[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 185 (Tuesday, September 24, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 77864]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-21464]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-OEJECR-2024-0297; FRL--12234-01-OMS]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking 
Program: Applications for Subawards--September Launch (New)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR), Environmental Justice Thriving 
Communities Grantmaking Program: Applications for Subawards--September 
Launch (EPA ICR Number 7787.01, OMB Control Number 2035-NEW) to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. This is a request for 
emergency clearance of a new collection. A two-week public comment 
period has been initiated via a notice in the Federal Register.

DATES: Comments may be submitted on or before October 8, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-
OEJECR-2024-0297 to EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred 
method), 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, Mail Code 2710A, Environmental Protection Agency, 
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-
564-0214; email address: [email protected].

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 for a 14 day public comment period. 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.
    Abstract: To meet the goals and objectives that demonstrate the 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (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 funding opportunity. The program will 
provide about $600 million in 11 cooperative agreements funding to 
``Grantmakers'' who will function as pass-through entities for the 
Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Subgrants (2 CFR parts 200 
and 1500). 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. The Grantmakers will collaborate with EPA 
to design and build their own processes to receive and evaluate 
applications to fund the initial development of community-led 
environmental justice projects. With this Information Collection 
Request (ICR), EPA seeks emergency clearance for three Grantmakers to 
solicit applications for their first round of subgrants to be launched 
in September 2024. If the information requested under this emergency 
clearance were not collected, EPA would have no mechanism for selecting 
and distributing subaward grants. Without this activity, the central 
programmatic objectives of the Environmental Justice Thriving 
Communities Grantmaking Program cannot be met. The six-month emergency 
clearance period will cover the first round of subaward applications 
that will be solicited by three Grantmakers in September 2024. 
Subsequent rounds of applications for these three Grantmakers will be 
authorized via a Standard ICR package for the Grantmaking Program that 
will be submitted for review via the customer ICR approval process.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: Respondents will include entities 
who are eligible to receive subawards, including community based 
nonprofit organizations, Puerto Rico, U.S. Territories and Freely 
Associated States, Native American organizations, local governments, 
and institutions of higher education.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Voluntary.
    Estimated number of respondents: 1,155 (total).
    Frequency of response: Once.
    Total estimated burden: 23,975 hours (total). Burden is defined at 
5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $1,286,331 (total), which includes $43,989 
annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Requested approval date: September 16, 2024.

Courtney Kerwin,
Director, Information Engagement Division.
[FR Doc. 2024-21464 Filed 9-23-24; 8:45 am]
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