[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 27 (Wednesday, February 9, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6355-6356]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-2963]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    DOC has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
clearance the following proposal for collection of information under 
the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).
    Agency: Census Bureau.
    Title: Pollution Abatement Costs and Expenditures (PACE) Survey.
    Agency Form Number(s): MA-200.
    OMB Approval Number: 0607-0176.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement, with change, of an expired 
collection.
    Burden Hours: 160,000 hours.
    Number of Respondents: 20,000.
    Average Hours Per Response: 8 hours.
    Needs and Uses: The Pollution Abatement Costs and Expenditures 
(PACE) Survey was conducted annually prior to 1995 but suspended due to 
Census Bureau budget limitations. The PACE Survey provided measures of 
the cost to private industry for the Nation's commitment to protecting 
the environment. This survey is an essential source of data for 
monitoring the impact of environmental programs on the U.S. economy and 
responsiveness to these programs. The absence of the data over the past 
4 years has highlighted the need for measures of private industry 
spending on pollution abatement activities. With support from the EPA, 
the Census Bureau proposes to reinstate this survey.
    The survey will collect information similar to that previously 
collected: Pollution abatement expenditures, operating costs for 
pollution abatement, each by media, air pollution control, water 
pollution control and multi-media, and waste disposal. In addition, the 
survey will include the nature of the costs incurred, distinguishing 
between prevention and treatment. The survey will include approximately 
20,000 establishments selected to represent manufacturing, mining and 
electric utilities industries defined by the North American Industry 
Classification System (NAICS) with emphasis on industries most heavily 
involved in pollution abatement activities. The survey sample will also 
include representation of establishments in the apparel and textile 
industry and manufacturing establishments with less than 20 employees. 
These groups had been excluded from the earlier survey design under the 
assumption that they contributed little or nothing to the estimates. 
Representation from these groups will be used to confirm the 
assumption.
    The EPA will use the data to monitor the impact of environmental 
programs and to estimate cost projections for its regulatory impact 
analysis for proposed pollution regulations. Capital expenditures for 
pollution abatement is an important component of total capital 
expenditures when analyzing investment and productivity at the Bureau 
of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. State and 
local governments, trade associations, the academic community, and 
private businesses will use the data to evaluate regional pollution 
abatement spending, local legislation, and performance of specific 
industries.
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit organizations.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    OMB Desk Officer: Susan Schechter, (202) 395-5103.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Linda Engelmeier, DOC Forms Clearance Officer, 
(202) 482-3272, U.S. Department of Commerce, Room 5027, 14th and 
Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at 
[email protected]).

[[Page 6356]]

    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to Susan Schechter, OMB Desk Officer, Room 10201, New Executive Office 
Building, Washington, DC 20503.

    Dated: February 1, 2000.
Linda Engelmeier,
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer.
[FR Doc. 00-2963 Filed 2-8-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P