[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 229 (Monday, November 30, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65778-65779]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-31677]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6194-1]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; EPA EMPACT Urban Environmental Issues Study of 
86 Cities

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: EPA EMPACT Urban 
Environmental Issues Study of 86 Cities; EPA ICR No. 1864.01. 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 December 30, 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 No. 1864.01.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: EPA EMPACT Urban Environmental Issues Study of 86 Cities, 
EPA ICR No. 1864.01. This is a new collection.
    Abstract: The Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and 
Community Tracking Program (EMPACT) is a pilot program of the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency. By the year 2001, it will provide to 
citizens in 86 of the largest urban areas in the country, up-to-date 
urban

[[Page 65779]]

environmental information they can understand and use in their day-to-
day decision making about their health and the environment. As a part 
of program planning efforts, EMPACT is currently developing a telephone 
survey. The objective of the survey is to rank citizens' top local 
urban environmental concerns in each of the 86 EMPACT cities. EMPACT 
will use this information for the following purposes:

Direct successful FY '99 projects into new metropolitan areas
Guide the selection of EMPACT urban grant recipients
Directing the development of information delivery systems in urban 
areas
Guiding the development of new/innovative information delivery and 
public access media and models
Support information needs of concurrent programs

    Participation in this data collection effort is voluntary. 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 
document required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on this 
collection of information was published on April 3, 1998. Two comments 
were received.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average .20 
hours 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: citizens within 86 designated EMPACT 
cities.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 8,600.
    Frequency of Response: one-time collection.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 1720 hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: $0.00.
    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 and OMB Control No. in any correspondence.

Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, OP 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: November 19, 1998.
Richard T. Westlund,
Acting Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 98-31677 Filed 11-27-98; 8:45 am]
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