[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 103 (Wednesday, May 29, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37421-37422]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-13355]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7219-6]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Regulatory Reinvention Pilot Projects Under 
Project XL

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 the following Information 
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Regulatory Reinvention Pilot 
Projects Under Project XL, OMB Control No. 2010-0026, expiring May 31, 
2002. 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 June 28, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Send comments, referencing EPA ICR No. 1755.06 and OMB 
Control No. 2010-0026, to the following addresses: Susan Auby, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, Collection Strategies Division (Mail 
Code 2822T), 1200 Pennsylvania

[[Page 37422]]

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; 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 Susan 
Auby at EPA by phone at (202) 566-1672, by E-mail at 
[email protected], or download off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA ICR No. 1755.06. For technical questions about the 
ICR contact Eric Marsh in EPA's Office of Environmental Policy 
Innovation at (202) 260-2782.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Regulatory Reinvention Pilot Projects Under Project XL (OMB 
Control No. 2010-0026; EPA ICR No. 1755.06) expiring May 31, 2002. This 
is a request for extension of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: In 1995 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began to 
solicit innovative pilot projects in response to a challenge to 
transform the environmental regulatory system to 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 
site-specific agreements with project sponsors, EPA is gathering data 
and project experience that will help the Agency redesign current 
approaches to public health and environmental protection. Through these 
projects, sponsors--private facilities, multiple facilities, industry 
sectors, Federal facilities, communities, universities, Tribes and 
States--can implement innovative strategies that produce superior 
environmental performance, provide flexibility, cost savings, paperwork 
reduction or other benefits to sponsors, and promote greater 
accountability to stakeholders.
    The intent of the regulatory flexibility of the innovative pilot 
projects is to allow the EPA to experiment with untried, potentially 
promising regulatory approaches, both to assess whether they provide 
superior environmental performance and other benefits at the specific 
facility affected, and whether they should be considered for wider 
application. Such pilot projects allow the EPA to proceed more quickly 
than would be possible when undertaking changes on a nationwide basis. 
EPA may modify rules, on a site or state specific basis, that represent 
one of several possible policy approaches within a more general 
statutory directive, so long as the alternative being used is 
permissible under the statute.
    Innovative pilot project proposals are collected by EPA's Office 
ofEnvironmental Policy Innovation (OEPI) [formerly the Office of 
Reinvention], which has been given responsibility for implementation of 
this program. Since 1995, EPA has implemented pilot projects to test 
innovative ideas working with EPA headquarters, EPA regions, federal, 
state, and local government agencies. The renewal of this ICR is 
important as it will allow the Agency to identify additional regulated 
entities who are interested in participating in innovative pilot 
projects as well as allow the Agency to continue its commitment to 
innovation and regulatory flexibility with facilities, communities, and 
states in achieving environmental results. The renewal of this ICR will 
allow OEPI to continue to receive and work with project sponsors on 
proposals for innovation, including those directly through EPA and 
those through the Joint EPA-State Agreement to Pursue Regulatory 
Innovation. In addition, the renewal of this ICR is necessary to allow 
EPA to continue its commitments to current projects, including three 
specified in approved ICR amendments: the NYSDEC ICR amendemnt 
(1755.03), the US Filter ICR amendment (1755.04) and the POTWs ICR 
amendment (1755.05).
    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 9, 
2001 (66 FR 56671); no comments were received.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and record keeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 150 
hours per response. 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 personal to be able to respond to 
a collection of information; search data sources; complete and review 
the collection of information; and transit or otherwise disclose the 
information.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Business or other for profit, State, 
Local or Tribal Government.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 480.
    Frequency of Response: Once.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 60,840.
    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. 1755.06 and OMB Control No. 2010-0026 in any 
correspondence.

    Dated: May 2, 2002.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 02-13355 Filed 5-28-02; 8:45 am]
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