[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 24 (Friday, February 4, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5633-5634]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-2481]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6532-4]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; IAQ Practices in Large Buildings Survey

AGENCY:  Environmental Protection Agency.

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 Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB): IAQ Practices in Large Buildings 
Survey, EPA ICR Number 1917.01. 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 April 4, 2000.

ADDRESSES:  To obtain a copy of the ICR without charge, contact: Mr. 
Lee Salmon, Indoor Environments Division, Office of Radiation and 
Indoor Air,   U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Ariel Rios 
Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., (6609J), Washington, D.C. 
20460. A copy of the ICR can also be downloaded off the Internet at 
http://www.epa.gov/icr; refer to EPA ICR No. 1917.01.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Mr. Lee Salmon by telephone at (202) 
564-9451 or by e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Affected entities: Entities potentially 
affected by this action are selected owners and managers of office 
buildings over 50,000 square feet. Survey recipients were selected from 
the membership lists of the Building Owners and Managers Association 
(BOMA) and the International Facilities Management Association (IFMA), 
as well as a list of commercial office buildings greater than 50,000 
square feet generated from electronically-available tax records. 
Federally-owned properties were selected by EPA in consultation with 
the General Services Administration (GSA).
    Title: IAQ Practices in Large Buildings Survey (EPA ICR No. 
1917.01).
    Abstract: EPA is currently working with other Federal agencies and 
the public, as well as with other nations, to promote effective 
approaches for identifying and solving indoor air quality (IAQ) 
problems. As part of this effort, EPA has developed a guide which 
addresses indoor air quality in large office buildings entitled 
``Building Air Quality: A Guide for Building Owners and Facility 
Managers'' (BAQ). This document provides an extensive discussion of a 
wide range of potential indoor air pollutants and suggests ways in 
which building owners and managers can improve the indoor air quality 
of their buildings. As a complement to the Guide, EPA has also 
developed a comprehensive BAQ Action Plan, which describes an eight-
step process for improving a building's indoor air quality. The BAQ 
Action Plan can be used to determine the current condition of an office 
building's indoor air quality, as well as to successfully implement 
good IAQ management practices.
    Using a seven-page survey, EPA proposes to collect data from 
building owners and managers. This survey will allow EPA to determine 
the extent to

[[Page 5634]]

which elements of the BAQ guidance have been incorporated into building 
management practices throughout the United States. The Agency also 
wishes to determine what barriers to implementation, if any, have been 
incurred by building owners and managers. These data are essential for 
measuring the effectiveness of EPA's efforts to encourage good IAQ 
management practices in large office buildings against the Agency's 
established Government Performance and Results Act or 1993 (GPRA) goal. 
By the year 2005, EPA wishes to demonstrate a five-percent increase in 
the number of large office buildings (i.e., over 50,000 square feet) 
that use good IAQ management practices.
    To determine its success in achieving this goal, EPA intends to 
survey owners and managers of commercial and Federally-owned office 
buildings greater than 50,000 square feet on a variety of IAQ 
practices. The Agency will mail a survey and instructions for 
completing it to approximately 4,150 building owners and managers. 
Building owners/managers will be given up to 30 days to respond. At the 
end of this period, a follow-up letter will be sent to building owners/ 
managers to remind them of the survey and to encourage them to respond. 
The initial survey will establish a baseline for the use rate of IAQ-
related practices recommended in EPA's guidance. After its completion, 
EPA will continue efforts to encourage large office building owners and 
managers to adopt the IAQ practices outlined in BAQ. EPA intends to 
conduct another survey in 2005 to assess changes in the use of these 
practices.
    EPA does not expect to receive confidential information from the 
building owners and managers voluntarily participating in the IAQ 
Practices in Large Buildings Survey. However, if a respondent does 
consider the information submitted to be of a proprietary nature, EPA 
will assure its confidentiality based on the provisions of 40 CFR Part 
2, Subpart B, ``Confidentiality of Business Information.''
    A Federal 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 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.
    (iv) minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through 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: EPA expects to mail surveys to approximately 
4,150 building owners and managers. EPA expects approximately 43 
percent of those surveyed to respond to this information collection 
request. Over three years, EPA estimates that the burden to building 
owners and managers who respond to the survey will be approximately 
3,233 hours. 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.
    This survey effort is expected to cost the respondents 
approximately $67,890. Respondents will incur no capital or start-up 
costs and the only operation and maintenance component of the survey 
will be the cost to photocopy the survey once completed (if desired). 
Burden and cost estimates for the future administration of the IAQ 
Practices in Large Buildings Survey will be provided at the time this 
ICR is renewed, but they are expected to be similar to those provided 
in this Federal Register notice.

    Dated: January 21, 2000.
Mary T. Smith,
Director, Indoor Environments Division.
[FR Doc. 00-2481 Filed 2-3-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-U