Watershed Cooperative Agreement Program

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

Watershed Cooperative Agreement Program

AGENCY: Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, DOI.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds for the Waters Cooperative

Agreement Program.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM)

of the U.S. Department of the Interior is announcing its intent to

solicit applications from eligible, not-for-profit candidates for

funding under the Watershed Cooperative Agreement Program to undertake

local acid mine drainage reclamation projects.

DATES: Applications for the cooperative agreements should be submitted

to the appropriate individual listed under ADDRESSES starting February

1, 1999. Applications will be accepted until June 1, 1999.

ADDRESSES AND FURTHER INFORMATION: Requests for an application package,

which includes further information on the program, the application

forms and evaluation criteria, should be directed to the appropriate

Appalachian Clean Streams Coordinator: Alabama: Jeannie O'Dell,

Birmingham Field Office, 135 Gemini Circle, Suite 215, Homewood, AL

35209, 205-290-8292. ext. 21; Illinois: David Best, Mid-Continent

Regional Coordinating Center, Alton Federal Center, 501 Belle Street,

Room 216, Alton, IL 62002, 618-463-6463 ext. 123; Indiana: Michael

Kalagian, Indianapolis Field Office, Minton-Capehart Federal Building,

575 N. Pennsylvania Street, Room 392, Indianapolis, IN 46204, 317-226-

6166 ext. 234; Iowa: Len Meier, Mid-Continent Regional Coordinating

Center, Alton Federal Center, 501 Belle Street, Room 216, Alton, IL

62002, 618-463-6463, ext. 109; Kentucky: Dave Beam, Lexington Field

Office, 2675 Regency Road, Lexington, KY 40503, 606-233-2896; Maryland:

Peter Hartman, Appalachian Regional Coordinating Center, 3 Parkway

Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15220, 412-937-2905; Missouri: Jeff Gillespie,

Mid-Continent Regional Coordinating Center, Alton Federal Center, 501

Belle Street, Room 216, Alton, IL 62002, 618-463-6463 ext. 128; Ohio:

Max Luehrs, Columbus Area Office, 4480 Refugee Road, Suite 201,

Columbus, OH 43232, 614-866-0578 ext. 110; Pennsylvania: David

Hamilton, Harrisburg Field Office, 415 Market Steet, Suite 3,

Harrisburg, PA 17101, 717-782-2285; Tennessee: Danny Ellis, Knoxville

Field Office, 530 Gay Street, Suite 500, Knoxville, TN 37902, 423-545-

4103 ext. 147; Virginia: Ronnie Vicars, Big Stone Gap Field Office,

1941 Neeley Road, Suite 201, Compartment 116, Big Stone Gap, VA 24219,

540-523-5053; West Virginia: Rick Buckley, Charleston Field Office,

1027 Virginia Street East, Charleston, WV 25301, 304-347-7162 ext.

3024.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For Fiscal Year 1999, OSM expects to award a

total of $750,000 to eligible not-for-profit groups to undertake actual

construction projects to clean up streams impacted by acid mine

drainage. The cooperative agreements will be in the $5000-$80,000 range

in order to assist as many groups as possible. The cooperative

agreements will have a performance period of two years.

Eligible applicants are not-for-profit, established organizations

with IRS

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501(c)(3) status. Applicants must have other partners, contributing

either funding of in-kind services; the partners must provide a

substantial portion of the total resources needed to complete the

project.

Projects in the following States are eligible: Alabama, Illinois,

Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania,

Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Projects must meet eligibility

criteria for coal projects outlined in Section 404 of the Surface

Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977:

Lands and water eligible for reclamation or drainage abatement

expenditures under this title are those which were mined for coal or

which were affected by such mining, wastebanks, coal processing, or

other coal mining processes * * * and abandoned or left in an

inadequate reclamation status prior to the date of enactment of this

Act [August 3, 1977], and for which there is no continuing

reclamation responsibility under State or other Federal laws.

There must be demonstrated public support for the project. The

project should propose to use proven or innovative technology that has

a high probability of success. The project must produce tangible

results, e.g., fishery restored, stream miles improved, educational and

community benefits, pollutants removed from the streams. The funds must

be used primarily for the construction phase of a project;

reimbursement of administrative costs will be carefully scrutinized.

There must be a plan to address any ongoing operation/maintenance

considerations.

Two copies of a complete application should be submitted to the

appropriate Appalachian Clean Streams Coordinator identified under

ADDRESSES. Awards are subject to the availability of funds.

Applications will receive technical and financial management reviews.

Dated: December 29, 1998.

Kathy Karpan,

Director, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.

[FR Doc. 98-34816 Filed 12-31-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-05-M