[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 195 (Friday, October 7, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62400-62402]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-26087]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OA-2008-0701; FRL-9475-7]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Focus Groups as Used by EPA for Economics Projects 
(Renewal)

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 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 March 31, 2012. 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 December 6, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-
2008-0701, by one of the following methods:
     http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Fax: (202) 566-9744.
     Mail: Office of Environmental Information, Environmental 
Protection Agency, Mailcode: 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-2008-
0701. 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 or e-mail. 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 send an e-mail comment directly to EPA without 
going through http://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 http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nathalie Simon, Office of Policy, (MC 
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:

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-2008-0701 which is available for online viewing at http://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 http://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

[[Page 62401]]

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 
members of the general public, although the target population for the 
focus group discussions will vary by project.
    Title: Focus Groups as used by EPA for Economics Projects 
(Renewal).
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2205.07, OMB Control No. 2090-0028.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on March 31, 
2012. 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 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, mortality risk reductions, improvements to coastal waters 
including the Chesapeake Bay, to name a few. Focus groups are an 
important part of any survey development process, allowing 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 2.4 
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.
    The ICR provides a detailed explanation of the Agency's estimate, 
which is only briefly summarized here:
    Estimated total number of potential respondents: 1,011.
    Frequency of response: Once.
    Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 1.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 2,358.
    Estimated total annual costs: $22,385. This includes estimated 
respondent burden costs only as there are no capital costs or operating 
and maintenance costs associated with this collection of information.

Are there changes in the estimates from the last approval?

    Burden estimates included here are based on the supporting 
statement submitted for the most recent renewal of the approved ICR. 
Burden estimates will be revised to reflect new information and will be 
made available for public comment at the time the ICR is submitted to 
OMB for approval.

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 the 
technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.


[[Page 62402]]


    Dated: September 29, 2011.
Al McGartland,
Director, National Center for Environmental Economics.
[FR Doc. 2011-26087 Filed 10-6-11; 8:45 am]
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