[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 107 (Friday, June 3, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35762-35763]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-13153]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OECA-2005-0062; FRL-9027-3]


Proposed Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Procedures for Implementing the 
National Environmental Policy Act and Assessing the Environmental 
Effects Abroad of EPA Actions (Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an 
information collection request (ICR), Procedures for Implementing the 
National Environmental Policy Act and Assessing the Environmental 
Effects Abroad of EPA Actions (EPA ICR No. 2243.08, OMB Control No. 
2020-0033) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and 
approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act.. Before doing 
so, EPA is soliciting public comments on specific aspects of the 
proposed information collection as described below. This is a proposed 
extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through October 31, 
2016. 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.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before Tuesday, August 2, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OECA-
2005-0062 online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), by 
email to [email protected], or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, 
Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460.
    EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the 
public docket without change including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes profanity, threats, information 
claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jessica Trice, Office of Federal 
Activities, Mail Code 2252A, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 
564-6646; fax number: (202) 564-0072; email address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supporting documents which explain in detail 
the information that the EPA will be collecting are available in the 
public docket for this ICR. The docket can be viewed online at 
www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, WJC West, 
Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The telephone 
number for the Docket Center is 202-566-1744. For additional 
information about EPA's public docket, visit http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA is soliciting 
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. 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. At that time, EPA will issue another Federal Register notice 
to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the opportunity to 
submit additional comments to OMB.
    Abstract: The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), 42 
U.S.C. 4321-4347 establishes a national policy for the environment. The 
Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) oversees the NEPA 
implementation. CEQ's Regulations at 40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508 set 
the standard for NEPA compliance. They also require agencies to 
establish their own NEPA implementing procedures. EPA's procedures for 
implementing NEPA are found in 40 CFR part 6. Through this part, EPA 
adopted the CEQ Regulations and supplemented those regulations for 
actions by EPA that are subject to NEPA requirements. EPA actions 
subject to NEPA include the award of wastewater treatment construction 
grants under Title II of the Clean Water Act, EPA's issuance of new 
source National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits 
under section 402 of

[[Page 35763]]

the Clean Water Act, certain research and development projects, 
development and issuance of regulations, EPA actions involving 
renovations or new construction of facilities, and certain grants 
awarded for projects authorized by Congress through the Agency's annual 
Appropriations Act. EPA is collecting information from certain 
applicants as part of the process of complying with either NEPA or 
Executive Order 12114 (``Environmental Effects Abroad of Major Federal 
Actions''). EPA's NEPA regulations apply to the actions of EPA that are 
subject to NEPA in order to ensure that environmental information is 
available to the Agency's decision-makers and the public before 
decisions are made and before actions are taken. When EPA conducts an 
environmental assessment pursuant to its Executive Order 12114 
procedures, the Agency generally follows its NEPA procedures. 
Compliance with the procedures is the responsibility of EPA's 
Responsible Officials, and for applicant proposed actions applicants 
may be required to provide environmental information to EPA as part of 
the environmental review process. For this Information Collection 
Request (ICR), applicant-proposed projects subject to either NEPA or 
Executive Order 12114 (and that are not addressed in other EPA 
programs' ICRs) are addressed through the NEPA process.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: Entities potentially affected by 
this action are certain grant or permit applicants who must submit 
environmental information documentation to EPA for their projects to 
comply with NEPA or Executive Order 12114, including Wastewater 
Treatment Construction Grants Program facilities, State and Tribal 
Assistance Grant recipients and new source National Pollutant Discharge 
Elimination System permittees.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Voluntary.
    Estimated number of respondents: 312 (total).
    Frequency of response: On occasion.
    Total estimated burden: 37,525 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $3,607,085 (per year), includes $8,452 
annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in Estimates: The above estimates are based on information 
and data available through the current ICR supporting documentation. 
However, it is anticipated that there will be slight decrease in hours 
in the total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR 
currently approved by OMB. This slight decrease is due to changes in 
the number of respondents and their associated EPA actions eligible for 
categorical exclusions which results in a reduction in total hours and 
burden.

    Dated: Tuesday, May 31, 2016.
Karin Leff,
Acting Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal 
Activities.
[FR Doc. 2016-13153 Filed 6-2-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P