[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 197 (Thursday, October 12, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60144-60145]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-16927]


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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: [email protected]. 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