[Federal Register: November 14, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 219)]
[Notices]
[Page 66325-66326]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14no06-32]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OA-2006-0566; FRL-8241-5]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Assessment of EPA Partnership
Programs; EPA ICR No. 2225.01
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)(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 for a new 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 December 14,
2006.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-
2006-0566, 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, OEI Docket, Mailcode: 2822T,
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: Jamie Burnett, Office of Policy,
Economics, and Innovation, Mail Code: 1807T, Environmental Protection
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC, 20460; telephone
number: (202) 566-2205; fax number: (202) 566-2200; e-mail address:
burnett.jamie@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 July 10, 2006 (71 FR 38878), EPA sought comments on this
ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received one comment during the
period that were not relevant to the ICR. Any additional comments on
this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB within 30 days of this
notice.
[[Page 66326]]
EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID
No. EPA-HQ-OA-2006-0566, which is available for online viewing at
http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the OEI Docket in the EPA
Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave.,
NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC Public Reading Room is open from 8 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 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: Assessment of EPA Partnership Programs.
ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2225.01.
ICR Status: This ICR is for a new information collection activity.
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: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking
approval for a three-year generic clearance from the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) to develop a generic ICR to collect data to
be used for performance measurement of EPA Partnership Programs. This
will be a voluntary collection of information to assess the activities
of EPA Partnership Programs. Performance measurement data collected
will detail awareness of associated environmental results. EPA proposes
to administer surveys and questionnaires to assess activities for
program purpose and design, strategic planning, program management, and
program results to determine if the goals of the program are being met.
All assessments undertaken under this ICR will follow stringent
procedures to ensure that data are collected and used properly and
efficiently. This ICR will provide anecdotal data for the purpose of
informing EPA of the perceived effectiveness of partnership programs
and will also allow partnership programs to collect data on the
environmental results of partner activities due to participation. The
information collection is voluntary, and will be limited to non-
sensitive data concerning participation in partnership programs.
To help fulfill the broad mandate of protecting human health and
the environment, EPA works with businesses, communities, state and
local governments, and other organizations to achieve environmental
goals through partnership programs. Partnership programs provide
organizations with the information and assistance necessary to achieve
and maintain various environmental goals.
EPA believes that measuring the performance of partnership programs
is important to ensure that partnership programs are reaching the
intended audience, providing valuable resources, and achieving the
desired environmental results. Understanding this will allow EPA to
better design and manage these partnership programs to meet the needs
of the participants and to meet EPA's environmental goals. A generic
ICR will significantly increase the ability of EPA Partnership Programs
to: Determine and evaluate the effectiveness of these partnership
programs as well as help the programs obtain data to successfully
complete PART reviews; increase the consistency of program performance
data as an alternative/adjunct to traditional regulatory approaches for
achieving environmental results; minimize approval burden on OMB as
submissions will be shorter and of higher quality via the generic ICR
process; and reduce burden on potential respondents by limiting the
number of requests for information.
Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 2.2
hours 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 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: Participants in all of EPA's
Partnership Programs, including businesses, governments, and members of
the community.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 5,334.
Frequency of Response: On occasion.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 11,556 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Cost: $769,702, which includes $0 capital
and O&M.
Dated: October 31, 2006.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. E6-19172 Filed 11-13-06; 8:45 am]
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