[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 35 (Wednesday, February 22, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10508-10509]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-4022]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OARM-2011-0803, FRL-9512-3]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Background Checks for Contractor Employees (Renewal)

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 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: Comments must be submitted on or before March 23, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OARM-
2011-0803 to, (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred 
method), by email to [email protected], or by mail to: EPA Docket 
Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Environmental 
Information (OEI) Docket, 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: Staci Ramrakha, Policy Training and 
Oversight Division, Office of Acquisition Management (3802R), 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564-2017; email address: 
[email protected].
    EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB for review and approval 
according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 1320.12. On October 31, 
2011, 76 FR 67182, EPA sought comments on this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 
1320.8(d). EPA received two comments, 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-OARM-2011-0803, which is available for online viewing at 
www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Office of 
Environmental Information 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 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 Office of 
Environmental Information 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

[[Page 10509]]

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 
information whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. For 
further information about the electronic docket, go to 
www.regulations.gov.
    Title: Background Checks for Contractor Employees.
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2159.05, OMB Control No. 2030-0043.
    ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on April 30, 2012. 
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 EPA uses contractors to perform services throughout 
the nation with regard to environmental emergencies involving the 
release, or threatened release, of oil, radioactive materials, or 
hazardous chemicals that may potentially affect communities and the 
surrounding environment. The Agency may request contractors responding 
to any of these types of incidents to conduct background checks and 
apply Government-established suitability criteria in determining 
whether employees are acceptable to perform on given sites or on 
specific projects. In addition to emergency response contractors, EPA 
may require background checks for contractor personnel working in 
sensitive sites or sensitive projects. The background checks and 
application of the Government's suitability criteria must be completed 
prior to contract employee performance. The contractor shall maintain 
records associated with all background checks. Background checks cover 
citizenship or valid visa status, criminal convictions, weapons 
offenses, felony convictions, and parties prohibited from receiving 
federal contracts.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated on average to be 
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.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: EPA Contractor Employee Who Work at 
Sensitive Sites.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,000.
    Frequency of Response: Annual.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 1,000.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $186,730 includes $0 annualized 
capital or O&M costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is no change in the hours in the 
total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of 
Approved ICR Burdens.

John Moses,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2012-4022 Filed 2-21-12; 8:45 am]
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