[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 93 (Friday, May 13, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 29857]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-11277]



[[Page 29857]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-SFUND-2012-0104; FRL-9945-81-OEI]


Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and 
Approval; Comment Request; Brownfields Program--Accomplishment 
Reporting (Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR), ``Brownfields Program--
Accomplishment Reporting (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 2104.06, OMB Control 
No. 2050-0192) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review 
and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 
3501 et seq.). This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is 
currently approved through May 31, 2016. Public comments were 
previously requested via the Federal Register (81 FR 10859) on March 2, 
2016 during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an 
additional 30 days for public comments. A fuller description of the ICR 
is given below, including its estimated burden and cost to the public. 
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.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before June 13, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
SFUND-2012-0104, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our 
preferred method), by email to [email protected], or by mail to: 
EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB via email 
to [email protected]. Address comments to OMB Desk Officer 
for EPA.
    EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the 
public docket without change including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes profanity, threats, information 
claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelly Gorini, Office of Brownfields 
and Land Revitalization, (5105T), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202)-
566-1702; fax number: (202)-566-1476; email address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  Supporting documents which explain in 
detail the information that the EPA will be collecting are available in 
the public docket for this ICR. The docket can be viewed online at 
www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, WJC West, 
Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The telephone 
number for the Docket Center is 202-566-1744. For additional 
information about EPA's public docket, visit http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    Abstract: The Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields 
Revitalization Act (Pub. L. 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 cooperative 
agreements to states, tribes, local governments, and other eligible 
entities to assess and clean up brownfield sites. Under CERCLA 101(39), 
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 
funding purposes, EPA uses the term ``brownfields property(ies)'' 
synonymously with the term ``brownfields sites.'' CERCLA 104(k) 
authorizes EPA to award several types of cooperative agreements to 
eligible entities on a competitive basis.
    Under CERCLA 104(k), states, tribes, local governments, and other 
eligible entities may receive assessment cooperative agreements to 
inventory, characterize, assess, and conduct planning and community 
involvement related to brownfields properties; cleanup cooperative 
agreements to carry out cleanup activities at brownfields properties; 
cooperative agreements to capitalize revolving loan funds and provide 
subawards for cleanup activities; area-wide planning cooperative 
agreements to develop revitalization plans for brownfields; and 
environmental workforce and development job training and placement 
programs. Under CERCLA 128(a), states and tribes may receive 
cooperative agreements to establish and enhance their response 
programs.
    Cooperative agreement recipients (``recipients'') have general 
reporting and record keeping requirements as a condition of their 
cooperative agreement that result in burden. A portion of this 
reporting and record keeping burden is authorized under 2 CFR 200.328, 
200.333 and 200.335 and identified in the EPA's general grants ICR (OMB 
Control Number 2030-0020). However, EPA also requires Brownfields 
program recipients to maintain and report additional information to EPA 
on the uses and accomplishments associated with funded brownfields 
activities. EPA uses several forms to assist recipients in reporting 
the information and to ensure consistency of the information collected. 
EPA uses 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 Land Revitalization 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 program.
    Form Numbers: 6200-14, 6200-13, 6200-04, 6200-03.
    Respondents/affected entities: State/local/tribal governments; Non-
Profits.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Required to obtain or Retain 
Benefits (2 CFR part 1500).
    Estimated number of respondents: 2,890 (total).
    Frequency of response: Bi-annual; quarterly, on occasion.
    Total estimated burden: 3,877 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $414,197 (per year), includes $0 annualized 
capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 710 hours in the 
total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently 
approved by OMB. This increase is due to the overall increase in wages 
and the overall increase in the number of respondents submitting the 
Property Profile Forms. Even with this slight increase, respondents 
indicated that improvements in the ACRES reporting system and increased 
familiarity with the program led to a lower burden per individual 
entry.

Courtney Kerwin,
Acting Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2016-11277 Filed 5-12-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P