Notice2021-20470
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) or Superfund, Section 128(a); Notice of Grant Funding Guidance for State and Tribal Response Programs for Fiscal Year 2022
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 22, 2021
Issuing agencies
Environmental Protection Agency
Abstract
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), as amended, authorizes a noncompetitive $50 million grant program to establish or enhance state and tribal response programs. These response programs generally address the assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment of brown fields sites and other sites with actual or perceived contamination. For Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will consider grant requests up to a maximum of $1.0 million per state or tribe. This document announces the availability of guidance that will assist states and tribes in the development and submission of CERCLA section 128(a) noncompetitive funding requests and utilization of these funds.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 181 (Wednesday, September 22, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 181 (Wednesday, September 22, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52670-52672]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-20470]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OLEM-2019-0540; FRL-8998-01-OLEM]
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability
Act (CERCLA) or Superfund, Section 128(a); Notice of Grant Funding
Guidance for State and Tribal Response Programs for Fiscal Year 2022
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act (CERCLA), as amended, authorizes a noncompetitive $50
million grant program to establish or enhance state and tribal response
programs. These response programs generally address the assessment,
cleanup, and redevelopment of brown fields sites and other sites with
actual or perceived contamination. For Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will consider grant requests up
to a maximum of $1.0 million per state or tribe. This document
announces the availability of guidance that will assist states and
tribes in the development and submission of CERCLA section 128(a)
noncompetitive funding requests and utilization of these funds.
DATES: The FY 2022 CERCLA section 128(a) grant funding guidance is
applicable as of October 1, 2021, and EPA Regional offices will accept
requests for section 128(a) noncompetitive grant awards through
December 17, 2021.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Melissa Papasavvas, Office of
Brownfields and Land Revitalization, Environmental Protection Agency,
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number
(202) 566-0435.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. General Information
A. Does this action apply to me?
You may be affected by this action if you administer a State or
Tribal response program that oversees
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assessment and cleanup activities at brownfield sites across the
country. Note: the CERCLA definition of ``State'' includes US
Territories and the District of Columbia (CERCLA section 101(27)).
B. How can I get copies of the grant funding guidance and other related
information?
1. Docket. The docket for this action, identified by docket
identification (ID) number EPA-HQ-OLEM-2019-0540, is available online
at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
2. EPA Website. To access the FY22 section 128(a) grant funding
guidance on EPA's website, please go to <a href="https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-brownfields-grant-funding">https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-brownfields-grant-funding</a>.
II. Authority
CERCLA section 128(a) (42 U.S.C. 9628(a)) authorizes a
noncompetitive $50 million grant program to ``establish or enhance''
state and tribal response programs. CERCLA section
128(a)(1)(B)(ii)(III) authorizes a noncompetitive $1.5 million
technical assistance grant program to assist small communities, Indian
tribes, rural areas, or disadvantaged areas to carry out activities
outlined in CERCLA section 104(k)(7) (42 U.S.C. 9604(k)(7)) (i.e.,
providing training, research, and technical assistance to individuals
and organizations, as appropriate, to facilitate the inventory of
brownfields sites, site assessments, remediation of brownfield sites,
community involvement, or site preparation).
III. Background
1. General. State and tribal response programs oversee assessment
and cleanup activities at brownfield sites across the country. The
depth and breadth of these programs vary. Some focus on CERCLA-related
activities, while others are multi-faceted, addressing sites regulated
by both CERCLA and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (42
U.S.C. 6901 et seq.). Many states also offer accompanying financial
incentive programs to spur cleanup and redevelopment. In enacting the
Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act
(Pub. L. 107-118, 115 Stat. 2356), which added section 128 to CERCLA,
Congress recognized the value of state and tribal response programs in
cleaning up and redeveloping brownfield sites. Section 128(a)
strengthens EPA's partnerships with states and tribes and recognizes
their response programs' critical role in overseeing cleanups.
Section 128(a) response program grants are funded with categorical
State and Tribal Assistance Grant (STAG) appropriations. Categorical
grants are issued by Congress to fund state and local governments for
narrowly-defined purposes. This funding is intended for those states
and tribes that have the required management and administrative
capacity within their government to administer a federal grant. The
primary goal of this funding is to ensure that state and tribal
response programs include, or are taking reasonable steps to include,
certain elements of an environmental response program and that the
program establishes and maintains a public record of sites addressed.
Section 128(a) cooperative agreements are awarded and administered
by the EPA regional offices. Generally, these response programs address
the assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment of brownfields sites and
other sites with actual or perceived contamination. Subject to the
availability of funds, EPA regional personnel will provide technical
assistance to states and tribes as they apply for and carry out section
128(a) cooperative agreements.
2. Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) and EPA Funding
Opportunity Number (FON). The CFDA entry for the section 128(a) State
and Tribal Response Program cooperative agreements is 66.817. The FON
for FY 2022 section 128(a) funds is EPA-CEP-02. This grant program is
eligible to be included in state and tribal Performance Partnership
Grants under 40 CFR part 35 Subparts A and B, with the following
exceptions: funds used to capitalize a revolving loan fund for
brownfield remediation under CERCLA section 104(k)(3); funds received
for technical assistance under CERCLA section 128(a)(I)(B)(ii)(III);
and funds used to purchase environmental insurance or developing a risk
sharing pool, an indemnity pool, or insurance mechanism to provide
financing for response actions under a State or Tribal response
program.
3. Application period. Requests for funding should be sent to the
appropriate Regional EPA contact and will be accepted from October 1,
2021 through December 17, 2021. Requests EPA Regional offices receive
after December 17, 2021 will not be considered for FY 2022 funding.
States or tribes that do not submit the request in the appropriate
manner may forfeit their ability to receive funds. First time
requestors are strongly encouraged to contact their respective Regional
EPA Brownfields contacts, identified in Table 1, prior to submitting
their funding request. EPA will consider funding requests up to a
maximum of $1.0 million per state or tribe for FY 2022.
Requests submitted by the December 17, 2021 request deadline are
preliminary; final cooperative agreement work plans and budgets will be
negotiated with the EPA regional offices once final funding allocation
determinations are made. As in previous years, EPA will place special
emphasis on reviewing a cooperative agreement recipient's use of prior
section 128(a) funding in making allocation decisions, and unexpended
balances are subject to 40 CFR 35.118 and 35.518 to the extent
consistent with this guidance. EPA will also prioritize funding for
recipients establishing their response programs.
Table 1--EPA Regional Brownfields Contacts for State and Tribal Response Programs
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Region State Tribal
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1--CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT................................... AmyJean McKeown, 5 Post AmyJean McKeown, 5 Post
Office Square, Suite Office Square, Suite
100 (OSRR07-2), Boston, 100 (OSRR07-2), Boston,
MA 02109-3912, Phone MA 02109-3912, Phone
(617) 918-1248, Fax (617) 918-1248, Fax
(617) 918-1294. (617) 918-1294.
2--NJ, NY, PR, VI........................................... John Struble, 290 John Struble, 290
Broadway, 25th Floor, Broadway, 25th Floor,
New York, NY 10007- New York, NY 10007-
1866, Phone (212) 637- 1866, Phone (212) 637-
4291, Fax (212) 637- 4291, Fax (212) 637-
3083. 3083.
3--DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, WV................................... Mike Taurino, 1650 Arch Mike Taurino, 1650 Arch
Street (3HS51), Street (3HS51),
Philadelphia, PA 19103, Philadelphia, PA 19103,
Phone (215) 814-3371, Phone (215) 814-3371,
Fax (215) 814-3274. Fax (215) 814-3274.
4--AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN........................... Cindy Nolan, 61 Forsyth Cindy Nolan, 61 Forsyth
Street, SW, 10TH FL Street, SW, 10TH FL
(9T25), Atlanta, GA (9T25), Atlanta, GA
30303-8960, Phone (404) 30303-8909, Phone (404)
562-8425, Fax (404) 562- 562-8425, Fax (404) 562-
8788. 8788.
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5--IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI................................... Keary Cragan, 77 West Rosita Clarke, 77 West
Jackson Boulevard (SB- Jackson Boulevard (SB-
5J), Chicago, IL 60604- 5J), Chicago, IL 60604-
3507, Phone (312) 353- 3507, Phone (312) 886-
5669, Fax (312) 692- 7251, Fax (312) 697-
2161. 2075.
6--AR, LA, NM, OK, TX....................................... Ana Esquivel, 1201 Elm Elizabeth Reyes, 1201
Street, Suite 500, Elm Street, Suite 500,
Dallas, Texas 75270- Dallas, Texas 75270-
2102, Phone (214) 665- 2102, Phone (214) 665-
3163, Fax (214) 665- 2194, Fax (214) 665-
6660. 6660.
7--IA, KS, MO, NE........................................... Susan Klein, 11201 Jennifer Morris, 11201
Renner Boulevard (LCRD/ Renner Boulevard ((LCRD/
BSPR), Lenexa, KS BSPR), Lenexa, KS
66219, Phone (913) 551- 66219, Phone (913) 551-
7786. 7341.
8--CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY................................... Christina Wilson, 1595 Melisa Devincenzi, 1595
Wynkoop Street (8LCR- Wynkoop Street (8LCR-
BR), Denver, CO 80202- BR), Denver, CO 80202-
1129, Phone (303) 312- 1129, Phone (303) 312-
6706, Fax (303) 312- 6377, Fax (303) 312-
6065. 6962.
9--AZ, CA, HI, NV, AS, GU, MP............................... Jose Garcia, Jr., 600 Jose Garcia, Jr., 600
Wilshire Blvd., Suite Wilshire Blvd., Suite
1460, Los Angeles, CA 1460, Los Angeles, CA
90017, Phone (213) 244- 90017, Phone (213) 244-
1811, Fax (213) 244- 1811, Fax (213) 244-
1850. 1850.
10--AK, ID, OR, WA.......................................... Madison Sanders-Curry, Madison Sanders-Curry,
1200 Sixth Ave., Suite 1200 Sixth Ave., Suite
155 (mail code 15-H04), 155 (mail code 15-H04),
Seattle, WA 98101, Seattle, WA 98101,
Phone (206) 553-1889, Phone (206) 553-1889,
Fax 206) 553-8581. Fax (206) 553-8581.
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Authority: 42 U.S.C. 9628(a).
Dated: September 16, 2021.
David R. Lloyd,
Director, Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization.
[FR Doc. 2021-20470 Filed 9-21-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 22, 2021.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.