[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 8 (Thursday, January 12, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2039-2040]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-267]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OARM-2005-0001; FRL-8009-8]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; General Administrative 
Requirements for Assistance Programs (Renewal), EPA ICR Number 0938.11, 
OMB Control Number 2030-0020

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 
30501 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 to renew an existing 
approved collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on December 31, 
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 February 13, 
2006.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OARM-
2005-0001, to (1) EPA online using http://www.regulations.gov (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: 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 submitted the following ICR to OMB 
for review and approval according to the

[[Page 2040]]

procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 1320.12. On July 19, 2005, (70 FR 
41398), EPA sought comments on this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). 
EPA received no comments.
    EPA had established a public docket for this ICR under Docket No. 
EPA-HQ-OARM-2005-001, 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 
at http://www.regulations.gov. Use http://www.regulations.gov 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.
    An 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 http://www.regulations.gov as EPA receives them 
and without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted material, 
CBI, or other information whose public disclosure is restricted by 
statue. 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 http://www.regulations.gov. 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 statue, is not included in the official public docket, 
and will not be available for public viewing in http://www.regulations.gov. For further information about the electronic 
docket go to http://www.regulations.gov.
    Title: General Administrative Requirements for Assistance Programs 
(Renewal).
    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 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 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 18 
hours per respondent. 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: Institutions of higher education, 
hospitals, and other not-for-profit institutions; State, local, and 
Indian tribal governments.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 6,105.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion, quarterly, and annually.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 108,887.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $4,852,000, includes $0 annualized 
capital or O&M costs and $4,852,000 annual labor costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 67,682 hours in 
the total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of 
Approved ICR Burdens. This decrease has occurred for several reasons, 
and includes a program change decease of 65,287 hours and an adjustment 
decrease of 2,395 hours. EPA removed five forms (EPA Forms: 5700-20A, 
5700-20B, 5700-30, 5700-49 and 5700-52A) and added three forms 
(``Lobbying Cost Certificate for Indirect Costs,'' NCER Form 5, and 
NCER Form 3212). These programs changes resulted in an overall decrease 
of 65,287 hours. In addition EPA made several adjustments to its burden 
and respondent assumptions, which resulted in an overall decrease of 
2,395 hours.

    Dated: December 12, 2005.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 06-267 Filed 1-11-06; 8:45 am]
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