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National Agricultural Workers Pesticide Safety Training and Education Program; Notice of Funds Availability
[Federal Register: December 1, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 230)] [Notices] [Page 69919-69923] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr01de04-65] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [OPP-2004-0279; FRL-7684-9] National Agricultural Workers Pesticide Safety Training and Education Program; Notice of Funds Availability AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) is soliciting proposals from eligible parties for an EPA cooperative agreement to provide financial assistance to an eligible organization to continue an effort to conduct a national train-the-trainer program to educate farmworkers about how to reduce risks from pesticides. As part of this program the grantee will train pesticide safety educators who will work with farmworker service organizations, growers, and other members of the agricultural community in key rural areas with high pesticide use and large numbers of farmworkers conducting pesticide safety programs for agricultural workers and their families. The total funding available for award in FY 2005, which represents funding set aside in FY 2004, is expected to be approximately $400,000. At the conclusion of the first 1 year period of performance and, based on the availability of future funding, incremental funding of up to $400,000 may be made available for each year allowing the project to continue for a total of five periods of performance (approximately 5 years) and with a total potential funding of up to $2,000,000 for the 5-year period, depending on need and the Agency budget in outlying years. DATES: Applications must be received on or before January 18, 2005. ADDRESSES: Applications, may be submitted by mail, fax, or electronically. Please follow the detailed instructions provided in Unit IV. of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carol Parker, Field and External Affairs Division (7506C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460- 0001; telephone number: (703) 305-6458; fax number: (703) 308-2962; e- mail address: parker.carol@epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following listing provides certain key information concerning the funding opportunity. ? Federal agency name: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ? Funding opportunity title: National Agricultural Workers Pesticide Safety Training and Education Program. ? Funding opportunity number: OPP-001. ? Announcement type: The initial announcement of a funding opportunity. ? Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number: This program is included in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance under number 66.716 at http://www.cfda.gov/public/whole.pdf. ? Dates: Applications must be received by EPA on or before January 18, 2005. I. Funding Opportunity Description A. Authority EPA expects to enter into cooperative agreements under the authority provided in FIFRA section 20 which authorizes the Agency to issue grants or cooperative agreements for research, public education, training, monitoring, demonstration and studies. Regulations governing these cooperative agreements are found at 40 CFR part 30 for institutions of higher education, colleges and universities, and non- profit organizations; and 40 CFR part 31 for States and local governments. In addition, the provisions in 40 CFR part 32, governing government wide debarment and suspension; and the provisions in 40 CFR part 34, regarding restrictions on lobbying apply. All costs incurred under this program must be allowable under the applicable OMB Cost Circulars: A-87 (States and local governments), A-122 (nonprofit organizations), or A-21 (universities). Copies of these circulars can be found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars.In accordance with EPA policy and the OMB circulars, as appropriate, any recipient of funding must agree not to use assistance funds for lobbying, fund-raising, or political activities (e.g., lobbying members of Congress or lobbying for other Federal grants, cooperative agreements or contracts). See 40 CFR part 34. B. Program Description 1. Purpose and scope. EPA's Certification and Worker Protection Branch of the Field and External Affairs Division, Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), is requesting proposals to train farmworkers, farmworker families, and the agricultural community regarding the potential hazards associated with pesticide chemicals and how to reduce those risks. Under this new cooperative agreement, experience and/or expertise is critical to conduct worker protection pesticide safety training and education program for the unique population of farmworkers, including: A comprehensive, national training and outreach pesticide safety education program for farmworkers; an ability to conduct specialized training for Spanish speaking agricultural workers and their families with low literacy levels; qualified managers and staff devoted to training farmworkers about pesticide hazards; offices with pesticide safety programs and trainers in rural communities near agricultural areas with high farmworker populations; and full-time trainers whose primary responsibility is to train farmworkers about pesticide safety. 2. Activities to be funded. EPA will award a cooperative agreement for the National Agricultural Workers Pesticide Safety Training and Education Program under section 20 of FIFRA, as amended, for the continuation of a public training and education pesticide safety program of farmworkers, farmworker families, [[Page 69920]] and other members of the agricultural community to reduce exposure to the hazards of pesticides. Key activities to be funded under this cooperative agreement are: i. Training of at least 14,000 farmworkers, farmworker families, and other members of the agricultural community each year in the key pesticide safety provisions of the Worker Protection Standard (WPS), 40 CFR 170.130. ii. Development or utilization of a pesticide safety training program, including trainers and materials, which address the predominately Spanish speaking, low literacy level needs of agricultural workers. iii. Development and/or utilization of WPS approved pesticide safety curricula and materials for agricultural workers. The curriculum and materials would convey as a minimum the following information: ? Where and in what form pesticides may be encountered during work activities. ? Hazards of pesticides resulting from toxicity and exposure, including acute and chronic effects, delayed effects, and sensitization. ? Routes through which pesticides can enter the body. ? Signs and symptoms of pesticide poisoning. ? Emergency first aid for pesticide injuries or poisonings. ? How to obtain emergency medical care. ? Routine and emergency decontamination procedures, including eye flushing techniques. ? Hazards from pesticide residues on clothing. ? Warnings about taking pesticide containers home. ? Requirements of the WPS, including reducing the risks of illness or injury resulting from workers' occupational exposure to pesticides, including application and entry restrictions, the design of the warning sign, posting of warning signs, oral warnings, the availability of specific information about applications, and protection against retaliatory acts. iv. Conducting a national and/or several regional train-the-trainer workshops for a minimum of 30 pesticide safety educators. Workshops would train trainers of farmworkers about the importance of pesticide safety, the curriculum and materials to be used, how to reach farmworkers and work with growers, crew leaders, and other members of the agricultural community to utilize the training, and how to get certified as an official trainer by the state. Workshops would also include practice sessions for trainers. v. Establishment of pesticide safety training programs in at least 15 local sites in rural areas with a minimum of 12 states including key states with high farmworker populations and high pesticide usage. vi. Outreach and partnership programs with federal, state and local programs and agencies; farmworker service providers; growers and grower organizations; and other members of the agricultural community to utilize and certify the worker protection pesticide safety program for agricultural workers. While matching funds are not required, they are encouraged to meet the training needs of over 2 1/2 million farmworkers. vii. Develop or utilize a pesticide safety training evaluation tool like a pre- and post-tests to evaluate the effectiveness of the training program and modify the training to improve it as necessary. 3. Goal and objectives. Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (7 U.S.C. 136W), EPA developed the WPS to protect the 2 1/2 million agricultural workers and other members of the public from the hazards of pesticides. Under this standard, workers must receive protections and information to prevent pesticide poisonings. Under this cooperative agreement, EPA seeks to work with organizations that have unique and special skills on reaching agricultural workers, who are predominately Spanish speaking, with low literacy levels, often transient, and difficult to reach through more conventional communications networks. The objectives of this program would be to develop or continue an interactive training program to educate farmworkers, their families, and other members of the agricultural community about how to protect themselves from pesticides. The training program would be based primarily in Spanish, although parts could include other key languages that farmworkers speak. Information would be presented in an interactive format directed at reaching low literacy populations and in non-traditional settings. The program should be developed to reach farmworkers in key high farmworker rural areas with high pesticide uses and high hand-labor agricultural areas. The pesticide safety training program for agricultural workers could develop new curriculum or utilize national, state or organizational outreach materials. The information to be conveyed should include the requirements outlined in the WPS (40 CFR part 170). 4. History. In August of 1992, EPA's WPS (40 CFR part 170) was published to require actions to reduce the risk of pesticide poisonings and injuries among agricultural workers and pesticide handlers. The WPS offers protections to more than 3 1/2 million agricultural workers who work with pesticides at more than 560,000 workplaces on farms, forests, nurseries, and greenhouses. The WPS contains requirements for pesticide safety training, notification of pesticide applications, use of personal protective equipment, restricted entry intervals following pesticide application, decontamination supplies, and emergency medical assistance. Since 1995, OPP has provided funding for several research and education programs designed to evaluate and convey pesticide safety information to farmworkers. Since 2000, OPP funded a cooperative agreement, The National Pesticide Education Program for Agricultural Workers and Farmworker Children, that trained full-time educators to teach agricultural workers and their families how to reduce the risks from pesticide hazards. Through this program nearly 350,000 farmworkers, farmworker families, and community members have been trained about how to reduce risks from pesticide hazards. This program has researched and evaluated methods for delivering pesticide safety information to a predominately non-English speaking, low literacy, migrant populations. The program developed a curriculum on pesticide safety and established a program on pesticide safety for agricultural workers, their families and community members. The program trained between 50 and 70 educators yearly about pesticide safety, and education and outreach techniques, which in turn trained about 25,000 farmworkers, farmworker families, and other members of the farmworker community each year. II. Award Information The funding for the selected award project is in the form of a cooperative agreement awarded under section 20 of FIFRA. The total funding available for award in FY 2005 represents funding set aside in FY 2004 and is expected to be approximately $400,000. At the conclusion of the first 1 year period of performance, incremental funding of up to $400,000 may be made available for each subsequent year, depending on need and the Agency budget in outlying years, which would allow the project to continue for a total of five periods of performance (approximately 5 years) and totaling up to $2,000,000 for the 5-year period. [[Page 69921]] Should additional funding become available for award, based on the Agency budget in those outlying years, the Agency may award additional grants based on this solicitation and in accordance with the final selection process, without further notice of competition during the first year of the competition award. III. Eligibility Information 1. Threshold eligibility factors. To be eligible for consideration, applicants must meet all of the following criteria. Failure to meet the following criteria will result in the automatic disqualification for consideration of the proposal for funding: i. Be an applicant who is eligible to receive funding under this announcement, including states, U.S. territories or possessions, federally recognized Tribal governments and organizations, public and private universities and colleges, hospitals, laboratories, other public or private nonprofit institutions and individuals. Non-profit organizations described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engage in lobbying activities as defined in section 3 of the Lobbying Disclosure Action of 1995 are not eligible to apply. Eligible applicants may include: Agricultural, environmental, health, and educational organizations and agencies, colleges or universities, and other public or non-profit agencies, authorities, institutions, organizations, individuals or other qualified entities working in agricultural and/or pesticide training, safety, education and communications. Applicants with experience and/or expertise working with farmworkers; farmworker families; agricultural employers; farmworker support organizations; the Cooperative Extension Service; local state, and national agriculture, environment, labor and occupational health, rural and migrant health, and/or education agencies are eligible. ii. The proposal must address all of the criteria in the high priority areas for consideration listed under Unit III.2. iii. The proposal must address all of the activities to be funded listed under Unit I.B.2. iii. The proposal must meet all format and content requirements contained in Unit IV. The proposal must comply with the directions for submittal contained in this notice. 2. Eligibility criteria. Applicants must demonstrate ability, experience and/or expertise in working with providing pesticide safety education to the unique population of farmworkers in the following high priority areas for consideration. Applicants will be evaluated on the following criteria: i. Expertise in language and literacy needs of farmworkers. Applicant must have expertise in providing education, training, and other services to the needs of the farmworker population. Since the farmworker population has an average educational levels of only the sixth grade, applicants must demonstrate expertise in reaching low literacy level populations. Also, since 84% of farmworkers speak Spanish, applicants must demonstrate an ability to present pesticide safety information in Spanish. ii. Ability to provide comprehensive pesticide safety program for farmworkers, farmworker families, and agricultural community members. Applicants must demonstrate the capacity of providing comprehensive worker training including key pesticide safety information, as outlined in the WPS, 40 CFR 170.130. iii. Extensive outreach strategies to farmworkers and rural communities. Applicants must develop extensive outreach strategies that include areas where farmworkers work and reside. Provisions to train farmworkers and their families in labor camps, work sites on growers' property, in community centers, in churches, migrant health clinics, in schools, and farmworker employment and training offices. In addition, applicants must have the ability to conduct outreach programs with growers and small farmers and work with them to deliver pesticide training programs to their workers. iv. National network of offices in at least 15 agricultural areas with high farmworker populations in at least 12 states. Since farmworkers live and work in hard to reach rural areas, applicants must describe how the training program would work with affiliate farmworker support offices in those 15 or more agricultural areas in close proximity to farmworkers in at least 12 states. v. Broad educational program with over 30 outreach trainers in pesticide safety. Applicants must demonstrate that they have experience conducting effective pesticide safety education and training for farmworkers and a comprehensive curriculum for reaching farmworkers about pesticide safety. Applicants must have a staff of at least 30 full-time outreach workers whose main job is training farmworkers to prevent exposure to pesticides. vi. Ability to train a minimum of 14,000 farmworkers each year about pesticide safety. Since there are approximately 2 1/2 million farmworkers and 20% of these are new workers who enter the U.S. agricultural workforce every year, the applicant must demonstrate the ability to train at least 14,000 farmworkers a year about pesticide safety measures including minimum criteria outlined in the WPS, 40 CFR 170.130. 3. Cost sharing or matching. There are no cost share requirements for this project. However, matching funds are strongly encouraged in order to train the highest number of farmworkers. IV. Application and Submission Information 1. Address to request proposal package. Carol Parker, Field and External Affairs Division (7506C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 305-6458; fax number: (703) 308-2962; e-mail address: parker.carol@epa.gov. 2. Content and form of application submission. Proposals must be typewritten, double spaced in 12 point or larger print using 8.5 x 11 inch paper with minimum 1 inch horizontal and vertical margins. Pages must be numbered in order starting with the cover page and continuing through the appendices. One original and one electronic copy (e-mail or disk) is required. All proposals must include: ? Completed Standard Form SF 424*, Application for Federal Assistance. Please include organization fax number and e-mail address. The application forms are available on line at http://www.epa.gov/ogd/grants/how_to_apply.htm. ? Completed Section B--Budget Categories, on page 1 of Standard Form SF 424A* (see allowable costs discussion below). Blank forms may be located at http://www.epa.gov/ogd/grants/how_to_apply.htm. ? Detailed itemization of the amounts budgeted by individual Object Class Categories (see allowable costs discussion below). ? Statement regarding whether this proposal is a continuation of a previously funded project. If so, please provide the assistance number and status of the current grant/cooperative agreement. Executive Summary. The Executive Summary shall be a stand alone document, not to exceed one page, containing the specifics of what is proposed and what you expect to accomplish regarding measuring or movement toward achieving project goals. This summary should identify the measurable environmental results you expect including potential human health benefits. [[Page 69922]] Table of contents. A one page table listing the different parts of your proposal and the page number on which each part begins. Proposal narrative. Includes Parts I-V as identified below (not to exceed 10 pages). Part I--Project title. Self explanatory. Part II--Objectives. A numbered list (1, 2, etc.) of concisely written project objectives, in most cases, each objective can be stated in a single sentence. Part III--Justification. For each objective listed in Part II, discuss the potential outcome in terms of human health, environmental and/or pesticide risk reduction. Part IV--Approach and methods. Describe in detail how the program will be carried out. Describe how the system or approach will support the program goals. Part V--Impact assessment. Please state how you will evaluate the success of the program in terms of measurable results. How and with what measures will humans be better protected as a result of the program. Quantifiable risk reduction measures should be described. Appendices. These appendices must be included in the cooperative agreement proposal. Additional appendices are not permitted. Timetable. A timetable that includes what will be accomplished under each of the objectives during the project and when completion of each objective is anticipated. Major participants. List all affiliates or other organizations, educators, trainers and others having a major role in the proposal. Provide name, organizational affiliation, or occupation and a description of the role each will play in the project. A brief resume (not to exceed two pages) should be submitted for each major project manager, educator, support staff, or other major participant. 3. Submission dates and times. You may submit an application through the mail, by fax, or electronically. Regardless of submission method, all applications must be received by EPA on or before January 18, 2005. 4. Intergovernmental Review. Applicants should be aware that formal requests for assistance (i.e., SF 424 and associated documentation) may be subject to intergovernmental review under Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.'' Applicants should contact their state's single point of contact (SOC) for further information. There is a list of these contacts at the following web site: http://whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.