[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 9, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11607-11608]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-4575]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    DOC has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
clearance the following proposal for collection of information under 
the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).
    Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.
    Title: Pollution Abatement Costs & Expenditures Survey.
    Form Number(s): MA-200S, MA-200P, MA-200.
    Agency Approval Number: 0607-0176.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement, with change, of an expired 
collection.
    Burden: 120,000 hours.
    Number of Respondents: 62,000.
    Avg Hours Per Response: Screener--15 minutes; Pilot & Survey--5 
hours.
    Needs and Uses: The Pollution Abatement Costs and Expenditures 
(PACE) survey was conducted annually from 1973 through 1994, with the 
exception of 1987, and again in 1999. The PACE survey provided measures 
of the cost to private industry for the Nation's commitment to 
protecting the environment. Private industry is spending significant 
amounts of money to meet increasing Federal, state, and local 
regulations for controlling pollution. Efforts to abate pollution or 
decrease expenses of pollution abatement have led to technology 
innovation and improved efficiency for some companies. This survey was 
a source of data for monitoring the impact of environmental programs on 
the U.S. economy and responsiveness to these programs. The absence of 
the data over the past 5 years has highlighted the need for measures of 
private industry spending on pollution abatement activities. During 
this time, there has been no suitable substitute for measuring and 
monitoring these environmental changes. In particular, the 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has had insufficient information 
to monitor the impact of environmental programs. These data will enable 
EPA to better satisfy legislative and executive requirements to track 
costs.
    With support from the EPA, the Census Bureau plans to reinstate 
this

[[Page 11608]]

survey for 2005. As a precursor to the 2005 PACE survey, the Census 
Bureau also plans to conduct a screener and pilot survey.
    The screener is designed to identify establishments with PACE 
activities and target these establishments for the pilot and 2005 PACE 
survey. The screener will ask respondents if they have operating costs 
or capital expenditures related to the treatment or prevention of air, 
water or solid waste pollutants. And if so, how much (within ranges). 
These questions will be check boxes only. The screener will include 
approximately 40,000 establishments.
    The purpose of the pilot is to test the proposed 2005 PACE 
questionnaire with potential respondents who have expenses related to 
treatment or prevention of pollutants. Respondents will be asked to 
complete the form and answer some qualitative questions on the content 
and clarity of instructions. The pilot results will be used to modify 
and finalize the proposed 2005 PACE questionnaire and sample design. 
The pilot and the survey will collect information similar to that 
previously collected on the MA-200: pollution abatement capital 
expenditures and operating costs, each by media (air, water, solid 
waste, and multi-media). It will also collect information on 
depreciation and cost offsets. For the pilot, we will also collect 
employment and shipments. The final survey will only collect these data 
from non-ASM establishments. The pilot will include approximately 2,000 
establishments. No estimates will be produced from the pilot. The 
survey will include approximately 20,000 establishments.
    The survey results will be published in the Current Industrial 
Reports Series. Primary users of the pollution abatement data are 
Federal, state, and local government agencies, business firms, trade 
associations, academic researchers, environmental groups, and private 
research and consulting organizations.
    The PACE survey results will be used by EPA to satisfy Executive 
Order 12866 which specifically charges EPA to assess the costs and 
benefits of all proposed major rules and alternative approaches. EPA 
also uses the PACE data in various reports including: Cost of a Clean 
Environment; Section 812 Clean Air Retrospective Cost Analysis; Annual 
OMB Reports to Congress on Costs and Benefits of Federal Regulation 
(Thompson Report); and Social Cost Appendix of EPA's Strategic Plan.
    Capital expenditures for pollution abatement is an important 
component of total capital expenditures when analyzing investment and 
productivity at the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of 
Economic Analysis.
    State and local governments, trade associations, the academic 
community, and private businesses use the data to evaluate regional 
pollution abatement spending, local legislation, and performance of 
specific industries.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. 131, 182, 193, 224, and 225.
    OMB Desk Officer: Susan Schechter, (202) 395-5103.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork Clearance 
Officer, (202) 482-0266, Department of Commerce, room 6625, 14th and 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at 
[email protected]).
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to Susan Schechter, OMB Desk Officer either by fax (202-395-7245) or e-
mail ([email protected]).

    Dated: March 4, 2005.
Madeleine Clayton,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 05-4575 Filed 3-8-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P