[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 51 (Wednesday, March 15, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13962-13964]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-6394]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6560-9]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Continuing Collection; 
Comment Request; Request for Information for the Bioremediation Field 
Initiative Database System

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 continuing Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB): Request for Information for the 
Bioremediation Field Initiative Database Systems, EPA ICR No. 1672.03, 
OMB Control No. 2080-0048, expires 05/31/2000. 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 May 15, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Office of Research and Development, Technology Transfer and 
Support Division, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, 26 West 
Martin Luther King Drive (Mailstop G75), Cincinnati, OH 45268.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Fran Kremer, ph: 513-569-7346, fax: 
513-569-7620, email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Affected entities: Entities potentially 
affected by this action are those that are involved in the use of 
innovative technologies at Superfund sites, such as state and local 
governments, businesses, and nonprofit institutions.
    Title: Request for Information for the Bioremediation Field 
Initiative Database System, OMB Control No. 2080-0048, expires 05/31/
2000.
    Abstract: This is an ICR renewal for gathering information on the 
design, operation, and performance of biological treatment technologies 
from remediation experts and managers working at sites where biological 
treatment technologies are being tested or implemented. The authority 
for collecting information on innovative treatment technologies is 
described at Section 311 of the Superfund Amendments and 
Reauthorization Act, Section 8003 of the Resource Conservation and 
Recovery Act, Section 7001 of the Oil Pollution Act, and Section 10 of 
the Toxic Substance Control Act. Response to the collection of 
information is voluntary. The information will help the EPA to deploy 
innovative technologies more quickly at Superfund and other sites.
    Selected respondents are asked to complete and return, via mail, a 
two-part questionnaire. The first part requests general site 
information, such as location, contacts, contaminants, and legislative 
authority under which the site is being remediated. The second part 
requests site-specific biotechnology information, such as the stage of 
the operation, wastes and media being treated, cleanup level goals, and 
the performance and cost of the treatment. Again, all responses are 
strictly voluntary. Following the initial questionnaire, respondents 
receive followup questionnaires on a semi-annual basis to update the 
information already provided. EPA has developed an easy-to-use PC-based 
version of the questionnaire that is currently in use. To run the 
electronic questionnaire, the user must have access to a Windows-
capable IBM-compatible PC, preferably 486-class or better. The PC 
questionnaire has several benefits:
     Questions that apply only under particular circumstances 
(i.e., are dependent on previous responses) are only presented to the 
user as necessary.
     Data validations are performed optionally as the user is 
filling out the questionnaire and are required when a respondent is 
ready to submit the data to EPA. Data validation conditions are 
reported with an explanation of the problem/situation and recommended 
corrective action(s).
     Pick lists are provided for several questions, so that 
users may choose an item from a list rather than enter the full text 
using the keyboard.
    Respondents may utilize either the paper- or the PC-based 
questionnaire, which ever they prefer. In each case, when respondents 
are updating the site records for sites that are already in the 
Bioremediation Field Initiative database, the questionnaire shows the 
site's complete responses from past questionnaires, so that information 
that has not changed need not be reentered. Respondents with access to 
the Internet may express comments or request assistance using an e-mail 
account that is identified in each questionnaire mailing. Each form of 
the questionnaire is updated occasionally between data collection 
cycles to include prominent new technologies and contaminants as they 
are identified in prior collection efforts. A Web-based version of the 
questionnaire with essentially the same features as the PC-based 
version is in development.
    EPA compiles information from completed questionnaires into the 
Bioremediation Field Initiative computer database. EPA developed a 
software program called the Bioremediation in the Field Search System 
(BFSS) to search, view, and report information in the database. 
Recently, EPA re-engineered this software into a Web-enabled 
application, making the BFSS data available to the public for online 
searching.
    Each site in the database includes contact information for one or 
more individuals associated with the regulatory authority or 
application of bioremediation technology at the site. Remediation 
professionals may contact individuals with common site conditions to 
share information. Summary statistics may be drawn from the database to 
elucidate trends in bioremediation.
    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 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 through the use of appropriate automated 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of

[[Page 13963]]

information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of 
responses.
    Burden Statement: The following burden figures are taken from the 
currently approved ICR:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                Burden
                       Respondent type                           hours
------------------------------------------------------------------------
First-time respondents......................................        5.0
Update respondents..........................................        1.0
No-change respondents.......................................        0.5
Nonrespondents..............................................        0.25
                                                             -----------
    Total...................................................        6.75
------------------------------------------------------------------------


------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                Respondents
         Respondent type          --------------------------------------
                                    Period one   Period two     Yearly
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 First-time respondents..........           50           50          100
Update respondents...............          449          482          931
No-change respondents............          129          139          268
Nonrespondents...................          102          110          212
                                  --------------------------------------
    Total........................          730          781         1511
------------------------------------------------------------------------

(First-time respondents fill out a questionnaire for the first time, 
entering data for a site not previously included in the Bioremediation 
Field Initiative database. Update respondents receive a questionnaire 
containing the current record of site data in the Bioremediation Field 
Initiative database and enter information to make the information 
current. No-change respondents receive a questionnaire containing the 
current record of site data in the Bioremediation Field Initiative 
database, review the information and find that it is current; 
therefore, they need not modify information to make the site current. 
Nonrespondents receive the questionnaire, review it, and elect not to 
respond.)
    The cost per hour of respondent time is estimated as $52 for 
management personnel, $45 for technical personnel, and $32 for clerical 
personnel, based on recent labor rates.
    Annual respondent burdens are calculated as follows:
     In period one, up to 730 respondents will be sent 
questionnaires. Of these, 50 first-time respondents will take 5 hours 
each to complete the questionnaire. All of the 578 previously submitted 
questionnaires will be mailed out for updates, 449 respondents will 
update the questionnaire (1 hour), 129 respondents will review their 
data and return the questionnaire indicating that the data have not 
changed (0.5 hour), and 102 respondents will not return the 
questionnaire (0.25 hour).

 
 
 
PERIOD ONE HOURS:
Hours Total * No. of Respondents
First-time Respondents...................................        5.00        *        50          =          250
No. Updating Respondents.................................        1.00        *       449          =          449
No. No Change Respondents................................        0.50        *       129          =          D65
Nonrespondents...........................................        0.25        *       102          =           26
                                                                                                     -----------
      Total Period Burden (Hours)........................  ............  ......  ...........  ......         790
 
PERIOD ONE COSTS:
Cost Total * No. of Respondents
First-time Respondents...................................     $210.75        *        50          =      $10,538
No. Updating Respondents.................................       43.38        *       449          =       19,478
No. No-Change Respondents................................       20.88        *       129          =        2,694
Nonrespondents...........................................       12.13        *       102          =        1,237
                                                                                                     -----------
      Total Period Cost..................................  ............  ......  ...........  ......      33,947
 

     In period two, up to 781 respondents will be sent 
questionnaires. Of these, 50 first-time respondents will take 5 hours 
each to complete the questionnaire. All of the 628 previously submitted 
questionnaires will be mailed out for updates, 482 respondents will 
update the questionnaire (1 hour), 139 respondents will review their 
data and return the questionnaire indicating that the data have not 
changed (0.5 hour), and 110 respondents will not return the 
questionnaire (0.25 hour).

 
 
 
PERIOD TWO HOURS:
Hours Total * No. of Respondents
First-time Respondents.........................        5.00        *        50          =          250
Updating Respondents...........................        1.00        *       482          =          482
No-Change Respondents..........................        0.50        *       139          =           70
Nonrespondents.................................        0.25        *       110          =           28
                                                                                           -------------
      Total Period Burden (Hours)..............  ............  ......  ...........  ......         830
 
PERIOD TWO COSTS:
Cost Total * No. of Respondents
First-time Respondents.........................     $210.00        *        50          =      $10,538
Updating Respondents...........................       43.38        *       482          =       20,909

[[Page 13964]]

 
No-Change Respondents..........................       20.88        *       139          =        2,902
Nonrespondents.................................       12.13        *       110          =        1,334
                                                                                           -------------
      Total Period Cost........................  ............  ......  ...........  ......      35,683
 

    Based on these estimates, the annual respondents' burden is 
projected as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    Hours        Cost
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Period One......................................        790      $33,947
Period Two......................................        830       35,683
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------------------------------------------------------------------------

    EPA's experience to this point indicates that, in most cases, the 
paperwork burden associated with completing the questionnaire is 
essentially the same regardless of whether the respondent is using the 
paper or the electronic version. A general, indirect efficiency 
advantage for respondents using the electronic version is that the 
software application's data validation function (described above) is 
likely to reduce the need for callbacks from EPA concerning incomplete 
or nonstandard data. (This also will be true for the Web-based version 
of the questionnaire when it is deployed.) The most significant 
efficiencies associated with use of the electronic version would accrue 
to the relatively small percentage of respondents who provide 
information for numerous sites. An important benefit of the electronic 
version not related to the respondents' paperwork burden is that 
collected site data can be more efficiently added to the computer 
database.
    Each year, the burden figures increase somewhat, as first-time 
respondents are added to the database. In subsequent years, first-time 
respondents will be divided among the other respondent types. This 
growth is offset slightly as sites are removed from the data collection 
cycle--most typically if the site activity is completed, but for other 
reasons as well.
    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: February 29, 2000.
Robert A. Olexsey,
Director, Land Remediation and Pollution Control Division.
[FR Doc. 00-6394 Filed 3-14-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P