[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 47 (Thursday, March 9, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12548-12549]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-5801]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6549-6]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Valuing Inland Water Quality Improvements

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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[[Page 12549]]

SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq.), this document announces that the following proposed 
Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Valuing Inland 
Water Quality Improvements (EPA ICR number 1914.01). 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 April 10, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For a copy of the ICR 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. 1914.01. For technical 
questions about the ICR contact Dr. Alan Carlin, Office of Policy and 
Reinvention, Mail Code 2172, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
Washington, DC 20460, e-mail [email protected], phone 202-260-5499, 
FAX 202-260-7875.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Valuing Inland Water Quality Improvements (EPA ICR number 
1914.01). This is a new collection.
    Abstract: The purpose of this project is to develop economic 
benefit values for water quality improvements for lakes, rivers, and 
streams. These estimates are of substantial academic interest since 
past studies have been based on a water quality ladder, which is 
believed not to be as scientifically valid a construct for assessing 
water quality. The estimates may also be useful to the Agency in 
complying with the requirements of Executive Order 12866 requiring 
cost-benefit analysis of major Federal regulations. This project will 
explore how valuations are affected by use of the current EPA approach 
of specifying different dimensions of water quality such as swimming, 
fishing, and broader aquatic ecological effects. The findings will be 
pertinent to economists studying water quality changes, particularly 
with respect to the task of assessing benefit values for water quality 
policies. We expect to use data collected with the survey in 
determining the value of water quality improvements to households in 
the United States. We plan to recruit subjects randomly across the 
United States through telephone recruiting. Subjects will be asked to 
complete a computer survey from a disk, which will be mailed to them. 
Subjects without convenient access to a personal computer will be 
referred to a national commercial facility with computer access nearest 
their home for the purpose of completing the survey. Subjects will 
return the survey disk by mail when completed. Participation in the 
survey is voluntary. Respondents will have to expend time, effort, and 
in many cases travel expense to participate in the study. Avoiding bias 
in the sample towards individuals and groups who can more easily take 
the survey is an important concern. As a result, we will compensate 
subjects for their time (and travel if necessary) to avoid the 
selection bias that might otherwise result. This survey is innovative 
both in terms of the survey methodology and the substantive economic 
focus. On both of these dimensions the survey is breaking new ground. 
To maximize the research value of the survey, we will proceed 
iteratively. The version of the survey available now will undergo at 
least two pre-tests after OMB approves the ICR. These pretests will be 
designed to identify programming complications arising from the nature 
of the survey, as well as survey questions that can be refined to 
promote greater clarity and convergence in the iterative choice process 
used. The final structure of the survey will depend on how people 
respond to the draft questions. For example, on any initial pairwise 
choice question, the researchers seek to present an initial tradeoff 
where half of the subjects choose each alternative, in order to 
maximize convergence on tradeoff rates in the least possible number of 
iterative questions. After the pre-tests are completed, recruiting will 
proceed as described above.
    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 November 
12, 1999 (64 FR 61632); two comments were received.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting burden for this 
collection of information will average between 50 minutes and 110 
minutes per respondent. 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: Individuals/households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,800.
    Frequency of Response: One time.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 3,150 hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Capital and Operating & Maintenance Cost 
Burden: $0.
    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. 1914.01 in any correspondence.

Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of 
Environmental Information, Collection Strategies Division (2822), 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW, 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: March 1, 2000.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 00-5801 Filed 3-9-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P