[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 27 (Friday, February 8, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2862-2863]
[FR Doc No: 2019-01539]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-SFUND-2012-0104; FRL-9988-97-OLEM]

Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request;
Brownfields Program--Accomplishment Reporting (Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an
information collection request (ICR), ``Brownfields Program--
Accomplishment Reporting (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 2104.07, 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 of the ICR, which is currently approved through July 31,
2019. 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 April 9, 2019.

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_ADDRESS>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:<PHONE_NUMBER>; email address:
<EMAIL_ADDRESS>
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<PHONE_NUMBER>. 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 from EPA under the
authority 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, as amended, authorizes EPA to award grants or cooperative
agreements to states, tribes, local governments, and other eligible
entities to support the assessment and cleanup of brownfields sites.
Under the Brownfields Amendments, 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. For funding purposes, EPA uses
the term ``brownfields property(ies)'' synonymously with the term
``brownfields sites.'' The Brownfields Amendments authorize EPA to
award several types of cooperative agreements to eligible entities on a
competitive basis.
    Under subtitle A of the Small Business Liability Relief and
Brownfields Revitalization Act, states, tribes, local governments, and
other eligible entities can receive assessment cooperative agreements
to inventory, characterize, assess, and conduct planning and community
involvement related to brownfields properties; cleanup cooperative
agreements to carry out cleanup activities at brownfields properties;
multipurpose cooperative agreements to conduct activities allowed under
both assessment and cleanup cooperative agreements; cooperative
agreements to capitalize revolving loan funds and provide subgrants for
cleanup activities; area-wide planning cooperative agreements to
develop revitalization plans for brownfields; and environmental
workforce and development job training and placement programs. Under
subtitle C of the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields
Revitalization Act, states and tribes can receive cooperative
agreements to establish and enhance their response programs through the
four elements and meet the public record requirements under the
statute. 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 uses several forms
to assist recipients 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. 2104.06, OMB Control No. 2050-0192.
    Respondents/affected entities: State/local/tribal governments; Non-
Profits.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Required to obtain or Retain
Benefits (2 CFR part 1500).
    Estimated number of respondents: 5,517 (total).
    Frequency of response: Bi-annual for subtitle C recipients;
quarterly for subtitle A recipients.
    Total estimated burden: 6,144 hours (per year). Burden is defined
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $712,108 (per year), includes $0 annualized
capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in estimates: There is an increase of 2,267 hours in the
total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently
approved by OMB. This increase is partially the result of adding the
new Program Activity Levels Form for 128(a) recipients to fill out
annually. The remainder of the burden increase is the result of an
overall increase in wages and the large increase in the number of
responses submitted to ACRES annually as a result of more grants being
awarded. Even with this increase, respondents indicated that
improvements in the ACRES reporting system and increased familiarity
with the program lead to a lower burden per individual entry.

    Dated: December 19, 2018.
David R. Lloyd,
Director, Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization.
[FR Doc. 2019-01539 Filed 2-7-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P