[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 63 (Monday, April 3, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16574-16575]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-4764]



[[Page 16574]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OA-2006-0278; FRL-8052-6]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; MBE/WBE Utilization Under Federal Grants, Cooperative 
Agreements, and Interagency Agreements; EPA ICR No. 2212.02, OMB 
Control No. 2090-0025

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to 
submit a request to renew an existing approved Information Collection 
Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR is 
scheduled to expire on June 30, 2006. 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 June 2, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-
2006-0278, by one of the following methods:
     http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the online instructions 
for submitting comments.
     E-mail: [email protected].
    Mail: MBE/WBE Utilization Under Federal Grants, Cooperative 
Agreements, and Interagency Agreements, Environmental Protection 
Agency, Mailcode: 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 
20460.
     Hand Delivery: EPA Docket Center, EPA West, Room B 102, 
1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. Such deliveries are only 
accepted during the Docket's normal hours of operation, and special 
arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-2006-
0278. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in 
the public docket without change and may be made available online at 
http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be 
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose 
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you 
consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through http://www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The http://www.regulations.gov Web site 
is an ``anonymous access'' system, which means EPA will not know your 
identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of 
your comment. If you send an e-mail comment directly to EPA without 
going through http://www.regulations.gov your e-mail address will be 
automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is 
placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. If you 
submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name 
and other contact information in the body of your comment and with any 
disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to 
technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA 
may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid 
the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of 
any defects or viruses. For additional information about EPA's public 
docket visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kimberly Patrick, Office of Small and 
Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Mail Code 1230N, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: 202-564-5386; fax number: 202-501-0139; e-mail 
address: [email protected] .

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

How Can I Access the Docket and/or Submit Comments?

    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-OA-2006-0278, which is available for online viewing at 
http://www.regulations.gov, or in person 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/
DC Public Reading Room is open from 8 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.
    Use http://www.regulations.gov to obtain a copy of the draft 
collection of information, submit or view public comments, access the 
index listing of the contents of the 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 in this document.

What Information Is EPA Particularly Interested In?

    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA specifically 
solicits comments and information to enable it 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. In particular, EPA is requesting comments from 
very small businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples of 
specific additional efforts that EPA could make to reduce the paperwork 
burden for very small businesses affected by this collection.

What Should I Consider When I Prepare My Comments for EPA?

    You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your 
comments:
    1. Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific 
examples.
    2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
    3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used 
that support your views.
    4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you 
arrived at the estimate that you provide.
    5. Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity.
    6. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline identified 
under DATES.
    7. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the docket 
ID number assigned to this action in the subject line on the first page 
of your response. You may also provide the name, date, and Federal 
Register citation.

[[Page 16575]]

What Information Collection Activity or ICR Does This Apply to?

[Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-2006-0278]

    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
all recipients of EPA financial assistance agreements, and any entities 
receiving identified loans under a financial assistance agreement 
capitalizing a revolving loan fund.
    Title: MBE/WBE Utilization Under Federal Grants, Cooperative 
Agreements, and Interagency Agreements.
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2212.02, OMB Control No. 2090-0025.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on June 30, 
2006. 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 title 40 of the CFR, after appearing in the Federal 
Register when approved, are listed in 40 CFR part 9, are displayed 
either by publication in the Federal Register or by other appropriate 
means, such as on the related collection instrument or form, if 
applicable. The display of OMB control numbers in certain EPA 
regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
    Abstract: All EPA financial assistance agreement recipients are 
required to make good faith efforts to assure that small, minority and 
women owned businesses are used, when possible, as sources of 
construction, services, equipment, and supplies. The completion and 
submission of EPA Form 5700-52A is mandatory. The information collected 
by EPA Form 5700-52A is used to compile data concerning the utilization 
of minority and women owned businesses as contractors under 
procurements funded by EPA financial assistance agreements pursuant to 
Executive Orders 11625, 12138, and 12432, and Public Laws 101-507 and 
102-389. The effectiveness of EPA's MBE/WBE Program is measured through 
this reporting requirement. The modifications to the form were made to 
simplify and shorten the form itself. The instructions in the modified 
form also provide more information about questions frequently asked by 
respondents.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average one 
(1) hour 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 which have subsequently changed; 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.
    The ICR provides a detailed explanation of the Agency's estimate, 
which is only briefly summarized here:
    Estimated total number of potential respondents: 3600.
    Frequency of response: Depending on the type of financial 
assistance received, respondents either report on an annual or 
quarterly basis.
    Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 
3600.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 3600 (one burden hour per 
respondent).
    Estimated total annual costs: $146,916. This includes an estimated 
burden cost of $146,916, and an estimated cost of $0 for capital 
investment or maintenance and operational costs.

Are There Changes in the Estimates From the Last Approval?

    There is no change in the total estimated respondent burden 
compared with that identified in the ICR currently approved by OMB.

What Is the Next Step in the Process for This ICR?

    EPA will consider the comments received and amend the ICR as 
appropriate. The final ICR package will then be submitted to OMB for 
review and approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. At that time, EPA will 
issue another Federal Register notice pursuant to 5 CFR 
1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the 
opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB. If you have any 
questions about this ICR or the approval process, please contact the 
technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Dated: March 27, 2006.
Jeanette L. Brown,
Director, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization.
 [FR Doc. E6-4764 Filed 3-31-06; 8:45 am]
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