[Federal Register: February 13, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 30)]
[Notices]
[Page 7213-7214]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13fe04-64]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OA-2003-0009, FRL-7618-8]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Information Collection Request for Obtaining Feedback
on Public Involvement Activities and Processes, EPA ICR Number OA-2003-
0009
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501
et seq.), this notice announces that the EPA is planning to submit a
request for a new Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB). Before submitting the ICR to OMB for
review and approval, the EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects
of the proposed information collection as described below.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 15, 2004.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OA-2003-
0009, to EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by e-mail to
oei.docket@epa.gov, or by mail to EPA Docket Center, OEI Docket Mail
Code--2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave, NW., Washington, DC 20460.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pat Bonner, Office of the
Administrator/ Public Involvement Staff--Mail Code 1807T, Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460;
telephone number: 202-566-2204; fax number: 202-566-2200 and e-mail:
bonner.patricia@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has established a public docket for this
ICR under Docket ID number OA-2003-
[[Page 7214]]
0009 which is available for public viewing within the Office of
Environmental Information (OEI) Docket of the EPA Docket Center (EPA/
DC), EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC.
The EPA Docket Center Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The
telephone number for the Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the
telephone number for the OEI's Docket is (202) 566-1752. An electronic
version of the public docket is available through EPA Dockets (EDOCKET)
at http://www.epa.gov/edocket. Use EDOCKET to obtain a copy of the
draft collection of information, submit or view public comments, access
the index listing of the contents of the public docket, and to access
those documents in the public docket that are available electronically.
Once in the system, select ``search,'' then key in the docket ID number
identified above.
Any comments related to this ICR should be submitted to EPA within
60 days of this notice. EPA's policy is that public comments, whether
submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available for public
viewing in EDOCKET as EPA receives them and without change, unless the
comment contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other information whose
public disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA identifies a
comment containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference
to that material in the version of the comment that is placed in
EDOCKET. The entire printed comment, including the copyrighted
material, will be available in the public docket. Although identified
as an item in the official docket, information claimed as CBI, or whose
disclosure is otherwise restricted by statute, is not included in the
official public docket, and will not be available for public viewing in
EDOCKET. For further information about the electronic docket, see EPA's
Federal Register notice describing the electronic docket at 67 FR 38102
(May 31, 2002), or go to http://www.epa.gov./edocket.
Affected entities: Entities and individuals potentially affected by
this action are those who participate in EPA public involvement
activities.
Title: Obtaining Feedback on Public Involvement Activities.
Abstract: Individuals who participate in EPA public involvement
activities directly will be asked to voluntarily complete feedback
surveys. Respondents will do no preparation or records retention;
individual input will be aggregated and remain confidential. EPA staff
and managers will use a series of feedback surveys and will not deviate
from the OMB-approved questions. Questionnaires will be short, easy for
staff to use and respondents to complete. Results will be immediately
applied to improve similar events; to assist in evaluating and
improving individual events such as hearings, meetings, listening
sessions, small group discussions, stakeholder negotiations, Federal
Advisory Committee Act group meetings, community advisory group
meetings, etc; and to improve the consistency and effectiveness of
public involvement practices and processes agency wide. An Agency may
not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB
control number. The EPA encourages comments to:
(i) Evaluate or suggest whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of Agency
functions, including whether the information has practical utility;
(ii) evaluate the accuracy of the Agency's burden estimate,
including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
(iii) enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information
to be collected; and
(iv) minimize the burden of the collection of information on those
who are to respond, including appropriate applications of information
technology.
Burden: The average estimated burden for each response is 9.9
minutes. Some respondents will complete the same questionnaire several
times within the ICR period. This is necessary and appropriate since
only they will be able to experience changes made in response to their
input. Time is the only direct respondent cost. Respondent cost was
$15.46/hour wage for civilian wage and salary workers, the October 2003
Bureau of Labor Statistics figure, plus a 35% benefits factor for
$20.87 per hour. The EPA estimates the following:
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Burden
Year Respondents hours Respondent cost
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2004....................................... 12,794 2,152.58 $3.51/response.
2005....................................... 16,531 2,737.02 $3.45/response.
2006....................................... 19,298 3,215.2 $3.47/response.
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Total.................................. 48,623 8,104.8 $3.48/response.
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The average is .167 burden hours or ten minutes/response. Burden
means the total time, effort or financial resources expended by persons
to generate, maintain, retain or disclose or provide information to or
for a Federal agency, including the time needed to: review
instructions; develop, acquire, install and utilize technology and
systems for the purposes of collecting, validating and verifying
information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and
providing information; adjust the existing ways to comply with any
previously applicable instructions and requirements; train personnel to
be able to respond to a collection of information; search data sources;
complete and review the collection of information; and transmit or
otherwise disclose the information.
Dated: February 10, 2004.
Jessica L. Furey,
Associate Administrator, Office of Policy, Economics and Innovation.
[FR Doc. 04-3229 Filed 2-12-04; 8:45 am]
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