[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 183 (Thursday, September 20, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48454-48455]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-23477]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL 7058-1]


Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability 
Act (CERCLA) or Superfund, Section 104; ``Announcement of Proposal 
Deadline for the Competition for the FY 2002 Brownfields Cleanup 
Revolving Loan Fund Pilots''

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of proposal deadlines, revised guidelines.

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SUMMARY: The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) will 
begin to accept proposals for the FY 2002 Brownfields Cleanup Revolving 
Loan Fund Pilots on September 20, 2001 (Catalogue of Federal Domestic 
Assistance Number: 66811). The Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund 
pilots (each may be funded up to $1,000,000 per eligible entity) enable 
States, Indian Tribes, and political subdivisions to facilitate the 
cleanup and redevelopment of brownfields properties. The pilots test 
revolving loan fund models that assist with the coordination of public 
and private cleanup efforts. EPA expects to select up to 25 additional 
Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund pilots by March 2002. The 
deadline for new proposals for the FY 2002 Brownfields Cleanup 
Revolving Loan Fund pilots is November 15, 2001. All proposals must be 
postmarked by USPS, or delivered at U.S. EPA Headquarters by other 
means, no later than November 15, 2001 and a duplicate copy sent to the 
appropriate U.S. EPA Regional Office.
    The Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund pilot cooperative 
agreements are selected on a competitive basis. Specific proposal 
requirements for applicants are set forth in the newly revised 
guidelines, entitled The Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative: 
Proposal Guidelines for Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund (August 
2001). Applicants should follow the Guidelines in order to ensure the 
application they submit complies with those requirements. Details on 
how to obtain a copy of the Guidelines are set forth in the Addresses 
section.
    To ensure a fair section 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 Guidelines. Regional panels make 
recommendations to EPA senior management. Final award decisions are 
made by EPA senior management, and may take into account policy 
considerations such as geographic distribution of funds.

DATES: All proposals must be sent via registered or tracked (return 
receipt) mail and postmarked by USPS no later than November 15, 2001. 
Proposals must be sent to U.S. EPA Headquarters and a duplicate copy 
sent to the appropriate U.S. EPA Regional Office. Applicants may also 
send their proposals by commercial delivery service provided the 
proposals arrive at U.S. EPA Headquarters and the appropriate U.S. EPA 
Regional Office on or before close of business on November 15, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Mailing addresses for U.S. EPA Headquarters and U.S. EPA 
Regional Offices are provided in the Proposal Guidelines.
    Obtaining Proposal Guidelines:
    The Proposal Guidelines are available via the Internet at: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields.
    Copies of the Proposal Guidelines will also be mailed upon request. 
Requests should be made by calling the U.S. EPA Call Center 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

    In order to ensure that the Guidelines are received in time to be 
used in the preparation of the proposal, applicants should request a 
copy as soon as possible and in any event no later than seven (7) 
working days before the proposal due date. Applicants who request 
copies after that date might not receive the proposal guidelines in 
time to prepare and submit a responsive proposal.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The U.S. EPA's Office of Solid Waste 
and Emergency Response, Outreach and Special Projects Staff, Barbara 
Bassuener (202) 260-9347 or Jennifer Millett Wilbur (202) 260-6454.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 
Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower 
states, local governments, communities, and other stakeholders involved 
in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to 
prevent, assess, and safely cleanup brownfields in order to facilitate 
their sustainable reuse. As part of this Initiative, EPA may award 
cooperative agreements to States, political subdivisions (including 
cities, towns, counties), and Indian tribes to capitalize Brownfields 
Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund pilots. The purpose of these pilots is to 
test brownfields cleanup revolving loan fund models that direct special 
efforts toward facilitating coordinated public and private brownfields 
cleanup efforts.
    In FY 2002, the EPA expects to select up to 25 new BCRLF pilots to 
be funded up to $1,000,000 per eligible entity by March 2002.
    Eligible entities for FY 2002 BCRLF pilots will be states, 
political subdivisions, or federally recognized Indian Tribes that have 
established and can demonstrate progress already made in the 
assessment, cleanup, and revitalization of brownfields in their 
community, State or Tribe.

[[Page 48455]]

    Coalition of eligible entities are permitted to apply, but a single 
entity must be identified as the applicant. Additionally, a letter of 
support from each coalition member must be included as an attachment.
    Applicants must meet threshold criteria, i.e., the minimum 
criteria, in order to be considered for an award. All threshold 
criteria must be met. The following is a synopsis of the threshold 
criteria: (1) demonstrate the commitment of the eligible entity to the 
cleanup and revitalization of brownfields; and (2) demonstrate the 
ability and legal authority of the eligible entity to manage a 
revolving loan fund and environmental cleanups;
    Those applicants that meet the threshold criteria will then be 
evaluated based on their responses to the evaluation criteria. 
Applicants should address all of the evaluation criteria. Responses to 
the evaluation criteria will be utilized to determine whether to make 
an award, and the amount of funds to be awarded. All evaluation 
criteria are equally important. There is no guarantee of an award. The 
following is a synopsis of the evaluation criteria: (1) Demonstrate the 
need of the eligible entity; (2) demonstrate the commitment of the 
eligible entity to making loans and to creative leveraging of EPA 
financial assistance; (3) demonstrate the benefits of the BCRLF loans 
to the local community; (4) demonstrate the long-term benefits and 
sustainability of the proposed BCRLF.
    Funding for the Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund 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).

    Dated: September 14, 2001.
Linda Garczynski,
Director, Outreach and Special Projects Staff, Office of Solid Waste 
and Emergency Response.
[FR Doc. 01-23477 Filed 9-19-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-M