[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 228 (Tuesday, November 25, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71643-71644]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-27965]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OA-2008-0701; FRL-8744-7]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Focus Groups as Used by EPA for Economics Projects 
(Renewal); EPA ICR No. 2205.02, OMB Control No. 2090-0028

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 to renew an 
existing approved 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 26, 
2008.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-
2008-0701, 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, Office of Environmental 
Information, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 28221T, 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, National Center for 
Environmental Economics, Office of Policy Economics and Innovation, 
(1809T), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number:202-566-2347; fax number: 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 September 23, 2008 (73 FR 54798), EPA sought comments on 
this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments. 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 EPA-HQ-OA-2008-0701, 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 8:30 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 
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, confidential business information (CBI), or other

[[Page 71644]]

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 
(Renewal).
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2205.02, OMB Control No. 2090-0028.
    ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on November 30, 2008. 
Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor 
the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. 
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 
renewal of a generic information collection request (ICR) for the 
conduct of focus groups and one-on-one interviews related to survey 
development for economics projects. Focus groups are groups of 
individuals brought together for moderated discussions on a specific 
topic or issue. These groups are typically formed to gain insight and 
understanding of attitudes and perceptions held by the public 
surrounding a particular issue. One-on-one interviews, as the term 
implies, are individual interviews in which a respondent is generally 
asked to review materials and provide feedback on their content and 
design as well as the thought processes that the materials invoke. 
Focus groups and one-on-one interviews (hereafter referred to 
collectively as ``focus groups'') used as a qualitative research tool 
have three major purposes:
     To better understand respondents' attitudes, perceptions 
and emotions in response to specific topics and concepts;
     To obtain respondent information useful for better 
defining variables and measures in later quantitative studies; and
     To further explore findings obtained from quantitative 
studies.
    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 invaluable 
information regarding the quality of draft survey instruments. Focus 
group discussions are necessary and important steps in the design of a 
quality survey. The target population for the focus group discussions 
will vary by project, but will generally include members of the general 
public. Participation in the focus groups will be completely voluntary. 
Each focus group will fully conform to federal regulations--
specifically the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), the Hawkins-
Stafford Amendments of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-297), and the Computer 
Security Act of 1987.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 2.33 
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.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Individuals.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 337.
    Frequency of Response: Once.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 786.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $22,385, includes $0 annualized 
capital or O&M costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 214 hours in the 
annual estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of 
Approved ICR Burdens. This decrease is based on new estimates provided 
by the program offices at EPA on their projected use of focus groups.

    Dated: November 19, 2008.
John Moses,
Acting Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. E8-27965 Filed 11-24-08; 8:45 am]
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