13 C.F.R. PART 316—GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Title 13 - Business Credit and Assistance
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 3211, 42 U.S.C. 5141; 19 U.S.C. 2341, et seq., Department of Commerce Organization Order 10–4.
Source: 64 FR 5482, Feb. 3, 1999, unless otherwise noted.
(a) The purpose of this section is to ensure proper environmental review of EDA's actions under PWEDA and the Trade Act and to comply with the Federal environmental statutes and regulations in making a determination that balances economic development and environmental enhancement and mitigates adverse environmental impacts to the extent possible. (b) Environmental assessments of EDA actions will be conducted in accordance with the statutes, regulations, and Executive Orders listed below. This list will be supplemented and modified, as applicable, in EDA's annual FY NOFA. (1) Requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), Pub. L. 91–190, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. as implemented under 40 CFR parts 1500 et seq. including the following: (i) The implementing regulations of 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); and (ii) Depending on the project location, environmental information concerning specific projects can be obtained from the Environmental Officer in the appropriate Washington, D.C. or regional office listed in the NOFA; (2) Clean Air Act, Pub. L. 88–206 as amended, 42 U.S.C. 7401 et. seq.; (3) Clean Water Act (Federal Water Pollution Control Act), c. 758, 62 Stat. 1152 as amended, 33 U.S.C. 1251 et. seq.; (4) Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), Pub. L. 96–510, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 9601 et. seq. and the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA), Pub. L. 99–499, as amended; (5) Floodplain Management Executive Order 11988 (May 24, 1977); (6) Protection of Wetlands Executive Order 11990 (May 24, 1977); (7) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, Pub.L. 94–580 as amended, 42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.; (8) Historical and Archeological Data Preservation Act, Pub. L. 86–523, as amended, 16 U.S.C. §469a–1 et. seq.; (9) National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, Pub. L. 89–665, as amended, 16 U.S.C. §470 et. seq.; (10) Endangered Species Act of 1973, Pub. L. 93–205, as amended, 16 U.S.C. §1531 et. seq.; (11) Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, Pub. L. 92–583, as amended, 16 U.S.C. §1451 et. seq.; (12) Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973, Pub. L. 93–234, as amended, 42 U.S.C. §4002 et seq.; (13) Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, Pub. L. 92–523, as amended, 42 U.S.C. §300f-j26; (14) Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, Pub. L. 90–542, as amended, 16 U.S.C. §1271 et seq.; (15) Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations Executive Order 12898 (February 11, 1994); (16) Farmland Protection Policy Act, Pub. L. 97–98, as amended, 7 U.S.C. §4201 et seq.; and (17) Other Federal Environmental Statutes and Executive Orders as applicable. (a) Definitions. For purposes of this section only the following definitions apply: Beneficiary means a firm or group of firms, a public or private enterprise or organization that provides a commercial product or service and that directly benefits from an EDA-assisted project. Capacity means the maximum amount of a product or service that can be supplied to the market area over a sustained period by existing enterprises through the use of present facilities and customary work schedules for the industry. Commercial product or service means a product or service sold on the open market in competition with another provider's product or service of the same kind. Demand means the actual quantity of a commercial product or service that users are willing to purchase in the market area served by the intended beneficiary of the EDA assisted project. Efficient capacity means that part of capacity derived from the use of contemporary structures, machinery and equipment, designs, and technologies. Existing competitive enterprise means an established operation which either produces or delivers the same kind of commercial product or service to all or a substantial part of the market area served by the intended beneficiary of the EDA assisted project. Firm means any enterprise which produces or sells a commercial product or service. Market Area means the geographic area within which commercial products or services compete for purchase by customers. Product or service means a good, material, or commodity, or the availability of a service or facility. Section 208 means section 208 of PWEDA. (1) A section 208 study is a detailed economic analysis/evaluation of competitive impact. (2) A section 208 report is a summary of supply/demand factors. (3) A section 208 exemption may apply to a project having one or more of the characteristics listed in paragraph (e) of this section. (b) Under section 208: (1) No financial assistance under PWEDA shall be extended to any project when the result would be to increase the production of products or services when there is not sufficient demand for such products or services, to employ the efficient capacity of existing competitive commercial or industrial enterprises; and (2) When EDA considers extending assistance for a project that benefits a firm or industry that provides a commercial product or service, the beneficiary is subject to a 208 report, study, or exemption, resulting in a finding that the project will or will not violate section 208. A section 208 study or report is required, except as provided in paragraph (e) of this section. (c) The following procedures shall be followed to the extent necessary to provide EDA with sufficient information to prepare a 208 study or report: (1) The beneficiary shall submit, as early as possible, the following information with regard to each commercial product or service affected by the project: (i) A detailed description of the commercial product or service; (ii) Current and projected amount and value of annual sales or receipts; (iii) Market area; and (iv) Name of other suppliers and amount of commercial product or service presently available in the market area. (2) If the beneficiary has conducted or commissioned a relevant market study, it shall be made available to EDA as early as possible, for possible use by EDA in the 208 study or report. (d) A section 208 report will form an acceptable basis on which to make a section 208 compliance finding when the beneficiary's projected new or additional annual output is less than one percent of the last recorded annual output in the market area, or when it is otherwise apparent that a 208 study is not required to determine that the project will not violate section 208. (e) Unless EDA determines that circumstances require a section 208 study or report, EDA will make a finding of compliance with section 208 without doing a section 208 report or study for those projects with known beneficiaries, and which have one or more of the following characteristics: (1) The project is primarily for the use and benefit of the community as a whole without significantly expanding the output of commercial products or services; (2) The project is primarily to be used for non-production or non-distribution purposes; (3) The project will replace or restore capacity recently destroyed by flood, fire, wind, or other natural disaster, without contributing to significant expansion of the previously existing supply of the same kinds of commercial products or services; (4) The project will assure the retention of physical capacity and/or employment without significantly expanding the existing supply of the same kinds of commercial products or services; (5) The project will assure the reopening of facilities closed within two years of the date of reopening, if the facility will provide the same kinds of products or services as previously provided, without a significant increase in output; (6) The project will replace, rebuild or modernize, within the same commuting area, facilities which within the previous two years have been, or are to be, displaced by official governmental action, without a change in the kind or significant increase in output of the commercial product or service previously provided; (7) The project assures completion of a project previously assisted by EDA, where further funding is required because of revised project cost estimates, rather than for additional productive capacity; (8) The project is wholly or primarily for planning, technical assistance, research, evaluation, other studies, or for the training of workers, and not for the direct benefit of a firm or an industry that produces a commercial product or service; or (9) No firm benefitted by the project will use 50 percent or more of any EDA-financed service or facility. [64 FR 5482, Feb. 3, 1999, as amended at 64 FR 69879, Dec. 14, 1999] (a) General requirements for nonrelocation for funding under PWEDA are as follows: (1) EDA financial assistance will not be used to assist employers who transfer jobs from one commuting area to another. A commuting area (“area”) is that area defined by the distance people travel to work in the locality of the project receiving EDA financial assistance; (2) Every applicant for EDA financial assistance has an affirmative duty to inform EDA of any employer who will benefit from such assistance who will transfer jobs (not persons) in connection with the EDA grant; (3) EDA will determine compliance with this requirement prior to grant award based upon information provided by the applicant during the project selection process; and (4) Each applicant and identified primary beneficiary of EDA assistance, which for purposes of this section means an entity providing economic justification for the project, must submit its certification of compliance with this section, and other applicable information as determined by EDA. (b) The nonrelocation requirements stated in paragraph (a) of this section shall not apply to businesses which: (1) Relocated to the area prior to the date of the applicant's request for EDA assistance; (2) Have moved or will move into the area primarily for reasons which have no connection to the EDA assistance; (3) Will expand employment in the area where the project is to be located substantially beyond employment in the area in which the business had originally been located; (4) Are relocating from technologically obsolete facilities to be competitive; (5) Are expanding into the new area by adding a branch, affiliate, or subsidiary while maintaining employment levels in the old area or areas; or (6) Are determined by EDA to be exempt. When non-statutory EDA administrative or procedural conditions for financial assistance awards cannot be met by applicants under PWEDA as the result of a disaster, EDA may waive such conditions. EDA will provide project servicing to borrowers and lenders who received EDA loans and/or guaranteed loans under any programs administered by EDA. This includes but is not limited to loans under PWEDA prior to the effective date of Public Law 105–393, the Trade Act and the Community Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1977. (a) EDA will continue to monitor such loans and guarantees in accordance with the loan or guarantee program. (b) Borrowers/lenders shall submit to EDA any requests for modifications of their agreements with EDA. EDA shall, in accordance with applicable laws and policies, including the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990 (2 U.S.C. 661c(e)), consider and respond to such modification requests. (c) In the event that EDA determines it necessary or desirable to take actions to protect or further the interests of EDA in connection with loans or guarantees made or evidences of indebtedness purchased, EDA may: (1) Assign or sell at public or private sale, or otherwise dispose of for cash or credit, in its discretion and upon such terms and conditions as it shall determine to be reasonable, any evidence of debt, contract, claim, personal or real property, or security assigned to or held by it in connection with financial assistance extended; (2) Collect or compromise all obligations assigned to or held by it in connection with EDA financial assistance projects until such time as such obligations may be referred to the Attorney General for suit or collection; and (3) Take any and all other actions determined by it to be necessary or desirable in purchasing, servicing, compromising, modifying, liquidating, or otherwise administratively dealing with or realizing on loans or guaranties made or evidences of indebtedness purchased. The rules and procedures regarding public access to the records of the Economic Development Administration are found at 15 CFR part 4. Recipients of EDA financial assistance under PWEDA and the Trade Act (States and political subdivisions of States and non-profits as applicable) are subject to requirements set forth at 15 CFR part 11. Recipients, as defined under §314.2 of this chapter, are subject to all Federal laws and to Federal, Department of Commerce, and EDA policies, regulations, and procedures applicable to Federal financial assistance awards, including 15 CFR part 24, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments, or 15 CFR part 14, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements With Institutions of Higher Education, Other Non-Profit and Commercial Organizations, whichever is applicable. (a) Requests by recipients for amendments to a grant shall be submitted in writing to EDA for approval, and shall contain such information and documentation necessary to justify the request. (b) Any changes made without approval by EDA are made at grantee's own risk of suspension or termination of the project. (c) Changes of project scope after the time the project grant funds could be obligated will not be approved by EDA. Projects funded with no year funds are not subject to the change of scope rule. [64 FR 5482, Feb. 3, 1999, as amended at 65 FR 71026, Nov. 28, 2000] Project activities carried out before approval of an application by EDA are carried out at the sole risk of the applicant. Such activity could result in rejection of such project application, the disallowance of costs, or other adverse consequences as a result of non-compliance with Federal requirements, including, but not limited to, civil rights requirements, Federal labor standards, or Federal environmental, historic preservation or related requirements. (a) When the applicant is not a State, Indian tribe or other general-purpose governmental authority, the applicant must afford the appropriate general purpose local governmental authority of the area a minimum of 15 days in which to review and comment on a proposed project under EDA's public works and economic adjustment programs. Under these programs, applicants shall furnish the following with their application: if no comments were received, a statement of the efforts made to obtain such comments; or, if comments were received, a copy of the comments and a statement of any actions taken to address such comments. (b) Applicants as appropriate, must also give State and local governments a reasonable opportunity to review and comment on the proposed project if the State has a Single Point of Contact review process, including comments from areawide planning organizations in metropolitan areas as provided for in 15 CFR part 13. [64 FR 5482, Feb. 3, 1999, as amended at 64 FR 69879, Dec. 14, 1999] Grant funds must not be used directly or indirectly to pay for attorney's or consultant's fees in connection with obtaining grants and contracts for projects funded under PWEDA. EDA will provide assistance and information as follows: (a) Maintain a central information clearinghouse on matters relating to economic development, economic adjustment, disaster recovery, defense conversion, and trade adjustment programs and activities of the Federal and State governments, including political subdivisions of States; (b) Assist potential and actual applicants for economic development, economic adjustment, disaster recovery, defense conversion, and trade adjustment assistance under Federal, State, and local laws in locating and applying for the assistance; and (c) Assist areas described in §301.2(b) and other areas by providing to interested persons, communities, industries, and businesses in the areas any technical information, market research, or other forms of assistance, information, or advice that would be useful in alleviating or preventing conditions of excessive unemployment or underemployment in the areas. EDA shall approve Federal assistance under PWEDA only if satisfied that the project for which Federal assistance is granted will be properly and efficiently administered, operated, and maintained. In accordance with sec. 602 of PWEDA all laborers and mechanics employed by contractors or subcontractors on public projects assisted by EDA under PWEDA shall be paid in accordance with the Davis-Bacon Act, as amended (40 U.S.C. 276a–276a–5). (a) Each recipient of Federal assistance under PWEDA shall keep such records as the Secretary shall require, including records that fully disclose— (1) The amount and the disposition by the recipient of the proceeds of the assistance; (2) The total cost of the project in connection with which the assistance is given or used; (3) The amount and nature of the portion of the cost of the project provided by other sources; and (4) Such other records as will facilitate an effective audit. (b) Access to books for examination and audit—The Secretary, the Inspector General of the Department, and the Comptroller General of the United States, or any duly authorized representative, shall have access for the purpose of audit and examination to any books, documents, papers, and records of the recipient that relate to assistance received under PWEDA. EDA will accept an applicant's certifications, accompanied by evidence satisfactory to EDA, that the applicant meets the requirements of PWEDA. Each applicant must include in such evidence satisfactory information that any non-Federal funds (or eligible Federal funds) required to match the EDA share of project costs are committed to the project and will be available as needed. (a) In general, each recipient of assistance under PWEDA must submit reports to EDA at such intervals and in such manner as EDA shall require, except that no report shall be required to be submitted more than 10 years after the date of closeout of the assistance award. (b) Each report must contain an evaluation of the effectiveness of the economic assistance provided in meeting the need that the assistance was designed to address and in meeting the objectives of PWEDA When an Economic Development District is not a recipient or co-recipient of an award for a project involving construction, the District organization may administer the project for such recipient if the following conditions are met, as determined by EDA: (a) The recipient has requested (either in the application or by separate written request) that the district organization for the area in which the project is located perform the project administration; (b) The recipient certifies and EDA finds that: (1) Administration of the project is beyond the capacity of the recipient's current staff to perform and would require hiring additional staff or contracting for such services, (2) No local organization/business exists that would be able to administer the project in a more efficient or cost-effective manner than the staff of the district, and (3) The staff of the district would administer the project themselves, without subcontracting the work out; (c) EDA approves the request either by approving the application in which the request is made, or by separate specific written approval; and (d) The allowable costs for the administration of the project by the district organization staff will not exceed the customary and reasonable amount that would be allowable if the district were the recipient.
Title 13: Business Credit and Assistance
PART 316—GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Section Contents
§ 316.1 Environment.
§ 316.2 Excess capacity.
§ 316.3 Nonrelocation.
§ 316.4 Procedures in disaster areas.
§ 316.5 Project servicing for loans and loan guarantees.
§ 316.6 Public information.
§ 316.7 Relocation assistance and land acquisition policies.
§ 316.8 Additional requirements; Federal policies and procedures.
§ 316.9 Amendments and changes.
§ 316.10 Preapproval award costs.
§ 316.11 Intergovernmental review of projects.
§ 316.12 Fees for paying attorneys and consultants.
§ 316.13 Economic development information clearinghouse.
§ 316.14 Project administration, operation, and maintenance.
§ 316.15 Maintenance of standards.
§ 316.16 Records and audits.
§ 316.17 Acceptance of certifications by applicants.
§ 316.18 Reports by recipients.
§ 316.19 Project administration by District organization.
§ 316.1 Environment.
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§ 316.2 Excess capacity.
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§ 316.3 Nonrelocation.
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§ 316.4 Procedures in disaster areas.
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§ 316.5 Project servicing for loans and loan guarantees.
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§ 316.6 Public information.
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§ 316.7 Relocation assistance and land acquisition policies.
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§ 316.8 Additional requirements; Federal policies and procedures.
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§ 316.9 Amendments and changes.
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§ 316.10 Preapproval award costs.
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§ 316.11 Intergovernmental review of projects.
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§ 316.12 Fees for paying attorneys and consultants.
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§ 316.13 Economic development information clearinghouse.
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§ 316.14 Project administration, operation, and maintenance.
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§ 316.15 Maintenance of standards.
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§ 316.16 Records and audits.
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§ 316.17 Acceptance of certifications by applicants.
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§ 316.18 Reports by recipients.
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§ 316.19 Project administration by District organization.
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