[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 196 (Thursday, October 9, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52720-52721]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-26863]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5907-5]


Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability 
Act (CERCLA) or Superfund, Section 104; Announcement of Proposal 
Deadline for the Competition for the 1998 National Brownfields 
Assessment Demonstration Pilots

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of proposal deadlines, revised guidelines.

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SUMMARY: The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will 
begin to accept proposals for the National Brownfields Assessment 
Pilots on October 9, 1997. The brownfields assessment pilots (each 
funded up to $200,000 over two years) test cleanup and redevelopment 
planning models, direct special efforts toward removing regulatory 
barriers without sacrificing protectiveness, and facilitate coordinated 
environmental cleanup and redevelopment efforts at the federal, state, 
and local levels. EPA expects to select approximately 100 additional 
National brownfields assessment pilots by May 1998. Applications will 
be accepted on a ``rolling submissions'' schedule. The deadlines for 
new applications for the 1998 assessment pilots are December 15, 1997, 
and March 23, 1998. Applications postmarked after December 15, 1997, 
will be considered in the second round of competition. Previously 
unsuccessful applicants are advised that they must revise and resubmit 
their applications.
    The National brownfields assessment pilots are administered on a 
competitive basis. To ensure a fair selection process, evaluation 
panels consisting of EPA Regional and Headquarters staff and other 
federal agency representatives will assess how well the proposals meet 
the selection criteria outlined in the newly revised application 
booklet The Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative: Proposal 
Guidelines for Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilots (October 
1997).

DATES: This action is effective as of October 9, 1997, and expires on 
March 23, 1998. All proposals must be postmarked or sent to EPA via 
registered or tracked mail by the expiration dates cited above. 
Applications postmarked after December 15, 1997, will be considered in 
the second round of competition.

ADDRESSES: Application booklets can be obtained by calling the 
Superfund Hotline at the following numbers: Washington, DC Metro Area 
at 703-412-9810, Outside Washington, DC Metro at 1-800-424-9346, TDD 
for the Hearing Impaired at 1-800-553-7672.
    Copies of the Booklet are available via the Internet: http://
www.epa.gov/brownfields/

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Superfund Hotline, 800-424-9346.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As a part of the Environmental Protection 
Agency's (EPA) Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative, the 
Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilots are designed to empower 
States, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment 
to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up 
and sustainably reuse brownfields. EPA has awarded cooperative 
agreements to States, cities, towns, counties and Tribes for 
demonstration pilots that test brownfields assessment models, direct 
special efforts toward removing regulatory barriers without sacrificing 
protectiveness, and facilitate coordinated public and private efforts 
at the Federal, State and local levels. To date, the Agency has funded 
121 Brownfields Assessment Pilots. Of those pilots, 64 are National 
Pilots selected under criteria developed by EPA Headquarters and 57 are 
Regional Pilots selected by EPA Regions under criteria developed by 
their offices.
    EPA's goal is to select a broad array of assessment pilots that 
will serve as models for other communities across the nation. EPA seeks 
to identify applications that demonstrate the integration or linking of 
brownfields assessment pilots with other federal, state, tribal, and 
local sustainable development, community revitalization, and pollution 
prevention programs. Special consideration will be given to Empowerment 
Zones and Enterprise Communities (EZ/ECs) and communities with 
populations of under 100,000. (EPA will conduct a special outreach 
effort to address the unique needs of Indian Tribes.) These pilots 
focus on EPA's primary mission--protecting human health and the 
environment. However, it is an essential piece of the nation's overall 
community revitalization efforts. EPA works closely with other federal 
agencies through the Interagency Working Group on

[[Page 52721]]

Brownfields, and builds relationships with other stakeholders on the 
national and local levels to develop coordinated approaches for 
community revitalization.
    Funding for the brownfields assessment pilots is authorized under 
Section 104(d)(1) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended, (CERCLA or 
Superfund), 42 U.S.C. 9604(d)(1). States, cities, towns, counties, U.S. 
Territories, and Indian Tribes are eligible to apply. EPA welcomes and 
encourages applications from coalitions of such entities, but a single 
eligible entity must be identified as the legal recipient. Cooperative 
agreement funds will be awarded only to a state, to an officially 
recognized political subdivision of a state, or to a Federally 
recognized tribe. For non-state applicants, please include a statement 
verifying that your entity has been authorized by the state to exercise 
governmental powers.
    Through a brownfields cooperative agreement, EPA authorizes an 
eligible state, political subdivision, Territory, or Indian Tribe to 
undertake activities that EPA itself has the authority to pursue under 
CERCLA sections 104(a) or 104(b). All restrictions on EPA's use of 
funding cited in CERCLA section 104 also apply to brownfields 
assessment pilot cooperative agreement recipients.
    The proposal evaluation panels will review the proposals carefully 
and assess each response based on how well it addresses the selection 
criteria, briefly outlined below:

1. Problem Statement and Needs Assessment (4 Points Out of 20)

--Effect of Brownfields on your Community or Communities
--Value Added by Federal Support

2. Community-Based Planning and Involvement (6 Points Out of 20)

--Existing Local Commitment
--Community Involvement Plan
--Environmental Justice Plan

3. Implementation Planning (6 Points Out of 20)

--Appropriate Authority and Government Support
--Environmental Site Assessment Plan
--Proposed Cleanup Funding Mechanisms
--Flow of Ownership Plan

4. Long-Term Benefits and Sustainability (4 Points Out of 20)

--National Replicability
--Measures of Success

    Dated: October 2, 1997.
Linda Garczynski,
Director, Outreach and Special Projects Staff, Office of Solid Waste 
and Emergency Response.
[FR Doc. 97-26863 Filed 10-8-97; 8:45 am]
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