[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 219 (Tuesday, November 14, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66325-66326]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-19172]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OA-2006-0566; FRL-8241-5]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Assessment of EPA Partnership 
Programs; EPA ICR No. 2225.01

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 an Information Collection 
Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for review and approval. This is a request for a new collection. 
The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the 
information collection and its estimated burden and cost.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before December 14, 
2006.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-
2006-0566, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred 
method), by e-mail to [email protected], or by mail to: EPA Docket 
Center, Environmental Protection Agency, OEI Docket, Mailcode: 2822T, 
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB by mail 
to: 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: 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: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB 
for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 
1320.12. On July 10, 2006 (71 FR 38878), EPA sought comments on this 
ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received one comment during the 
period that were not relevant to the ICR. Any additional comments on 
this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB within 30 days of this 
notice.

[[Page 66326]]

    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 
www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the OEI Docket in the EPA 
Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 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 EPA's electronic docket and comment system at 
www.regulations.gov, to submit or view public comments, access the 
index listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those 
documents in the docket that are available electronically. Once in the 
system, select ``docket search,'' then key in the docket ID number 
identified above. Please note that EPA's policy is that public 
comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made 
available for public viewing at 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 statute. For further information about the electronic 
docket, go to www.regulations.gov.
    Title: Assessment of EPA Partnership Programs.
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2225.01.
    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. Performance measurement data collected 
will detail awareness of associated environmental results. EPA proposes 
to administer 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 
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 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.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Participants in all of EPA's 
Partnership Programs, including businesses, governments, and members of 
the community.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 5,334.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 11,556 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $769,702, which includes $0 capital 
and O&M.

    Dated: October 31, 2006.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
 [FR Doc. E6-19172 Filed 11-13-06; 8:45 am]
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