CHIPS Environmental Questionnaire Information Collection

Forms and Documents

Forms and supporting documents for this ICR

Document	Type	Status	Availability
Emergency FRN Environmental Questionnaire.pdf	Supplementary Document	Uploaded 2023-03-03	Repair queued
CHIPS Environmental Supporting Statement.docx	Supporting Statement A	Uploaded 2023-03-03	Repair queued

IC Document Collections

Information collection document groups

IC ID	Collection	Type	Status	Form
258870	CHIPS Environmental Questionnaire Information Collection	Other-Information Collection	New

ICR Details

OMB Control No: 0693-0093	ICR Reference No: 202303-0693-001
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No:
Agency/Subagency: DOC/NIST	Agency Tracking No: ER
Title: CHIPS Environmental Questionnaire Information Collection
Type of Information Collection: New collection (Request for a new OMB Control Number)	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Emergency	Approval Requested By: 03/20/2023
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved with change	Conclusion Date: 03/24/2023
Retrieve Notice of Action (NOA)	Date Received in OIRA: 03/03/2023
Terms of Clearance: This information collection is approved for 6 months based on the revised materials provided by the Department. Should the Department want to use the collection for more than 6 months, the Department must publish a 60 and 30 day notice.

table that charts list comparision

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	09/30/2023	6 Months From Approved
Responses	200	0	0
Time Burden (Hours)	1,600	0	0
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

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Abstract: In order to provide funding, CHIPS Incentives seeks applications for funding for projects for the construction, expansion, or modernization of commercial facilities for the front- and back-end fabrication of leading-edge, current-generation and mature-node semiconductors. Application forms will be available at https://applications.chips.gov/. Applications must be submitted electronically at https://applications.chips.gov/. The Environmental Questionnaire is required as part of the optional pre-application and the full application. The purpose of the Environmental Questionnaire is to ensure that the Department is aware, in broad terms, of relevant environmental considerations, and can work with the potential applicant to ensure that the applicant can provide all required environmental information during the full application and due diligence stages when applying for funding. Each applicant must provide the requested information on the Environmental Questionnaire using the template which will be made available on the CHIPS Incentives Program application portal.

Emergency Justfication: The CHIPS Program must fund a variety of projects to achieve its economic resilience and national security objectives. Projects will vary in technology, scale, cost, location, risk, and other factors. Over the last six months the Department has been work diligently to under the determine the best way to incentivize manufacturing through a series of requests for information. Input from these activities has helped design a program that will provide financial assistance awards to incentivize investment in facilities and equipment in the United States for semiconductor fabrication, assembly, testing, advanced packaging, and research and development, thereby increasing U.S. economic and national security by supporting a sustainable, competitive domestic semiconductor industry. Because both Congress and the Administration have identified the current low U.S. production of semiconductor chips as a matter of national security and defense, the Secretary of Commerce is implementing this program on an expedited timeline to meet the identified U.S. economic and national security needs. The Department is requesting emergency approval of the CHIPS Environmental Questionnaire by March 20, 2023. The Environmental Questionnaire is required as part of the optional pre-application and the full application. The purpose of the Environmental Questionnaire is to ensure that the Department is aware, in broad terms, of relevant environmental considerations, and can work with the potential applicant to ensure that the applicant can provide all required environmental information during the full application and due diligence stages when applying for funding. This collection is crucial for internal planning purposes as Commerce begins roll out. A Federal Register notice was published on March 3, 2023 for a public comment period which will end on March 17th. Commerce understands OMB clearance would be for 6 months only and would publish a 60 day notice very quickly after OMB approves the emergency collection.

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Authorizing Statute(s): None

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

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Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

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Federal Register Notices & Comments
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	88 FR 13436	03/03/2023
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

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Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 1

table that charts list of burden

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
CHIPS Environmental Questionnaire Information Collection

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ICR Summary of Burden

table that charts list of burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to New Statute	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate	Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses	200	0	0	200	0	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	1,600	0	0	1,600	0	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0	0	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Increase Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: This is a new information collection.

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $232,671

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see OMB Circular No. A-130 for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     Yes

Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see 5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3))? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? No

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Common Form ICR:  No

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On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).

The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:

(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;

(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;

(c) It reduces burden on small entities;

(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;

(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;

(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;

(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:

(i) Why the information is being collected;

(ii) Use of information;

(iii) Burden estimate;

(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);

(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and

(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;

(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.

(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and

(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.

If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.

Certification Date: 03/03/2023

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