[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 137 (Tuesday, July 19, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41398-41399]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-14190]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OARM-2005-0001, FRL-7940-4]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; General Administrative Requirements for Assistance 
Programs, EPA ICR Number 0938.11, OMB Control Number 2030-0020.

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

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 EPA is planning to submit a 
continuing Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB). This is a request to renew an existing 
approved collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on December 31, 
2005. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is 
soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed information 
collection as described below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before September 19, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number OARM-
2005-0001, 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 Ave., NW., Washington, DC 
20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William G. Hedling, Office of Grants 
and Debarment, Grants Administration Division, Mail Code 3903R, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564-5377; fax number: 
(202) 565-2468; e-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has established a public docket for this 
ICR under Docket ID Number OARM-2005-0001, 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 obtain a copy of the draft 
collection of information, 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 within 
60 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

[[Page 41399]]

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 www.epa.gov/edocket.
    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
those which apply for EPA assistance.
    Title: General Administrative Requirements for Assistance Programs.
    Abstract: The information is collected from applicants/recipients 
of EPA assistance to monitor adherence to the programmatic and 
administrative requirements of the Agency's financial assistance 
program. It is used to make awards, pay recipients, and collect 
information on how Federal funds are being spent. EPA needs this 
information to meet its Federal stewardship responsibilities. This ICR 
renewal requests authorization for the collection of information under 
EPA's General Regulation for Assistance Programs, which establishes 
minimum management requirements for all recipients of EPA grants or 
cooperative agreements (assistance agreements). Recipients must respond 
to these information requests to obtain and/or retain a benefit 
(Federal funds). 40 CFR part 30, ``Grants and Agreements with 
Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals and Other Non-profit 
Organizations,'' includes the management requirements for potential 
grantees from non-profit organizations. 40 CFR part 31, ``Uniform 
Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to 
State, tribal and local governments,'' includes the management 
responsibilities for potential State and local government grantees. 
These regulations include only those provisions mandated by statute, 
required by OMB Circulars, or added by EPA to ensure sound and 
effective financial assistance management. The OMB 83-I Form associated 
with this ICR combines all of these requirements under OMB Control 
Number 2030-0020. The information required by these regulations will be 
used by EPA award officials to make assistance awards and assistance 
payments and to verify that the recipient is using Federal funds 
appropriately to comply with OMB Circulars A-21, A-87, A-102, A-110, A-
122, A-128, and A-133, which set forth the pre-award, post-award, and 
after-the-grant requirements. 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.
    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 information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses.
    Burden Statement: The annual reporting burden for this collection 
is estimated to average 33 hours per application. The estimated annual 
number of respondents is 5,350. The estimated total annual burden hours 
on respondents is 176,569 hours. The frequency of collection is as 
required. 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: July 14, 2005.
Howard Corcoran,
Director, Office of Grants and Debarment.
[FR Doc. 05-14190 Filed 7-18-05; 8:45 am]
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