Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 178 / Monday, September 15, 1997 / Notices 48277

List of Subjects

Environmental protection.

Dated: September 9, 1997

Cassandra Vail,

Acting, Designated Federal Official, Office

of Pollution Prevention and Toxics.

[FR Doc. 97–24418 Filed 9-12-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–F

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–5888–3]

Privacy Act of 1974; Research Grant,

Cooperative Agreement, and

Fellowship Application Files System of

Records

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Proposed new Privacy Act

system of records.

SUMMARY: The United States

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

is publishing a notice for public

comment on a system of records subject

to the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C.

552a. This system is entitled ‘‘Research

Grant, Cooperative Agreement, and

Fellowship Application Files.’’

Additional information on this system is

described in the Supplementary

Information section of this notice.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This proposed action

will be effective, without further notice

on October 27, 1997, unless comments

are received which result in a contrary

determination.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be

addressed to Director, National Center

for Environmental Research and Quality

Assurance (Mail Code 8701), U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency, 401

M St., SW, Washington, DC 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Robert E. Menzer, Senior Science

Advisor, National Center for

Environmental Research and Quality

Assurance (Mail Code 8701), U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency, 401

M St., SW, Washington, DC 20460.

Telephone: (202) 260–5779.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

purpose of this system of records is to

assist EPA in conducting and

documenting the receipt and review of

applications and awards of research

grants to the most meritorious

applicants in response to solicitations

issued by the Office of Research and

Development in furtherance of its

Science to Achieve Results (STAR)

program. The system includes

application files and computergenerated records developed in

connection with the review and

decision process for awarding grants

under the terms of the Federal Grant

and Cooperative Agreement Act of 1977,

41 U.S.C. 501 et seq. Application files

are comprised of (1) the submitted

application, which includes the names

and resumes of proposed investigators,

(2) peer reviewers’ comments on the

application, and (3) documentation of

the decision process on the application.

Computer-generated records include

data regarding the administrative

management of the application in the

peer review process.

This system of records contains

records retrieved by the names of the

grant principal investigators,

universities, not-for-profit research

organizations, and other organizations.

Only information retrieved by the

names of individuals is covered by this

Privacy Act notice.

Dated: August 28, 1997.

Alvin M. Pesachowitz,

Acting Assistant Adminstrator for

Administration and Resources Management

and Chief Information Officer.

EPA–36

SYSTEM NAME:

Research Grant, Cooperative

Agreement, and Fellowship Application

Files System of Records, EPA/ORD.

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:

None.

SYSTEM LOCATION:

National Center for Environmental

Research and Quality Assurance, Office

of Research and Development,

Waterside Mall, 401 M St., SW,

Washington, DC 20460.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE

SYSTEM:

Individuals (principal investigators)

who request or have previously

requested support from the ORD

research grants programs of the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency,

either individually or through an

academic or other institution.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:

The names of the principal

investigators, the proposals and their

identifying numbers, supporting data

from the academic institutions or other

applicants, proposal evaluations from

peer reviewers, review records, financial

data, and other material related to

evaluation of applications.

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:

44 U.S.C. 3101; Federal Grant and

Cooperative Agreement Act, 41 U.S.C.

501 et seq.; the Clean Air Act, as

amended, 42 U.S.C. 1857 et seq.; the

Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as

amended, 33 U.S.C. 1254 et seq.; the

Public Health Service Act, as amended,

42 U.S.C. 241 et seq.; the Solid Waste

Disposal Act, as amended by the

Resource Conservation and Recovery

Act of 1976, 42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.; the

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and

Rodenticide Act, as amended, 7 U.S.C.

136 et seq.; and the Grant Act, 42 U.S.C.

1891 et seq.

PURPOSE(S):

The purpose of this system of records

is to assist EPA in conducting and

documenting the receipt and review of

applications and award of research

grants to the most meritorious

applicants in response to solicitations

issued by the Office of Research and

Development in furtherance of its

Science to Achieve Results (STAR)

program.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE

SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES OF USERS AND

THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:

Disclosure of information from this

system of records may be made as

follows:

1. To a Member of Congress or a

congressional office from the record of

an individual in response to an inquiry

from that Member or office made at the

request of the individual to whom the

record pertains.

2. To Federal contractors, grantees,

volunteers, and other individuals who

have been engaged to assist the Federal

Government in the performance of a

contract, grant, cooperative agreement,

or other activity related to this system

of records and who need to have access

to the records in order to perform that

activity.

3. To a Federal agency which has

requested information relevant to its

decision in connection with the hiring

or retention of an employee; the

reporting of an investigation on an

employee; the letting of a contract; or

the issuance of a security clearance,

license, grant, or other benefit.

4. To a Federal, State, or local agency

where necessary to enable EPA to obtain

information relevant to an EPA decision

concerning the hiring or retention of an

employee; the letting of a contract; or

the issuance of a security clearance,

license, grant, or other benefit.

5. To an appropriate Federal, State,

local, or foreign agency responsible for

investigating, prosecuting, enforcing, or

implementing a statute, rule, regulation,

or order, where there is an indication of

a violation or potential violation of the

statute, rule, regulation, or order and the

information disclosed is relevant to the

matter.
48278 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 178 / Monday, September 15, 1997 / Notices

6. To the Department of Justice to the

extent that each disclosure is

compatible with the purpose for which

the record was collected and is relevant

and necessary to litigation or

anticipated litigation in which one of

the following is a party or has an

interest: (a) EPA or any of its

components, (b) an EPA employee in his

or her official capacity, (c) an EPA

employee in his or her individual

capacity where the Department of

Justice is representing or considering

representation of the employee, or (d)

the United States where EPA determines

that the litigation is likely to affect the

agency.

7. In a proceeding before a court,

other adjudicative body or grand jury, or

in an administrative or regulatory

proceeding, to the extent that each

disclosure is compatible with the

purpose for which the record was

collected and is relevant and necessary

to the proceeding in which one of the

following is a party or has an interest:

(a) EPA or any of its components, (b) an

EPA employee in his or her official

capacity, (c) an EPA employee in his or

her individual capacity where the

Department of Justice is representing or

considering representation of the

employee, or (d) the United States

where EPA determines that the

litigation is likely to affect the agency.

Such disclosures include, but are not

limited to, those made in the course of

presenting evidence, conducting

settlement negotiations, and responding

to subpoenas and requests for discovery.

8. To representatives of the General

Services Administration and the

National Archives and Records

Administration who are conducting

records management inspections under

the authority of 44 U.S.C. 2904 and

2906.

9. To qualified reviewers for their

opinion and evaluation of applicants

and their proposals as part of the

application review process.

10. To other Federal government

agencies and private-sector

organizations regarding applicants or

nominees in order to coordinate joint

programs between Federal agencies,

State or local government agencies, and/

or private-sector organizations.

11. To the applicant institution for

purposes of obtaining data regarding the

application review process or award

decisions, or administering grant

awards.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING,

RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING, AND

DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:

STORAGE:

Various parts of the system are

maintained on computer and/or in hard

copy files.

RETRIEVABILITY:

Information is retrieved by the name

of the principal investigator. Computer

files may also be retrieved by various

data elements in the database.

SAFEGUARDS:

All records are maintained in secured

areas with restricted access or are

accessed by unique passwords or log-in

procedures. Only EPA personnel and

agency contractors with a need-to-know

in order to perform their duties may

access the information.

RETENTION AND DISPOSAL:

Files are maintained in accordance

with approved record retention

schedules. Awarded proposals are

transferred to the Federal Records

Center one year after closeout where

they are retained for an additional six

years. Declined proposals are destroyed

three years after they are declined.

SYSTEM MANAGER(S) AND ADDRESS:

Director, Peer Review Division,

National Center for Environmental

Research and Quality Assurance Mail

(Code 8725), USEPA, 401 M St., SW,

Washington, DC 20460.

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE:

Contact the system manager at the

above address. You may be required to

provide information to verify your

identity.

RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURE:

Same as ‘‘Notification Procedure,’’

above. In addition, please specify the

record you wish to access.

CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:

Same as ‘‘Notification Procedure,’’

above. In addition, please specify the

record you wish corrected, the

requested correction, and justification

for the correction.

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:

Information is obtained from the

principal investigators, academic

institutions or other applicants, peer

reviewers, and EPA and other Federal

agency personnel.

SYSTEMS EXEMPTED FROM CERTAIN PROVISIONS

OF THE ACT:

The portions of this system consisting

of investigatory material which would

identify persons providing evaluations

of EPA grant applicants and

applications have been exempted

pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(5).

Regulations exempting this system from

certain provisions of the Privacy Act

will be published separately in the

Federal Register in accordance with the

requirements of 5 U.S.C. 553(b), (c), and

(e).

[FR Doc. 97–24212 Filed 9–12–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–5888–2]

Privacy Act of 1974; ORD Peer Review

Panelist Information System (PRPIS)

System of Records

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Proposed new Privacy Act

system of records.

SUMMARY: The United States

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

is publishing a notice for public

comment on a system of records subject

to the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C.

552a. This system is entitled ‘‘ORD Peer

Review Panelist Information System

(PRPIS).’’ Additional information on

this system is described in the

Supplementary Information section of

this notice.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This proposed action

will be effective, without further notice

on October 27, 1997, unless comments

are received which result in a contrary

determination.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be

addressed to Director, National Center

for Environmental Research and Quality

Assurance (Mail Code 8701), U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency, 401

M St., SW. Washington, DC 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Robert E. Menzer, Senior Science

Advisor, National Center for

Environmental Research and Quality

Assurance (Mail Code 8701), U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency, 401

M St., SW. Washington, DC 20460.

Telephone: (202) 260–5779.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA uses

the services of peer reviewers from the

scientific community to assist in

selecting the most meritorious

applications from pools of applications

or assessing the quality and

performance of awarded grants,

cooperative agreements, and

fellowships. The purpose of this system

of records is to assist EPA in conducting

and documenting the review of

applications through the use of