[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 182 (Thursday, September 19, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76826-76827]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-21461]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OEI-2006-0037; FRL-12272-01-OMS]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Information 
Collection Request; Comment Request; Exchange Network Grants Progress 
Reports (Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to 
submit an information collection request (ICR), Exchange Network Grants 
Progress Reports (Renewal) (EPA ICR Number 2207.09, OMB Control Number 
2025-0006) 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 11/30/2024. 
This notice allows for 60 days for public comments.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before October 21, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number [EPA-HQ-
OEI-2006-0037 to EPA, 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: Erin McGown, Information Engagement 
Division, Data Interoperability Partnership Branch, 2823 T, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, 
DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 566-2142; email address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a proposed extension of the ICR, 
which is currently approved through November 30, 2024. 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.
    This notice allows 60 days for public comments. 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 forms of information technology. 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 Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of 
Mission Support provides funding via grants to EPA's Exchange Network 
partners (states, territories, and federally recognized Indian tribes) 
to support the development of the Exchange Network (EN). The EN 
facilitates the sharing of environmental data, especially through 
shared and reusable services; streamlines data collection and exchanges 
to improve timeliness for decision making; increases the quality and 
access to environmental data; reduces burden and costs for co-
regulators and the regulated community; supports better decisions on 
environmental and health issues; and increases capacity for 
environmental data management for tribes and US territories. As part of 
the terms and conditions of the EN grant program, recipients are 
required to submit the following forms: (i) Semi-Annual

[[Page 76827]]

Progress Reports (EPA Form 5300-26) twice annually throughout the 
lifetime of the project, Final Progress Report (EPA Form 5300-26) 
within 120 calendar days after the period of performance end date, and 
the IT Component and Project Registration Form, at the time of grant 
close-out. The information gathered on items (i) and (ii) help EPA to 
ensure that projects are on schedule to meet identified project goals 
and produce high quality environmental outputs. The registration form 
(item iii) provides a detailed summary of the completed project and any 
developed/reused IT components; this information is made available to 
future applicants to inform the development of their proposed projects, 
promote the reuse of technologies, and connect to potential project 
partners and mentors.
    Form Numbers: EPA Form 5300-26.
    Respondents/affected entities: Employees of state, tribal, or 
territorial environmental government offices.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Required to obtain or retain a 
benefit (2 CFR part 200, ``Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost 
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards).
    Estimated number of respondents: 223 (149 semi-annually for the 
semi-annual progress report form; 38 annually for the IT Component and 
Project Registration Form, and 38 annually for the Final Progress 
Report Form).
    Frequency of response: EPA assumes that each grant recipient will 
submit two Semi-Annual Progress Report Forms each year the grant is 
active. In addition, the grantees will submit the Final Progress Report 
to RENC no later than 120 days after the grant performance period end 
date. At this time, the IT Component and Project Registration Form will 
likewise be submitted.
    Total estimated burden: The sum total respondent burden hours are 
493. Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    The Semi-Annual Progress Report Form has 1.2 estimated hours per 
Form and is completed twice a year by an estimated 149 respondents. 
Therefore, the total annual respondent burden hours for this form are 
357.6. The IT Component and Project Registration Form has 2 estimated 
hours per Form and EPA estimates that 38 will be completed annually. 
Therefore, the total annual respondent burden hours for this form are 
76. The Final Progress Report Form has 1.65 estimated hours per Form 
and EPA estimates that 38 will be completed annually. Therefore, the 
total annual respondent burden hours for this form are 59.4.
    Total estimated cost: $29,530.70 (per year), which includes $0 
annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is a slight decrease of 15 (493 
hours in 2024 vs 508 hours in 2021) hours in the total estimated 
respondent burden as compared with the ICR currently approved by OMB. 
The number of open active grants each year was estimated at 149, which 
matches the 2021 estimate, as the number of new assistance agreements 
has remained consistent since 2021. Estimates for the Final Progress 
Reporting Form is also very similar to the 2021 estimate, with only a 
slight increase in the number of expected closed-out grants (from 36 in 
2021 to 38 in 2024). This slight increase reflects an expectation for 
more EN assistance agreements to close out in the upcoming years, as 
projects which were initially delayed due to workplace changes 
associated with COVID-19 are now being completed. The slight decrease 
in burden hours for respondents can be attributed primarily to the 
retiring of the Quality Assurance Reporting Form, which was previously 
required within 90 days of each new assistance agreement. There was a 
new form added for this ICR, which was not present in the 2021 version. 
The IT Component and Project Registration Form is a fillable PDF form, 
that is submitted by the grantee to their Regional Exchange Network 
Coordinator (RENC) at the time of grant close-out. As this form is due 
at the time of grant close-out, the estimated number matches the 
estimated number of Final Progress Reports (38). This new form is 
estimated to take 2 hours to complete, which is a decrease of 0.6 
compared to the retired Quality Assurance Reporting Form.

Courtney Kerwin,
Director, Information Engagement Division.
[FR Doc. 2024-21461 Filed 9-18-24; 8:45 am]
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