[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 150 (Monday, August 7, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52109-52110]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-16745]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Farm Service Agency

[Docket ID FSA-2022-0014]


Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the Emergency Grain 
Storage Facility Assistance Program (EGSFP)

AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of funding availability; amendment.

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SUMMARY: The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is announcing an increase in the

[[Page 52110]]

initial funding for EGSFP to $80 million, which will be the final 
funding amount for the program, from the initially announced $20 
million due to the high demand for EGSFP. FSA published a notice of 
funding availability (NOFA) notice on March 16, 2023, announcing the 
availability of $20 million for EGSFP. EGSFP provides financial 
assistance to eligible grain producers who were affected by an eligible 
disaster event that damaged or destroyed local commercial grain 
elevators. EGSFP is cost-share assistance to construct storage 
facilities needed to meet on-farm grain storage capacity and handling 
needs necessary to support the marketing of grain for producers. This 
notice updates the initial funding amount for the program from $20 
million to $80 million and closes the application period for the 
program due to the current volume of applications received. This notice 
will not change any other information in the original EGSFP NOFA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Danielle L. Cooke, (202) 720-1919; 
[email protected]. Individuals who require alternative means for 
communication should contact the USDA Target Center at (202) 720-2600 
(voice).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the Federal Register on March 16, 2023 
(88 FR 16230-16235) (referred to in this document as the March EGSFP 
NOFA), FSA announced the funding to implement EGSFP. At that time the 
funding level was announced as $20 million. FSA received a greater than 
expected number of applications and has not yet made any payments under 
EGSFP. FSA is replacing the initial funding level with a funding level 
of $80 million, an increase of $60 million due to the high demand for 
EGSFP.
    EGSFP provides financial assistance to eligible grain producers who 
were affected by an eligible disaster event that damaged or destroyed 
local commercial grain elevators. EGSFP is cost-share assistance to 
construct storage facilities needed to meet on-farm grain storage 
capacity and handling needs necessary to support the marketing of grain 
for producers.
    The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is making available $80 
million to FSA to provide financial assistance to grain producers 
through EGSFP to assist with marketing disruptions and limited storage 
capacity caused by eligible disaster events in affected counties from 
December 1, 2021, through August 1, 2022. The $80 million funding for 
the EGSFP assistance will remain available until expended. FSA has no 
plans to further increase the funding for EGSFP. Due to the high demand 
for EGSFP assistance and limited funding, FSA will not accept new EGSFP 
applications after August 7, 2023. The increased funding level 
announced by this notice will enable FSA to fund additional eligible 
applications that have already been received. However, the high demand 
for EGSFP assistance means that FSA will not be able to approve and 
fund all eligible applications that have already been received by FSA 
at this time and any additional applications received after this date 
would likewise not be funded. As explained in the March EGSFP NOFA: 
DAFP has the authority to modify application deadlines and other 
requirements or EGSFP provisions not specified in law in cases where 
DAFP determines it is equitable to do so and where it does not 
adversely affect the operation of EGSFP. Therefore, as explained above, 
DAFP has determined that the original application deadline has been 
modified and is now August 7, 2023.
    This notice will not change any other information stated in the 
March EGSFP NOFA.

Congressional Review Act

    For major rules, the Congressional Review Act requires a delay in 
the effective date for 60 days from the date of publication to allow 
for Congressional review. This NOFA is not a major rule under the 
Congressional Review Act, as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2). Therefore, 
this NOFA does not require a 60-day delay in implementation.

Environmental Review

    The environmental impacts have been considered in a manner 
consistent with the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321-4347), the regulations of the Council on 
Environmental Quality (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and the FSA regulations 
for compliance with NEPA (7 CFR part 799).
    The purpose of EGSFP is to establish assistance to help 
agricultural producers in affected counties, including those in 
Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South 
Dakota, and Tennessee, purchase and build on-farm grain storage and 
purchase drying and handling equipment necessary due to marketing and 
storage disruptions caused by devastating natural disaster events from 
December 1, 2021, through August 1, 2022. The limited discretionary 
aspects of EGSFP do not have the potential to impact the human 
environment as they are administrative. Accordingly, these 
discretionary aspects are covered by the categorical exclusions in 7 
CFR 799.31(b)(6)(iii) that applies to price support programs, provided 
no extraordinary circumstances are found to exist. As such, the 
implementation of EGSFP and the participation in EGSFP do not 
constitute major Federal actions that would significantly affect the 
quality of the human environment, individually or cumulatively. 
Therefore, FSA will not prepare an environmental assessment or 
environmental impact statement for this action and this document serves 
as documentation of the programmatic environmental compliance decision 
for this Federal action.

Zach Ducheneaux,
Administrator, Farm Service Agency.
[FR Doc. 2023-16745 Filed 8-3-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-E2-P