under the curriculum guidelines prepared by RSPA and its

interagency partners, or other courses that RSPA determines are

consistent with the objectives of the curriculum guidelines.

Grant Application Requirements

Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis. Applications shall,

at a minimum, discuss the following requirements:

(1) How applicants intend to provide training for instructors of

individuals with statutory responsibility to respond to accidents and

incidents involving hazardous materials.

(2) The regions or locations in which fire departments or other

organizations providing emergency response to hazardous materials

transportation accidents and incidents require hazardous materials

training and the method used to identify those needs.

(3) Prioritized training needs, and a description of the means for

identifying additional specific training needs.

(4) A statement of work that describes and sets priorities for the

activities and tasks to be conducted, the costs associated with each

activity, the number and types of deliverables and products to be

completed, and a schedule for implementation, including availability to

present an interim report at a HMEP Workshop.

In addition, since RSPA expects that the amount of funds requested

by all applicants may exceed a total of $250,000, applicants should

provide a prioritized listing of specific program tasks to be performed

and the cost of each task.

RSPA encourages the addition of non-Federal funds to support the

project, but does not require cost sharing. Program funding is

dependent on collection of registration fees and may be less than the

authorized amount. Applications must be submitted by May 15, 1998. An

application kit will be available from RSPA on April 1, 1998.

Issued in Washington, DC, on February 4, 1998.

Alan I. Roberts,

Associate Administrator for Hazardous Materials Safety.

[FR Doc. 98-3194 Filed 2-6-98; 8:45 am]

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