Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 99 / Tuesday, May 23, 1995 / Notices 27317

health) services, social services,

educational and other services.

The Division develops Repatriation

plans to make arrangements and

approve payments for temporary

assistance to certain U.S. citizens and

dependents repatriated from foreign

countries, and for the hospitalization of

certain U.S. Nationals repatriated

because of mental illness.

Dated: May 17, 1995.

Mary Jo Bane,

Assistant Secretary for Children and Families.

[FR Doc. 95–12551 Filed 5–22–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4184–01–M

Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention

[Announcement 553]

Cooperative Agreement for Adult

Blood Lead Epidemiology Surveillance

Programs and/or Intervention Projects

to Prevent Adult Lead Poisoning

Introduction

The Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC) announces the

availability of fiscal year (FY) 1995

funds for new and competing

continuation of State-Based Adult Blood

Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance

Programs (ABLES) and intervention

projects to prevent adult lead poisoning

in high-risk industries and occupations.

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 area of

Occupational Safety and Health. (To

order a copy of Healthy People 2000, see

the Section Where To Obtain Additional

Information.)

Authority

This program is authorized under the

Occupational Safety and Health Act of

1970, section 20(a), (29 U.S.C. 669(a)),

and section 22(e)(7), (29 U.S.C.

671(e)(7)).

Smoke-Free Workplace

The Public Health Service strongly

encourages all grant recipients to

provide a smoke-free workplace and

promote the non-use of all tobacco

products, and Public Law 103–227, the

Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits

smoking in certain facilities that receive

Federal funds in which education,

library, day care, health care, and early

childhood development services are

provided to children.

Environmental Justice Initiative

Activities conducted under this

announcement should be consistent

with the Federal Executive Order No.

12898 entitled ‘‘Federal Actions to

Address Environmental Justice in

Minority Populations and Low-Income

Populations.’’ Awardees, to the greatest

extent practicable and permitted by law,

shall make achieving environmental

justice part of its program’s mission by

identifying and addressing, as

appropriate, disproportionately high

and adverse human health and

environmental effects of lead on

minority populations and low-income

populations.

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants must have

regulations for reporting blood lead

levels or provide assurances that such

regulations will be in place within six

months of awarding the cooperative

agreement. Eligible applicants are State

health departments or other State health

agencies or departments deemed most

appropriate by the State to direct and

coordinate the State’s adult lead

poisoning prevention program. This

eligibility includes health departments

or other official organizational authority

(agency or instrumentality) of the

District of Columbia, the

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any

territory or possession of the United

States. Also eligible are federally

recognized Indian tribal governments.

Note: Other official State and territorial

agencies with occupational safety and health

jurisdiction may also apply. Applicants other

than health departments must apply in

collaboration with and through their State

and territorial health department.

For Surveillance Funds Only: Eligible

applicants must have regulations for

reporting of blood lead (PbB) levels by

both public and private laboratories or

provide assurances that such regulations

will be in place no later than September

30, 1995. This program is intended to

initiate and build capacity for

surveillance of adult PbB levels.

Therefore, any applicant that already

has in place a PbB level surveillance

activity must demonstrate how these

grant funds will be used to enhance,

expand or improve the current activity,

in order to remain eligible for funding.

CDC funds should be added to bloodlead surveillance funding from other

sources, if such funding exists.

Applicants other than State health

departments must apply in conjunction

with their State or territorial health

department. If a State agency applying

for cooperative agreement funds is other

than the official State health

department, written concurrence by the

State health department must be

provided.

(In order to compete for additional

funding, applicants that are currently

being funded for ‘‘Adult Blood Lead

Epidemiology and Surveillance’’

programs must submit new

supplemental proposals for their

surveillance activities, and/or a

proposal for an intervention project.

These supplements must meet all the

above eligibility and will be evaluated

as a part of the surveillance program/

intervention project objective review.)

Availability of Funds

Surveillance/Intervention Funds

Approximately $539,500 will be

available in FY 1995. These funds will

be awarded as follows:

Surveillance Programs

A. Approximately $81,000 to fund up

to three cooperative agreements for

States currently without a lead

surveillance program but who meet the

eligibility criteria. These awards are

expected to range from approximately

$25,000 to $30,000 with the average

award being approximately $27,000.

B. Approximately $278,500 to fund

up to thirteen cooperative agreements.

Eligible applicants include those States

currently receiving CDC/NIOSH ABLES

support and those which provide

quarterly data to the national reporting

system. These awards are expected to

range from $20,000 to $22,000, with the

average award being approximately

$21,500.

Intervention Project(s)

C. Approximately $180,000 to fund

up to two cooperative agreements for

intervention projects. These awards are

expected to range from $80,000 to

$100,000, with the average award being

approximately $90,000.

The new awards are expected to begin

on or about September 30, 1995. New

awards for surveillance programs listed

under Parts A and B are made for 12-

month budget periods within project

periods not to exceed 5 years. Awards

for Intervention project(s) under Part C

are made for a project period of one

year. Funding estimates outlined above

are subject to change based on the actual

availability of funds and the scope and

quality of applications received.

Continuation awards within the project

period will be made on the basis of

satisfactory progress and availability of

funds.

These awards are intended to

develop, expand, or improve adult

blood lead epidemiology and
27318 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 99 / Tuesday, May 23, 1995 / Notices

surveillance programs and/or develop

statewide capacity for conducting

surveillance of elevated blood-lead

levels. Funds for intervention projects

are for the development and conduct of

projects to reduce adult lead poisoning.

Cooperative agreement funds should be

used to increase the level of

expenditures from State, local, and

other funding sources. Awards will be

made with the expectation that

expanded or improved surveillance

activities will continue when awarded

funds are terminated at the end of the

project period.

Purpose

This program is intended to initiate

and build capacity for blood lead level

surveillance and/or conduct

interventions to prevent adult lead

poisoning. Therefore, any applicant that

already has a blood lead level

surveillance activity in place must

demonstrate how these cooperative

agreement funds will be used to

enhance, expand, or improve the

current activity in order to remain

eligible for funding.

Cooperative agreement funds should

be added to blood lead surveillance

funding from other sources, if such

funding exists. Funds for this program

may not be used in place of any existing

funding for blood lead surveillance or

intervention activities. Funds should be

used to: (1) Collect data on adults with

elevated blood lead levels; (2) identify

possible sources of lead exposure; (3)

monitor medical, occupational, and

environmental management of leadpoisoned adults; (4) provide information

on adult lead poisoning and its

prevention and management to the

public, health professionals, and policy

and decision makers; (5) encourage and

support community-based programs

directed to the goal of eliminating adult

lead poisoning; and (6) build capacity

for conducting surveillance of elevated

blood lead (BLL’s) levels in adults.

Cooperative Agreement funds for

surveillance are to be used to develop

and implement complete surveillance

systems for blood lead levels in adults

to ensure appropriate targeting for highrisk industries and occupations and

track progress in the elimination of

adult lead poisoning. Intervention funds

are to be used to develop effective

models for intervention in the

prevention of adult lead poisoning.

Surveillance Programs

This cooperative agreement program

is intended to assist State health

departments or other appropriate

agencies to implement a complete blood

lead surveillance activity. For the

purpose of these programs a complete

blood lead surveillance activity is

defined as a process which: (1)

Systematically collects information over

time about adults (primarily workers)

with elevated BLL’s using laboratory

reports as the data source; (2) collects

follow-up information on industry and

occupation of individuals identified on

laboratory reports; (3) provides for the

follow-up of cases, including field

investigations when necessary; and (4)

provides timely and useful analysis and

reporting of the accumulated data.

Intervention Projects

The purpose of these awards is to

assist State health departments or other

appropriate agencies to develop

effective models for intervention in the

prevention of occupational lead

poisoning. In particular, the focus

should be on lead-using industries and

occupations covered under the

Occupational Safety and Health

Administration (OSHA) Lead Standard

for General Industry (29 CFR 1025.1910)

or the Construction Standard (29 CFR

part 1926) to determine methods for

effective interventions to control lead

exposures and reduce blood lead levels.

An effective intervention strategy

developed by the program will serve as

a model for other programs nationally.

Goals

Surveillance Programs

The surveillance component of this

announcement is intended to assist

State health departments or other

appropriate agencies to implement a

complete surveillance activity for BLL’s

in adults. Development of surveillance

systems at the local, State and national

levels is essential for targeting

interventions to high-risk industries and

occupations and for tracking progress in

eliminating adult poisoning.

The goals of the ABLES program are

to:

1. Increase the number of State health

departments with surveillance

systems for elevated BLL’s;

2. Build the capacity of State- or

territorial-based BLL surveillance

systems;

3. Use data from these systems to

conduct national surveillance of

elevated BLL’s;

4. Disseminate data on the occurrence of

elevated BLL’s to government

agencies, researchers, employers, and

medical care providers;

5. Direct intervention efforts to reduce

occupational and environmental lead

exposure;

6. Characterize reports by industry and

occupation to assist with targeting

educational outreach efforts and

prevention activities.

Intervention Project(s)

Intervention funds are to be used for

developing effective models for

intervention in the prevention of adult

lead poisoning. The goals are to:

1. Develop a model for intervention

related to lead poisoning targeting

high-risk industries or occupational

businesses;

2. Build occupational disease

prevention capacity via State health

departments or other appropriate

agencies at the State, or local level;

3. Design, field test, demonstrate, and

evaluate the effectiveness of the

intervention.

Program Requirements

In conducting activities to achieve the

purpose of this program, the recipient

will be responsible for conducting

activities under A. (Recipient

Activities), and CDC/NIOSH will be

responsible for the activities listed

under B. (CDC/NIOSH Activities).

The following requirements are for

surveillance only cooperative agreement

projects:

A. Recipient Resources and Activities

1. Develop effective, well-defined,

working relationships with childhood

lead poisoning prevention programs

within the applicants’ State.

2. Refine and implement, in

collaboration with CDC/NIOSH, the

methodology for surveillance as

proposed in the respective program

application.

3. Provide collaborative partnerships

with CDC/NIOSH in any interim and/

or final evaluation of the surveillance

activity.

4. Monitor and evaluate all major

program activities and services.

5. Demonstrate experience or access to

professionals knowledgeable in

conducting and evaluating public

health programs.

6. Develop ability to translate program

findings to State and local public

health officials, policy- and decisionmakers, and to others seeking to

strengthen program efforts.

B. CDC/NIOSH Activities

1. Provide technical assistance and

consultation in the implementation of

the surveillance activities throughout

the project period.

2. Provide a format for reporting

surveillance data to CDC/NIOSH.

3. Analyze and provide summary

surveillance data for national

reporting.

4. Provide timely feedback to the

recipient from the review of quarterly
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 99 / Tuesday, May 23, 1995 / Notices 27319

reports on the program activities

conducted by the recipient.

5. Provide assistance in the conduct of

field investigations at the recipient’s

request and as resources permit.

The following requirements are for

Adult Lead Poisoning Intervention only

projects:

A. Recipient Activities

1. Hire or establish a full-time director/

coordinator with authority and

responsibility to carry out the

requirements of intervention project

activities.

2. Collaborate with CDC/NIOSH to

refine the methodology for the

proposed intervention as described in

the program application.

3. Develop and document all facets of

the intervention program.

4. Develop plan for evaluating

intervention process and outcomes.

5. Evaluate the model program using

CDC Prevention Effectiveness Criteria.

B. NIOSH/CDC Activities

1. Provide technical assistance and

consultation in the implementation of

the model program throughout the

project period.

2. Provide assistance in the conduct of

field investigations and intervention

efforts, at the recipient’s request.

3. Provide guidelines for evaluating the

intervention activities and technical

assistance for the evaluation.

Note: Applicants may submit proposals for

surveillance programs and/or intervention

project(s).

Evaluation Criteria

The review of applications will be

conducted by an objective review

committee who will review the quality

of the application based on the strength

and completeness of the plan submitted.

The budget justification will be used to

assess how well the technical plan is

likely to be carried out using available

resources. The maximum ratings score

of an application is 100 points.

A: The Factors To Be Considered in the

Evaluation of Applications for

Surveillance Program Funds Only Are

1. Surveillance Activity (35%)

The clarity, feasibility, and scientific

soundness of the surveillance approach.

Also, the extent to which a proposed

schedule for accomplishing each

activity and methods for evaluating each

activity are clearly defined and

appropriate.

The following points will be

specifically evaluated:

a. How laboratories report PbB levels.

b. How data will be collected and

managed.

c. How data quality and completeness of

reporting will be assured.

d. How and when data will be analyzed.

e. How summary data will be reported

and disseminated.

f. Protocols for follow-up of individuals

with elevated PbB levels.

g. Provisions to obtain industry and

occupation data.

2. Progress Toward Complete BloodLead Surveillance (30%)

The extent to which the proposed

activities are likely to result in

substantial progress toward establishing

a complete State-based PbB surveillance

activity (as defined in the PURPOSE

Section).

3. Project Sustainability (20%)

The extent to which the proposed

activities are likely to result in the longterm maintenance of a complete Statebased PbB surveillance system. In

particular, specific activities that will be

undertaken by the State during the

project period to ensure that the

surveillance program continues after

completion of the project period.

4. Personnel (10%)

The extent to which the qualifications

and time commitments of project

personnel are clearly documented and

appropriate for implementing the

proposal. (Project requires full-time

director/coordinator with authority and

responsibility to carry out the

requirements of surveillance program

activities. Position must be approved by

the applicant’s personnel system.)

5. Use of Existing Resources (5%)

The extent to which the proposal

would make effective use of existing

resources and expertise within the

applicant agency or through

collaboration with other agencies.

6. BUDGET (Not Scored)

The extent to which the budget is

reasonable, clearly justified, and

consistent with the intended use of

funds.

B: The Factors To Be Considered in the

Evaluation of Applications for

Intervention Project Funds Only Are

1. The clarity, feasibility, and

scientific soundness of the approach.

The following will be specifically

considered: (30%)

a. Who will be targeted for the

intervention?

b. How will the intervention be

conducted and by whom?

c. How will the intervention be

evaluated?

d. How will the data be analyzed?

2. The extent to which the proposed

activities are likely to result in the

development and execution of a model

intervention strategy to prevent and

reduce occupational lead poisoning in

high-risk industries or occupations.

(25%)

3. The extent to which the proposed

schedule for accomplishing each of the

project activities and the methods for

evaluating each activity are clearly

defined and appropriate. (15%)

4. The extent to which the proposed

activities are feasible and a plan for

documenting all facets of the

intervention is provided such that the

model program may be adopted by other

health departments or appropriate

agencies or organizations. (15%)

5. The extent to which the

qualifications and time commitments of

project personnel are clearly

documented and appropriate for

implementing the proposal. (10%)

6. The extent to which the proposal

would make effective use of existing

resources and expertise within the

applicant agency or through

collaboration with other agencies. (5%)

7. The extent to which the budget is

reasonable, clearly justified and

consistent with the intended use of

funds. (not scored)

Funding Priorities

Applicants applying for ABLES

surveillance funds will be considered in

two categories:

Priorities

(A) Approximately $81,000 to fund up

to three new cooperative agreements

(new is defined as ABLES programs not

currently supported by CDC/NIOSH)

who meet the eligibility requirements.

(B) Approximately $278,500 will be

available to fund up to thirteen

cooperative agreements for those States

currently receiving CDC/NIOSH ABLES

funding or for those States which

provide quarterly data to the national

surveillance program but are not

supported monetarily by CDC/NIOSH.

High priority will be given to proposals

which devise strategies for enhancing

their current surveillance system by

coding industry and occupation and

developing augmentation efforts such as

calculation of State-specific rates.

(C) Approximately $180,000 will be

available to fund up to two cooperative

agreements for intervention projects

targeting high-risk industries and

occupations (high-risk defined as the

potential for highest lead exposures

based on investigations of worksites or

targeting worker populations where

cases of elevated blood lead levels

persist.) Eligible applicants may also
27320 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 99 / Tuesday, May 23, 1995 / Notices

apply for intervention project funds in

addition to surveillance funds and

should develop separate proposals,

within the same request for assistance,

for intervention projects.

Interested persons are invited to

comment on the proposed funding

priority. Comments received within 30

days after publication in the Federal

Register will be considered before the

final funding priority is established. If

the funding priority should change as a

result of any comments received, a

revised announcement will be

published in the Federal Register, and

revised applications will be accepted

prior to final selection of awards.

Written comments should be

addressed 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,

Mailstop E–13, Atlanta, GA 30305.

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 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

for each affected State. Indian tribes are

strongly encouraged to request tribal

government review of the proposed

application. A current list of SPOCs is

included in the application kit.

If the SPOCs or tribal governments

have any State process or tribal process

recommendations on applications

submitted to CDC, they should send

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, GA

30305, no later than 60 days after the

application due date. The granting

agency does not guarantee to

‘‘accommodate or explain’’ State or

tribal process recommendations it

receives after that date.

Public Health System Reporting

Requirement

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 93.197.

Other Requirements

Paperwork Reduction Act

Projects that involve the collection of

information from ten or more

individuals and funded by this

cooperative agreement will be subject to

approval by the Office of Management

and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork

Reduction Act.

Human Subjects

If the proposed project involves

research on human subjects, the

applicant must comply with the

Department of Health and Human

Services Regulations, 45 CFR part 46,

regarding the protection of human

subjects. Assurance must be provided to

demonstrate the project will be subject

to initial and continuing review by an

appropriate institutional review

committee. The applicant will be

responsible for providing assurance in

accordance with the appropriate

guidelines and form provided in the

application kit.

In addition to other applicable

committees, Indian Health Service (IHS)

institutional review committees also

must review the project if any

component of IHS will be involved or

will support the research. If any

American Indian community is

involved, its tribal government must

also approve that portion of the project

applicable to it.

Application Submission and Deadline

The original and two copies of the

PHS 5161–1 (Revised 7/92, OMB

Number 0937–0189) must 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,

Atlanta, GA 30305 on or before July 14,

1995.

1. Deadline: Applications shall be

considered as meeting the deadline if

they are either:

(a) Received on or before the deadline

date, or

(b) Sent on or before the deadline date

and received in time for submission for

the review process. Applicants must

request a legibly dated U.S. Postal

Service postmark or obtain a legibly

dated receipt from a commercial carrier

or U.S. Postal Service. Private metered

postmarks shall not be acceptable as

proof of timely mailing.

2. Late Applications: Applications

which do not meet the criteria in 1.(a)

or 1.(b) 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

To receive additional written

information call (404) 332–4561. You

will be asked to leave your name,

address, and telephone number and will

need to refer to Announcement 553.

You will receive a complete program

description, information on application

procedures, and application forms.

If you have questions after reviewing

the contents of all the documents,

business management technical

assistance may be obtained from Oppie

Byrd, 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, Mailstop E–13, Atlanta, GA

30305, telephone (404) 842–6796 .

Technical assistance on surveillance

programs and/or intervention projects

may be obtained from Robert Roscoe,

M.S., Epidemiologist, ABLES Project

Officer, or Shiro Tanaka, M.D., Division

of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and

Field Studies, National Institute for

Occupational Safety and Health, Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC), 4676 Columbia Parkway,

Mailstop R–21, Cincinnati, OH 45226,

telephone (513) 841–4353.

Please refer to Announcement

Number 553 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) 512–1800.

Dated: May 15, 1995.

Diane D. Porter,

Acting Director, National Institute for

Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

[FR Doc. 95–12545 Filed 5–22–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4163–19–P