[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 214 (Friday, November 5, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60441-60442]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-29071]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-6471-1]
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability
Act (CERCLA) or Superfund, Section 104; Announcement of Proposal
Deadline for the Competition for Fiscal Year 2000 Supplemental
Assistance to the National Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilots
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Notice of proposal deadline and guidelines.
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SUMMARY: The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will
begin to accept proposals for supplemental assistance for the National
Brownfields Assessment Pilots on November 5, 1999. Assessment pilots
awarded on or before September 30, 1998, may apply for up to $150,000
for continuance and expansion of their brownfields assessment efforts.
This supplemental funding will be awarded on a competitive basis.
In fiscal year 2000, an additional $50,000 may be awarded to an
applicant
[[Page 60442]]
to assess the contamination of a brownfields site(s) that is or will be
used for greenspace purposes. Greenspace purposes may include, but are
not limited to, parks, playgrounds, trails, gardens, habitat
restoration, open space, and/or greenspace preservation.
EPA expects to select up to 50 National brownfields assessment
pilots to receive supplemental assistance by March 2000. The deadline
for proposals for the 2000 supplemental assistance is December 22,
1999. Proposals must be post-marked or sent to EPA via registered or
tracked mail by the stated deadline.
The supplemental assistance for the National brownfields assessment
pilots will be administered on a competitive basis. To ensure a fair
selection process, evaluation panels consisting of EPA Regional and
Headquarters staff will assess how well the proposals meet the
selection criteria outlined in the application booklet The Brownfields
Economic Redevelopment Initiative: Proposal Guidelines for Supplemental
Assistance for the Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilots (October
1999). Applicants are encouraged to contact and, if possible, meet with
EPA Regional Brownfields Coordinators.
DATES: All proposals must be post-marked or sent to EPA via registered
or tracked mail by December 22, 1999.
ADDRESSES: The proposal guidelines can be obtained by calling the
Superfund Hotline at the following numbers:
Washington, DC Metro Area at 703-412-9810
Outside Washington, DC Metro at 1-800-424-9346
TDD for the Hearing Impaired at 1-800-553-7672
Copies of the guidelines are also available via the Internet:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Superfund Hotline, 800-424-9346.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As a part of the Environmental Protection
Agency's (EPA) Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative, the
Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilots are designed to empower
States, communities, tribes, and other stakeholders in economic
redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess,
safely cleanup and promote the sustainable reuse of brownfields. EPA
has awarded cooperative agreements to States, cities, towns, counties
and Tribes for demonstration pilots that test brownfields assessment
models, direct special efforts toward removing regulatory barriers
without sacrificing protectiveness, and facilitate coordinated public
and private efforts at the Federal, State, tribal and local levels. To
date, the Agency has funded 307 Brownfields Assessment Pilots.
In fiscal year 2000, EPA has determined that brownfields assessment
pilots awarded on or before September 30, 1998, may apply for up to
$150,000 for continuance and expansion of their brownfields assessment
efforts. These pilots focus on EPA's primary mission--protecting human
health and the environment. They are also an essential piece of the
nation's overall community revitalization efforts. EPA works closely
with other federal agencies through the Interagency Working Group on
Brownfields, and builds relationships with other stakeholders on the
national and local levels to develop coordinated approaches for
community revitalization.
Supplemental funding for the brownfields assessment pilots is
authorized under Section 104(d)(1) of the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended, (CERCLA
or Superfund), 42 U.S.C. 9604(d)(1). States (including U.S.
Territories), political subdivisions (including cities, towns,
counties), and federally recognized Indian Tribes which received a
brownfields assessment pilot grant on or before September 30, 1998, are
eligible to apply. EPA welcomes and encourages brownfields projects by
coalitions of such entities, but only a single eligible entity may
receive a cooperative agreement. Cooperative agreement funds will be
awarded only to a state, a political subdivision of a state, or a
federally recognized Indian tribe.
Through a brownfields cooperative agreement, EPA provides funds to
an eligible state, political subdivision, or Indian Tribe to undertake
activities authorized under CERCLA section 104. Use of these
supplemental assistance pilot funds must be in accordance with CERCLA,
and all CERCLA restrictions on use of funds also apply to the
assessment pilots.
The evaluation panels will review the proposals carefully and
assess each response based on how well it addresses the selection
criteria, briefly outlined below:
Part I (Required)
1. Established Brownfields Program (4 points out of 20)
2. Accomplishments Under Existing Brownfields Assessment Pilot (4
points out of 20)
3. Demonstrated Ability To Administer Existing Brownfields
Assessment Demonstration Pilot (4 points out of 20)
4. Work To Be Performed (8 points out of 20)
Part II (Optional)
5. Greenspace
--Authority and Context (2 points out of 8)
--Community Involvement (2 points out of 8)
--Site Identification, Site Assessment Plan, Flow of Ownership, and
Reuse Planning (4 points out of 8)
Dated: October 26, 1999.
Linda Garczynski,
Director, Outreach and Special Projects Staff, Office of Solid Waste
and Emergency Response.
[FR Doc. 99-29071 Filed 11-4-99; 8:45 am]
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