[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 227 (Tuesday, November 27, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66165-66167]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-23052]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OA-2007-0933; FRL-8499-6]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Confidential Financial Disclosure Form for Special 
Government Employees Serving on Federal Advisory Committees at the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency; EPA ICR No. 2260.02, OMB Control No. 
2090-0029

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 to renew an existing approved Information Collection 
Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR is 
scheduled to expire on 2/29/2008. 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 January 28, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-
2007-0933 by one of the following methods:

[[Page 66166]]

     www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for 
submitting comments.
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Fax: 202-566-9744
     Mail: OEI Docket, USEPA, Mail Code: 2822T, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. Hand Delivery: EPA Docket 
Center, EPA West Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., 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-OA-2007-
0933. 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: Vicki Ellis, Office of Cooperative 
Environmental Management, Mail Code 1601M, Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone 
number: 202-564-1203; fax number: 202-564-8129; 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-2007-0933, which is available for online viewing at 
www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Environmental 
Information Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West Room 
3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. The EPA/DC 
Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 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 Environmental 
Information Docket is 202-566-9744.
    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 
approximately 300 candidates for membership as Special Government 
Employees (SGEs) on EPA Federal advisory committees. The Form 3110-48 
is completed as part of the member selection process and before they 
are invited to serve as a member of a Federal advisory committee (FAC) 
at EPA.
    Title: Confidential Financial Disclosure Form for Special 
Government Employees Serving on Federal Advisory Committees at the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency.
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2260.02, OMB Control No. 2090-0029.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on 02/29/
2008. 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 purpose of this information collection request is to 
assist the United States Environmental

[[Page 66167]]

Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) in selecting Federal advisory 
committee members who will be appointed as Special Government Employees 
(SGEs), mostly to EPA's scientific and technical committees. To select 
SGE members as efficiently and cost effectively as possible, the Agency 
needs to evaluate potential conflicts of interest before a candidate is 
hired as an SGE and appointed as a member to a committee by EPA's 
Administrator or Deputy Administrator.
    Agency officials developed the ``Confidential Financial Disclosure 
Form for Special Government Employees Serving on Federal Advisory 
Committees at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,'' also referred 
to as Form 3110-48, for a greater inclusion of information to discover 
any potential conflicts of interest as recommended by the Government 
Accountability Office.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average one 
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.
    The ICR provides a detailed explanation of the Agency's estimate, 
which is only briefly summarized here:
     Estimated total number of potential respondents: 300.
     Frequency of response: Annual.
     Estimated total average number of responses for each 
respondent: 1.
     Estimated total annual burden hours: 300 hours/1 hour per 
respondent.
     Estimated total annual costs: $33,000. There are no 
capital investment or maintenance and operational costs.

Are There Changes in the Estimates From the Last Approval?

    The burden estimates have been changed to reflect an expected 
increase of the number of respondents (from 276 to 300), as well as an 
increase of respondents' costs to complete the form, to cover the next 
3 years.

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 Vicki 
Ellis, Office of Cooperative Environmental Management, Mail Code 1601M, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-564-1203; fax number: 202-
564-8129; e-mail address: [email protected].

    Dated: November 20, 2007.
Rafael DeLeon,
Director, Office of Cooperative Environmental Management, Office of the 
Administrator.
[FR Doc. E7-23052 Filed 11-26-07; 8:45 am]
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