[Federal Register: March 9, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 45)]
[Notices]
[Page 11607-11608]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09mr05-42]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Census Bureau
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
DOC has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for
clearance the following proposal for collection of information under
the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).
Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.
Title: Pollution Abatement Costs & Expenditures Survey.
Form Number(s): MA-200S, MA-200P, MA-200.
Agency Approval Number: 0607-0176.
Type of Request: Reinstatement, with change, of an expired
collection.
Burden: 120,000 hours.
Number of Respondents: 62,000.
Avg Hours Per Response: Screener--15 minutes; Pilot & Survey--5
hours.
Needs and Uses: The Pollution Abatement Costs and Expenditures
(PACE) survey was conducted annually from 1973 through 1994, with the
exception of 1987, and again in 1999. The PACE survey provided measures
of the cost to private industry for the Nation's commitment to
protecting the environment. Private industry is spending significant
amounts of money to meet increasing Federal, state, and local
regulations for controlling pollution. Efforts to abate pollution or
decrease expenses of pollution abatement have led to technology
innovation and improved efficiency for some companies. This survey was
a source of data for monitoring the impact of environmental programs on
the U.S. economy and responsiveness to these programs. The absence of
the data over the past 5 years has highlighted the need for measures of
private industry spending on pollution abatement activities. During
this time, there has been no suitable substitute for measuring and
monitoring these environmental changes. In particular, the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has had insufficient information
to monitor the impact of environmental programs. These data will enable
EPA to better satisfy legislative and executive requirements to track
costs.
With support from the EPA, the Census Bureau plans to reinstate
this
[[Page 11608]]
survey for 2005. As a precursor to the 2005 PACE survey, the Census
Bureau also plans to conduct a screener and pilot survey.
The screener is designed to identify establishments with PACE
activities and target these establishments for the pilot and 2005 PACE
survey. The screener will ask respondents if they have operating costs
or capital expenditures related to the treatment or prevention of air,
water or solid waste pollutants. And if so, how much (within ranges).
These questions will be check boxes only. The screener will include
approximately 40,000 establishments.
The purpose of the pilot is to test the proposed 2005 PACE
questionnaire with potential respondents who have expenses related to
treatment or prevention of pollutants. Respondents will be asked to
complete the form and answer some qualitative questions on the content
and clarity of instructions. The pilot results will be used to modify
and finalize the proposed 2005 PACE questionnaire and sample design.
The pilot and the survey will collect information similar to that
previously collected on the MA-200: pollution abatement capital
expenditures and operating costs, each by media (air, water, solid
waste, and multi-media). It will also collect information on
depreciation and cost offsets. For the pilot, we will also collect
employment and shipments. The final survey will only collect these data
from non-ASM establishments. The pilot will include approximately 2,000
establishments. No estimates will be produced from the pilot. The
survey will include approximately 20,000 establishments.
The survey results will be published in the Current Industrial
Reports Series. Primary users of the pollution abatement data are
Federal, state, and local government agencies, business firms, trade
associations, academic researchers, environmental groups, and private
research and consulting organizations.
The PACE survey results will be used by EPA to satisfy Executive
Order 12866 which specifically charges EPA to assess the costs and
benefits of all proposed major rules and alternative approaches. EPA
also uses the PACE data in various reports including: Cost of a Clean
Environment; Section 812 Clean Air Retrospective Cost Analysis; Annual
OMB Reports to Congress on Costs and Benefits of Federal Regulation
(Thompson Report); and Social Cost Appendix of EPA's Strategic Plan.
Capital expenditures for pollution abatement is an important
component of total capital expenditures when analyzing investment and
productivity at the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of
Economic Analysis.
State and local governments, trade associations, the academic
community, and private businesses use the data to evaluate regional
pollution abatement spending, local legislation, and performance of
specific industries.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
Frequency: Annually.
Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. 131, 182, 193, 224, and 225.
OMB Desk Officer: Susan Schechter, (202) 395-5103.
Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained
by calling or writing Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork Clearance
Officer, (202) 482-0266, Department of Commerce, room 6625, 14th and
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at
dhynek@doc.gov).
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice
to Susan Schechter, OMB Desk Officer either by fax (202-395-7245) or e-
mail (susan_schechter@omb.eop.gov).
Dated: March 4, 2005.
Madeleine Clayton,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 05-4575 Filed 3-8-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P