[Federal Register: April 4, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 65)]
[Notices]
[Page 16508-16510]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04ap03-66]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[SFUND-2003-0004, FRL-7477-1]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Brownfields Program Revitalization Grantee Reporting
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501
et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to submit the
following proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB): Brownfields Program--Revitalization
Grantee Reporting, EPA ICR Number
[[Page 16509]]
2104.01. This information collection request applies to the reporting
and recordkeeping requirements that apply to recipients of assessment,
revolving loan fund, cleanup and job training grants awarded under
subtitle A of the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields
Revitalization Act (Public Law 107-118). Before submitting the ICR to
OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific
aspects of the proposed information collection as described below.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before June 3, 2003.
ADDRESSES: Follow the detailed instructions in SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Maas, Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response (OSWER), Office of Brownfields Cleanup and
Redevelopment (OBCR) 5105T, U.S. EPA Headquarters, Ariel Rios Building,
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number:
(202) 566-2778; fax number: (202) 566-2757; e-mail address:
maas.james@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has established a public docket for this
ICR under Docket ID number SFUND-2003-0004, which is available for
public viewing at the OSWER Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC),
EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The
EPA Docket Center Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30
p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone
number for the Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number
for the OSWER Docket is (202) 566-0276. An electronic version of the
public docket is available through EPA Dockets (EDOCKET) at http://www.epa.gov/edocket.
Use EDOCKET to obtain a copy of the draft
collection of information, submit or view public comments, access the
index listing of the contents of the public docket, and to access those
documents in the public docket that are available electronically. Once
in the system, select ``search,'' then key in the docket ID number
identified above.
Any comments related to this ICR should be submitted to EPA within
60 days of this notice, and according to the following detailed
instructions: Submit your comments to EPA online using EDOCKET (our
preferred method), by E-mail to superfund.docket@epa.gov, or by mail
to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, OSWER Docket,
5202T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
EPA's policy is that public comments, whether submitted
electronically or in paper, will be made available for public viewing
in EDOCKET as EPA receives them and without change, unless the comment
contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other information whose public
disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA identifies a comment
containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference to that
material in the version of the comment that is placed in EDOCKET. The
entire printed comment, including the copyrighted material, will be
available in the public docket. Although identified as an item in the
official docket, information claimed as CBI, or whose disclosure is
otherwise restricted by statute, is not included in the official public
docket, and will not be available for public viewing in EDOCKET. For
further information about the electronic docket, see EPA's Federal
Register notice describing the electronic docket at 67 FR 38102 (May
31, 2002), or go to www.epa.gov/edocket.
Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are
states, tribes, local governments, and certain non-governmental
organizations that apply for and receive grants from EPA to support the
cleanup and redevelopment of brownfields properties.
Title: Brownfields Program--Revitalization Grantee Reporting
Information Collection Request; (OMB Control Number 2050-NEW; EPA ICR
Number 2104.01).
Abstract: The Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields
Revitalization Act (Public Law 107-118) (``the Brownfields
Amendments'') was signed into law on January 11, 2002. The Act amends
the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability
Act (CERCLA), as amended, and authorizes EPA to award grants to states,
tribes, local governments, and other eligible entities to assess and
clean up brownfields sites. Under the Brownfields Amendments, a
brownfields site means real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or
reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence
of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. For grant funding
purposes, EPA uses the term ``brownfields property(ies)'' synonymously
with the term ``brownfields sites.'' The Brownfields Amendments
authorize EPA to award several types of grants to eligible entities on
a competitive basis. Under subtitle A of the Small Business Liability
Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act, States, tribes, local
governments, and other eligible entities can receive assessment grants
to inventory, characterize, assess, and conduct planning and community
involvement related to brownfields properties; cleanup grants to carry
out cleanup activities at brownfields properties; grants to capitalize
revolving loan funds and provide subgrants for cleanup activities; and
job training grants to support the creation and implementation of
environmental job training and placement programs.
Grant recipients have general reporting and record keeping
requirements as a condition of their grant that result in burden. A
portion of this reporting and record keeping burden is authorized under
40 CFR parts 30 and 31 and identified in the EPA's general grants ICR
(OMB Control Number 2030-0020). EPA requires Brownfields program grant
recipients to maintain and report additional information to EPA on the
uses and accomplishments associated with the funded brownfields
activities. EPA has prepared several forms to assist grantees in
reporting the information and to ensure consistency of the information
collected. EPA will use this information to meet Federal stewardship
responsibilities to manage and track how program funds are being spent,
to evaluate the performance of the Brownfields Cleanup and
Redevelopment Program, to meet the Agency's reporting requirements
under the Government Performance Results Act, and to report to Congress
and other program stakeholders on the status and accomplishments of the
grants program. This ICR addresses the burden imposed on grant
recipients that are associated with those reporting and recordkeeping
requirements that are specific to grants awarded under Subtitle A of
the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act.
This ICR does not address the burden imposed on grant recipients who
are awarded grants under Subtitle C of the Small Business Liability
Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required
to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a
currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA's
regulations are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and 48 CFR chapter 15.
The EPA would like to solicit comments to:
(i) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
[[Page 16510]]
(ii) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden
of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions used;
(iii) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information
to be collected; and
(iv) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology, (e.g., permitting electronic
submission of responses).
Burden Statement: The annual reporting and record keeping burden
for this collection of information is estimated to average 7 hours per
response for job training grant recipients, and 3.25 hours per response
for assessment, cleanup, and revolving loan fund grant recipients.
Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources expended by
persons to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or provide
information to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time needed
to review instructions; develop, acquire, install, and utilize
technology and systems for the purposes of collecting, validating, and
verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and
disclosing and providing information; adjust the existing ways to
comply with any previously applicable instructions and requirements;
train personnel to be able to respond to a collection of information;
search data sources; complete and review the collection of information;
and transmit or otherwise disclose the information.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 203.
Frequency of Response: Quarterly.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 9866.
Estimated Total Annual Cost: $291,733.
Dated: March 27, 2003.
Linda Garczynski,
Director, Office of Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment, Office of
Solid Waste and Emergency Response.
[FR Doc. 03-8258 Filed 4-3-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P