[Federal Register: October 19, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 202)]
[Notices]
[Page 61770-61771]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19oc06-91]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OA-2006-0513; FRL-8232-7]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Renewal of
Information Collection for EPA's National Environmental Performance
Track Program (Renewal), EPA ICR No. 1949.05, OMB Control No. 2010-0032
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 document announces that an Information Collection
Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing
approved collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the
nature of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.
DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before November 20,
2006.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-
2006-0513 to: (1) EPA online using http://www.regulations.gov (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 in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), 1200 Pennsylvania
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB by mail to: Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget
(OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW.,
Washington, DC 20503.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert D. Sachs, Office of Policy,
Economics and Innovation, Mail Code 1807T, Environmental Protection
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone
number: (202) 566-2884; fax number: (202) 566-0966; e-mail address:
Sachs.Robert@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB
for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR
1320.12. On June 22nd, 2006 (71 FR 35904), EPA sought comments on this
ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received 1 comment during the
comment period, which is addressed in the ICR. Any additional comments
on this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB within 30 days of this
notice.
EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID
No. EPA-HQ-OA-2006-0513, which is available for online viewing at
http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Office of
Environmental Information Docket in 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 Office of Environmental Information Docket is (202) 566-1752.
Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at
http://www.regulations.gov, to submit or view public comments, access the
index listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those
documents in the docket that are available electronically. Once in the
system, select ``docket search,'' then key in the docket ID number
identified above. Please note that EPA's policy is that public
comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made
available for public viewing at http://www.regulations.gov as EPA receives
them and without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted
material, CBI, or other information whose public disclosure is
restricted by statute. For further information about the electronic
docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov.
Title: Information Collection Request for EPA's National
Environmental Performance Track Program (Renewal).
ICR Numbers: EPA ICR No. 1949.05, OMB Control No. 2010-0032.
ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on October 31, 2006.
Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor
the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB.
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
in title 40 of the CFR, after appearing in the Federal Register when
approved, are listed in 40 CFR part 9, are displayed either by
publication in the Federal Register or by other appropriate means, such
as on the related collection instrument or form, if applicable. The
display of OMB control numbers in certain EPA regulations is
consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
Abstract: EPA's National Environmental Performance Track is a
voluntary program that recognizes and rewards private and public
facilities that demonstrate top environmental performance beyond
current requirements. The program is based on the premise that
government should complement existing programs with new tools and
strategies that not only protect people and the environment, but also
capture opportunities for reducing cost and spurring technological
innovation.
Performance Track is a facility based program (not company-wide)
that solicits and receives applications and makes acceptance decisions
twice per year from February through April, and August through October.
Applying facilities must meet four basic criteria: (1) A history of
sustained compliance with environmental regulations; (2) an
Environmental Management System (EMS) in place that has undergone an
assessment by an independent third party; (3) past and future
environmental achievements, and a commitment to quantified continuous
environmental improvement; and (4) public involvement and annual
reporting. Once accepted, members remain in the program for three
years, as long as they continue to meet the program criteria. After
three years, they may apply to renew their membership through a
streamlined application process.
No confidential information is requested in this notice. 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.
Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 16.4
hours per facility per year. This includes all applications, compliance
screens, annual reporting, incentives participation, and site visits.
EPA estimates that all facilities who voluntarily respond to this
information collection by electing to participate in the Performance
Track program have determined that the expected benefits of
participation outweigh any burdens associated with preparing the
response. Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources
expended by persons
[[Page 61771]]
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 which have
subsequently changed; 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.
Respondents/Affected Entities: Performance track member facilities
and States.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 476.
Frequency of Response: Annually, triennially, and biennially.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 7,750.
Estimated Total Annual Cost: $514,521, which includes $0 capital
and O&M costs.
Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 105,689 annual
hours in the total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB
Inventory of Approved ICR Burdens. This decrease is due to an
adjustment to the estimated program participation burden.
Dated: October 11, 2006.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. E6-17449 Filed 10-18-06; 8:45 am]
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