[Federal Register: June 11, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 111)]
[Notices]
[Page 27788-27789]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr11jn09-54]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OEI-2006-0037, FRL-8917-5]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Exchange Network Grants Progress
Report (Renewal); EPA ICR No. 2207.03, OMB Control No. 2025-0006
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 EPA is planning to
submit a request to renew an existing approved Information Collection
Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR is
scheduled to expire on 11/30/09. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for
review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of
the proposed information collection as described below.
DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before July 13, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OEI-
2006-0037, to (1) EPA online using 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, Mail Code 28221T, 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. EPA's
policy is that all comments received will be included in the public
docket without change and may be made available online at
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided,
unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statue. Do not submit information that you consider to be
CBI or otherwise protected through www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The
www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' system, which
means EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you
provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an e-mail comment
directly to EPA without going through www.regulations.gov your e-mail
address will be automatically captured and included as part of the
comment that is placed in the public docket and made available on the
Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you
include your name and other contact information in the body of your
comment and with any disk or DC-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your
comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic
files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of
encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. For additional
information about EPA's public docket visit the EPA Docket Center
homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wm. Terry Forrest, OEI/OIC/IESD, Mail
Code 2823T, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave.,
NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-566-0196; fax number:
202-566-1624; e-mail address: forrest.terry@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
How Can I Access the Docket and/or Submit Comments?
EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID
No. EPA-HQ-OEI-2006-0037 which is available for online viewing at
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 www.regulations.gov to obtain a copy of the draft collection of
information, submit or view public comments, access the index listing
of the contents of the 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 in this
document.
What Information Is EPA Particularly Interested in?
Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA specifically
solicits comments and information to enable it 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 information technology, e,g., permitting electronic
submission of responses. In particular, EPA is requesting comments from
very small businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples of
specific additional efforts that EPA could make to reduce the paperwork
burden for very small businesses affected by this collection.
[[Page 27789]]
What Should I Consider When I Prepare My Comments for EPA?
You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing you
comments:
1. Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific
examples.
2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used
that support your views.
4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you
arrived at the estimate that you provide.
5. Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity.
6. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline identified
under DATES.
7. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the docket
ID number assigned to this action in the subject line on the first page
of your response. You may also provide the name, date, and Federal
Register citation.
What Information Collection Activity or ICR Does This Apply to?
Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OPEI-2006-0037
Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are
States, Tribal, and Territorial Environmental Offices receiving
National Environmental Information Exchange Network (NEIEN) grants.
Title: Exchange Network Grants Progress Report (Renewal)
ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2207.03, OMB Control No. 2025-0006.
ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on November 30, 2009.
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 and 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: This notice announces the collection of information
related to the U.S. EPA NEIEN Grant Program. The EPA Office of
Environmental Information provides funding to EPA's Exchange Network
partners (states, territories, and federally recognized Indian tribes)
to support the development of the NEIEN. The NEIEN is an Internet and-
standards-based, secure information system that supports the electronic
collection, exchange, and integration of data among its partners.
Funding for the Grant Program has been provided through annual
congressional appropriations for the EPA.
To enhance the quality and overall public benefit of the Network,
EPA proposes to collect information from the NEIEN grantees about how
they intend to ensure quality in their projects and the environmental
outcomes and outputs from their projects. The proposed Quality
Assurance Reporting Form is intended to provide a simple means for
grant recipients to describe how quality will be addressed throughout
their projects. The Quality Assurance Reporting Form is derived from
guidelines provided in the NEIEN 2006 grant solicitation notice. As a
stipulation of their award, grant recipients are to submit the form
within ninety days of grant award.
Grantees are currently required to submit semi-annual progress
reports as a stipulation of their award. In these reports, grantees
outline project goals, activities required to meet these goals, and
outputs and outcomes of activities to date. At the request of numerous
grantees, we are proposing to offer the Progress Reporting Form as a
vehicle for collecting information. This form is easier to complete
than an unstructured narrative; it can be used as the semi-annual and
final report form and the information returned will be of higher
quality and comparable.
Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1.5
hours for the Semi-Annual Report Form per response and 1 hour per
Quality Assurance Form 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 that 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: State, Tribal, and Territorial
Environmental Offices receiving NEIEN grants.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 225.
Frequency of Response: Twice for the Semi-Annual Report Form; once
for the Quality Assurance Form.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 733.
Estimated Total Annual Cost: $37,000 includes $0 annualized capital
or O&M costs and $37,000 annual labor costs.
Are There Changes in the Estimates From the Last Approval?
Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 283 hours in the
total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of
Approved ICR Burdens. This change is due to an increase in the estimate
to complete the Semi-annual Progress Report Form and due to the
additional of the Quality Assurance Form.
What Is the Next Step in the Process for This ICR?
EPA will consider the comments received and amend the ICR as
appropriate. The final ICR package will then be submitted to OMB for
review and approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. At that time, EPA will
issue another Federal Register notice pursuant to 5 CFR
1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the
opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB. If you have any
questions about this ICR or the approval process, please contact the
technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Dated: June 5, 2009.
Connie Dwyer,
Director, Information Exchange & Services Division.
[FR Doc. E9-13732 Filed 6-10-09; 8:45 am]
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