[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 226 (Wednesday, November 22, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70345-70347]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-29881]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6906-1]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Evaluations of Project XL Innovations

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): Evaluations of Project XL Innovations 
(EPA ICR No. 1993.01). 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 January 22, 2001.

ADDRESSES: The public may contact Mr. Eric Marsh in EPA's Office of 
Environmental Policy Innovation for a paper copy of the ICR (free of 
charge) or may download a copy of the ICR from the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/ProjectXL/. Mr. Marsh may be reached by mail at the U.S. 
EPA Office of Environmental Policy Innovation (Mail Code 1802), Ariel 
Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; by 
telephone at (202) 260-2782, by email at [email protected], or by FAX 
at 202-260-1812.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Katherine Dawes in the Office of 
Environmental Policy Innovation. Ms. Dawes may be reached by phone at 
(202) 260-8394, by email at [email protected], or by FAX at 202-
260-3125.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action 
include XL project sponsors, XL project stakeholders, state, tribal and 
local regulatory agencies, select members of the business industry, 
environmental organizations, industry trade associations, academics, 
and community members.
    Title: Evaluations of Project XL Innovations (EPA ICR No.1993.01).
    Abstract: In March 1995, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
initiated Project XL in response to the challenge to transform the 
environmental regulatory system to

[[Page 70346]]

better meet the needs of a rapidly changing society while maintaining 
the nation's commitment to protect human health and safeguard the 
natural environment. Through Project XL, which stands for eXcellence 
and Leadership, EPA enters into project agreements with public or 
private sector sponsors to test regulatory, policy, and procedural 
alternatives that will produce data and experiences to help the Agency 
make improvements in the current system of environmental protection. 
The goal of Project XL is to implement projects that will test ways of 
producing superior environmental performance with improved economic 
efficiencies, while increasing public participation through active 
stakeholder processes. EPA currently has 48 XL projects in 
implementation and expects to achieve the milestone of 50 signed 
projects by the end of November 2000.
    In May 2001, EPA would like to begin in-depth evaluations of 
different Project XL innovations in order to determine which, if any, 
innovations have the potential for national application. Currently, EPA 
has identified more than 65 innovations resulting from projects in 
implementation. These innovations center around regulations, 
permitting, environmental information management, compliance and 
enforcement, environmental stewardship, and stakeholder involvement. 
From the identified innovations, EPA plans to evaluate a select set the 
Agency believes has potential for broader application. As more XL 
projects move into implementation and more innovations emerge, EPA 
plans to continue this same process of selecting a set of new 
innovations and then evaluating them.
    The evaluation of XL innovations will serve a variety of purposes. 
First, by learning which innovations are working and which are not, EPA 
management can better discern which innovations can be applied on a 
wider-scale, which need further testing and refining before wide-scale 
adoption, and which should eventually be retired. Second, the 
evaluations will provide information to state, tribal, and local 
agencies attempting their own unique efforts to transform their 
regulatory systems. Third, they will inform industry representatives 
and the public, allowing them to play an active, creative role in 
finding solutions to environmental problems. Finally, the evaluations 
will help set the course for future EPA XL initiatives.
    To conduct an evaluation, EPA will select a particular innovation 
and then identify a list of people EPA could interview to learn more 
about that particular innovation. EPA will then choose from a set of 
questions pre-approved by OMB to develop specific interview 
questionnaires for the different categories of persons to be 
interviewed. For instance, one interview questionnaire will be 
developed solely for projects sponsors or persons in similar positions 
at different companies/facilities that would reasonably be interested 
in the innovation. Others will be developed for state and local agency 
officials, academia, community stakeholders, etc. The evaluations will 
then be analyzed by EPA with the results going into a report. 
Participation in the evaluations are strictly voluntary and individual 
responses will be confidential.
    As a start, EPA intends to begin evaluating permit innovations from 
projects that have been in implementation for at least a year. In order 
to determine which, if any, permit innovations can be applied on a 
wider-scale, the Agency hopes to learn about the environmental benefits 
and other incentives the permit innovation has provided; if other 
facilities/companies are interested in applying for the same type of 
innovation; if the innovation needs to be tested again before it can be 
widely adopted; and if the innovation addresses the public's concerns 
and stakeholder information needs. All interviews will be conducted by 
phone.
    The types of innovation questions that will be asked are discussed 
in more detail in the ICR supplementary statement. Regarding permit 
innovations, EPA will use questions to collect data listed below:

     Description of permit innovation (extent to which 
innovation originally envisioned at start of project matches innovation 
in implementation)
     Predictability of permit innovation
     Extent to which permit innovation has reduced/increased 
administrative burden
     Extent to which permit innovation has resulted in 
environmental benefits
     Extent to which permit innovation has resulted in 
efficiencies
     Extent to which public has increased access to data as a 
result of permit innovation
     Extent to which public accepts permit innovation
     Extent to which permit innovation allows for 
accountability
     Extent to which permit innovation allows for proper 
compliance and/or enforcement
     Extent to which permit accounts for environmental justice 
concerns
     Extent to which permit innovation is transferable to other 
companies/sectors

    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 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 information technology; e.g., permitting electronic 
submissions of responses.
    Burden Statement: It is estimated that there will be two hundred 
respondents annually to the Project XL innovation interviews requiring 
200 burden hours at a total cost of $12,800. EPA estimates that each 
respondent will spend approximately two hours reviewing the questions 
before participating in the phone interview, and each respondent will 
spend one hour on the phone participating during the interview. To 
fulfill all information collection requirements for respondents, EPA 
estimates that it will cost each respondent approximately $192 and take 
approximately three hours. Divided by three years, since ICRs are 
approved for three year periods, this comes out to approximately $64 
and one hour per respondent per year. No capital or start-up costs will 
be associated with this effort.
    It is also estimated that there will be 60 respondents annually to 
the Project XL permit innovation interviews requiring 60 burden hours 
at a total cost of $3,840. EPA estimates that each respondent will 
spend approximately two hours reviewing the questions before 
participating in the phone interview, and each respondent will spend 
one hour on the phone participating in the interview. To fulfill all 
information collection requirements for respondents, EPA estimates that 
it will cost each respondent approximately $192 and take

[[Page 70347]]

approximately three hours. Divided by three years, since ICRs are 
approved for three year periods, this comes out to approximately $64 
and one hour per respondent per year. No capital or start-up costs will 
be associated with this effort.
    Burden means 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: November 13, 2000.
Elizabeth A. Shaw,
Director, Office of Environmental Policy Innovation.
[FR Doc. 00-29881 Filed 11-21-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P