[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 12, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22009-22010]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-07604]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; CHIPS Environmental Questionnaire Information Collection

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information 
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information 
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The 
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment 
preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed 
information collection must be received on or before June 12, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by

[[Page 22010]]

email to Maureen O'Reilly, Management Analyst, National Institute of 
Standards and Technology, at [email protected]. Please reference OMB 
Control Number 0693-0093 in the subject line of your comments. Do not 
submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or 
protected information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed 
to Cierra Bean, Business Operations Analyst, CHIPS Program Office, 
[email protected], (202) 815-2677.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The CHIPS Incentives Program is authorized by Title XCIX--Creating 
Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America of the William 
M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2021 (Pub. L. 116-283, referred to as the CHIPS Act or Act), as amended 
by the CHIPS Act of 2022 (Division A of Pub. L. 117-167). The CHIPS 
Incentives Program is administered by the CHIPS Program Office (CPO) 
within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of the 
United States Department of Commerce (Department). Businesses and other 
entities applying for CHIPS Act funding may submit an optional pre-
application and must submit a full-application via a form available at 
https://applications.chips.gov/. One part of both applications is the 
Environmental Questionnaire. The purpose of the Environmental 
Questionnaire is to ensure that the Department of Commerce is aware, in 
broad terms, of relevant environmental considerations, and can work 
with the potential applicant to ensure that the applicant can provide 
all required environmental information during the full application and 
due diligence stages when applying for funding. Each applicant must 
provide the requested information on the Environmental Questionnaire 
using the template which will be made available on the CHIPS Incentives 
Program application portal.
    Information to be collected includes information pertaining to an 
applicant's:

 Project Description
 Project Site/Affected Environment
 Resource Consumption Rates and Effluent Emissions Streams and 
Impacts
 Tribal, Historic, and Cultural Resources
 Project Setting
 Vegetation Resources
 Conservation Areas
 Coastal Zones and Navigable Waters
 Wetlands
 Floodplains
 Endangered Species
 Land Use and Zoning
 Solid Waste Management
 Hazardous or Toxic Substances
 Impacts to Water Quality/Water Resources
 Water Supply and Distribution System
 Wastewater Collection and Treatment Facilities
 Environmental Justice & Socioeconomics
 Transportation (Streets, Traffic and Parking)
 Air Quality
 Greenhouse Gases and Their Environmental Effects
 Noise
 Health and Safety
 Permits and Other Government Agency Involvement
 Public Notification/Controversy
 Environmental Experience and Approach

II. Method of Collection

    The Environmental Questionnaire must be submitted electronically as 
part of the Pre-application or Full-application at https://applications.chips.gov/. The Pre-application and Full-application 
request basic contact information, picklists, cost estimates, and 
project narratives. Some of the submissions will be entered into fields 
within the web-based form. Some of the information, to include the 
Environmental Questionnaire, will be document uploads into the system 
by the respondent. These methods were chosen to reduce applicant burden 
by eliminating redundant entries to the greatest extent possible and 
consolidating entries into one online form.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0693-0093.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 200.
    Estimated Time per Response: 8 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,600 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $75,712.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory to obtain or retain benefits.
    Legal Authority: CHIPS Act of 2022 (Division A of Pub. L. 117-167) 
(the Act).

IV. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau 
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is 
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether 
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy 
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed 
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden 
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request 
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone 
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in 
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including 
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available 
at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your 
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for 
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2023-07604 Filed 4-11-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P