[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 79 (Monday, April 27, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19079-19080]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-9579]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OGC-2007-0982; FRL-8897-5]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Environmental and Economic 
Effects of Environmental Conflict Resolution at EPA; EPA ICR No. 
2306.01 OMB Control No. 2090-NEW

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 May 27, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OGC-
2007-0982, to (1) EPA online using http://www.regulations.gov (our 
preferred method), by e-mail to [email protected], or by mail to: EPA 
Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, 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: William E. Hall, Ph.D., 2388A, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564-0214; fax number: 
(202) 501-1715; 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 October 7, 2008 (73 FR 58580), EPA sought comments on this 
ICR pursuant

[[Page 19080]]

to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received four comments during the comment 
period, which are 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-OGC-2007-0982, which is available for online viewing at 
http://www.regulations.gov, or in-person viewing at 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.
    Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at http://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 on paper, will be made 
available for public viewing at http://www.regulations.gov as EPA 
receives them and without change, unless the comment contains 
copyrighted material, confidential business information (CBI), or other 
information whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. For 
further information about the electronic docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov.
    Title: Environmental and Economic Effects of Environmental Conflict 
Resolution at EPA.
    ICR Numbers: EPA ICR No. 2306.01, OMB Control No. 2090-NEW.
    ICR Status: This ICR is for a new information collection. 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 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: This information collection will enable EPA's Conflict 
Prevention and Resolution Center to evaluate the environmental and 
economic effects of agreements reached through the Agency's 
Environmental Conflict Resolution (ECR) process compared to decisions 
that might have been achieved through other decision-making processes 
(e.g., litigation). ECR is third-party assisted conflict resolution and 
collaborative problem solving in the context of environmental, public 
lands, or natural resources issues or conflicts, including matters 
related to energy, transportation, and land use.
    Information will be collected from representatives of organizations 
that participated in ECR decision-making processes sponsored by or 
involving EPA in a range of environmental cases. For purposes of 
comparison, information will also be collected from representatives of 
organizations that were involved in non-ECR (i.e., without the 
assistance of a third party) decision making processes that otherwise 
have similar characteristics to the ECR cases (e.g., similar 
environmental issues, similar geography). Case participants will 
complete a survey instrument with questions concerning the 
environmental effects, implementation of the agreement or decision 
including resources required, relations with other parties to the 
agreement, reasons for joining an ECR process or participating in a 
non-ECR decision making process, costs of the process, and quality of 
information held by parties when reaching agreement or making the 
decision.
    This information collection will help satisfy the joint OMB and 
President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Memorandum on ECR 
(November 2005, available at http://nepa.gov/nepa/regs/OMB_CEQ_Joint_Statement.pdf) that directed agencies, among other things, to 
``recognize and support needed upfront investments in collaborative 
processes and conflict resolution and demonstrate those savings in 
performance and accountability measures to maintain a budget neutral 
environment.'' Data collected will be used to analyze and assess EPA's 
ECR procedures, to ensure program activities are executed and managed 
in a cost-effective manner, and provide information for Agency managers 
and staff to use when deciding whether to use ECR, consistent with the 
principles of the Government Performance and Results Act and the 
President's reform agenda.
    This information collection will be voluntary for all respondents. 
As required by 5 U.S.C. 524(h), the questionnaires for parties in 
dispute resolution proceedings covered by the Administrative Dispute 
Resolution Act of 1996 will be carefully designed and administered to 
ensure that the identity of the parties and the specific issues in 
controversy will remain confidential. The questionnaires for matters 
that did not involve dispute resolution proceedings will allow 
respondents to claim that their responses contain Confidential Business 
Information (CBI). The Agency will protect questionnaires subject to 
CBI claims from disclosure to the extent authorized by 2 CFR Subpart B, 
Confidentiality of Business Information.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 0.5 
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: Various agencies and levels of 
government, industry, and environmental advocacy groups who, with the 
assistance of a neutral third party, negotiated the agreement reached 
in an ECR case, as well as participants in non-ECR cases.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 81.
    Frequency of Response: Once.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 41.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $4,994.00, which includes $0 
annualized capital or O&M costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is no change in burden because this 
is a new ICR.

    Dated: April 22, 2009.
John Moses,
Acting Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. E9-9579 Filed 4-24-09; 8:45 am]
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