[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 42 (Friday, March 4, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10612-10614]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-4276]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ORD-2004-0022; FRL-7880-7]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Technology Performance and 
Product Information to Support Vendor Information Summaries (Renewal), 
EPA ICR Number 2154.02, OMB Control Number 2050-0194

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

[[Page 10613]]

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 to renew an existing approved collection. This ICR is 
scheduled to expire on February 28, 2005. Under OMB regulations, the 
Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the collection of information 
while this submission is pending at OMB. This ICR describes the nature 
of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before April 4, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number ORD-2004-
0022, 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 Research and Development (ORD) 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: Eric N. Koglin, Environmental 
Protection Agency, P.O. Box 93478, Las Vegas, Nevada 89193-3478; 
telephone number: (702) 798-2332; fax number: (702) 798-2291; 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 December 21, 2004 (69 FR 76464) 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. ORD-2004-0022, which is available for public viewing at the ORD 
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 ORD 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: Technology Performance and Product Information to Support 
Vendor Information Summaries (Renewal).
    Abstract: The U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development's 
National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC) is helping to 
protect human health and the environment from adverse impacts resulting 
from intentional acts of terror. With an emphasis on decontamination 
and consequence management, water infrastructure protection, and threat 
and consequence assessment, NHSRC scientists and engineers are working 
to develop tools and information that will help detect the intentional 
introduction of chemical, biological, and radiological contaminants in 
buildings or water systems, the containment of these contaminants, the 
decontamination of buildings and/or water systems, and the disposal of 
material resulting from cleanups. With a substantial background in 
environmental protection and risk management, NHSRC researchers are 
well-positioned to develop the tools and technologies needed to respond 
to existing and potential terrorist threats. The focus of these efforts 
is aimed at providing advice, guidance, and scientific expertise on 
homeland security issues to emergency response personnel, consequence 
managers, decision-makers, and government officials that will result in 
improved protection for all citizens.
    An important facet of the NHSRC mission is identifying, testing, 
and evaluating technologies to support water utility operators, 
emergency responders, and facility managers. EPA lacks a well 
documented array of technological tools to adequately address all of 
the monitoring, detection, decontamination, and treatment tasks 
associated with remediating contaminated facilities and drinking water 
supply systems. EPA is aware that significant research, development, 
and commercialization efforts are underway by the private sector, but 
EPA needs to manage the information concerning the myriad of technology 
choices faced by its customers.
    EPA has initiated this effort to develop brief vendor information 
summaries of available technologies relevant to the detection and 
decontamination of drinking water systems, building materials, building 
structures, and indoor air that may become contaminated with chemical, 
biological, or radiological contaminants. These summaries will be based 
upon vendor-generated or provided information including any 
independent, validated test data generated by governmental or other 
organizations and provided to EPA through this ICR. EPA will produce 4-
10 page summaries on each of the technologies for which vendors 
voluntarily agreed to submit the requested information. These summaries 
will be shared with EPA and other emergency response personnel, 
building and facility managers, and water utility operators. The 
information provided by technology developers and vendors will also be 
used by the NHSRC's Technology Testing and Evaluation Program (TTEP) to 
identify technologies that may be suitable candidates for testing and 
evaluation and to track those technologies under development that may 
eventually be ready for rigorous testing and evaluation.
    Developers and vendors with applicable technologies are being 
searched through all available mechanisms. Once identified, the 
developer or vendor is sent a letter requesting the submission of 
specific information pertinent to the performance, operation, 
maintenance, and cost of the technology. The submission of information 
is voluntary. Because the summarized information will be publically 
available, technology vendors/developers will be discouraged from 
submitting CBI.

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    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 record keeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 15 
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 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: Homeland security technology 
developers or vendors.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 70.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 1,050 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $66,000, includes $0 annual capital/
startup costs, $500 annual O&M costs, and $65,000 annual labor costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 675 hours in the 
total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of 
Approved Burdens. This increase is due to adjustments made to the 
amount of time necessary for the compiling, submitting and commenting 
on information provided under this ICR after having consulted with 
respondents.

    Dated: February 25, 2005.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 05-4276 Filed 3-3-05; 8:45 am]
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