70640 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 227 / Friday, November 24, 2000 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Economic Development Administration

[Docket No. 001103311–0311–01]

RIN 0610–ZA17

Economic Adjustment Assistance—

Availability of Funds for Hurricane

Floyd and Other Disasters

AGENCY: Economic Development

Administration (EDA), Department of

Commerce (DoC).

ACTION: Funding notice.

SUMMARY: The Economic Development

Administration (EDA) announces the

availability of $55.8 million for

economic adjustment assistance to

support disaster recovery programs

designed to assist affected states and

local communities recover from the

consequences of Hurricane Floyd and

other recent disasters. Eligible activities

include planning assistance,

construction grants, and capitalization

of revolving loan funds (technical

assistance, if incidental, may be

appropriate) to assist in the recovery

efforts of communities impacted by

Hurricane Floyd and other recent

disasters. Of the appropriated funds,

$49.9 million (which includes $30

million for New Jersey) will be available

to assist communities impacted by

Hurricane Floyd. (The most serious

economic impacts of the hurricane were

concentrated in the States of North

Carolina, New Jersey and Virginia.)

Funds in the amount of $5.9 million

will be available to assist communities

impacted by other recent disasters. EDA

will consider projects dealing with

local, regional or statewide issues that

are related to disaster response and

recovery from Hurricane Floyd as well

as such projects responding to other

recent disasters.

DATES: Proposals and applications in

response to the Hurricane Floyd disaster

will be accepted on a continuous basis

until the funds have been expended.

Proposals for other recent disasters must

be received by May 21, 2001 to be

considered for funding.

ADDRESSES: Addresses for EDA’s six

regional offices and Economic

Development Representatives (EDRs) for

the states of New Jersey, North Carolina

and Virginia are provided at the end of

this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Interested

parties should contact the appropriate

regional office or EDR as shown at the

end of this notice.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Economic Adjustment Assistance

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

(CFDA) No.11.307)

II. Funding Availability

Funds in the amount of $55.8 million

are available and shall remain available

until expended. These funds are

provided under the Military

Construction Appropriations Act, 2001;

FY 2000 Supplemental Appropriations

(PL 106–246), July 13, 2000, to be

transferred to the Department of

Commerce from the Department of

Agriculture. Such funds will be

administered under Section 209 of the

Public Works and Economic

Development Act of 1965, as amended

(PWEDA), unless otherwise determined

by the Assistant Secretary.

III. Eligibility

Information on eligibility

requirements for applicants and areas

can be found in EDA’s regulation at 13

CFR Chapter III and EDA’s NOFA of

January 24, 2000, which describes area

‘‘Special Need’’ criteria.

Area Eligibility: 13 CFR 301.2(h)

provides that EDA describes in a NOFA,

special needs criteria under 13 CFR

301.2(b)(3). In EDA’s NOFA of January

24, 2000, EDA describes, among other

special needs criteria, the following:

‘‘Natural or other major disasters or

emergencies. An area that has received

one of the following disaster

declarations is eligible for EDA

assistance for a period of 18 months

after the date of declaration, unless

further extended by the Assistant

Secretary:

1. A Presidential Disaster Declaration

authorizing FEMA Public Assistance

pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford

Disaster Relief and Emergency

Assistance Act, as amended (Public Law

93–288, 42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) * * *’’

(65 FR 3763 at 3766, January 24, 2000).

Given the lapse of time from the

Presidential disaster declaration for

Hurricane Floyd and this notice of

availability of funds, the time period for

area eligibility is hereby extended by the

Assistant Secretary beyond the 18-

month period to September 30, 2001, for

Presidentially declared Hurricane Floyd

disaster areas.

Area eligibility is reviewed at the time

that EDA invites an application under

13 CFR 308 and is based on the most

recent Federal data available for the area

where the project will be located or

where the substantial direct benefits

will be received. If no Federal data are

available to determine eligibility, an

applicant must submit to EDA the most

recent data available for the area

through the government of the State in

which the area is located, i.e.,

conducted by or at the direction of the

State government. Project areas must be

eligible on the date of submission of the

application. In the case of any

application received by EDA more than

six months prior to the time of award,

EDA will reevaluate the project to

determine that the area remains eligible

for EDA assistance before making the

award.

EDA will reject any documentation of

eligibility that it determines is

inaccurate.

IV. Grant Rates

Pursuant to EDA’s regulations at 13

CFR 301.4(b) and 301.4(f), projects

under part 308 located in Presidentiallydeclared disaster areas for which EDA

invites an application for assistance

under a supplemental appropriation,

within 18 months of declaration, qualify

for a higher grant rate of up to 80%.

Projects that respond to other recent

disasters may qualify for a maximum

grant rate of 80%. There is no provision

in EDA’s regulations at 13 CFR

301.4(b)(5), to extend the 18-month

maximum grant rate eligibility period.

After expiration of the special

eligibility, areas will revert to the grant

rates for which they are eligible as

otherwise prescribed by EDA’s

regulations at 13 CFR 301.4(b).

V. Selection Process

EDA will review proposals to evaluate

eligibility, evaluation criteria, and

funding priorities before inviting a full

application for final funding

consideration. It is anticipated that

proposals will exceed the amount of

funding available. Interested parties

should submit proposals directly to the

appropriate EDR or to the regional office

listed at the end of this notice, using the

standard preapplication form for EDA

assistance (ED–900P, OMB Control No.

0610–0094).

EDA will evaluate project proposals

in accordance with as appropriate, 13

CFR part 304, and 13 CFR 308.4 (65 FR

2530 at 2532, January 18, 2000), and the

criteria will be approximately of equal

importance.

Proposals under this funding

announcement must demonstrate how

the EDA assistance will help the eligible

area recover from the economic

adjustment problems caused by

Hurricane Floyd or other recent

disasters. Proposals for construction and

RLFs grants must also demonstrate that

the request for assistance has been

preceded by sound planning, consistent

with EDA regulations at 13 CFR 301.3.

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 227 / Friday, November 24, 2000 / Notices 70641

In meeting EDA requirements for a

strategy or Comprehensive Economic

Development Strategy (CEDS), EDA may

accept for example: a State Emergency

Recovery Plan, or the product of an

equivalent state or local strategic

economic recovery planning process

with short-term and long-term goals.

Given the limited funds available

from this appropriation, applicants must

be able to demonstrate need based on

physical damage or economic impact

resulting from the disaster.

After consideration under EDA’s

evaluation criteria, EDA will consider

the following funding priorities which

will be the basis for selecting

applications to be funded under this

Notice. Priority numbers (1) and (2) are

roughly equivalent and more important

than the others. The funding priorities

are as follows:

1. Projects located in areas that

suffered the highest levels of economic

injury as a result of the disaster, as

compared to other disaster areas.

2. Projects located in disaster

impacted areas that had previously been

experiencing high levels of economic

distress.

3. Projects which leverage EDA funds

with state, local, private, and other

Federal assistance efforts.

4. Projects that restore, upgrade or

enhance the reliability of critical

infrastructure/public facilities to current

building, environmental, and safety

standards or codes, and are essential to

stabilizing the economic base of the

disaster area.

5. Projects that enhance/stimulate

sustainable economic development and/

or otherwise mitigate the physical and/

or economic dislocation that could be

caused by recurring future disasters.

6. Projects that assist the restoration of

businesses, stimulate the development

of new businesses and accelerate the

development of new job opportunities

for dislocated individuals within the

affected areas.

7. Projects that enhance opportunities

for economic diversification.

VI. Program Tools

Planning—There should be a clear

and documented nexus between the

project and the disaster. Planning

projects should concentrate on early

disaster economic recovery goals in

accordance with EDA’s CEDS process

[requiring incidental technical

assistance, as appropriate].

Construction—In addition to the real

property requirements at 13 CFR 314.7,

applicants are expected to submit

satisfactory evidence of rights of entry

assuring prompt access to project

property at time of award in those cases

where applicants do not hold title to all

real property required for the projects at

time of application. Where appropriate,

incidental on-site technical assistance

should be incorporated into

construction projects for project

administration to successfully meet the

terms and conditions of the grant. The

objective is to accomplish project

implementation quickly and efficiently,

so that benefits of the recovery activity

take effect as soon as possible.

Revolving Loan Fund (RLF)—EDA

may consider providing RLF assistance

to: (1) Assist small and emerging

businesses and to (2) meet local

infrastructure needs. EDA RLF

assistance will be coordinated to avoid

duplication of other available federal

assistance. RLF grantees must

incorporate an ‘‘exit strategy’’

acceptable to EDA for the continued use

of the RLFs after the need for disaster

recovery has abated.

Where grant funds are used to support

RLFs, it is expected that priority

consideration will be given to eligible

borrowers who were impacted by the

disaster and/or other borrowers who can

contribute to the economic stabilization

of the area after the disaster, particularly

through the creation of job opportunities

that may be less vulnerable to future

disasters.

VII. Other Information and

Requirements

EDA regulations at 13 CFR Chapter III

and 65 FR 2530, January 18, 2000, are

available from EDA offices listed in

section VIII. EDA Contact Information

and from the EDA Web site at

www.doc.gov/eda.

Certain Departmental and other

requirements are noted below.

Additional information is available

through links to EDA’s web site at

www.doc.gov/eda or from the

appropriate EDA offices listed in section

VIII. EDA Contact Information.

A. Notwithstanding any other

provision of law, no person is required

to respond to, nor shall a person be

subject to a penalty for failure to comply

with a collection of information subject

to the requirements of the Paperwork

Reduction Act (PRA) unless that

collection of information displays a

currently valid Office of Management

and Budget (OMB) control number. This

notice involves a collection of

information requirement subject to the

provisions of the PRA and has been

approved by OMB under Control

Number 0610–0094.

B. All primary applicants must submit

a completed Form CD–511,

‘‘Certifications Regarding Debarment,

Suspension and Other Responsibility

Matters; Drug-Free Workplace

Requirements and Lobbying,’’ and the

following explanations are hereby

provided: Prospective participants (as

defined at 15 CFR Part 26, Section 105)

are subject to ‘‘Nonprocurement

Debarment and Suspension’’ and the

related section of the certification form

prescribed above applies;

Grantees (as defined at 15 CFR Part

26, Section 605) are subject to 15 CFR

Part 26, Subpart F, ‘‘Drug-Free

Workplace Requirements (Grants)’’ and

the related section of the certification

form prescribed above applies;

Persons (as defined at 15 CFR Part 28,

Section 105) are subject to the lobbying

provisions of 31 U.S.C. 1352,

‘‘Limitation on use of appropriated

funds to influence certain Federal

contracting and financial transactions,’’

and the lobbying section of the

certification form prescribed above

applies to applications/bids for grants,

cooperative agreements, and contracts

for more than $100,000, and loans and

loan guarantees for more than $150,000,

or the single family maximum mortgage

limit for affected programs, whichever is

greater; and

C. Any applicant that has paid or will

pay for lobbying using any funds must

submit an SF–LLL, ‘‘Disclosure of

Lobbying Activities,’’ as required under

15 CFR part 28, Appendix B.

D. The implementing regulations of

the National Environmental Policy Act

(NEPA) require EDA to provide public

notice of the availability of project

specific environmental documents such

as environmental impact statements,

environmental assessments, findings of

no significant impact, records of

decision etc., to the affected public as

specified in 40 CFR 1506.6(b).

Depending on the project location,

environmental information concerning

specific projects can be obtained from

the Regional Environmental Officer in

the appropriate EDA regional office

listed at the end of this notice.

E. Recipients shall require applicants/

bidders for subgrants, contracts,

subcontracts, or other lower tier covered

transactions at any tier under the award

to submit, if applicable, a completed

Form CD–511, ‘‘Certifications Regarding

Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility

and Voluntary Exclusion-Lower Tier

Covered Transactions and Lobbying’’

and disclosure form, SF–LLL

‘‘Disclosure of Lobbying Activities.’’

Form CD–511 is intended for the use of

recipients and should not be transmitted

to DoC. SF–LLL submitted by any tier

recipient or subrecipient should be

submitted to DoC in accordance with

the instructions contained in the award

document.

70642 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 227 / Friday, November 24, 2000 / Notices

F. No award of Federal funds will be

made to an applicant who has an

outstanding delinquent Federal debt

until either:

1. The delinquent account is paid in

full;

2. A negotiated repayment schedule is

established and at least one payment is

received; or

3. Other arrangements satisfactory to

DoC are made.

G. Unsatisfactory performance under

prior Federal awards may result in an

application not being considered for

funding.

H. Applicants should be aware that a

false statement on the application is

grounds for denial of the application or

termination of the grant award and

grounds for possible punishment by a

fine or imprisonment as provided in 18

U.S.C. 1001.

I. Applicants are hereby notified that

any equipment or products authorized

to be purchased with funding provided

under this program must be Americanmade to the maximum extent feasible.

J. Applicants seeking an early start,

i.e., to begin a project before EDA

approval, must obtain a letter from EDA

allowing such early start. The letter

allowing the early start will be null and

void if the project is not subsequently

approved for funding by the grants

officer. Approval of an early start does

not constitute project approval.

Applicants should be aware that if they

incur any costs prior to an award being

made they do so solely at their own risk

of not being reimbursed by the

Government. Notwithstanding any

verbal or written assurance that may

have been received, there is no

obligation on the part of DoC to cover

preaward costs. Additionally, EDA also

requires that compliance with

environmental regulations, in

accordance with the National

Environmental Policy Act, be completed

before construction begins.

K. If an application is selected for

funding, EDA has no obligation to

provide any additional future funding in

connection with an award. Renewal of

an award to increase funding or extend

the period of performance is at the sole

discretion of EDA.

L. Unless otherwise noted herein,

eligibility, program objectives,

application procedures, selection

procedures, evaluation criteria and

other requirements for all programs are

set forth in EDA’s regulations at 13 CFR

Chapter III and 65 FR 2530, January 18,

2000.

M. EDA is not authorized to provide

any financial assistance directly to

individuals for the purpose of starting a

new business or expanding an existing

business.

This notice has been determined to be

not significant for purposes of Executive

Order 12866.

VIII. EDA Contact Information

Interested parties should contact the

appropriate EDR or the regional office

listed below:

William J. Day, Regional Director,

Atlanta Regional Office, 401 West

Peachtree Street, N.W., Suite 1820,

Atlanta, Georgia 30308–3510,

Telephone: (404) 730–3002, Internet

Address: WDay1@doc.gov

Atlanta region State covered

Patricia M. Dixon, Economic Development Representative, P.O. Box 1707, Lugoff, SC 29078; Telephone: (803) 408–2513;

Internet Address: Pdixon@doc.gov.

North Carolina

(Eastern).

Paul M. Raetsch, Regional Director, Philadelphia Regional Office, Curtis Center—Suite 140 South, Independence Square

West, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106; Telephone: (215) 597–4603; Internet Address: Praetsch@doc.gov

Philadelphia region State covered

Neal E. Noyes, Economic Development Representative, Federal Building, Room 474, 400 North 8th Street, P.O. Box 10229,

Richmond, Virginia 23240–1001; Telephone: (804) 771–2061; Internet Address: Nnoyes@doc.gov.

Virginia.

Edward Hummel, Economic Development Representative, Curtis Center—Suite 140 South, Independence Square West,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106; Telephone: (215) 597–6767; Internet Address: Ehummel@doc.gov.

New Jersey.

Pedro R. Garza, Regional Director,

Austin Regional Office, 327 Congress

Avenue, Suite 200, Austin, Texas

78701–4037; Telephone: (512) 381–

8144; Fax: (512) 381–8177; Internet

Address: pgarza1@doc.gov

C. Robert Sawyer, Regional Director,

Chicago Regional Office, 111 North

Canal Street, Suite 855, Chicago,

Illinois 60606; Telephone: (312) 353–

7706; Fax: (312) 353–8575; Internet

Address: rsawyer@doc.gov

Anthony J. Preite, Regional Director,

Denver Regional Office, 1244 Speer

Boulevard, Room 670, Denver,

Colorado 80204; Telephone: (303)

844–4715; Fax: (303) 844–3968;

Internet Address: apreite@doc.gov

A. Leonard Smith, Regional Director,

Seattle Regional Office, Jackson

Federal Building, Room 1856, 915

Second Avenue, Seattle, Washington

98174; Telephone: (206) 220–7660;

Fax: (206) 220–7669; Internet

Address: LSmith7@doc.gov

Dated: November 17, 2000.

Arthur C. Campbell,

Assistant Secretary, for Economic

Development.

[FR Doc. 00–29958 Filed 11–22–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–24–P