[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 141 (Monday, July 24, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41800-41802]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-11703]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-ORD-2006-0270; FRL-8201-3]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Contribution of Household Activities to the Health of 
Urban Ecosystems; EPA ICR No. 2223.01, OMB Control No. 2080-NEW

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

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 22, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
ORD-2006-0270 by one of the following methods:
      http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the online 
instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Fax: 202-566-0224.
     Mail: Office of Research and Development Docket, 
Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
     Hand Delivery: Headquarters, Office of Research and 
Development.
     Such deliveries are only accepted during the Docket's 
normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be made for 
deliveries of boxed information.

[[Page 41801]]

    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2006-0270. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included 
in the public docket without change and may be made available online at 
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 www.regulations.gov or e-mail. 
The 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 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: Anita Morzillo, Office of Research and 
Development, Environmental Protection Agency, 200 SW 35th St., 
Corvallis, or 97333; telephone number: 541-754-4738; fax number: 541-
754-4299; 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-ORD-2006-0270, which is available for online viewing at 
www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Office of Research and 
Development 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 Research and 
Development Docket is 202-566-1752.
    Use 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?

    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
residents living within: (1) The southwestern quadrant of Bakersfield, 
and (2) portions of Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills, Calabasas, and 
Westlake Village, California.
    Title: Contribution of household activities to the health of urban 
ecosystems.
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2223.01, OMB Control No. 2080-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: As part of the EPA's Sustainability Initiative, this 
research focuses on maintaining healthy urban ecosystems for both 
people and other species. The goal is to better understand whether 
people recognize how household activities affect the surrounding 
environment, most notably the wildlife that is dependent on these 
systems, and whether people are likely to change their behaviors once 
they learn about household-environment linkages. The specific topic of 
interest is household rodenticide use, and resident awareness of how 
inexpert use of rodenticides may result in mortality of non-target 
species. The two study areas are (1) the southwestern quadrant of 
Bakersfield, and (2) portions of Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills, 
Calabasas, and Westlake Village, California. The most effective way to 
gather detailed information about household rodenticide use is to 
directly ask residents within the locations of interest. A voluntary 
mail survey will be used, and all respondent identities and individual 
responses will remain confidential to the extent allowed by law. This 
information will provide the

[[Page 41802]]

EPA with a better understanding about how people relate to their 
personal impacts on the environment, and will lead to improved 
communication between members of the general public, environmental 
regulators, and resource managers. The end result will be more 
effective and appropriately targeted environmental regulation.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 0.33 
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.

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: July 13, 2006.
Jennifer Ormezavaleta,
Acting Director, Western Ecology Division, National Health and 
Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Office of Research and 
Development.
[FR Doc. E6-11703 Filed 7-21-06; 8:45 am]
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