[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 5 (Monday, January 8, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 916-917]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00106]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OEJECR-2023-0531; FRL-11583-01-OEJECR]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Information 
Collection Request; Comment Request; Environmental Justice Thriving 
Communities Grantmaking (TCGM) Program: Post-Award Reporting and Public 
Outreach Information Collections

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to 
submit an information collection request (ICR), Environmental Justice 
Thriving Communities Grantmaking (TCGM) (TCGM) Program: Post-Award 
Reporting and Public Outreach Information Collections (EPA ICR Number 
2795.01, OMB Control Number 2035-NEW) 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 request for approval of a new collection. This notice 
allows for 60 days for public comments.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 8, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
OEJECR-2023-0531, to 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. 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: Aarti Iyer, Office of the Chief 
Financial Officer, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; email address: [email protected]; 
phone: 202-564-0214.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a request for approval of a new 
collection. 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.
    This notice allows 60 days for public comments. 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 forms of information technology. 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: To meet the goals and objectives that demonstrate the 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

[[Page 917]]

(EPA's) and the Administration's commitment to achieving environmental 
justice and embedding environmental justice into Agency programs, EPA 
released the Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program (TCGM) funding 
opportunity. The Thriving Communities Grantmaking program is a 
reimagining of the long-standing Environmental Justice (EJ) Small 
Grants Program specifically designed to address the needs of 
underserved communities and marginalized groups through the provision 
of direct funding. Historically, the Agency has managed the EJ Small 
Grants directly, moving forward EPA plans to award 11+ cooperative 
agreement(s) to pass-through entities (referred to as Grantmakers) in 
collaboration with EPA to design and build their own processes to 
receive and evaluate competitive community project applications. This 
competitive subawards program called EJ Thriving Communities Subgrants 
will fund the initial development of community led environmental 
justice projects. The pass-through model removes the requirement of 
applying through the federal grants process and decreases the amount of 
time it takes to award federal funds. With this Information Collection 
Request (ICR), EPA seeks authorization to collect information to track 
progress made by the 11+ Grantmakers and their partnerships. Collection 
of this information enables EPA to assess and manage the TCGM Program, 
which ensures responsible stewardship of public funds; rigorous 
evidence-based learning and improvement; and transparent accountability 
to the American public. This ICR also requests authorization for the 
Grantmakers to collect input and insights from communities who seek to 
obtain subawards via the Thriving Communities Subgrant program, as well 
as stakeholders who have valuable experience and expertise in community 
engagement and empowerment. These information collections will enable 
the Grantmakers and their partners to document local priorities, needs, 
and norms to ensure that they develop useful and relevant outreach 
efforts and subgrant opportunities regionally and nationwide. Feedback 
about the accessibility and effectiveness of the subgrant opportunities 
will enable the Grantmakers to conduct self-assessments of their work 
and identify best practices and areas for improvement. Furthermore, 
each Grantmaker will offer specific application standards for a 
competitive community application for subaward funding. Lastly, this 
ICR requests authorization for the Grantmakers to collect information 
from subrecipients, in order to track progress made in their funded 
projects.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: To be determined.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory for grant recipients 
as per reporting requirements included in EPA regulations 2 CFR parts 
200 and 1500, and voluntary for public outreach information collections 
via surveys and focus groups.
    Estimated number of respondents: To be determined. This data will 
be available for the next public review period.
    Frequency of response: To be determined. This data will be 
available for the next public review period.
    Total estimated burden: To be determined. This data will be 
available for the next public review period.
    Total estimated cost: To be determined. This data will be available 
for the next public review period.
    Changes in the Estimates: This is a new collection; therefore there 
is no change in burden.

Jacob Burney,
Director, Grants Management Division, Office of Community Support, 
Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights.
[FR Doc. 2024-00106 Filed 1-5-24; 8:45 am]
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