[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 56 (Wednesday, March 23, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16473-16474]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-06096]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-SFUND-2012-0104; FRL 9661-01-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. 2104.09, 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 and update of the ICR, which is currently approved through 
December 31, 2024. 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 May 23, 2022.

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 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, contracts, and 
Targeted Brownfields Assessment (TBA) funds from EPA under the 
authority of the section 104(k) 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 104(k), as amended, authorizes EPA to award 
grants or cooperative agreements and contract funding to states, 
tribes, local governments, other eligible entities, and nonprofit 
organizations to support the assessment and cleanup of brownfields

[[Page 16474]]

sites. Under section 101(39) of CERCLA, 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. 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 
intends to expand programmatic reporting requirements to include TBA 
contractors and technical assistance contractors. EPA will use several 
forms to assist recipients and contractors 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. 2104.09, OMB Control No. 2050-0192.
    Respondents/affected entities: State/local/tribal governments; Non-
Profits; Contractors.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Required to obtain or Retain 
Benefits (2 CFR part 1500).
    Estimated number of respondents: 5,714 (total).
    Frequency of response: Bi-annual for subtitle CERCLA 128 
recipients; quarterly for CERCLA 104(k) recipients.
    Total estimated burden: 6,206 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $721,025 (per year), includes $0 annualized 
capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in Estimates: The burden hours estimate increased from 
6,143 hours in the 2020 ICR request to 6,206 hours currently, for an 
increase of 63 hours. This slight change can be attributed to 
eliminating the Area-Wide Planning Form but adding two additional forms 
to track technical assistance. Additionally, the number of respondents 
increased from 5,517 in 2020 to an estimated 5,714, an increase of 197. 
Respondents indicated that improvements in the ACRES reporting system 
and increased familiarity with the program lead to a lower burden per 
individual entry.

    Dated: March 15, 2022.
David R. Lloyd,
Director, Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization.
[FR Doc. 2022-06096 Filed 3-22-22; 8:45 am]
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