[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 142 (Thursday, July 24, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43059-43060]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-17466]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5616-N-02]


HUD Environmental Review Online System (HEROS) Announcement of 
OMB Approval Number: Environmental Compliance--Recordkeeping 
Requirements

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and 
Development, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces that the HUD Environmental Review Online 
System (HEROS) has completed the notice and comment processes and 
review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act, and that OMB has assigned a control number to 
this system, and the system is available for use.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Danielle Schopp, Director, Office of 
Environment and Energy, Office of Community Planning and Development, 
Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW., Room 
7250, Washington, DC 20410; telephone number 202-402-4442 (this is not 
a toll-free number). Persons with hearing or speech impairments may 
access this number through TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Relay 
Service at 800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    HUD's Office of Environment and Energy in the Office of Community 
Planning and Development has developed HEROS, an online system for 
documenting and managing environmental reviews. HEROS covers all levels 
of environmental reviews required for projects covered by HUD's 
regulations in 24 CFR part 50 and part 58 and includes on-screen 
guidance for completing HUD environmental reviews. HEROS increases 
transparency of environmental reviews by posting them on the OneCPD 
Resource Exchange for public review.\1\ Environmental assessments and 
many categorically excluded projects completed through HEROS are posted 
online during public comment periods or archived for a year after 
completion.\2\
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    \1\ OneCPD can be found at https://www.onecpd.info/.
    \2\ The HEROS Web page can be found at https://www.onecpd.info/environmental-review/heros/.
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    On December 27, 2013, at 78 FR 78998, and consistent with the 
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), HUD published for public comment, for a 
period of 60 days, a notice advising of the proposed establishment of 
HEROS.
    In the December 27, 2013, notice, HUD advised that its regulations 
in 24 CFR part 58, ``Environmental Review Procedures for Entities 
Assuming HUD Environmental Responsibilities'' requires units of general 
local government receiving HUD assistance to maintain a written 
environmental review record for all projects receiving HUD funding 
documenting compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA), the regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality, 
related federal environmental laws, executive orders, and authorities, 
and part 58 procedure. (The various laws that authorize this procedure 
are listed in 24 CFR 58.1(b).)
    In the December 27, 2013, notice, HUD also advised that its 24 CFR 
part 50, ``Protection and Enhancement of Environmental Quality,'' 
implements procedures for HUD to perform environmental reviews for 
projects where review under part 58 is not permitted by law. Under the 
regulations in 24 CFR part 50, HUD staff complete the environmental 
review records, but they may use any information supplied by an 
applicant or contractor, provided HUD independently evaluates the 
information and is responsible for its accuracy and prepares the 
environmental finding. There is no required format for applicants and 
contractors to submit required information, but HEROS would allow these 
parties to submit environmental information to HUD staff through the 
system as well. HUD staff will then use HEROS to complete the 
environmental review record.

[[Page 43060]]

    The December 27, 2013, notice advised that with the establishment 
of HEROS, users would be allowed to complete, store, and submit their 
environmental review records online.
    As stated in the December 27, 2013, notice, HUD's intention is that 
HEROS will improve HUD's environmental reviews in several ways. First, 
it replaces HUD's many environmental review forms and requirements with 
one single format housed online with guidance integrated throughout to 
simplify the process and assist new employees in the preparation of 
their reviews. Second, it increases transparency and overall compliance 
with NEPA by posting many environmental review records online for 
public review through HEROS. Finally, storing recipients' records in 
HEROS allows HUD to collect data on environmental compliance for the 
first time.
    On March 31, 2014, at 79 FR 18048, HUD published the 30-day notice 
for HEROS to complete the public comment process required by the PRA. 
With the completion of the PRA process for HEROS, OMB has assigned OMB 
control number 2506-0202 to HEROS.
    On February 27, 2014, at 79 FR 11045, HUD published a proposed rule 
entitled ``Environmental Compliance Recordkeeping Requirements.'' The 
proposed rule reiterated the various documents required to meet the 
environmental review requirements under the regulations in 24 CFR parts 
50 and parts 58 (see 78 FR 11046) as was stated in the December 27, 
2013, notice, and noted that, as a result of these regulations, a 
variety of documents are required to be completed by the entities 
complying with the environmental review requirements of these 
regulations. HUD noted that these various formats required to be 
completed under the regulations in 24 CFR parts 50 and 58 make it 
difficult for HUD and interested members of the public to assess 
compliance and prevents HUD from collecting reliable data.
    The February 27, 2014, proposed rule stated HUD's intention to 
bring uniformity to the documentation required to reflect compliance 
with the regulations in 24 CFR parts 50 and 58. The proposed rule also 
stated that the established format would be established through the PRA 
notice-and-comment process. As noted above, HUD provided the 
opportunity for notice-and-comment through the December 27, 2013 60-day 
PRA notice and the March 31, 2014 30-day PRA notice. With approval of 
HEROS under the PRA, use of HEROS provides for the uniformity and 
transparency that HUD is seeking in its February 27, 2014, proposed 
rule.

    Date: July 21, 2014.
Danielle Schopp,
Director, Office of Environment and Energy.
[FR Doc. 2014-17466 Filed 7-23-14; 8:45 am]
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