[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 140 (Thursday, July 22, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43844-43845]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-16716]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OA-2003-0009; FRL-7791-1]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Obtaining Feedback on Public 
Involvement Activities and Processes, EPA ICR Number 2151.01

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 an Information Collection 
Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for review and approval. This is a request for a new collection. 
This ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its 
estimated burden and cost.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before August 23, 
2004.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OA-2003-
0009, to (1) 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 Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) 
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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia Bonner, Office of Policy, 
Economics and Innovation, Mail Code 1807T, Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone 
number: 202-566-2204; fax number: 202-566-2200; e-mail address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB 
for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 
1320.12. On February 13, 2004 (69 FR 7213) and April 20, 2004 (69 FR 
21097) EPA sought comments on this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA 
received no comments.
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. OA-2003-0009, 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 Ave., 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,'' then key in the docket ID number identified above.
    Any comments related to this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB 
within 30 days of this notice. EPA's policy is that public 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.
    Title: Obtaining Feedback on Public Involvement Activities and 
Processes.
    Abstract: Evaluation, one of the key elements in the Agency's 
Public Involvement Policy, will make it possible for EPA to better 
understand: (1) If the Agency is taking the necessary steps to gather 
and consider public Input; (2) the quality of the Agency's public 
involvement activities and processes; (3) how to consistently and 
systematically learn and improve those activities and processes, and 
(4) how the Agency can be more accountable to the public. This ICR will 
enable EPA to gather feedback from participants to identify how they 
perceive they were treated during the activity, as well as the quality 
of pre-activity information, the activity itself and follow-up. By 
using sets of surveys addressing the quality of frequently used public 
involvement activities and processes (hearings, meetings, FACAs, 
citizen advisory groups, listening sessions and stakeholder 
negotiations) to perform formative evaluation, EPA can better determine 
the extent to which our public involvement activities meet their needs 
or need to be improved, and can make iterative improvements. The survey 
responses will be confidential and the questionnaires will not involve 
``fact-finding'' for the purposes of regulatory development or 
enforcement.
    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 in 40 CFR are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and are identified on 
the form and/or instrument, if applicable.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 10 
minutes 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.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Respondents will be participants in 
public involvement activities who range from well known scientific 
experts to representatives of various interest groups, to individual 
business or property owners, local officials, interested young students 
and residents of environmental justice neighborhoods and tribal 
members. The term ``the public'' is used in the Public Involvement 
Policy in the broadest sense to include anyone, including both 
individuals and organizations, who may have an interest in an Agency 
decision.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 18,190.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 2,871.

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    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $114,000, includes $0 annual capital/
startup costs, $0 annual O&M costs, and $114,000 annual labor costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: This is a new collection.

    Dated: July 14, 2004.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 04-16716 Filed 7-21-04; 8:45 am]
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