[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 27 (Friday, February 8, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2862-2863]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-01539]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-SFUND-2012-0104; FRL-9988-97-OLEM]


Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; 
Brownfields Program--Accomplishment Reporting (Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an 
information collection request (ICR), ``Brownfields Program--
Accomplishment Reporting (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 2104.07, OMB Control 
No. 2050-0192 to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review 
and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. Before 
doing so, EPA is soliciting public comments on specific aspects of the 
proposed information collection as described below. This is a proposed 
extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through July 31, 
2019. 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: Comments must be submitted on or before April 9, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
SFUND-2012-0104 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.
    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.
    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA is soliciting 
comments and information to enable it 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; (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

[[Page 2863]]

technological collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses. EPA 
will consider the comments received and amend the ICR as appropriate. 
The final ICR package will then be submitted to OMB for review and 
approval. At that time, EPA will issue another Federal Register notice 
to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the opportunity to 
submit additional comments to OMB.
    Abstract: This ICR covers the collection of information from those 
organizations that receive cooperative agreements from EPA under the 
authority of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, 
and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended by the Brownfields Utilization, 
Investment, and Local Development (BUILD) Act (Pub. L. 115-141). 
CERCLA, as amended, authorizes EPA to award grants or cooperative 
agreements to states, tribes, local governments, and other eligible 
entities to support the assessment and cleanup of 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 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 cooperative agreements 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 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; 
multipurpose cooperative agreements to conduct activities allowed under 
both assessment and cleanup cooperative agreements; cooperative 
agreements to capitalize revolving loan funds and provide subgrants 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 
subtitle C of the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields 
Revitalization Act, states and tribes can receive cooperative 
agreements to establish and enhance their response programs through the 
four elements and meet the public record requirements under the 
statute. 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 part 1500 
and identified in the EPA's general grants ICR (OMB Control Number 
2030-0020). EPA 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: EPA ICR No. 2104.06, OMB Control No. 2050-0192.
    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: 5,517 (total).
    Frequency of response: Bi-annual for subtitle C recipients; 
quarterly for subtitle A recipients.
    Total estimated burden: 6,144 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $712,108 (per year), includes $0 annualized 
capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in estimates: There is an increase of 2,267 hours in the 
total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently 
approved by OMB. This increase is partially the result of adding the 
new Program Activity Levels Form for 128(a) recipients to fill out 
annually. The remainder of the burden increase is the result of an 
overall increase in wages and the large increase in the number of 
responses submitted to ACRES annually as a result of more grants being 
awarded. Even with this increase, respondents indicated that 
improvements in the ACRES reporting system and increased familiarity 
with the program lead to a lower burden per individual entry.

    Dated: December 19, 2018.
David R. Lloyd,
Director, Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization.
[FR Doc. 2019-01539 Filed 2-7-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P