[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 176 (Thursday, September 11, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47807-47808]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-24149]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-5891-6]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB
Review; Comment Request; Small Business Compliance Assistance Centers
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 the following Information
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Small Business Compliance
Assistance Centers (EPA ICR #1815.01 ). The ICR describes the nature of
the information collection and its expected burden and cost; where
appropriate, it includes the actual data collection instrument.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before October 14, 1997.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY CALL: Sandy Farmer at EPA, (202) 260-
2740, and refer to EPA ICR No. 1815.01.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Small Business Compliance Assistance Centers (EPA ICR
#1815.01 ). This is a new collection.
Abstract: This request is for a consolidated clearance for a series
of evaluations of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Small
Business Compliance Assistance Centers Regulatory Reinvention
Initiative. The purpose of the evaluation is to assess the impact of
the information that this program provides. The Small Business
Compliance Assistance Centers program, a Presidential Regulatory
Reinvention Initiative, provides small businesses with easy access to
sector-specific and readily understandable information on their federal
environmental regulatory requirements. There are currently four
operating Centers for the printing, metal finishing, auto service and
repair and agriculture sectors. Over the next year, EPA's Office of
Compliance (OC) will open four new Centers for the printed wiring board
manufacturing, chemical manufacturing, local government and
transportation sectors. The Centers are operated through cooperative
agreements with industry associations, universities, state agencies and
other partners that are trusted sources of information by the small
business sectors. The Centers also serve the needs of the state and
local technical assistance community by providing them with sector-
specific compliance and technical information.
The Centers are ``communications'' Centers rather than physical
locations. Via the Internet, toll-free numbers, e-mail discussion
groups and other communications methods they distribute compliance and
technical information to the small business community and their
assistance providers.
Four types of evaluations are proposed: (1) Phone-surveys of a
random sample of the small business populations to determine the reach
of the Centers; (2) & (3) on-line surveys and fax-back surveys of the
users of the Center web sites and toll-free numbers to determine users'
satisfaction with the Centers' services and to determine what users do
as a next step with the information they get from the Centers.; and (4)
phone interviews to follow-up with on-line and fax-back survey
respondents to collect anecdotal information on the behavioral/
operation changes that users undertake to improve their compliance and
environmental performance as a result of Center usage. In each
instance, responses to requests for information are voluntary. In
addition, the names of the respondents will not be disclosed to EPA. 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. The Federal Register
notice required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on this
collection of information was published on June 25th, 1997 and no
comments were received.
Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 45
minutes 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; train personnel to be able to respond to
a collection of information; search data sources; complete and review
the collection of
[[Page 47808]]
information; and transmit or otherwise disclose the information.
Respondents/Affected Entities: Small businesses, regulatory agency
staff, technical assistance program staff, consultants, university-
staff.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 26,220 annually.
Frequency of Response: phone-survey: annual; on-line surveys: bi-
annual; fax-back surveys: bi-annual; phone interviews: annual.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 2,760 hours.
Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: $30,360.
Send comments on the Agency's need for this information, the
accuracy of the provided burden estimates, and any suggested methods
for minimizing respondent burden, including through the use of
automated collection techniques to the following addresses. Please
refer to EPA ICR No.1815.01 in any correspondence.
Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, OPPE Regulatory
Information Division (2137), 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460
and
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and
Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW,
Washington, DC 20503
Dated: September 8, 1997.
Rick Westlund,
Acting Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 97-24149 Filed 9-10-97; 8:45 am]
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