[Federal Register: October 12, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 197)]
[Notices]
[Page 60144-60145]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12oc06-46]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-8230-3]
Compliance Assistance Centers; Request for Suggestions on
Candidates for Compliance Assistance Center Development
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Solicitation for suggestions.
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SUMMARY: In partnership with industry, academic institutions,
environmental groups, and other agencies, the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) supports fourteen Compliance Assistance Centers (Centers)
to help small- and medium-size businesses and local governments better
understand and comply with environmental regulations. These Centers
provide easy to understand compliance information targeted to specific
sectors, geographic and environmental topics: agriculture; automotive
service and repair; automotive recycling, chemical manufacturers;
construction; Federal facilities; health care; local governments, metal
finishing; paints and coatings; printed wiring board manufacturers;
printers; transportation; and the U.S. / Mexico / Canada border
environmental issues. Additionally, funding has recently been awarded
to initiate the development of a Center for the education sector. All
Centers can be accessed at http://www.assistancecneters.net. EPA would
like to expand the Center program to support other sectors,
geographical areas or topical issues.
To support new Center development, EPA has funded the National
Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) to develop, operate and
maintain the Compliance Assistance Center Platform (Platform) from
which new Centers will be ``launched.'' The Platform includes a suite
of comprehensive Web-based tools necessary new Centers. States,
industry, and compliance assistance providers can work with NCMS to
establish Centers that will help the regulated community better
understand and more efficiently comply with environmental requirements.
The Centers for the metal finishing, printed wiring board
manufacturing, paints and coatings, construction sector, automotive
recycling sector, health care and U.S. / Mexico / Cananda border
environmental issues have been developed in partnership with NCMS and
the Platform. Visit http://www.envcap.org to access Platform resources.
EPA is exploring new sector, geographical, or topical candidates
for
[[Page 60145]]
Centers in FY 2007 and beyond. Center candidates will be evaluated
initially against the following criteria: impact on health and the
environment; patterns of noncompliance; assessment that compliance
assistance is an appropriate approach to use; predominately involves or
affects small businesses; the problem or issue is prevalent nationally;
impact of new environmental regulations; subject to multiple
environmental statutes/regulations; and not currently supported by an
existing compliance assistance program. Once these threshold criteria
have been met, an additional criterion will be applied: willingness of
a sector or third-party organization to partner with EPA. At this time,
EPA is considering the following sectors for new Center development:
(1) Food processing (producers of meat products, seafood, dairy,
fruits, oils, flour, vegetables, baked goods, etc.); or (2) marinas /
boatbuilding (boat building, repair, servicing, docks, fueling).
EPA invites feedback from interested parties on these and other
possible candidates for Center development. Specifically, EPA is
interested in feedback on Center development for the food processing
and marina/boatbuilding sectors. The above criterion should be
considered in your evaluation and proposal of sector, geographic, or
topical candidates. Pursuant to EPA's Grants Competition Policy that
went into effect October 1, 2002, EPA will compete any assistance
agreement that will be provided to support new Center development in FY
2007.
Interested parties should communicate their suggestions regarding
new sectors, geographical areas or topical issues for Center
development to EPA by letter or e-mail to the contact listed below.
DATES: Contact by November 13, 2006.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tracy Back, Team Leader, Compliance
Assistance Centers, US, EPA (mail code 2224A), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave.,
NW., Washington, DC 20460.
E-mail: back.tracy@epa.gov. Telephone: 202-564-7076.
Fax: 202-564-0009.
Dated: September 27, 2006.
Michael M. Stahl,
Director, Office of Compliance.
[FR Doc. E6-16927 Filed 10-11-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P