[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 36 (Wednesday, February 23, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10022-10023]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-3995]
[[Page 10022]]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-RCRA-2010-0832, FRL-9269-6]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements Under EPA's
WasteWise Program
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 June 30, 2011. 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: Comments must be submitted on or before April 25, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
RCRA-2010-0832, by one of the following methods:
http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line
instructions for submitting comments.
E-mail: [email protected].
Fax: 202-566-9744.
Mail: RCRA Docket (28221T), U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460.
Hand Delivery: 1301 Constitution Ave., 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-RCRA-
2010-0832. EPA's 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: Marian Robinson, Office of Resources &
Conservation Recovery, 5306P, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (703)
308-8666; fax number: (703) 308-8686; 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-RCRA-2010-0832, which is available for online viewing at
http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the RCRA 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 RCRA Docket is (202) 566-0270.
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 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.
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 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?
Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are
businesses, not-for-profit, and State, Local, or Tribal governments.
[[Page 10023]]
Title: Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements Under EPA's
WasteWise Program
ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1698.08, OMB Control No. 2050-0139
ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on June 30,
2011. 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 voluntary WasteWise program encourages businesses
and other organizations to reduce solid waste through waste prevention,
recycling, and the purchase or manufacture of recycled-content
products. WasteWise participants include partners, who commit to
implementing waste reduction activities tailored to their specific
needs, and endorsers who promote WasteWise and recruit organizations to
join the program.
WasteWise requires partners to register for membership in the
program. Previously, WasteWise used paper forms that we estimate took
40 hours for partners and 10 hours for endorsers to complete. In 2009,
WasteWise implemented a Web-based data management and reporting system
for the collection and reporting of data. Under the new Web-based
system, partners and endorsers enter their data, on-line.
The Partner Registration Form identifies an organization and its
facilities registering to participate in WasteWise, and requires the
signature of a senior official that can commit the organization to the
program. (This form completed on-line and is submitted electronically.)
Within two months of registering, each partner is required to submit
baseline data on existing waste reduction programs to EPA via an Annual
Assessment Form. (This is an on-line form that is completed and
submitted electronically.) Partners are also encouraged to set waste
reduction goals for the upcoming year. On an annual basis, partners are
required to report, via the Annual Assessment Form, on the
accomplishments of their waste prevention and recycling activities.
Partners report the amount of waste prevented and recycled, amount of
recycled-content materials purchased, and (where appropriate) the
amount of recovered materials used in the manufacture of new products.
They also provide WasteWise with information on total waste prevention
revenue, total recycling revenue, total avoided purchasing costs due to
waste prevention, and total avoided disposal costs due to recycling and
waste prevention. Additionally, they are encouraged to submit new waste
reduction goals.
Endorsers, which are typically trade associations or State/local
governments, submit an Endorser Registration Form upon registering for
the program. (This is an on-line form that is completed and is
submitted electronically.) The Endorser Registration Form identifies
the organization, the principal contact, and the activities to which
the Endorser commits. EPA plans to expand the information requested of
Endorsers by requiring them to submit a summary of their endorser
activities annually. All registration and reporting information will be
submitted electronically using the existing on-line, Web-based data
management and reporting system.
EPA's WasteWise program uses the submitted information to (1)
identify and recognize outstanding waste reduction achievements by
individual organizations, (2) compile results that indicate overall
accomplishments of WasteWise members, (3) identify cost-effective waste
reduction strategies to share with other organizations, (4) identify
topics on which to develop technical assistance materials and other
information, and (5) further encourage the growth of industry-specific
sustainable practices.
Burden Statement: The respondent burden for this collection is
estimated to average 4 hours per response for the Partner Registration
Form, 48 hours per response for the Annual Assessment Form, 4 hours per
response for the Endorser Registration Form, and 3 hours per response
for the Endorser Annual Assessment Form. This results in an estimated
annual partner respondent burden of 51 hours for new partners, 48 hours
for established partners, 7 hours for new endorsers, and 3 hours for
established endorsers. The estimated number of respondents is 1,051 in
Year 1; 1,138 in Year 2; and 1,225 in Year 3. Estimated total annual
burden on all respondents is 28,899 hours in Year 1; 32,572 hours in
Year 2; and 35,773 hours in Year 3.
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.
The ICR provides a detailed explanation of the Agency's estimate,
which is only briefly summarized here:
Estimated total number of potential respondents: 1,875.
Frequency of response: Annual.
Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 1.
Estimated total annual burden hours: 70,950.
Estimated total annual costs: $0. This includes an estimated burden
cost of $0 and an estimated cost of $0 for capital investment or
maintenance and operational costs.
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: January 31, 2011.
Suzanne Rudzinski,
Director, Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery.
[FR Doc. 2011-3995 Filed 2-22-11; 8:45 am]
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