Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Critical Public Information Needs During Drinking Water Emergencies (New); EPA ICR No. 2322.01, OMB Control No. 2080-NEW, 28695-28696 [E9-14239]

Agencies

• ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 115 (Wednesday, June 17, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28695-28696]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-14239]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-ORD-2009-0313; FRL-8919-8]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Critical Public Information Needs During Drinking 
Water Emergencies (New); EPA ICR No. 2322.01, OMB Control No. 2080-NEW

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

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 EPA is planning to 
submit a request for a new Information Collection Request (ICR) to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Before submitting the ICR to OMB 
for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects 
of the proposed information collection as described below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before August 17, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
ORD-2009-0313 by one of the following methods:
     www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for 
submitting comments.
     E-mail: ord.docket@epa.gov.
     Fax: 202-566-9744.
     Mail: Office of Research & Development Docket, 
Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460.
     Hand Delivery: EPA Docket Center, Public Reading Room, EPA 
West Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 
20004. Such deliveries are only accepted during the Docket's normal 
hours of operation, and special arrangements should be made for 
deliveries of boxed information.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2009-0313. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included 
in the public docket without change and may be made available online at 
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, 
unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to 
be CBI or otherwise protected through www.regulations.gov or e-mail. 
The www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' system, 
which means EPA will not know your identity or contact information 
unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an e-
mail comment directly to EPA without going through www.regulations.gov 
your e-mail address will be automatically captured and included as part 
of the comment that is placed in the public docket and made available 
on the Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends 
that you include your name and other contact information in the body of 
your comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read 
your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for 
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic 
files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of 
encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. For additional 
information about EPA's public docket visit the EPA Docket Center 
homepage at https://www.epa.gov/dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Minamyer, Environmental 
Protection Agency, Mail Code NG-16, Environmental Protection Agency, 26 
West Martin Luther King Drive; telephone number: 513-569-7175; fax 
number: 513-487-2559; e-mail address: minamyer.scott@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

How Can I Access the Docket and/or Submit Comments?

    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2009-0313, which is available for online viewing at 
www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the ORD 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 8:30 
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 ORD Docket is 202-566-1752.
    Use www.regulations.gov to obtain a copy of the draft collection of 
information, submit or view public comments, access the index listing 
of the contents of the docket, and to access those documents in the 
public docket that are available electronically. Once in the system, 
select ``search,'' then key in the docket ID number identified in this 
document.

[[Page 28696]]

What Feedback Is EPA Particularly Interested in?

    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA specifically 
solicits 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;
    (iii) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
to be collected;
    (iv) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond

What Should I Consider When I Prepare My Comments for EPA?

    You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your 
comments:
    1. Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific 
examples.
    2. Describe any assumptions you used.
    3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used 
that support your views.
    4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you 
arrived at the estimate you provide.
    5. Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity.
    6. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline identified 
under DATES.
    7. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the docket 
ID number assigned to this action in the subject line on the first page 
of your response. You may also provide the name, date, and Federal 
Register citation.

What Information Collection Activity or ICR Does This Apply to?

    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
municipal water utility managers and members of the public 
participating in focus groups.
    Title: Critical Public Information Needs during Drinking Water 
Emergencies (New)
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2322.01, OMB Control No. 2080-NEW.
    ICR status: This ICR is for a new information collection activity. 
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: EPA is collecting this information as part of a formative 
research study to identify critical information the public will need 
from water utilities and other decision-makers during a crisis event 
impacting drinking water. The research will probe consumers' and water 
sector professionals' beliefs, opinions, and knowledge about water 
security risks to assist public officials in planning effective crisis 
communication strategies for such emergencies. Good communication can 
rally support, calm fears, provide needed instructions, and encourage 
cooperative behaviors.
    Study participants will also provide feedback on the effectiveness 
of draft sample messages previously developed by EPA in consultation 
with subject matter experts from water utilities, public health, 
emergency response, law enforcement, and water trade/professional 
organizations. Voluntary participants for this one-time study will 
include water utility managers, public information officers, and 
members of the public who consume drinking water supplied by water 
utilities. Confidentiality of responses from respondents will be 
assured by using an independent contractor to collect the information, 
enacting procedures to prevent unauthorized access to respondent data, 
and preventing public disclosure of the responses of individual 
participants.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1.7 
hours per response. Burden is defined as 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.
    The ICR provides a detailed explanation of the Agency's estimate, 
which is only briefly summarized here:
    Estimated total number of potential respondents: 52 water utility 
professional staff and 128 members of the public participating in focus 
group discussions.
    Frequency of response: Once.
    Estimated total average number of burden hours for each respondent: 
1 hour for water utility professional staff and 2 hours for members of 
the public participating in focus group discussions.
    Estimated total annual respondent burden hours: 308 hours.
    Estimated total annual costs: $1,380.46. This includes an estimated 
burden cost of $1,380.46 for participating water utility professional 
staff and $0 for members of the public participating in focus group 
discussions and an estimated cost of $0 for capital investment or 
maintenance and operational costs.

What Is the Next Step in the Process for This ICR?

    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 pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. At that time, EPA will 
issue another Federal Register notice pursuant to 5 CFR 
1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the 
opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB. If you have any 
questions about this ICR or the approval process, please contact the 
technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Dated: May 29, 2009.
Cynthia Sonich-Mullin,
Acting Director, National Homeland Security Research Center, Office of 
Research and Development.
[FR Doc. E9-14239 Filed 6-16-09; 8:45 am]
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