[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 131 (Monday, July 10, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38878-38879]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-10737]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OA-2006-0566; FRL-8193-3]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Assessment of EPA Partnership Programs, EPA ICR Number 
2225.01, OMB Control No: New

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 for a new Information Collection Request (ICR) to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB). 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 8, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-
2006-0566 by one of the following methods:
     http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Fax: (202) 566-1753.
     Mail: OEI Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, 
Mailcode: 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
     Hand Delivery: OEI Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/
DC), EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., 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-
0566. 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: Jamie Burnett, Office of Policy, 
Economics, and Innovation, Mail Code: 1807T, Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone 
number: (202) 566-2205; fax number: (202) 566-2200; 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-2006-0566, which is available for online viewing at 
http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the OEI 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 OEI 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.

What Information Collection Activity or ICR Does This Apply to?

    Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-2006-0566.
    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
participants

[[Page 38879]]

in all of EPA's Partnership Programs, including businesses, 
governments, and members of the community.
    Title: Assessment of EPA Partnership Programs.
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2225.01, OMB Control No: New.
    ICR status: This ICR is for a new information collection activity. 
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: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking 
approval for a three-year generic clearance from the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) to develop a generic ICR to collect data to 
be used for performance measurement of EPA Partnership Programs. This 
will be a voluntary collection of information to assess the activities 
of EPA Partnership Programs. The proposed generic measurement ICR will 
involve voluntary collections of information via surveys to assess the 
results of EPA Partnership Programs. Performance measurement data 
collected will detail awareness of associated environmental activities, 
behavior change, and associated environmental results. EPA proposes to 
use surveys and questionnaires to assess activities for program purpose 
and design, strategic planning, program management, and program results 
to determine if the goals of the program are being met.
    All assessments undertaken under this ICR will follow stringent 
procedures to ensure that data are collected and used properly and 
efficiently. This ICR will provide anecdotal data for the purpose of 
informing EPA of the perceived effectiveness of partnership programs 
and will also allow partnership programs to collect data on the 
environmental results of partner activities due to participation. The 
information collection is voluntary, and will be limited to non-
sensitive data concerning participation in partnership programs.
    To help fulfill the broad mandate of protecting human health and 
the environment, EPA works with businesses, communities, State and 
local governments, and other organizations to achieve environmental 
goals through partnership programs. Partnership programs provide 
organizations with the information and assistance necessary to achieve 
and maintain various environmental goals.
    EPA believes that measuring the performance of partnership programs 
is important to ensure that partnership programs are reaching the 
intended audience, providing valuable resources, and achieving the 
desired environmental results. Understanding this will allow EPA to 
better design and manage these partnership programs to meet the needs 
of the participants and to meet EPA's environmental goals. A generic 
measurement ICR will significantly increase the ability of EPA 
Partnership Programs to: Determine and evaluate the effectiveness of 
these partnership programs as well as help the programs obtain data to 
successfully complete PART reviews; increase the consistency of program 
performance data as an alternative/adjunct to traditional regulatory 
approaches for achieving environmental results; minimize approval 
burden on OMB as submissions will be shorter and of higher quality via 
the generic measurement ICR process; and reduce burden on potential 
respondents by limiting the number of requests for information.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 2.2 
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 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: 16,000.
    Frequency of response: On occasion.
    Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 1-
2.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 11,556 hours.
    Estimated total annual costs: $769,702.
    There are no costs for capital investment or maintenance and 
operation associated with this ICR.

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: June 22, 2006.
David Widawsky,
Acting Director, Office of Environmental Policy Innovation, Office of 
Policy, Economics and Innovation, Office of the Administrator.
[FR Doc. E6-10737 Filed 7-7-06; 8:45 am]
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