[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 5 (Thursday, January 8, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1281-1283]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-375]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OA-2003-0008, FRL-7608-4]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; National Environmental Performance Track (Performance 
Track) Outreach Award Application, Mentoring Program Registration, and 
Customer Satisfaction Questionnaire, EPA ICR Number 1949.04

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 notice announces that EPA is planning to submit the 
following proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB): National Environmental Performance 
Track (Performance Track) Outreach Award Application, Mentoring Program 
Registration, and Customer Satisfaction Questionnaire (EPA ICR No. 
1949.04). This is a request for a new collection. Before submitting the 
ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on 
specific aspects of the proposed collection as described below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 8, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Follow the detailed instructions in SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Grogan, Office of Policy, 
Economics and Innovation, Mail Code 1808T, Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone 
number: 202-566-2981; fax number: 202-566-0292; e-mail address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has established a public docket for this 
ICR under Docket ID No. OA-2003-0008, which is available for public 
viewing at the Office of Environmental Information Docket in the EPA 
Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Avenue, 
NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center Public Reading Room is open 
from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal 
holidays. The telephone number for the Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, 
and the telephone number for the Office of Environmental Information 
Docket is (202) 566-1752. An electronic version of the public docket is 
available through EPA Dockets (EDOCKET) at http://www.epa.gov/edocket. 
Use EDOCKET to submit or view public comments, access the index listing 
of the contents of the public docket, and to access those documents in 
the public docket that are available electronically. Once in the 
system, select ``search,'' and then key in the docket ID number 
identified above.
    Any comments related to this ICR should be submitted to OMB and EPA 
within 60 days of this notice, and according to the following detailed 
instructions: (1) Mail your comments to OMB at: Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), 
Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 
20503, and (2) Submit you comments to EPA online using EDOCKET (our 
preferred method), by e-mail to: [email protected], or by mail to: EPA 
Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Environmental 
Information Docket, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20460.
    EPA's policy is that comments, whether submitted electronically or 
in paper, will be made available for public viewing in EDOCKET as EPA 
receives them and without change, unless the comment contains 
copyrighted material, CBI or other information whose public disclosure 
is restricted by statute. When EPA identifies a comment containing 
copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference to that material in 
the version of the comment that is placed in EDOCKET. The entire 
printed comment, including the copyrighted material, will be available 
in the public docket. Although identified as an item in the official 
docket, information claimed as CBI, or whose disclosure is otherwise 
restricted by statute, is not included in the official public docket, 
and will not be available for public viewing in EDOCKET. For further 
information about the electronic docket, see EPA's Federal Register 
notice describing the electronic docket at 67 FR 38102 (May 31, 2002), 
or go to http://www.epa.gov/edocket.
    Affected Entities: Potentially affected entities are facilities 
and/or organizations that are currently, or are considering becoming, 
members of EPA's National Environmental Performance Track Program.

[[Page 1282]]

    Title: National Environmental Performance Track (Performance Track) 
Outreach Award Application, Mentoring Program Registration, and 
Customer Satisfaction Questionnaire (EPA ICR Number 1949.04).
    Abstract: EPA announced the National Environmental Performance 
Track Program on June 26, 2000. The program is designed to recognize 
and encourage facilities that consistently meet their legal 
requirements, that have implemented management systems to monitor and 
improve performance, that have voluntarily achieved environmental 
improvements beyond compliance, and that publicly commit to specific 
environmental improvements and report on progress. There are currently 
309 facilities that are members of this voluntary program. This ICR 
proposes adding the following three components to the Performance Track 
Program to strengthen and expand membership:

Performance Track Outreach Award Application

    The Performance Track Outreach Award is sponsored by the EPA's 
Performance Track Program. While Performance Track rewards all members 
for their commitment to improving their role in protecting the 
environment, the Outreach Award is a special award offered to current 
members and partners who are educating the public and encouraging 
prospective facilities to join Performance Track. Educating prospective 
facilities on the merits of joining the program helps increase 
membership in the Performance Track program, which in turn provides 
additional environmental benefits as more and more facilities make 
commitments to continuous environmental improvement.
    Outreach Award applications are submitted voluntarily by any 
facility or organization that was a member or partner of Performance 
Track during the calendar year. To be considered for the award, 
facilities/organizations may self-nominate or may be nominated by other 
facilities, local or state entities, or EPA Performance Track staff. 
Nominating facilities will be asked to complete and submit a short 
nomination application containing facility and contact information, as 
well as asking the nominating facility to list activities performed to 
be considered for the Outreach Award. All applications will be reviewed 
by a panel of EPA judges and the recipients of the Outreach Award will 
be announced at the following year's Annual Member Event.

Performance Track Mentoring Program Registration

    The Performance Track Mentoring Program is a voluntary program 
developed to facilitate information sharing among facilities and help 
potential Performance Track applicants improve their environmental 
performance and strengthen their Performance Track applications. The 
Performance Track Mentoring Program is available to any facility that 
is considering applying to the Performance Track program and that is 
seeking personal assistance in setting environmental goals from the top 
performing facilities currently in the program. Facilities seeking to 
participate in the Performance Track Mentoring Program will be asked to 
submit a short registration form that includes facility and contact 
information, whether the facility seeks to serve as a mentor or mentee, 
and what areas of the Performance Track program the facility wishes to 
provide/receive assistance. Mentees are matched together with 
Performance Track sites that volunteer their time and resources to 
share their experiences and expertise in environmental best practices.
    EPA believes establishing a mentor/mentee program will help it 
increase membership in Performance Track and allow current members to 
share their expertise in environmental best practices with facilities 
that are considering becoming members in Performance Track. This 
sharing of knowledge will facilitate establishment of meaningful and 
achievable performance goals for potential members, and will provide an 
additional source of information available to potential members about 
the Performance Track program's application process. EPA believes this 
feedback will strengthen the quality of potential members' applications 
and streamline the application process.

Performance Track Customer Satisfaction Questionnaire

    EPA is interested in improving and increasing the value that 
Performance Track members receive from the Performance Track Program 
through membership services. EPA plans to gather feedback from all 
current Performance Track members through a voluntary Customer 
Satisfaction Questionnaire. Current Performance Track members reflect a 
broad array of industry categories and their opinions about the 
program's effectiveness and level of service will be used to shape the 
development of future member services. The questionnaire will assess 
the satisfaction level of current members as well as identify 
improvements to services that the program can implement to increase 
long-term member satisfaction. The questionnaire will ascertain the 
following information: Program benefits and services that are important 
to members; member satisfaction with current services; potential 
improvements in communicating with members about the program; the level 
of promotion/publicity that members desire for their participation in 
the program; and any additional benefits and services that would 
increase member satisfaction.
    The Customer Satisfaction Questionnaire will be administered 
online, to reduce the burden on respondents and encourage a high 
response rate. All current members, along with approximately 12 
corporate level representatives of participating facilities, will 
receive e-mail notification with passwords to allow them access to the 
survey. The questionnaire will be administered for one month to further 
encourage a high response rate, allowing EPA to accurately assess 
member satisfaction and desired improvements to the program. The 
questionnaire responses will be analyzed in a report at the conclusion 
of the one-month survey period. The questionnaire will serve to assess 
satisfaction and identify improvements in future years as well, as EPA 
plans to administer the survey on a biennial schedule.
    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, and are 
identified on the form and/or instrument, if applicable.
    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 1283]]

information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of 
responses.
    Burden Statement: The burden for information collection 
requirements associated with the Outreach Award Application is 
estimated to be 1.5 hours per respondent. The burden estimate includes 
time to review the instructions, gather information, and complete and 
submit the application. EPA plans to collect this information annually 
and estimates between 27 and 42 respondents per year over the life of 
this ICR at a cost of $112 per response.
    The burden for information collection requirements associated with 
the Mentoring Program Registration Form is estimated to be 0.25 hours 
per respondent. The burden estimate includes time to review the 
registration form, and complete and submit the registration. EPA plans 
to collect this information annually and estimates between 39 and 60 
respondents per year over the life of this ICR at a cost of $19 per 
response.
    The burden for information collection requirements associated with 
the Customer Satisfaction Questionnaire is estimated to be 0.5 hours 
per respondent. The burden estimate includes time to read the 
instructions for the questionnaire and complete the online survey. EPA 
plans to administer the questionnaire on a biennial schedule and 
estimates 358 and 554 respondents for year one and year three, 
respectively, at a cost of $37 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 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: December 19, 2003.
Daniel Fiorino,
Director, Performance Incentives Division.
[FR Doc. 04-375 Filed 1-7-04; 8:45 am]
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