[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 123 (Tuesday, June 28, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38397-38398]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-13790]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OA-2019-0296; FRL-OP-OFA-22]


Proposed Information Collection Request; 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.

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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 (PRA). Before 
doing so, the 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 
February 28, 2023. 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 August 29, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-
2019-0296, 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.
    The 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: Candi Schaedle, NEPA Compliance 
Division, Office of Federal Activities, Mail Code 2501G, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: 202-564-6121; 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 the EPA's public docket, visit http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, the 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. The 
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, the 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. The EPA's procedures 
for implementing NEPA are found in 40 CFR part 6. Through this part, 
the EPA adopted the CEQ Regulations and supplemented those regulations 
for actions proposed by the EPA that are subject to NEPA requirements. 
The EPA actions subject to NEPA include the award of wastewater 
treatment construction grants under section 201 of the Clean Water Act, 
the EPA's issuance of new source National Pollutant Discharge

[[Page 38398]]

Elimination System (NPDES) permits under section 402 of the Clean Water 
Act, certain research and development projects, the EPA actions 
involving renovations or new construction of EPA facilities, and 
certain grants awarded for projects authorized by Congress through the 
agency's annual appropriations act. The 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''). The EPA's NEPA regulations apply to actions of the 
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 the 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 the EPA's 
Responsible Officials, and for applicant proposed actions, applicants 
may be required to provide environmental information to the EPA as part 
of the environmental review process. For this 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 the EPA for their projects 
to comply with NEPA or Executive Order 12114, including Wastewater 
Treatment Construction Grants Program facilities funded under section 
201 of the Clean Water Act, State and Tribal Assistance Grant 
recipients, and new source NPDES permittees.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Voluntary.
    Estimated number of respondents: 516 (total).
    Frequency of response: On occasion.
    Total estimated burden: 27,004 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $2,290,209 (per year), includes $0 annualized 
capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in Estimates: There is an increase of 19,444 hours in the 
total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently 
approved by OMB. This increase is due to an adjustment change in the 
size of the respondent universe due to the return of congressional 
earmarks in the EPA annual appropriations act.

    Dated: June 23, 2022.
Robert Tomiak,
Director, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 2022-13790 Filed 6-27-22; 8:45 am]
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