[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 40, Volume 1]
[Revised as of July 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 40CFR30.53]

[Page 370-371]
 
                   TITLE 40--PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT
 
               CHAPTER I--ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
 
PART 30_UNIFORM ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANTS AND AGREEMENTS 
WITH INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, HOSPITALS, AND OTHER NON-PROFIT 
 
                    Subpart C_Post-Award Requirements
 
Sec. 30.53  Retention and access requirements for records.

    (a) This section sets forth requirements for record retention and 
access to records for awards to recipients. EPA shall not impose any 
other record retention or access requirements upon recipients.
    (b) Financial records, supporting documents, statistical records, 
and all other records pertinent to an award shall be retained for a 
period of three years from the date of submission of the final 
expenditure report or, for awards that are renewed quarterly or 
annually, from the date of the submission of the quarterly or annual 
financial report, as authorized by EPA. The only exceptions are the 
following.
    (1) If any litigation, claim, or audit is started before the 
expiration of the 3-year period, the records shall be retained until all 
litigation, claims or audit findings involving the records have been 
resolved and final action taken.
    (2) Records for real property and equipment acquired with Federal 
funds shall be retained for 3 years after final disposition.
    (3) When records are transferred to or maintained by EPA, the 3-year 
retention requirement is not applicable to the recipient.
    (4) Indirect cost rate proposals, cost allocations plans, etc. as 
specified in paragraph (g) of this section.
    (c) Copies of original records may be substituted for the original 
records if authorized by EPA.
    (d) EPA shall request transfer of certain records to its custody 
from recipients when it determines that the records possess long term 
retention value. However, in order to avoid duplicate recordkeeping, EPA 
may make arrangements for recipients to retain any records that are 
continuously needed for joint use.
    (e) EPA, the Inspector General, Comptroller General of the United 
States, or any of their duly authorized representatives, have the right 
of timely and unrestricted access to any books, documents, papers, or 
other records of recipients that are pertinent to the awards, in order 
to make audits, examinations, excerpts, transcripts and copies of such 
documents. This right also includes timely and reasonable access to a 
recipient's personnel for the purpose of interview and discussion 
related to such documents. The rights of access in this paragraph are 
not limited to the required retention period, but shall last as long as 
records are retained.
    (f) Unless required by statute, EPA shall not place restrictions on 
recipients that limit public access to the records of recipients that 
are pertinent to an award, except when it can be demonstrated that such 
records shall be kept confidential and would have been exempted from 
disclosure pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) if 
the records had belonged to EPA.
    (g) Indirect cost rate proposals, cost allocations plans, etc. 
Paragraphs (g)(1) and (g)(2) of this section apply to the following 
types of documents, and their supporting records: indirect cost rate 
computations or proposals, cost allocation plans, and any similar 
accounting computations of the rate at which a particular group of costs 
is chargeable (such as computer usage chargeback rates or composite 
fringe benefit rates).
    (1) If submitted for negotiation. If the recipient submits to EPA or 
the subrecipient submits to the recipient the proposal, plan, or other 
computation to form the basis for negotiation of the rate, then the 3-
year retention period for its supporting records starts on the date of 
such submission.
    (2) If not submitted for negotiation. If the recipient is not 
required to submit to EPA or the subrecipient is not required to submit 
to the recipient the proposal, plan, or other computation

[[Page 371]]

for negotiation purposes, then the 3-year retention period for the 
proposal, plan, or other computation and its supporting records starts 
at the end of the fiscal year (or other accounting period) covered by 
the proposal, plan, or other computation.