§ 634.14 Review and approval of project applications.

(a) In reviewing applications and recommending priorities, the NRCWCC will consider the following: (1) Severity of the water quality problem caused by agricultural and silvicultural related pollutants, including: (i) State designated uses of the water affected, (ii) Kinds, sources, and effects of pollutants, and (iii) Miles of stream or acres of water bodies affected, (2) Demonstration of public benefits from the project, including: (i) Effects on human health, (ii) Population benefited by improved water quality, (iii) Effects on the natural environment, and (iv) Additional beneficial uses of the waters that result from improvement of the water quality, (3) Economic, and technical feasibility to control water quality problems within the life of the project, including: (i) Cost effectiveness of BMP's, (ii) Size of the area and BMP's needed, and (iii) Cost per participant and cost per acre for solution of problem, (4) State and local input in the project area, including: (i) Funds for cost-sharing, technical, and administrative costs. States or local governments with their own cost-share programs may receive greater consideration for the funding of RCWP projects, (ii) Commitment of local leadership to promote the program, and (5) The project area's contribution to meeting the national water quality goals. (b) Based on the project applications, the NRCWCC is to recommend an upper limit of the Federal contribution to the total cost of the project. (c) All project applications will be reviewed by EPA. Project applications approval for funding require written EPA concurrence, except that the Administrator, NRCS, may assume EPA's concurrence if EPA does not act within 45 days following receipt of the project application. EPA review of project applications will occur concurrently with review by the NRCWCC. (d) The Administrator, NRCS, will approve projects for funding. The NRCWCC acting through the Chairman will announce the approval of the project. The State Conservationist, NRCS, through the SRCWCC, will also inform the other involved Federal, State, and local agencies of the approval.