[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 153 (Friday, August 8, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42779-42781]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-20977]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5872-3]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Transportation Partners Program

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 notice announces that EPA is planning to submit the 
following proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB): Information Collection Request for 
EPA's Transportation Partners Program, EPA ICR No. 1818.01. Before 
submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting 
comments on specific aspects of the proposed

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information collection as described below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before October 7, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties may submit written comments to the Energy 
and Transportation Sectors Division, Office of Policy, Planning and 
Evaluation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street SW. 
(Mail Code 2126), Washington, DC 20460. Interested persons may obtain a 
copy of the draft ICR without charge by contacting Ms. Catherine 
Preston (see below).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Catherine Preston of the Energy and 
Transportation Sectors Division, Office of Policy, Planning and 
Evaluation, phone number: 202-260-5447, facsimile number: 202-260-0512, 
e-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Affected Entities: Entities potentially affected by this action may 
include entities from the following Standard Industrial Classification 
(SIC) codes: 4111 (local and suburban transit), 4119 (local passenger 
transportation, not elsewhere classified), 8611 (business 
associations), 8641 (civic, social, and fraternal organizations), 9511 
(air and water resource and solid waste management), 9621 (regulation 
or administration of transportation programs), and other 
transportation-related organizations. Additionally, EPA expects to 
enroll private businesses in the Transportation Partners program. 
However, as the Agency plans to focus private business recruiting 
efforts on large companies, EPA expects that new members will come from 
a wide range of nonspecific SIC codes.
    Title: Information Collection Request for EPA's Transportation 
Partners Program, EPA ICR No. 1818.01.
    Abstract: The Transportation Partners program is a new, 
cooperative, voluntary program that seeks to reduce the growth of 
vehicle miles traveled (VMT) through the adoption of measures that 
provide or promote the use of non-single occupancy vehicle 
transportation choices for citizens. As part of the Climate Change 
Action Plan, Transportation Partners will play an important role in the 
nation's commitment to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
    The Transportation Partners program is designed to work around two 
types of members: Principal Partners and Project Partners. Principal 
Partners have substantive areas of expertise and will provide direct 
assistance to VMT-reducing projects across the country. Project 
Partners, on the other hand, administer the individual programs and 
actions designed to reduce VMT. Local governments, regional 
governments, local non-governmental organizations, and private 
businesses may become Project Partners.
    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 various information collection 
activities of the Transportation Partners program are described below.
    As voluntary participants in the Transportation Partners program, 
Project Partners may be asked to develop and submit to a Principal 
Partner or to EPA an agreement that provides general contact 
information and organizational data. If an agreement is developed, the 
Project Partner will be asked to perform the following activities: 
receive and review Project Partner agreement informational materials; 
complete the Project Partner agreement; and sign and submit the 
agreement to a Principal Partner or to EPA.
    Project Partners also may be asked to complete an annual Partner 
Profile that requests general project information. Project-related 
information requested includes background data about the sponsoring 
entity, a description of any institutional changes resulting from the 
project, a description (and, to the extent possible, quantification) of 
project effects on travel, other project effects, lessons learned, and 
comments regarding program participation and technical assistance. As 
EPA may request additional information from the Project Partners about 
their projects, organizations may be requested to periodically submit 
supplementary information to the Agency.
    In addition, EPA sponsors the Way to Go! Awards, which honor local 
innovators who are enhancing their communities and the environment 
through transportation improvements. Project Partners will receive an 
application for the Way to Go! awards. Project Partners are not 
required to fill out these applications; however, some Project Partners 
may choose to complete and submit the application to EPA. The 
application asks for the following information: the name and focus of 
the project; a description of project management; a description of the 
end user(s) of the project; and a project summary and narrative.
    Principal Partners have a number of responsibilities. First, they 
will provide EPA with contact lists of prospective Project Partners. 
Second, they will disseminate information to prospective partners. 
Third, Principal Partners will submit notifications to EPA when they 
sign new Project Partners. Fourth, they will participate in a monthly 
conference call with EPA to update the Agency of new developments. 
Fifth, Principal Partners will review, sign, and forward Project 
Partner agreements to EPA. Sixth, Principal Partners will assist EPA in 
reviewing and compiling Partner Profiles and supplemental information 
from Project Partners. Seventh, Principal Partners will respond to any 
ad hoc informational requests from the Agency. Finally, one Principal 
Partner will send out ``Way to Go!'' award applications to program 
contacts.
    Participation in the Transportation Partners program is voluntary. 
If requested, EPA will treat information as confidential business 
information and will not make the partner-specific information 
collected under the program available to the general public, unless the 
partner's approval is obtained. 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.
    EPA would like to solicit comments to:
    (i) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the 
Transportation Partners program, 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.
    Burden Statement: EPA estimates the total annual burden to 
respondents to be approximately 8,371 hours, at an annual cost of 
$573,304, or 25,112 hours over three years at a cost of $1,719,912. 
This corresponds to an average annual reporting burden of 263.9 hours 
and an average annual recordkeeping burden of 7.3 hours for each 
Principal Partner in the program. In addition, EPA estimates an average 
annual reporting burden of 10.7 hours and an average annual

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recordkeeping burden of one hour for each Project Partner in the 
program. EPA estimates that an average of 10 Principal Partners will 
respond to Agency information collection activities each year; the 
average number of Project Partner respondents each year is estimated to 
vary from 121 to 485 based on the specific information being requested. 
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; 
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.

    Dated: July 17, 1997.
Michael Shelby,
Director, Energy and Transportation Sectors Division, Office of Policy, 
Planning and Evaluation.
[FR Doc. 97-20977 Filed 8-7-97; 8:45 am]
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