[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 196 (Tuesday, October 13, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52486-52488]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-24458]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OECA-2009-0494; FRL-8966-8]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Tips and Complaints Regarding Environmental
Violations; EPA ICR No. 2219.03, OMB Control No. 2020-0032
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
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 2/28/2010. 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.
[[Page 52487]]
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before December 14, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OECA-2009 0494, by one of the following methods:
http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line
instructions for submitting comments.
E-mail: [email protected]
Mail: The Enforcement and Compliance Docket and
Information Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 28221 T,
1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
Hand Delivery: 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room 3334,
Washington, DC 20460. Such deliveries are only accepted during the
Docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be
made for deliveries of boxed information.
Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ECA-
2009-0494. EPAs policy is that all comments received will be included
in the public docket without change and may be made available online at
http://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 statute. Do not submit information that you
consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through http://www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The http://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 http://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 CD-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: Michael Le Desma; Legal Counsel
Division; Office of Criminal Enforcement, Forensics and Training;
Environmental Protection Agency, Building 25, Box 25227, Denver Federal
Center, Denver, CO 80025; telephone number: (303) 462-9453; fax number:
(303) 462-9075; e-mail address: [email protected].
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-OECA 2009-0494, which is available for online viewing at
http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Enforcement and
Compliance Docket and Information Center 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 8:30 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
Enforcement and Compliance Docket and Information Center is (202) 564-
1927.
Use http://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 to those
who 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.
What Should I Consider When I Prepare My Comments for EPA?
You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your
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 burdens 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-OECA-2009-0494
Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are
general members of the public who choose to voluntarily supply a tip or
complaint regarding a suspected violation of environmental law.
Title: Tips and Complaints Regarding Environmental Violations ICR
numbers: EPA ICR No. 2219.03, OMB Control No. 2020-0032.
ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on 2/28/2010.
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 Code of Federal Regulations (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
[[Page 52488]]
numbers in certain EPA regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR Part 9.
Abstract: EPA tips and complaints Webform is intended to provide an
easy and convenient means by which members of the public can supply
information to EPA regarding suspected violations of environmental law.
The decision to provide a tip or complaint is entirely voluntary and
use of the Webform when supplying a tip or complaint is also entirely
voluntary.
Those persons that provide tips need not supply contact information
or other personal identifiers. Those who do supply such information,
however, should know that this information may be shared by EPA with
appropriate administrative, law enforcement, and judicial entities
engaged in investigating or adjudicating the tip or complaint.
Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average one-
half hour per response. Burden means the total time, effort, or
financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain,
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 of 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.
It is expected that a total of 630 people will complete the tips
and complaints form each month, for a total of 7,560 people per year.
Given that people typically arrive at the form with all of the
information needed to complete the form, EPA expects that the form will
take no more than 30 minutes to complete. Accordingly, EPA expects that
the total annual burden hours will be approximately 3,780. EPA does not
anticipate any capital or start-up costs associated with completion of
this form.
EPA also does not anticipate that, in the usual case, burden hours
associated with the tips and complaint form will translate into actual
labor costs; EPA expects relatively few tips or complaints to be
submitted as part of an employee's official duties. For this reason,
EPA believes that the relevant ``labor costs'' associated with the form
are best calculated as the wage opportunity cost to people of the
form's estimated burden hours. The wage opportunity cost of the burden
hours associated with this form can be estimated by multiplying the
total number of burden hours by the average national hourly wage
reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). BLS reports the
average hourly wage in July 2007 to have been $19.88 per hour;
accordingly, the total wage opportunity cost associated with the tips
and complaints form would be approximately $75,146 per annum.
Are There Changes in the Estimates From the Last Approval?
There is an increase of 1980 hours in the total estimated
respondent burden compared with that identified in the ICR currently
approved by OMB. This increase reflects the fact that tips and
complaints are being filed at a higher rate than originally
anticipated, a strong indication of the success of this program. There
has been no change in the information being reported or the estimated
burden per respondent.
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)(l)(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: September 24, 2009.
Cynthia Giles,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Enforcement and Compliance
Assurance.
[FR Doc. E9-24458 Filed 10-9-09; 8:45 am]
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