[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 79 (Tuesday, April 24, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24486-24487]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-9798]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OARM-2011-0795; FRL-9516-3]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; General Administrative 
Requirements for Assistance Programs (Renewal); EPA ICR No. 0938.18

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: Additional comments may be submitted on or before May 24, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OARM-
2011-0795, 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 Docket, Mail Code: 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: Alexandra Raver, Office of Grants and 
Debarment, National Policy, Training and Compliance Division, Mail 
Code: 3903R, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. 
NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564-5296; fax 
number: (202) 565-2470; email 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 19, 2011 (76 FR 64942), EPA sought comments on this 
ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received one comment during the 
comment period, which is 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-2011-0795, 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 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: General Administrative Requirements for Assistance Programs 
(Renewal).
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 0938.18, OMB Control Number 2030-0020.
    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 information is collected from applicants/recipients 
of EPA assistance to monitor adherence to the programmatic and 
administrative

[[Page 24487]]

requirements of the Agency's financial assistance program. It is used 
to make awards, pay recipients, and collect information on how Federal 
funds are being spent. EPA needs this information to meet its Federal 
stewardship responsibilities. This ICR renewal requests authorization 
for the collection of information under EPA's General Regulation for 
Assistance Programs, which establishes minimum management requirements 
for all recipients of EPA grants or cooperative agreements (assistance 
agreements). Recipients must respond to these information requests to 
obtain and/or retain a benefit (Federal funds). 40 CFR part 30, 
``Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, 
Hospitals and Other Non-profit Organizations,'' includes the management 
requirements for potential grantees from non-profit organizations. 40 
CFR part 31, ``Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and 
Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments,'' includes the 
management responsibilities for potential State and local government 
grantees. These regulations include only those provisions mandated by 
statute, required by OMB Circulars, or added by EPA to ensure sound and 
effective financial assistance management. This renewal request also 
incorporates reporting and audit requirements associated with 
assistance programs funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment 
Act (ARRA) of 2009 (previously approved under Emergency ICR Number 
2351.01). This ICR combines all of these requirements under OMB Control 
Number 2030-0020. The information required by these regulations will be 
used by EPA award officials to make assistance awards and assistance 
payments and to verify that the recipient is using Federal funds 
appropriately to comply with OMB Circulars A-21, A-87, A-102, A-110, A-
122, and A-133, which set forth the pre-award, post-award, and after-
the-grant requirements.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 24 
hours per respondent. 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: Applicants and recipients of EPA 
assistance agreements.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 8,391.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion, quarterly or semiannually, and 
annually.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 205,365.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $11,071,840. This includes an 
estimated labor cost of $11,071,840 and $0 for annualized capital or 
O&M costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 70,768 hours in 
the total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of 
Approved ICR Burdens. This increase resulted from the incorporation of 
reporting and audit requirements for program areas under which grants 
were funded for the ARRA, addition and elimination of some grant forms 
as well as updates to the estimated number of respondents, the annual 
submissions per respondent, and the burden hours for completion of the 
grant forms under the ICR.

John Moses,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2012-9798 Filed 4-23-12; 8:45 am]
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