[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 197 (Friday, October 10, 1997)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 52952]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-27000]
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FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
44 CFR Part 206
Disaster Assistance; Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
ACTION: Notice of waiver.
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SUMMARY: This notice states FEMA's intent to streamline the Hazard
Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) process by allowing States to use a
one-time effort to apply statewide eligibility criteria to the HMGP for
all disasters declared before April 7, 1997.
DATES: October 10, 1997.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert F. Shea, Mitigation
Directorate, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C Street SW.,
Washington, DC 20472, (202) 646-3619, (facsimile) (202) 646-3104.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the past, Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
(HMGP) funds were only available in counties designated as eligible by
FEMA for Individual Assistance (IA) or Public Assistance (PA). Under
the Stafford Act both IA and PA funds address damage or hardship
resulting from the major disaster, but HMGP funds are intended to
reduce the risk of future damage or hardship. As a result, FEMA has
determined that the use of HMGP funds should not be limited only to
counties designated as eligible for IA or PA funds. In an effort to
streamline the HMGP, FEMA will automatically designate all counties
within the declared State as eligible to receive HMGP funds for all
disasters declared on or after April 7, 1997.
In addition, FEMA has determined that States declared before this
time should be permitted to take advantage of this policy. In order to
ensure consistency in the availability of HMGP funds among all States
with open disasters, FEMA is temporarily waiving its regulatory
requirement at 44 CFR 206.40(d) that requires a State to request
additional areas for designation within 30 days of the incident or
declaration. Therefore, this notice makes public that States have until
November 10, 1997, to submit to their FEMA Regional Office the open
disasters for which they are requesting the designation of additional
counties. For every disaster for which a State is amending the
designated areas, States will have until February 9, 1998, or 18 months
after the date of the disaster declaration, whichever is later, to
submit HMGP project applications to the Regional Office.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 83.516, Disaster
Assistance)
Dated: October 2, 1997.
James L. Witt,
Director.
[FR Doc. 97-27000 Filed 10-9-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6718-02-P
