[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 8 (Friday, January 12, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1511-1512]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-357]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OA-2005-0004; FRL-8268-3]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Focus Groups as Used by EPA for 
Economics Projects; EPA ICR No. 2205.01

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 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 February 12, 
2007.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-
2005-0004, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred 
method), by e-mail [email protected], or by mail to: EPA Docket 
Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Environmental 
Information, Mail Code 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: Nathalie Simon, Office of Policy, 
Economics and Innovation, Mail Code 1809T, Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone 
number: 202-566-2347; fax 202-566-2363; 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 November 4, 2005 (70 FR 67163), EPA sought comments on this 
ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received one comment during the 
comment period, which is addressed in the ICR. Any additional comments 
on this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB within 30 days of this 
notice.
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-OA-2005-0004, which is available for online viewing at 
www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Office of 
Environmental Information (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 Office 
of Environmental Information (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: Focus Groups as Used by EPA for Economics Projects
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2205.01
    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 generic information collection request (ICR) for the 
conduct of focus groups and protocol interviews (hereafter jointly 
referred to as focus groups) related to economics projects. Over the 
next three years, the Agency anticipates embarking on a number of 
survey development efforts associated with a variety of economics 
projects including those related to valuation of ecosystems, children's 
health risks, improvements to coastal waters, and invasive species to 
name a few. Focus groups are an important part of any survey 
development process, allowing for researchers to directly gauge what 
specific issues are important to the public and providing a means for 
explicitly testing draft survey materials. Through these focus groups, 
the Agency will be able to gain a more in-depth understanding of the 
public's attitudes, beliefs, motivations and feelings regarding 
specific issues and will provide valuable information regarding the 
quality of draft survey instruments.
    The information collected in the focus groups will be used to 
develop and improve economics-related surveys. To the extent that these 
surveys are ultimately successfully administered, they will serve to 
expand the Agencies understanding of benefits and costs of a variety of 
actions and could provide the means to quantitatively assess the 
effects of others. Participation in the focus groups will be voluntary 
and the identity of the participants will be kept confidential.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average about 
2.5 hours per response (and 1,510 hours per year). 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

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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: Individuals or Households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 626 per year.
    Frequency of Response: one-time.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 1,510.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $2,363,493, includes $0 annualized 
capital or O&M costs.

    Dated: January 4, 2007.
Richard T. Westlund,
Acting Director, Collection Strategies Division.
 [FR Doc. E7-357 Filed 1-11-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P