[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 65 (Friday, April 4, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16508-16510]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-8258]


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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.

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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: 
[email protected].

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 [email protected], 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