[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 183 (Tuesday, September 22, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50566-50567]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-25322]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6165-9]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Collection of Information for Atmospheric Pollution 
Prevention Division Programs: Request for Generic Clearance

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 EPA is planning to submit the 
following proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB): Collection of Information for 
Atmospheric Pollution Prevention Division Programs: Request for Generic 
Clearance, EPA ICR No. 1861.01.
    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 November 23, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Commenters must send an original and two copies of their 
comments referencing EPA ICR No. 1861.01 Collection of Information for 
Atmospheric Pollution Prevention Division Programs: Request for Generic 
Clearance to: Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center, 
Atmospheric Pollution Prevention Division, Office of Air and Radiation 
(Mail Code 6102), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters 
(EPA, HQ), 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460. Hand deliveries of 
comments should be made to Room M1500 at this address. Comments may 
also be submitted electronically through the internet to: a-and-r-
[email protected]. Comments in electronic format should also be 
identified by EPA ICR No. 1861.01 Collection of Information for 
Atmospheric Pollution Prevention Division Programs: Request for Generic 
Clearance. All electronic comments must be submitted as an ASCII file 
avoiding the use of special characters and any form of encryption.
    Public comments and supporting materials are available for viewing 
in the Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center, located at the 
address above. The Docket is open to the public on all federal 
government work days from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. It is recommended that 
the public make an appointment to review docket materials by calling 
202-260-7549. The Docket will accept phone and fax requests for 
material. Phone requests may be made using the phone number listed 
above, and fax requests may be submitted to 202-260-4400. A reasonable 
fee is charged for the duplication of materials.
    The official record for this action will be kept in paper form. 
Accordingly, EPA will transfer all comments received electronically 
into paper form and place them in the official record, which will also 
include all comments submitted directly in writing.
    EPA responses to comments, whether the comments are written or 
electronic, will be in a notice in the Federal Register. EPA will not 
immediately reply to commenters electronically other than to seek 
clarification of electronic comments that may be garbled in 
transmission or during conversion to paper form, as discussed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For more information on specific 
aspects of this rulemaking, contact Salomon (Sol) Salinas, Atmospheric 
Pollution Prevention Division (Mail Code 6202J), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460, (202) 564-
9420 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
existing and potential commercial, industrial, residential, and 
government customers of the Atmospheric Pollution Prevention Division's 
voluntary public/private partnership programs.
    Title: Collection of Information for Atmospheric Pollution 
Prevention Division Programs: Request for Generic Clearance, EPA ICR 
No. 1861.01. OMB Control No. and expiration date are not applicable as 
this is a new ICR.
    Abstract: EPA's Atmospheric Pollution Prevention Division (APPD) 
implements a number of voluntary public/private partnership programs to 
encourage the widespread use of energy-efficiency technologies and 
practices as a profitable means of pollution prevention and to promote 
environmental stewardship. These programs target commercial, 
industrial, residential, and government customers. APPD's Commercial 
and Industrial Business Unit targets large and small

[[Page 50567]]

commercial organizations through the Energy Star Buildings and Green 
Lights Programs. The Residential and Energy Star Business Unit uses the 
Energy Star label to reach the American consumer through the Energy 
Star Homes, Energy Star HVAC Equipment, and Energy Star Office 
Equipment programs. The Methane and Utility Business Unit promotes the 
efficient delivery of electricity through the Energy Star Transformer 
Program and encourages the profitable recovery and use of otherwise 
wasted methane through Natural Gas Star, the Coalbed Methane Outreach, 
AgStar, the Landfill Methane Outreach, and the Ruminant Livestock 
Efficiency Programs. APPD also administers Environmental Stewardship 
Programs that strive to reduce emissions of highly potent greenhouse 
gases through partnerships with industries including the aluminum and 
semi-conductor industries.
    Under this generic clearance, APPD will conduct a series of 
surveys, interviews, or focus group meetings to collect non-duplicative 
information on the effectiveness of current APPD programs, including 
partner and customer satisfaction; the potential environmental and 
economic effects of future or proposed APPD programs, including market 
or industry data; and the direct or indirect experience and/or 
involvement of third-parties with APPD's programs. The Agency intends 
to use telephone surveys or interviews, written surveys or 
questionnaires, face-to-face interviews, focus group meetings, or a 
combination of these methods, as appropriate, to collect information 
under this generic clearance. Through these collection methods, APPD 
will ask respondents to perform any or all of the following activities: 
Receive and review survey, interview, or focus group instructions or 
agenda, create or collect the information requested, respond verbally 
or in writing, and submit follow-up information or clarify responses, 
if requested.
    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 Ch. 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 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 responses).
    Burden Statement: In general, APPD expects to undertake 12 
information collections per year under this generic clearance, two of 
which may involve upwards of 5,000 respondents and 10 of which may 
involve upwards of 500 respondents. Therefore, APPD estimates that on 
average 1,250 respondents will be contacted for a single information 
collection and that up to 15,000 respondents will be contacted annually 
under this generic clearance. Prior experience indicates that 
approximately 50 percent of all respondents, or 7,500 annually, will 
need to be asked to submit follow-up information or clarification. 
Further, APPD expects that the two larger efforts and half (or five) of 
the smaller efforts will be written information collection tools; the 
other five collections will involve telephone or other interview 
techniques.
    Public reporting burden for this collection of information is 
estimated to average three hours per respondent. The burden estimate 
includes time to receive the instructions, create or collect the 
information, respond verbally or in writing, and submit follow-up 
information or clarify responses, if requested. There is no 
recordkeeping burden. It is expected that respondents will incur no 
capital costs and only photocopying costs when responding to each of 
the seven written information collections. An average of five 
photocopies per respondent yields an average cost of $0.50 per 
respondent to written collections ($0.42 per respondent when 
distributed across all respondents). The aggregate annualized bottom-
line burden and cost for respondents is approximately 42,000 hours per 
year with an annual cost of approximately $2,398,800. The bottom line 
burden to APPD is approximately 64,428 hours, at a cost of 
approximately $2,441,016 per year.
    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: August 28, 1998.
Salomon Salinas,
Atmospheric Pollution Prevention Division.
[FR Doc. 98-25322 Filed 9-21-98; 8:45 am]
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