[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 169 (Thursday, August 31, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51810-51812]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-7315]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OECA-2006-0557; FRL-8215-4]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Tips and Complaints Regarding Environmental 
Violations; EPA ICR No. 2219.02, OMB Control No. 2020-0032

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 November 29, 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 October 30, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OECA-2006-0557, by one of the following methods:
     http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Mail: The Enforcement and Compliance Docket and 
Information Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 2201T, 
1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
     Hand Delivery: 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room B102, 
Washington, DC 20460. 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-OECA-
2006-0557. 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-OM 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: Michael Le Desma; Legal Counsel & 
Resource Management Division; Office of Criminal Enforcement, Forensics 
and Training; Environmental Protection Agency, Building 25, Box 25227, 
Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80025; telephone number: (303) 462-
9453; fax number: (303) 462-9075; e-mail address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

[[Page 51811]]

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

    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQHQ-OECA-2006-0557, which is available for online viewing at 
www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Enforcement and 
Compliance Docket and Information Center 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 
Enforcement and Compliance Docket and Information Center is 202-564-
1927.
    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 
general members of the public who choose to voluntarily supply a tip or 
complaint regarding a suspected violation of environmental law.
    Title: Tips and Complaints Regarding Environmental Violations.
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2219.02, OMB Control No. 2020-0032.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on November 
29, 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, and 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 EPA tips and complaints web form is intended to 
provide an easy and convenient means by which members of the public can 
supply information to EPA regarding suspected violations of 
environmental law. The decision to provide a tip or complaint is 
entirely voluntary and use of the webform when supplying a tip or 
complaint is also entirely voluntary. Tippers need not supply contact 
information or other personal identifiers. Those who do supply such 
information, however, should know that this information may be shared 
by EPA with appropriate administrative, law enforcement, and judicial 
entities engaged in investigating or adjudicating the tip or complaint.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average one-
half 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.
    It is expected that a total of 300 tippers or complainants will 
complete the tips and complaints form each month, for a total of 3,600 
tippers and complainants per year. Given that tippers typically arrive 
at the form with all of the information needed to complete the form, 
EPA expects that the form will take no more than 30 minutes to 
complete. Accordingly, EPA expects that the total annual burden hours 
will be approximately 1,800. EPA does not anticipate any capital or 
start-up costs associated with completion of this form.
    EPA also does not anticipate that, in the usual case, burden hours 
associated with the tips and complaint form will translate into actual 
labor costs; we expect relatively few tips or complaints to be 
submitted as part of an employee's official duties. For this reason, we 
believe that the relevant ``labor costs'' associated with the form are 
best calculated as the wage opportunity cost to tippers of the form's 
estimated burden hours. The wage opportunity cost of the burden hours 
associated with this form can be estimated by multiplying the total 
number of burden hours by the average national hourly wage reported by 
the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). BLS reports the average hourly 
wage in December 2005 to have been $18.59 per hour; accordingly, the 
total wage opportunity cost associated with the tips and complaints 
form

[[Page 51812]]

would be approximately $33,462 per annum.

Are There Changes in the Estimates From the Last Approval?

    There is no change in the hours 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: August 17, 2006.
Granta Y. Nakayama,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Enforcement and Compliance 
Assurance.
[FR Doc. 06-7315 Filed 8-30-06; 8:45 am]
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