[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 238 (Monday, December 11, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 77375]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-31467]



[[Page 77375]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6914-2]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Measuring Success of EPA Compliance Assistance

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq.), this notice announces that the following Information 
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for approval: Measuring Success of EPA Compliance 
Assistance ICR number 1921.01. The ICR describes the nature of the 
information collection, the expected burden and cost to collect the 
information, and the actual collection instruments.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before January 10, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Send comments, referencing EPA ICR No. 1921.01 to the 
following addresses: Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, Collection Strategies Division (Mail Code 2822), 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; and to Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20503.

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. 1921.01. For technical 
questions about the ICR contact Tracy Back, Office of Compliance, (202) 
564-7076.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Information Collection Request for Compliance Assistance 
Tool Evaluation Surveys, EPA ICR Number 1921.01. This is a new 
collection.
    Abstract: This will be a voluntary collection of information to 
gather customer satisfaction and behavioral change feedback on EPA 
compliance assistance, as well as data on the resulting impact on 
compliance.
    There are two components to this voluntary collection of 
information. First, EPA proposes to obtain customer feedback on a 
variety of compliance assistance tools and activities, including: 
Compliance assistance products; seminars/workshops; on-site visits; 
telephone assistance/hotlines; and Internet Websites. In addition to 
assessing customer satisfaction with EPA's compliance assistance tools 
and activities, EPA is also interested in learning what actions were or 
will be taken by survey respondents to improve their compliance status 
and environmental performance, in whole or in part, as a result of the 
compliance assistance provided by EPA.
    Secondly, EPA proposes to seek information from state/local 
regulating agencies and committees regarding the impact of EPA's 
compliance assistance activities on the state of compliance. The 
regulating agencies and state/local committees will be asked whether 
EPA's compliance assistance initiatives resulted in improved 
compliance.
    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 August 10, 
1999 (64 FR 43380); no comments were received.
    It is estimated that approximately 317,920 entities may voluntarily 
complete and return a compliance assistance activity or tool assessment 
survey on an annual basis. EPA estimates that participating entities 
may need to spend between five to twenty minutes to complete either the 
complete compliance assistance product, seminar/workshop; on-site 
visit; telephone assistance/hotline; or internet website assessment 
survey. Therefore, a total of 28,374 person hours annually may be 
expended to provide EPA with data to evaluate the effectiveness of its 
compliance assistance tools and activities. This burden hour estimate 
translates to a cost of $6.24 per facility who voluntarily completes 
the survey and a total cost to industry of $1,966,295. The costs were 
calculated based on $33.00 per hour plus a 110 overhead for a total 
labor cost of $69.30.
    In addition, EPA estimates that participating state and local 
governments may need to spend two hours and 55 minutes to complete the 
``impact of compliance activities'' survey instrument. Therefore, a 
total of 2,306 person hours within the regulated community may be 
expended annually to provide EPA with data to evaluate the impact of 
its compliance assistance activities. This burden hour estimate 
translates to a cost of $1,610 per state or local government who 
voluntarily completes the survey and a total cost of $85,367. These 
costs were calculated based on labor rates of $17.48 per hour plus 110% 
overhead for a total labor rate of $36.71, plus $30.34 plus 110% 
overhead for a supervisory rate of $63.71. The labor rates were 
obtained from the United States of Commerce, Bureau of Labor 
Statistics, March 1998, Table 4: Employment Costs of State and Local 
Government.
    Burden Statement: The average time to complete the survey for 
participating entities is 5-20 minutes and nearly 3 hours for state and 
local governments . 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: state/local agencies and 
participating entities that have used EPA compliance tools.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 317,920.
    Frequency of Response: one time.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 30,679 hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Capital, O&M 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 addresses listed above. Please 
refer to EPA ICR No. 1921.01 in any correspondence.

    Dated: November 28, 2000.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 00-31467 Filed 12-8-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-U