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<REGINFO_RIN_DATA xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" RUN_DATE="2026-06-10-04:00" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="https://www.reginfo.gov/public/xml/REGINFO_XML_Ver10262011.xsd">
    <RIN_INFO>
        <RIN>2050-AF04</RIN>
        <PUBLICATION>
            <PUBLICATION_ID>200310</PUBLICATION_ID>
            <PUBLICATION_TITLE>The Regulatory Plan and the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions</PUBLICATION_TITLE>
        </PUBLICATION>
        <AGENCY>
            <CODE>2050</CODE>
            <NAME>Solid Waste and Emergency Response</NAME>
            <ACRONYM>SWER</ACRONYM>
        </AGENCY>
        <PARENT_AGENCY>
            <CODE>2000</CODE>
            <NAME>Environmental Protection Agency</NAME>
            <ACRONYM>EPA</ACRONYM>
        </PARENT_AGENCY>
        <RULE_TITLE>Standards and Practices for Conducting &quot;All Appropriate Inquiry&quot;</RULE_TITLE>
        <ABSTRACT><![CDATA[The Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act (the Brownfields Law) amended a number of provisions in CERCLA including section 101(35)(B) and includes, among other things, new provisions regarding limitations on CERCLA liability for certain landowners. As part of these provisions, the Brownfields Law addresses the need for bona fide prospective purchasers, contiguous property owners, and innocent landowners to conduct "all appropriate inquiry" into prior ownership and use of the property at the time the party acquires the property. 

In the Brownfields Law, Congress directed EPA to promulgate regulations establishing standards and practices for conducting "all appropriate inquiry." Section 101 (35)(B)(iii) of the law includes criteria that EPA is required to address in setting these standards and practices. This regulation will establish the Federal standards for conducting "all appropriate inquiry," pursuant to the Act. Recipients of Brownfields Assessment Grants will be regulated by the final action.  Purchasers of contaminated properties who wish to assert certain limitations on CERCLA liability may choose to follow the promulgated procedures and standards. 

EPA is developing the Federal standard for all appropriate inquiry under a negotiated rulemaking process. EPA established a FACA committee charged with negotiating a Federal standard in accordance with the statutory criteria.]]></ABSTRACT>
        <PRIORITY_CATEGORY>Other Significant</PRIORITY_CATEGORY>
        <RIN_STATUS>Previously Published in The Unified Agenda</RIN_STATUS>
        <RULE_STAGE>Proposed Rule Stage</RULE_STAGE>
        <MAJOR>No</MAJOR>
        <UNFUNDED_MANDATE_LIST>
            <UNFUNDED_MANDATE>No</UNFUNDED_MANDATE>
        </UNFUNDED_MANDATE_LIST>
        <CFR_LIST>
            <CFR>40 CFR  312</CFR>
        </CFR_LIST>
        <LEGAL_AUTHORITY_LIST>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>42 USC 9601 et seq</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
        </LEGAL_AUTHORITY_LIST>
        <LEGAL_DLINE_LIST>
            <LEGAL_DLINE_INFO>
                <DLINE_TYPE>Statutory</DLINE_TYPE>
                <DLINE_ACTION_STAGE>Final</DLINE_ACTION_STAGE>
                <DLINE_DATE>01/11/2004</DLINE_DATE>
                <DLINE_DESC>Small Business Liability Protection Act section 223, CERCLA 101(35)(B)(2)(ii)</DLINE_DESC>
            </LEGAL_DLINE_INFO>
        </LEGAL_DLINE_LIST>
        <RPLAN_ENTRY>Yes</RPLAN_ENTRY>
        <RPLAN_INFO>
            <STMT_OF_NEED><![CDATA[The need for this action is the congressional mandate in the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. Section 101(35)(B)(ii) of the law, Congress directs the EPA Administrator to establish (by regulation) standards and practices for the purpose of satisfying the requirement to carry out all appropriate inquiries. Congressional intent or "need" is that purchasers of potentially contaminated property must conduct an inquiry or investigation into the environmental conditions of a property prior to purchasing the property to ensure an understanding of the extent of prior and ongoing environment conditions to establish liability.]]></STMT_OF_NEED>
            <LEGAL_BASIS><![CDATA[In Section 101(35)(B)(ii) of the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act Congress directs the EPA Administrator to establish (by regulation) standards and practices for the purpose of satisfying the requirement to carry out all appropriate inquiries.]]></LEGAL_BASIS>
            <ALTERNATIVES><![CDATA[EPA may consider alternative standards for specific portions of the regulatory requirements, if viable and suitable alternatives are identified by the FACA committee chartered to negotiate the rulemakings. No such alternatives have been identified to date.]]></ALTERNATIVES>
            <COSTS_AND_BENEFITS><![CDATA[Costs associated with the new Federal standard may include incremental costs, associated with using the new Federal standard, that are over and above the costs associated with the privately developed standards currently employed in conducting all appropriate inquiry for the purposes of real estate transaction. This rulemaking will not impose new mandatory requirements on any entities, other than recipients of Federal brownfields grants provided for the purpose of assessing or characterizing brownfields sites. Other than these grant recipients, the standards will be applicable to purchasers of contaminated properties who wish to assert certain limitations on CERCLA liability. The benefits of the regulation may include providing purchasers of contaminated property with clarity regarding the procedures and standards for the conduct of "all appropriate inquiry" required to assert certain limitations on CERCLA liability.]]></COSTS_AND_BENEFITS>
            <RISKS><![CDATA[This regulatory action will not directly address risks to human health or the environment.]]></RISKS>
        </RPLAN_INFO>
        <TIMETABLE_LIST>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>NPRM</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>05/00/2004</TTBL_DATE>
            </TIMETABLE>
        </TIMETABLE_LIST>
        <ADDITIONAL_INFO>SAN 4739. State, local and Tribal governments affected if they are grant recipients.</ADDITIONAL_INFO>
        <RFA_REQUIRED>No</RFA_REQUIRED>
        <GOVT_LEVEL_LIST>
            <GOVT_LEVEL>Federal</GOVT_LEVEL>
            <GOVT_LEVEL>Local</GOVT_LEVEL>
            <GOVT_LEVEL>State</GOVT_LEVEL>
            <GOVT_LEVEL>Tribal</GOVT_LEVEL>
        </GOVT_LEVEL_LIST>
        <FEDERALISM>No</FEDERALISM>
        <ENERGY_AFFECTED>No</ENERGY_AFFECTED>
        <PRINT_PAPER>NA</PRINT_PAPER>
        <INTERNATIONAL_INTEREST>Not Collected</INTERNATIONAL_INTEREST>
        <AGENCY_CONTACT_LIST>
            <CONTACT>
                <FIRST_NAME>Patricia</FIRST_NAME>
                <LAST_NAME>Overmeyer</LAST_NAME>
                <AGENCY>
                    <CODE>2050</CODE>
                    <NAME>Office of Land and Emergency Management</NAME>
                    <ACRONYM>OLEM</ACRONYM>
                </AGENCY>
                <PHONE>202 566-2774</PHONE>
                <FAX>202 566-1476</FAX>
                <EMAIL>overmeyer.patricia@epa.gov</EMAIL>
                <MAILING_ADDRESS>
                    <STREET_ADDRESS>1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Mail Code 5105T,</STREET_ADDRESS>
                    <CITY>Washington</CITY>
                    <STATE>DC</STATE>
                    <ZIP>20460</ZIP>
                </MAILING_ADDRESS>
            </CONTACT>
            <CONTACT>
                <FIRST_NAME>Helen</FIRST_NAME>
                <LAST_NAME>Keplinger</LAST_NAME>
                <AGENCY>
                    <CODE>2050</CODE>
                    <NAME>Office of Land and Emergency Management</NAME>
                    <ACRONYM>OLEM</ACRONYM>
                </AGENCY>
                <PHONE>202 564-4221</PHONE>
                <FAX>202 229-3954</FAX>
                <EMAIL>Keplinger.Helen@epamail.epa.gov</EMAIL>
                <MAILING_ADDRESS>
                    <STREET_ADDRESS>2272A,</STREET_ADDRESS>
                    <CITY>Washington</CITY>
                    <STATE>DC</STATE>
                    <ZIP>20460</ZIP>
                </MAILING_ADDRESS>
            </CONTACT>
        </AGENCY_CONTACT_LIST>
    </RIN_INFO>
</REGINFO_RIN_DATA>
