Economic Development Assistance Programs Under the Dire Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act; Availability of Funds: Southern California Earthquake; Notice DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

SUMMARY: The Economic Development Administration (EDA) announces the

policies and the application procedures for economic adjustment

assistance as authorized by Public Law 103-211. These funds are

designed to support the emergency requirements of economic adjustment

assistance for local communities arising from the consequences of the

January 17, 1994, earthquake in Southern California.

DATES: This notice is effective November 7, 1994. Funds shall remain

available until expended.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties should contact the EDA Disaster Field

Office for a proposal package. The EDA Disaster Field Office is located

at 150 East Colorado Boulevard, Suite 101, Pasadena, California 91105-

6831; telephone (818) 583-6831; and Fax (818) 583-6832.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Potential applicants should contact the EDA Disaster Field Office at

the address noted above, or the Director, Economic Adjustment Division,

Economic Development Administration, Room 7327, U.S. Department of

Commerce, Washington, DC 20230; telephone (202) 482-2659.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Buy American-Made Equipment or Products

Applicants are hereby notified that they are encouraged, to the

extent feasible, to purchase American-made equipment and products with

funding provided under this program in accordance with Congressional

intent as set forth in the resolution contained in Public Law 103-121,

Sections 606 (a) and (b).

Refer to the Notice published on March 30, 1994, in the Federal

Register (59 FR 14996) for information on EDA's general policies and

other requirements.

Authority

Support for this program is authorized under the contingency fund

provided to the President under Public Law 103-211, the Emergency

Supplemental Appropriations Act of 1994.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)

The Special Economic Development and Adjustment Assistance

Program--Long-Term Economic Deterioration (LTED) and Sudden and Severe

Economic Dislocation (SSED) is listed under CFDA 11.307.

Program Objectives

Funds will be used for the creation of a local Infrastructure

Development Fund that will make funds available to repair or upgrade

local infrastructure damaged by the earthquake which is not eligible

for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance. The

Infrastructure Development Fund will be capitalized by EDA and will be

administered by the City of Los Angeles and other local jurisdictions.

These funds will be used to leverage existing financing through

matching grants, loans, and subordinated debt. Local communities will

identify the infrastructure projects to receive assistance. Eligible

projects would include earthquake damaged non-public infrastructure

ineligible for FEMA assistance, such as a privately-owned water system,

and repair projects in which it makes economic sense to upgrade the

infrastructure beyond pre-earthquake specifications.

Additional program objectives are described in the Federal Register

of March 30, 1994 (59 FR 15005) announcing the policies and application

procedures for EDA's Fiscal Year 1994 programs.

Funding Availability

Funds in the amount of $50 million are available for this disaster

recovery program and shall remain available until expended.

Funding Instrument

Funds will be awarded through grants under the Sudden and Severe

Economic Dislocation (SSED) program under 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).

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants include the city, town, or subdivision of the

State of California, or a consortium of such political subdivisions.

Application Procedures

Application procedures, competitive selection criteria grant rates

and post-approval project implementation information for the SSED

program are applicable to the award of disaster adjustment assistance

and are described in the Federal Register of March 30, 1994 (59 FR

15005), that announces EDA's FY 1994 Notice of Availability of Funds,

or such subsequent annual Notices of the Availability of Funds. EDA

will respond with direct technical support of the recovery by assisting

local and state officials with the assessment of the economic injury

caused by the disaster and the development of an economic recovery

plan.

Implementation projects must be consistent with and preferably and

outgrowth of the recovery plan.

Evaluation Criteria

As described in EDA's Federal Register Notice of Availability of

Funds for FY 1994, proposals will be evaluated by EDA based upon

conformance with statutory and regulatory requirements, the economic

adjustment needs of the area, leveraging of program funds, the merits

of the proposed project in addressing those needs and the potential

applicants' ability to manage the grant effectively. In the case of a

Presidentially declared natural disaster, the customary area

eligibility job loss threshold criteria is waived.

Proposal Submission Procedures

Proposals for economic adjustment assistance authorized under

Public Law 103-211, will be submitted to EDA's Pasadena Field Office,

as noted in the Addresses section of this Notice.

Dated: October 13, 1994.

William W. Ginsberg,

Assistant Secretary for Economic Development.

[FR Doc. 94-27550 Filed 11-4-94; 8:45 am]

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