USDA seeks to revise, extend information collection on BIP grants

USDA’s Farm Service Agency has opened a public comment period on the revision and extension of a currently approved information collection associated with FSA Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership Grants to states.

A notice published in the Federal Register indicates the information collection was originally needed for FSA to identify eligible states for a one-time opportunity for blender pump funding, with the goal of encouraging increased ethanol use.

FSA required each state interested in a grant to submit an application to RFA. States awarded with funds under the program were then required to report on the funding distribution, which has required third-party reporting depending on how the states distributed the BIP funds.

USDA said information BIP is now collecting is needed to monitor BIP grantee implementation and performance of the participating third-party fueling stations.

The action is expected to impact only 19 BIP state government grantees, with reporting expected to take less than 20 minutes per respondent. Annual reporting will continue through 2022.

Public comments can be submitted through Dec. 11. Additional information is available on the Federal Register website.