[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 204 (Friday, October 23, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54801-54803]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-25588]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-R03-CBP-2009-0500; FRL-8972-5]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Chesapeake Registry; EPA ICR No. 2365.01, OMB Control 
No. 200908-2003-001

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), 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). EPA prepared the ICR, ``Chesapeake 
Registry,'' on behalf of the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) partnership. 
Before submitting the ICR renewal request 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 December 22, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-R03-
CBP-2009-0500, by one of the following methods:
     http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Chesapeake Registry, Attn: Marguerite Duffy, 
Chesapeake Bay Program Office, 410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109, Annapolis, 
Maryland 21403.
     Hand Delivery: Chesapeake Registry, Attn: Marguerite 
Duffy, EPA Chesapeake Bay Program Office, 410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109, 
Annapolis, Maryland 21403. Such deliveries are only accepted during the 
Docket's normal hours of operation (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday 
through Friday, excluding legal holidays), and special arrangements 
should be made for deliveries of boxed information.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-R03-CBP-
2009-0500. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included 
in the public docket without change and may be made available online at 
http://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 http://www.regulations.gov. The http://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 submit a disk or CD-ROM, EPA recommends that you 
include your name and other contact information in the body of your 
comment. 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: Marguerite Duffy, USEPA Region III--
Chesapeake Bay Program Office, Annapolis City Marina, 410 Severn 
Avenue, Suite 109 (3CB10), Annapolis, MD 21403; telephone number: (410) 
267-5764; fax number: (410) 267-5777; 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-R03-CBP-2009-0500, which is available for online viewing at 
http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the EPA Chesapeake 
Bay Program Office, 410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109, Annapolis, Maryland 
21403. Materials are available for viewing from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays; telephone number 410-
267-5700. An electronic version of the public docket is available at: 
http://www.regulations.gov. This site can be used to obtain a copy of 
the draft information collection request, 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 (EPA-R03-CBP-2009-0500).

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 
state and local governments and non-government

[[Page 54802]]

organizations within the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
    Title: Chesapeake Registry (formerly called Activity Integration 
Plan).
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2365.01, OMB Control No. 200908-2003-001.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on 02/28/
2010. 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: In 2008, EPA's Region III Chesapeake Bay Program Office 
and its partners developed the Chesapeake Action Plan (CAP) to 
strengthen and expand partnerships in the watershed, enhance 
coordination of restoration activities, and increase the collective 
accountability for protecting the Chesapeake Bay. One component 
described in the CAP is a Web-enabled reporting system known as the 
Activity Integration Plan now titled Chesapeake Registry. Through this 
reporting system, participating organizations provide data about the 
activities in which they are currently engaged, or plan to be engaged 
in, to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. The 
ability to capture and account for Bay-wide implementation activities 
was developed in response to recommendations by the Government 
Accountability Office and directives of the Explanatory Statement of 
the FY 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act (Public Law 110-161). CBPO 
conducted its first activity data call in 2008 that included 10 federal 
agencies, 7 states, and 2 local organizations.
    The EPA, on behalf of the partnership, intends to expand the data 
call to more than 10 non-federal agencies and organizations to 
strengthen the information base on which to support implementation 
decisions and more recently, to support Executive Order (EO) 13508, 
signed by President Barack Obama on May 12, 2009. Section 203(d) of the 
EO directs EPA to identify the ``mechanisms that will assure that 
governmental and other activities, including data collection and 
distribution, are coordinated and effective, relying on existing 
mechanisms where appropriate.'' Section 204 further directs that 
``Federal actions to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay are closely 
coordinated with actions by State and local agencies in the watershed 
and that the resources, authorities, and expertise of Federal, State, 
and local agencies are used as efficiently as possible.'' The 
Chesapeake Registry and associated data calls provide a mechanism for 
coordinated data collections among federal and non-federal entities 
protecting and restoring the Bay and its watershed, and the information 
necessary to adaptively manage the program in support of these 
mandates.
    The Chesapeake Registry includes detailed information about the 
activities and funding conducted and planned by partner organizations. 
The organizations provide project information on the nature of the 
activity, responsible organization, organizational point of contact, 
resource levels, geographic location, and major milestones on progress 
towards Chesapeake Bay protection and restoration efforts. Funds 
reported in the Chesapeake Registry are linked to an organization's own 
resource base so that data associated with a set of funds is entered 
only by the originator of the funding. The information is organized by 
programmatic goal and desired result, which aligns activities to the 
goals of the program and helps to provide an accurate depiction of 
restoration activities, progress, and results. The information 
collection, as envisioned, will be conducted annually. Summary level 
information from the Chesapeake Registry is available at http://cap.chesapeakebay.net.
    Each reporting organization is assigned a user ID and password. 
Security measures have been established to protect data that have been 
entered, including maintaining the data on a secure server on a secure 
network, and confirming the data with each reporting organization. 
Participants in the information collection are able to search the 
reporting system database application and view standard reports. 
Partners will use the enhanced and expanded data to update performance 
management dashboards that summarize and synthesize information so the 
program partners can understand, at a glance, the progress being made 
in key program areas. The dashboards include measures of progress, 
information about resources and strategic analyses of what needs to be 
done to improve implementation. In addition, EPA anticipates that some 
of the partners will use the reporting system as a tool for their own 
management and planning efforts.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 64.8 
hours per response for state and local government agencies and 11.5 
hours per response for non-government organizations. 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: 50 (30 state and 
local governments, 20 non-government organizations) initially but will 
likely increase over time.
    Frequency of response: Annual.
    Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 1.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 2,174.0 (64.8 hours per 
response for state and local governments, 11.5 hours per response for 
non-government organizations).
    Estimated total annual costs: $104,974.20. This includes an 
estimated burden cost of $104,974.20 and an estimated cost of $0.00 for 
capital investment or maintenance and operational costs.

Are There Changes in the Estimates From the Last Approval?

    EPA anticipates an annual, gradual change in the total estimated 
respondent burden compared with that identified in the ICR currently 
approved by OMB.

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

[[Page 54803]]

OMB and the opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB. If you 
have any questions about this ICR or the approval process, please 
contact the technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT.

    Dated: October 13, 2009.
James Edward,
Deputy Director, Chesapeake Bay Program Office, Region III.
[FR Doc. E9-25588 Filed 10-22-09; 8:45 am]
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