[Federal Register: January 8, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 5)]
[Notices]
[Page 1281-1283]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08ja04-13]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OA-2003-0008, FRL-7608-4]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; National Environmental Performance Track (Performance
Track) Outreach Award Application, Mentoring Program Registration, and
Customer Satisfaction Questionnaire, EPA ICR Number 1949.04
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 EPA is planning to submit the
following proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB): National Environmental Performance
Track (Performance Track) Outreach Award Application, Mentoring Program
Registration, and Customer Satisfaction Questionnaire (EPA ICR No.
1949.04). This is a request for a new collection. Before submitting the
ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on
specific aspects of the proposed collection as described below.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 8, 2004.
ADDRESSES: Follow the detailed instructions in SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Grogan, Office of Policy,
Economics and Innovation, Mail Code 1808T, Environmental Protection
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone
number: 202-566-2981; fax number: 202-566-0292; e-mail address:
Grogan.Lisa@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has established a public docket for this
ICR under Docket ID No. OA-2003-0008, which is available for public
viewing at the Office of Environmental Information Docket in the EPA
Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Avenue,
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 Office of Environmental Information
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 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,'' and then key in the docket ID number
identified above.
Any comments related to this ICR should be submitted to OMB and EPA
within 60 days of this notice, and according to the following detailed
instructions: (1) Mail your comments to OMB at: Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB),
Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC
20503, and (2) Submit you comments to EPA online using EDOCKET (our
preferred method), by e-mail to: oei.docket@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA
Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Environmental
Information Docket, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20460.
EPA's policy is that 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: Potentially affected entities are facilities
and/or organizations that are currently, or are considering becoming,
members of EPA's National Environmental Performance Track Program.
[[Page 1282]]
Title: National Environmental Performance Track (Performance Track)
Outreach Award Application, Mentoring Program Registration, and
Customer Satisfaction Questionnaire (EPA ICR Number 1949.04).
Abstract: EPA announced the National Environmental Performance
Track Program on June 26, 2000. The program is designed to recognize
and encourage facilities that consistently meet their legal
requirements, that have implemented management systems to monitor and
improve performance, that have voluntarily achieved environmental
improvements beyond compliance, and that publicly commit to specific
environmental improvements and report on progress. There are currently
309 facilities that are members of this voluntary program. This ICR
proposes adding the following three components to the Performance Track
Program to strengthen and expand membership:
Performance Track Outreach Award Application
The Performance Track Outreach Award is sponsored by the EPA's
Performance Track Program. While Performance Track rewards all members
for their commitment to improving their role in protecting the
environment, the Outreach Award is a special award offered to current
members and partners who are educating the public and encouraging
prospective facilities to join Performance Track. Educating prospective
facilities on the merits of joining the program helps increase
membership in the Performance Track program, which in turn provides
additional environmental benefits as more and more facilities make
commitments to continuous environmental improvement.
Outreach Award applications are submitted voluntarily by any
facility or organization that was a member or partner of Performance
Track during the calendar year. To be considered for the award,
facilities/organizations may self-nominate or may be nominated by other
facilities, local or state entities, or EPA Performance Track staff.
Nominating facilities will be asked to complete and submit a short
nomination application containing facility and contact information, as
well as asking the nominating facility to list activities performed to
be considered for the Outreach Award. All applications will be reviewed
by a panel of EPA judges and the recipients of the Outreach Award will
be announced at the following year's Annual Member Event.
Performance Track Mentoring Program Registration
The Performance Track Mentoring Program is a voluntary program
developed to facilitate information sharing among facilities and help
potential Performance Track applicants improve their environmental
performance and strengthen their Performance Track applications. The
Performance Track Mentoring Program is available to any facility that
is considering applying to the Performance Track program and that is
seeking personal assistance in setting environmental goals from the top
performing facilities currently in the program. Facilities seeking to
participate in the Performance Track Mentoring Program will be asked to
submit a short registration form that includes facility and contact
information, whether the facility seeks to serve as a mentor or mentee,
and what areas of the Performance Track program the facility wishes to
provide/receive assistance. Mentees are matched together with
Performance Track sites that volunteer their time and resources to
share their experiences and expertise in environmental best practices.
EPA believes establishing a mentor/mentee program will help it
increase membership in Performance Track and allow current members to
share their expertise in environmental best practices with facilities
that are considering becoming members in Performance Track. This
sharing of knowledge will facilitate establishment of meaningful and
achievable performance goals for potential members, and will provide an
additional source of information available to potential members about
the Performance Track program's application process. EPA believes this
feedback will strengthen the quality of potential members' applications
and streamline the application process.
Performance Track Customer Satisfaction Questionnaire
EPA is interested in improving and increasing the value that
Performance Track members receive from the Performance Track Program
through membership services. EPA plans to gather feedback from all
current Performance Track members through a voluntary Customer
Satisfaction Questionnaire. Current Performance Track members reflect a
broad array of industry categories and their opinions about the
program's effectiveness and level of service will be used to shape the
development of future member services. The questionnaire will assess
the satisfaction level of current members as well as identify
improvements to services that the program can implement to increase
long-term member satisfaction. The questionnaire will ascertain the
following information: Program benefits and services that are important
to members; member satisfaction with current services; potential
improvements in communicating with members about the program; the level
of promotion/publicity that members desire for their participation in
the program; and any additional benefits and services that would
increase member satisfaction.
The Customer Satisfaction Questionnaire will be administered
online, to reduce the burden on respondents and encourage a high
response rate. All current members, along with approximately 12
corporate level representatives of participating facilities, will
receive e-mail notification with passwords to allow them access to the
survey. The questionnaire will be administered for one month to further
encourage a high response rate, allowing EPA to accurately assess
member satisfaction and desired improvements to the program. The
questionnaire responses will be analyzed in a report at the conclusion
of the one-month survey period. The questionnaire will serve to assess
satisfaction and identify improvements in future years as well, as EPA
plans to administer the survey on a biennial schedule.
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 OMB control numbers for EPA's
regulations are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and 48 CFR chapter 15, and are
identified on the form and/or instrument, if applicable.
The EPA would like to solicit comments to:
(i) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
(ii) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden
of the proposed collection of information, 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 through the use of appropriate automated
electronic, mechanical or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of
[[Page 1283]]
information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of
responses.
Burden Statement: The burden for information collection
requirements associated with the Outreach Award Application is
estimated to be 1.5 hours per respondent. The burden estimate includes
time to review the instructions, gather information, and complete and
submit the application. EPA plans to collect this information annually
and estimates between 27 and 42 respondents per year over the life of
this ICR at a cost of $112 per response.
The burden for information collection requirements associated with
the Mentoring Program Registration Form is estimated to be 0.25 hours
per respondent. The burden estimate includes time to review the
registration form, and complete and submit the registration. EPA plans
to collect this information annually and estimates between 39 and 60
respondents per year over the life of this ICR at a cost of $19 per
response.
The burden for information collection requirements associated with
the Customer Satisfaction Questionnaire is estimated to be 0.5 hours
per respondent. The burden estimate includes time to read the
instructions for the questionnaire and complete the online survey. EPA
plans to administer the questionnaire on a biennial schedule and
estimates 358 and 554 respondents for year one and year three,
respectively, at a cost of $37 per 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. This includes 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: December 19, 2003.
Daniel Fiorino,
Director, Performance Incentives Division.
[FR Doc. 04-375 Filed 1-7-04; 8:45 am]
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