32624 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 122 / Monday, June 24, 1996 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Economic Development

Administration

[Docket No. 950302065–6177–04]

RIN 0610–ZA03

Economic Development Assistance

Program for Disaster Recovery

Activities; Availability of Funds

AGENCY: Economic Development

Administration (EDA), Department of

Commerce (DOC).

ACTION: Supplementary Notice.

SUMMARY: Effective immediately, EDA

announces the policies and the

application procedures for funds

available to support disaster recovery

programs designed to assist affected

states and local communities recover

from the consequences of flooding in

the Mid-Atlantic states of Maryland,

New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West

Virginia, and including Kentucky; in the

Northwestern states of Idaho, Oregon

and Washington; at Devils Lake in North

Dakota; and for other disasters.

EDA offers a variety of program tools

to assist affected communities. The

primary emphasis of EDA’s program

will be to assist flood-impacted areas

with the development and

implementation of strategies that are

needed for post-disaster economic

recovery of the area, including planning

and technical assistance; the

capitalization and recapitalization of

Revolving Loan Funds; the construction

of new and expanded infrastructure and

development facilities required for

economic development of the area;

levee repairs; and other economic

development programs designed to

alleviate the economic distress of the

areas.

As a response to the flooding in the

Northwestern states, EDA will consider

requests for assistance through grants to

nonfederal facilities for levee repairs

which are within the U.S. Army Corps

of Engineers (Corps) geographic area of

responsibility (i.e., contributing

drainage areas of 400 square miles or

greater) and needed to protect critical

public infrastructure as part of its

economic recovery assistance program

for the Northwest Floods.

In carrying out its levee repair

program, EDA will collaborate with the

Corps to assure that the proposed levee

repairs will meet all appropriate Corps

criteria so that levees repaired under

this Notice will be eligible in the future

for participation in the Corps’

emergency levee repair program that is

authorized under Public Law 84–99.

The final decision as to whether a levee

will be repaired under this Notice will

be solely that of EDA.

DATES: This announcement is effective

June 24, 1996. Funds shall remain

available until expended.

ADDRESSES: To establish merits of

project proposals, interested parties

should contact the EDA regional offices

or the appropriate Economic

Development Representatives for the

area (see listing in Appendix A).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: See

listing in Appendix A of this Notice.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Refer to

the Notice published on June 11, 1996,

in the Federal Register (61 FR 29526)

for information on EDA’s general

policies and other requirements.

Authority

The authority for these programs is

the Public Works and Economic

Development Act of 1965, (Pub.L. 89–

136, 42 USC 3121–3246h), as amended

(PWEDA). The funds are provided from

the Omnibus Consolidated Rescissions

and Appropriations Act of 1996 (Pub. L.

104–134, Chapter 6). Catalog of Federal

Domestic Assistance (CFDA):

The Special Economic Development

and Adjustment Assistance Program—

Long-Term Economic Deterioration

(LTED) and Sudden and Severe

Dislocation (SSED) are listed under

CFDA 11.307 (13 CFR Part 308).

Planning and Technical Assistance are

listed under CFDA 11.302, 11.305 and

11.303 (13 CFR Part 307, Subpart A; and

13 CFR Part 307, Subpart E and F).

Funding Availability

Funds in the amount of $16.5 million

are available for this disaster relief

program and shall remain available

until expended. Funds will be

apportioned as follows: Mid-Atlantic

and including Kentucky—$5.0 million;

Northwest—$7.5 million; and Devils

Lake—$4.0 million.

Grant Rates

Grant rates, as established by the

Public Works and Economic

Development Act of 1965, as amended

(PWEDA) and its implementing

regulations at 13 CFR chapter III, 61 FR

7979, March 1, 1996, as corrected in 61

FR 15371, April 8, 1996, and its interimfinal rule at 60 FR 49670, September 26,

1996, may vary, if permitted by PWEDA

and its implementing regulations, and

will depend on the relative needs and

financial capacity of applicants. In most

cases, a nonfederal local share will be

required. In rare and extenuating

circumstances, EDA may waive the local

share requirement where permitted by

PWEDA and its implementing

regulations at 13 CFR chapter III. Local

share requirements are discussed in the

13 CFR chapter III. The specific section

for each program that discusses grant

rates is listed below:

1. See 13 CFR Part 308.7 for Special

Economic Development Adjustment

Assistance—Long-Term Economic

Deterioration (LTED) and Sudden and

Severe Dislocation (SSED);

2. See 13 CFR Part 307.5 for Technical

Assistance; and

3. See 13 CFR Part 307.27 and 307.33

for the Planning Program.

The grant rate for levee repairs shall

not exceed 75 percent. The nonfederal

share of the cost of a levee rehabilitation

project for which assistance is made

available by EDA shall be:

—To provide all land, easements, rightsof-way, and dredged material disposal

areas necessary for the project; and

—To provide 25 percent of the costs of

construction of the project of which at

least 5 percent shall be paid in cash.

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants include any of the

states or political subdivisions thereof,

including municipalities and quasipublic corporations and authorities,

Indian tribes, and nonprofit

corporations representing an EDA

designated redevelopment area or part

thereof located in areas affected by the

flooding in the Mid-Atlantic states of

Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania,

Virginia, West Virginia and including

Kentucky; in the Northwestern states of

Idaho, Oregon and Washington; at

Devils Lake in North Dakota; and other

disasters. Eligible applicants are further

identified in 13 CFR chapter III.

Levees which are within the Corps’

geographic area of responsibility that

were ineligible to receive assistance

because of the lack of participation by

a public sponsor prior to the recent

flooding will be eligible for assistance

from EDA, provided that:

—It is demonstrated that the levee

protects ‘‘critical public

infrastructure;’’

—A public sponsor is identified that can

demonstrate sufficient financial

capability to comply with the

requirements of this section;

—The levee rehabilitation program

otherwise meets the requirements

established by the Corps for design,

operation, and maintenance;

—It is demonstrated that the benefits

derived from repair or reconstruction

of the levee will exceed the repair

costs;

—The public sponsor agrees to include

its levee in the Corps’ program and

enters into a written agreement
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 122 / Monday, June 24, 1996 / Notices 32625

acknowledging that future Federal

assistance will be conditional upon

the public sponsor’s continued

participation in the program (future

Federal assistance means under the

Corps’ Public Law 84–99 Emergency

Levee Repair Program); and

—The proposed work consists primarily

and essentially of repairs to an

existing levee.

Proposal Submission Procedures

Proposals for assistance under this

disaster relief program shall be

submitted to EDA with a completed

Form ED–900, OMB Control No. 0610–

0094. Applicants must clearly

demonstrate how the EDA assistance

will help the area recover from the

economic hardship and other problems

caused by the floods, or other disasters,

and that such assistance has been

preceded by sound planning. Interested

parties should contact the appropriate

Economic Development Representative

for the area or the appropriate EDA

Regional Office for a proposal package.

Application Procedures

A determination of whether to invite

a grant application for EDA assistance

will be issued based upon the outcome

of the Agency’s review of the applicant’s

preliminary application/proposal.

Funding Instrument

Funds will be awarded as grants in

accordance with the requirements of

Title I, Title III, Title IV, and Title IX of

the Public Works and Economic

Development Act of 1965, as amended

(Pub. L. 89–136; 42 U.S.C. 3121 et. seq.)

(PWEDA). The appropriate title for grant

application and award will be

determined by EDA based on the nature

of the project and the eligibility of the

area.

Levee Project Selection Criteria

It is anticipated that the funds

announced herein for repairing levees

may not be sufficient to repair all the

levees for which requests are received.

EDA will use the following criteria to

select the levees to be repaired: (1) The

critical nature of the infrastructure

protected by the levee, (2)

environmental impact, (3) past

performance of the applicant regarding

operation and maintenance of the

existing levee, (4) the applicant’s ability

to ensure proper and efficient

administration of the levee

rehabilitation project and of satisfactory

operation and maintenance of the levee

in accordance with standards

established by the Corps, (5) the

feasibility of the project, cost and other

factors considered, (6) the potential the

project has for assisting in the postdisaster recovery of the area, and (7) the

extent to which the project will directly

or indirectly tend to improve

opportunities in the area for the

establishment or expansion of industrial

or commercial facilities or primarily

benefit members of low-income

families.

To establish the merits of project

proposals, interested parties should

contact the EDA office for the area (see

Appendix A) for a preapplication, ED–

900P, OMB Control No. 0610–0094.

Requests for assistance shall be

submitted directly to the EDA Regional

Office that serves the area (see

Appendix A). Before submitting a

preapplication to EDA for levee repairs,

interested applicants should contact the

appropriate Division or District Office of

the Corps of Engineers to determine

whether their levee would, after being

repaired, be eligible for inclusion in the

Corps’ Public Law 84–99 Emergency

Levee Repair Program. This

determination must be in writing and a

copy submitted with the applicant’s

preapplication request.

EDA, working in conjunction and

collaboration with the Corps, will

evaluate preapplications to determine

whether they can meet the criteria

established above before inviting formal

applications. After all requests have

been evaluated, EDA will notify the

Corps regarding the potential projects

for which a site inspection, Damage

Survey Report and Benefit/Cost

Analysis are required.

Following the review of the

preapplications, the Damage Survey

Reports and Benefit/Cost Analysis, EDA

will invite those entities whose projects

are selected for consideration to submit

full applications.

Other Information

Except as modified herein,

application procedures, competitive

selection criteria and post-approval

project implementation information for

the applicable assistance program are

described at 13 CFR Chapter III, 61 FR

7979, March 1, 1996, as corrected at 61

FR 15371, April 8, 1996, and its interimfinal rule at 60 FR 49670, September 26,

1995.

Dated: June 19, 1996.

Phillip A. Singerman,

Assistant Secretary for Economic

Development.

Appendix A—Affected EDA Regional Offices

and Economic Development Representatives

For further information contact the

appropriate EDA Regional Office or the

Economic Development Representative listed

below:

John E. Corrigan, Regional Director,

Philadelphia Regional Office, Curtis

Center, Independence Square West, Suite

140 South, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

19106, Telephone: (215) 597–4603, Internet

Address: JCorriga@doc.gov

Economic Development Representatives:

Patricia A. Flynn—Maryland, 2568–A Riva

Road, Suite 200, Annapolis, MD 21401,

Telephone: (410) 962–2513

Harold J. Marshall, II—New York, 620 Erie

Boulevard West, Suite 104, Syracuse, NY

13204, Telephone: (315) 448–0938

Anthony M. Pecone—Pennsylvania, 1993A

New Berwick Highway, Bloomsburg, PA

17815, Telephone: (717) 389–7560

Neal E. Noyes—Virginia, 700 Centre

Building, Room 230, 704 East Franklin

Street, Richmond, VA 23219, Telephone:

(804) 771–2061

Byron R. Davis—West Virginia, Rose City

Press Building, 550 Eagan Street, Room

305, Charleston, WV 25301, Telephone:

(304) 347–5252

William J. Day, Jr., Regional Director, Atlanta

Regional Office, 401 West Peachtree Street,

N.W., Suite 1820, Atlanta, GA 30308–3510,

Telephone: (404) 730–3002, Internet

Address: WDAY@doc.gov

Economic Development Representative:

Bobby D. Hunter—Kentucky, 771 Corporate

Drive, Suite 200, Lexington, KY 40503–

5477, Telephone: (606) 224–7426

John Woodward, Regional Director, Denver

Regional Office, 1244 Speer Boulevard,

Room 670, Denver, CO 80204, Telephone:

(303) 844–4714, Internet Address:

JWoodwa3@doc.gov

Economic Development Representative:

Warren A. Albertson—North Dakota, Federal

Building, Room 219, 225 South Pierre

Street, Pierre, SD 57501, Telephone: (605)

224–8280

A. Leonard Smith, Regional Director, Seattle

Regional Office, Jackson Federal Building,

Room 1856, 915 Second Avenue, Seattle,

Washington 98174, Telephone (206) 220–

7660, Internet Address: LSmith7@doc.gov

Economic Development Representatives:

Aldred F. Ames—Idaho, Borah Federal

Building, 304 North 8th Street, Room 44l,

Boise, ID 83702, Telephone: (208) 334–

1521

Anne S. Berblinger—Oregon, One World

Trade Center, 121 S.W. Salmon Street,

Suite 244, Portland, OR 97204, Telephone:

(503) 326–3078

Lloyd P. Kirry—Washington, Jackson Federal

Building, 915 Second Avenue, Room 1856,

Seattle, WA 98174, Telephone: (206) 220–

7682

[FR Doc. 96–16020 Filed 6–21–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–24–P