[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 186 (Wednesday, September 29, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53960-53961]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-21081]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OA-2019-0292; FRL-8752-01-OA]


Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; 
Estimating Benefits of Surface Water Quality Improvements

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an 
information collection request (ICR), ``Estimating Benefits of Surface 
Water Quality Improvements'' (EPA ICR No. 2588.01, OMB Control No. 
2080-NEW) 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 request 
for approval of a new collection. 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 November 29, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-
2019-0292, online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method) 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: Chris Moore, OA/OP/NCEE, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20004; telephone number 202-566-
2348; fax number: 202-566-2448; 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: Researchers and analysts in EPA's Office of Research and 
Development (ORD), Office of Water (OW), and National Center for 
Environmental Economics (NCEE) are collaborating to improve EPA's 
ability to perform benefit cost analysis on changes in surface water 
quality (lakes, rivers, and streams). We are requesting approval to 
conduct a survey that will provide data critical to that effort.
    A number of non-market valuation methods can be used to estimate 
the economic benefits of improving environmental quality, but they 
often require more time and resources than federal agencies have to 
complete the regulatory impact analysis. Benefit transfer can provide 
reasonably accurate estimates of economic benefits under certain 
conditions with fewer resources and far less time. Federal agencies 
rely on benefit transfer often when analyzing the economic impacts of 
environmental regulation. In conducting benefit cost analyses of 
surface water regulations, however, it has become apparent that there 
is a lack of data on some features of policy analysis that have forced 
analysts to make assumptions about the relationships between a number 
of factors. This information collection is necessary to provide insight 
on those relationships and improve the EPA's and other federal 
agencies' ability to perform benefit transfer in regulatory analysis.
    Analysts in the Office of Policy, the Office of Water, and the 
Office of Research and Development have begun work on an integrated 
hydrological and economic model that will be capable of estimating 
benefits for a wide range of surface water regulations. The data 
collected with this survey will inform that effort. Analysts elsewhere 
in the EPA and other federal agencies may also be able to use the 
results of this study to improve benefit transfer in other applications 
as well.
    The survey will be administered electronically via the internet. An 
internet-based survey mode provides several advantages in efficiency 
and accuracy over other collection modes. It is also necessary to meet 
several of our research objectives described in the ICR Supporting 
Statement. EPA is requesting comment on two alternative approaches to 
sample recruitment: A probability-based internet panel, and a mail 
invitation to the internet survey. Some sections of the draft 
Supporting Statement cannot be completed until a recruitment mode has 
been chosen. Where possible, the draft Supporting

[[Page 53961]]

Statement provides details on both approaches. EPA will consider public 
comments, expert opinion, and peer reviewed literature before choosing 
a recruitment mode. The final Supporting Statement will reflect the 
chosen mode, present all details of that approach, and be submitted for 
public comment.
    Participation in the survey will be voluntary and the identity of 
the participants will be kept confidential.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: Eligible respondents for this survey 
will be U.S. civilian, non-institutionalized individuals, age 18 years 
and older.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Voluntary.
    Estimated number of respondents: 6,120.
    Frequency of response: One-time collection.
    Total estimated burden: 2,040 hours.
    Total estimated cost: Total estimated burden and cost for Agency 
$670,391.
    Changes in Estimates: This is a new collection. The survey is a 
one-time data collection activity.

Al McGartland,
Office Director, National Center for Environmental Economics, Office of 
Policy.
[FR Doc. 2021-21081 Filed 9-28-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P