[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 76 (Tuesday, April 21, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19723-19724]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-10508]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6000-2]


Agency Generic Information Collection Request: Regional 
Compliance Assistance Program Evaluation

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 Generic Information Collection Request (ICR) to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB): Measuring the Program 
Effectiveness of EPA Regional Compliance Assistance Projects. Before 
submitting the ICR to OMB for review, EPA is soliciting comments on 
specific aspects of the collection as described below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before June 22, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Lynn Vendinello (2224A), Office of Compliance, US EPA, 401 M 
St. SW, Washington, DC 20460. Interested persons may obtain a copy of 
the ICR without charge by calling Lynn Vendinello at 202-564-7066 or 
via e-mail at [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Lynn Vendinello, 202-564-7066 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
those businesses and technical assistance providers who receive and/or 
participate in EPA's Regional compliance assistance activities. 
Technical assistance providers are comprised of such groups as: state 
pollution prevention programs, state small business assistance 
programs, small business development centers, manufacturing extension 
partnership programs, and trade associations. The request for 
information from these affected entities will be voluntary.
    Title: Regional Compliance Assistance Activities Program 
Evaluation. (OMB) Control No. XXXX-XXXX: EPA ICR No. 1758.02). This is 
a new collection.
    Abstract: Since EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance 
Assurance (OECA) was formed three years ago, there has been an 
increased focus on the use of compliance assistance as an appropriate 
tool to assist the regulated community in improving its compliance. In 
particular, OECA has focussed its compliance assistance on small 
business and small communities that have not had much exposure to 
traditional enforcement and therefore may not be fully aware of their 
compliance obligations. Compliance assistance consists of information 
and technical assistance provided to the regulated community to help it 
meet the requirements of environmental law. First and foremost, 
compliance assistance ensures that the regulated community understands 
its obligations by providing clear and consistent descriptions of 
regulatory requirements. The bulk of OECA's compliance assistance 
activities are undertaken in our regional offices. Regional

[[Page 19724]]

compliance assistance activities commonly include: hotlines, workshops/
seminar/trainings, compliance guides (e.g., plain language explanations 
of regulations, videos), and on-site visits. Since compliance 
assistance is a rather new tool for OECA, we are very interested in 
learning about its effectiveness. In particular, we are interested in 
learning about the ``outcome'' of compliance assistance on a continuum 
of potential outcomes. The continuum includes determining the ``reach'' 
of activity within the intended audience; determining their 
``satisfaction'' with the activity; and determining what ``behavioral 
changes'' they make as a result of the activity. The purpose of this 
generic ICR is to enable OECA to collect data on the program 
effectiveness of their compliance assistance program so that we can 
begin to understand which of our various types of compliance assistance 
activities are most effective as well as to obtain anectdotal 
information on the outcomes of these assistance efforts. Moreover, 
since measuring the impact of compliance assistance is a new activity 
for OECA, we are also interested in experimenting with different types 
of measurement methods (e.g., comment cards, mailed surveys, phone 
surveys) to better direct our program evaluation program. Moreover, we 
are interested in learning if this data can be obtained using 
statistically-valid methods and will be supporting our measurement 
activities with analysis in this area.
    In each instance we will be measuring whether or not the compliance 
assistance activity is meeting its intended goal. Typical goals for 
compliance assistance activities include: informing the regulated 
community of their compliance obligations (e.g., plain-language 
guides); assisting the regulated community in their understanding of 
complex federal and/or state requirements (e.g., Section 215 of the 
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act asks EPA to 
undertake demonstration projects with states to develop compliance 
assistance tools that integrate state and federal rules); and 
motivating behavioral change (e.g., pollutants reduced, permits 
adopted) from on-site visits, in-depth workshops/trainings.
    This activity is being undertaken to assist EPA in its 
implementation of the National Performance Measures Strategy that was 
finalized on December 22, 1997, which includes compliance assistance.
    None of the information collected by this action results in or 
requests sensitive information of any nature from the states.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to, a collection of information unless it display 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 EPA is soliciting comments 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 the use of appropriate automated 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of response.
    The Office of Compliance (OC) will use this information to evaluate 
the effectiveness of our compliance assistance programs so that we can 
plan more effective programs in the future. OC will also include 
highlights in its end-of-year accomplishments report. This information 
also will be provided to Congressional staffs and committees interested 
in environmental matters and small business assistance activities at 
the EPA regional and state level (the SBREFA Section 215 projects are 
being conducted as cooperative agreements with state assistance 
programs). In addition, we will share our lessons learned about 
compliance assistance program effectiveness widely with state and local 
assistance programs. Since compliance assistance is a relatively new 
program for most state programs, this program effectiveness information 
should be of great interest and value to them.
    Burden Statement: This information collection request is for three 
years with an OMB review of progress after 18 months. The information 
collection request is a generic request for all surveys conducted over 
the 3-year period. Sample surveys are attached to the ICR and actural 
surveys will be submitted to OMB with a 10-day comment period from OMB. 
OC will minimize the numbers of surveys by providing consistent surveys 
for several similar activities. This will also increase the ability to 
compare program effectiveness across program activities.
    For each respondent, the annual cost burden is estimated to be 
$4.20. Total capital and start-up cost component annualized over its 
expected useful life is $0. Total operations and maintenance is 
estimated at $0, and the cost for purchase of services is estimated at 
$0.
    Total annual burden for the 155,163 respondents is estimated to be 
19,470 hours at a cost of $218,090.
    Federal burden is estimated to be 53 hours a year at an annual 
labor cost of $15,510. Total capital and start-up cost component 
annualized over its expected useful life is $0. Total operations and 
maintenance is estimated at $0, and the cost for purchase of services 
is estimated at $75,000.
    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, 
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: April 10, 1998.
Elaine Stanley,
Director, Office of Compliance.
[FR Doc. 98-10508 Filed 4-20-98; 8:45 am]
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