[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 199 (Friday, October 13, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 60938]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-26352]



[[Page 60938]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6884-6]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Assessing Public Opinions on Visibility Impairment Due 
to Air Pollution

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 proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB): Assessing Public Opinions on Visibility 
Impairment due to Air Pollution (ICR number 1970.01). 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 should be submitted on or before December 12, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be submitted to Mr. Rich Damberg, Office of 
Air Quality Planning and Standards, Mail Code 15, U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park NC 27711, email 
[email protected], phone 919-541-5592, fax 919-541-7690.

Availability of Related Information

    A summary of the focus group process and the proposed questions can 
be obtained without charge by contacting Rich Damberg at the address or 
telephone number listed above. Be sure to include name, address, 
telephone number, e-mail if available, and delivery preference (mail or 
e-mail delivery).

Electronic Availability

    The summary and proposed questions can also be obtained online at 
the Agency's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS) 
Technology Transfer Network (TTN) under the technical area of ``Office 
of Air and Radiation Policy and Guidance (OAR P&G), and under the 
heading of ``General Documents'' at the following web site: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/gener.html. If assistance is needed in accessing 
the system, call the help desk at (919) 541-5384 in Research Triangle 
Park, NC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Rich Damberg at (919) 541-5592.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Affected Entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
individuals who agree to participate in the focus groups. Participation 
is voluntary and subjects will be appropriately compensated for their 
time and effort. Recruiting will be done by Abt Associates Inc., in a 
manner described in the abstract below.
    Title: Assessing Public Opinions on Visibility Impairment Due to 
Air Pollution (EPA ICR number 1970.01).
    Abstract: The purpose of this project is to obtain information 
regarding public opinions on visibility impairment. The findings will 
be used to inform the review of the National Ambient Air Quality 
Standards (NAAQS) for Particulate Matter (PM). Secondary NAAQS are 
established to protect against adverse effects on public welfare, and 
one of the welfare effects associated with airborne PM is visibility 
impairment. These focus groups will provide one important tool for 
obtaining information on people's views on discernability and 
acceptability of differing levels of visibility impairment. 
Photographic representations will be prepared for each focus group city 
that illustrate visibility at differing levels of pollution, and will 
be used along with the focus group discussion questions to elicit 
comment on people's views on discernability and acceptability of 
different levels of visibility. A contractor, Abt Associates Inc., will 
develop and implement the focus group discussions, including 
coordination of focus group facilitation. We plan to recruit subjects 
from six or seven U.S. metropolitan areas. Subjects will be asked to 
participate in a focus group discussion, which will last 2 or 2\1/2\ 
hours. Approximately nine to twelve subjects will be recruited for each 
focus group session. Participation is voluntary. Respondents will have 
to expend time, effort, and possibly travel expense to participate in 
the study. As such, we will compensate subjects for their time (and 
travel if necessary). 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. We solicit comment on the summary of the proposed 
focus group project, and specifically solicit comment on the following 
issues:
    (i) 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) 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) The quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and
    (iv) Minimization of 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: The total national burden estimate for all parts 
of the questionnaire process is 672 hours. The burden estimates are 
based on participation by 12 subjects in 14 focus group discussions (2 
different sessions in each selected city). We estimate that each 
subject will require, on average, 1 minute to refuse to participate 
during the phone recruiting process, and up to 4 hours to participate 
in the focus group (including possible travel time). Given these 
assumptions, the total burden for the survey in terms of participant 
time (672 hours) valued at $13.18 (the average hourly earnings for May 
1999 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics) is estimated to be 
$8,857 prior to the payment of the proposed compensation. We stress 
again that participation by subjects in the survey is voluntary and 
that subjects will be compensated for their time and effort. 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: October 2, 2000.
Henry C. Thomas,
Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 00-26352 Filed 10-12-00; 8:45 am]
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