[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 68 (Thursday, April 9, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 17410]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-9389]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5993-5]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Four Private Party Surveys Regarding 
Prospective Purchaser Agreements and Comfort/Status Letters

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 document announces that the following Information 
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Four Private Party Surveys 
Regarding Prospective Purchaser Agreements and Comfort/Status Letters 
(EPA ICR #1837.02). 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 May 11, 1998.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Sandy Farmer at EPA by phone 
at (202) 260-2740, by email at [email protected], or 
download off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA 
ICR #1837.02.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Four Private Party Surveys Regarding Prospective Purchaser 
Agreements and Comfort/Status Letters (EPA ICR #1837.02). This is a new 
collection.
    Abstract: In 1995, EPA issued guidance and policies concerning the 
use of Prospective Purchaser Agreements and Comfort/Status Letters. 
(See Guidance on Settlements with Prospective Purchasers of 
Contaminated Property, published in the Federal Register on July 3, 
1995 (60 FR 34792), and Policy on the Issuance of Comfort/Status 
Letters, published in the Federal Register on January 30, 1997 (62 FR 
4624). Since that date, EPA has entered into 76 Prospective Purchaser 
Agreements and issued approximately 200 Comfort/Status Letters. OSRE 
will use four surveys to collect information from private parties (non-
government personnel) at Brownfield sites where Prospective Purchaser 
Agreements and Comfort/Status Letters have been issued, or where they 
have been sought but not obtained. OSRE will use the information 
collected to evaluate the effectiveness of the guidance on Prospective 
Purchaser Agreements and the Comfort/Status Letter policy, consider 
revisions to the guidance and policy, and consider expanding the use of 
Prospective Purchaser Agreements and Comfort/Status Letters to other 
EPA media programs. Responses to this information collection are 
strictly voluntary, and the information collection is a one-time 
effort.
    OSRE will ensure the confidentiality of the responses to the 
information collection by employing contractor support to collect and 
analyze the information and by barring access to individual responses. 
Using contractors to collect the information through telephone surveys 
is expected to increase the candor of the responses. Contractors will 
transcribe responses onto survey forms and will compile the 
information. EPA and other personnel will not have access to individual 
responses. All EPA personnel, as well as other interested parties, will 
be limited to examining only compiled summaries of data. This process 
will safeguard the confidentiality of the information. All contractors 
involved in the information collection have signed non-disclosure 
statements and Conflict of Interest assessments. These documents ensure 
that the contractors have examined the information collection 
assignment for possible conflicts of interest and have found none. They 
also ensure that contractors will not reveal any information they 
collect while conducting the surveys.
    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. A 
Federal Register document was published on 11/26/97 (62 FR 63158) 
soliciting comments on this collection of information, as required 
under 5 CFR 1320.8(d); 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 information; and transmit or otherwise disclose the 
information.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Personnel at Brownfield sites.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 600.
    Frequency of Response: one time only.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 488 hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: $18,700.
    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 #1837.02 in any correspondence.

Ms. Sandy Farmer, V.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: April 3, 1998.
Richard T. Westlund,
Acting Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 98-9389 Filed 4-8-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P