Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Exchange Network Grants Progress Report (Renewal), 37811-37813 [2011-16194]
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 124 / Tuesday, June 28, 2011 / Notices
initial written report to the EPA Region,
and, if the source and chemical
composition of the continuous release
does not change and the level of the
continuous release does not
significantly increase, a follow-up
written report to the EPA Region one
year after submission of the initial
written report. If the source or chemical
composition of the previously reported
continuous release changes, notifying
the NRC and EPA Region of a change in
the source or composition of the release
is required. Further, a significant
increase in the level of the previously
reported continuous release must be
reported immediately to the NRC
according to section 103(a) of CERCLA.
Finally, any change in information
submitted in support of a continuous
release notification must be reported to
the EPA Region.
The reporting of a hazardous
substance release that is equal to or
above the substance’s RQ allows the
Federal government to determine
whether a Federal response action is
required to control or mitigate any
potential adverse effects to public health
or welfare or the environment. The
continuous release of hazardous
substance information collected under
CERCLA section 103(f)(2) is also
available to EPA program offices and
other Federal agencies who use the
information to evaluate the potential
need for additional regulations, new
permitting requirements for specific
substances or sources, or improved
emergency response planning. State and
local government authorities and
facilities subject to the CRRR use release
information for purposes of local
emergency response planning. Members
of the public, who have access to release
information through the Freedom of
Information Act, may request release
information for purposes of maintaining
an awareness of what types of releases
are occurring in different localities and
what actions, if any, are being taken to
protect public health and welfare and
the environment. 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 40 CFR are listed in 40
CFR part 9.
The EPA would like to solicit
comments 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;
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(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.
Burden Statement: The annual public
reporting and recordkeeping burden for
this collection of information is
estimated to average 10.2 hours per
response. Burden means 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: 3,856.
Frequency of response: On occasion.
Estimated total average number of
responses for each respondent: 8.
Estimated total annual burden hours:
315,176 hours.
Estimated total annual costs:
$15,456,936. This includes an estimated
burden cost of $15,310,231and an
estimated cost of $146,705 for capital
investment or maintenance and
operational costs.
For this renewal, we are also
providing estimates for use of
Continuous Release Reporting Forms
(the Forms). The ICR provides a detailed
explanation of the Agency’s estimate for
use of the Forms, which is briefly
summarized here:
Estimated total annual burden hours:
315,899 hours.
Estimated total annual costs:
$15,453,810. This includes an estimated
burden cost of $15,307,105 and an
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37811
estimated cost of $146,705 for capital
investment or maintenance and
operational costs.
Are there changes in the estimates from
the last approval?
There is an increase of 14,458 hours
in the total estimated respondent
burden compared with that identified in
the ICR currently approved by OMB.
This increase reflects EPA’s use of data
on the actual number of continuous
release reports from several regions and
applying a growth rate consistent with
prior years reporting. The average
annual percent increase in facilities in
the previous ICR was approximately
7.5%. The same percent increase was
assumed for this ICR. The unit burden
hours per respondent information
collection activity remains the same as
the previous ICR.
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: June 22, 2011.
Kimberly J. Jennings,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Emergency
Management.
[FR Doc. 2011–16193 Filed 6–27–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[EPA–HQ–OEI–2006–0037, FRL–9425–2]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to OMB for
Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Exchange Network Grants
Progress Report (Renewal)
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
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 to renew an existing
approved Information Collection
Request (ICR) to the Office of
SUMMARY:
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37812
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 124 / Tuesday, June 28, 2011 / Notices
Management and Budget (OMB). This
ICR is scheduled to expire on 11/30/11.
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.
Additional comments may be
submitted on or before July 28, 2011.
DATES:
Submit your comments,
referencing Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–
OEI–2006–0037, to (1) EPA online using
https://www.regulations.gov (our
preferred method), by e-mail to
oei.docket@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA
Docket Center, Environmental
Protection Agency, Office of
Environmental Information Docket, Mail
Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave.,
NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2)
OMB by mail to: Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs, Office of
Management and Budget (OMB),
Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725
17th Street, NW., Washington, DC
20503. EPA’s policy is that all
comments received will be included in
the public docket without change and
may be made available online at
https://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 statue. Do not submit
information that you consider to be CBI
or otherwise protected through https://
www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The
https://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 https://
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 DC–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/epahome/dockets.htm.
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ADDRESSES:
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ryan Humrighouse, Mail Code 2823T,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington,
DC 20460; telephone number: 202–566–
1680; fax number: 202–566–1684; e-mail
address: humrighouse.ryan@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–OEI–2006–0037 which is available
for online viewing at https://
www.regulations.gov, or in person
viewing at the OEI 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
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 OEI Docket is (202) 566–
1752.
Use https://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.
What information 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,
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. In
particular, EPA is requesting comments
from very small businesses (those that
employ less than 25) on examples of
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specific additional efforts that EPA
could make to reduce the paperwork
burden for very small businesses
affected by this collection.
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 that 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 that 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?
Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OPEI–2006–
0037
Affected entities: Entities potentially
affected by this action are States, Tribal,
and Territorial Environmental Offices
receiving National Environmental
Information Exchange Network (NEIEN)
grants.
Title: Exchange Network Grants
Progress Report (Renewal).
ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2207.04,
OMB Control No. 2025–0006.
ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to
expire on November 30, 2011. 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 and 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: This notice announces the
collection of information related to the
U.S. EPA NEIEN Grant Program. The
EPA Office of Environmental
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mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 124 / Tuesday, June 28, 2011 / Notices
Information provides funding to EPA’s
Exchange Network partners (states,
territories, and Federally recognized
Indian Tribes) to support the
development of the NEIEN. The NEIEN
is an Internet and- standards-based,
secure information system that supports
the electronic collection, exchange, and
integration of data among its partners.
Funding for the Grant Program has been
provided through annual congressional
appropriations for the EPA.
To enhance the quality and overall
public benefit of the Network, EPA
proposes to collect information from the
NEIEN grantees about how they intend
to ensure quality in their projects and
the environmental outcomes and
outputs from their projects. The
proposed Quality Assurance Reporting
Form is intended to provide a simple
means for grant recipients to describe
how quality will be addressed
throughout their projects. The Quality
Assurance Reporting Form is derived
from guidelines provided in the NEIEN
2006 grant solicitation notice. As a
stipulation of their award, grant
recipients are to submit the form within
ninety days of grant award.
Grantees are currently required to
submit semi-annual progress reports as
a stipulation of their award. In these
reports, grantees outline project goals,
activities required to meet these goals,
and outputs and outcomes of activities
to date. At the request of numerous
grantees, we are proposing to offer the
Progress Reporting Form as a vehicle for
collecting information. This form is
easier to complete than an unstructured
narrative; it can be used as the semiannual and final report form and the
information returned will be of higher
quality and comparable.
Burden Statement: The annual public
reporting and recordkeeping burden for
this collection of information is
estimated to average 1.5 hours for the
Semi-Annual Report Form per response
and 1 hour per Quality Assurance Form
per response. Burden means 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 that have
subsequently changed; train personnel
to be able to respond to a collection of
information; search data sources;
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16:46 Jun 27, 2011
Jkt 223001
complete and review the collection of
information; and transmit or otherwise
disclose the information.
Respondents/Affected Entities: State,
Tribal, and Territorial Environmental
Offices receiving NEIEN grants.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
225. Frequency of Response: Twice for
the Semi-Annual Report Form; once for
the Quality Assurance Form.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden:
733. Estimated Total Annual Cost:
$37,000 includes $0 annualized capital
or O&M costs and $37,000 annual labor
costs.
Are there changes in the estimates from
the last approval?
Changes in the Estimates: There is no
change in estimate from the last ICR
renewal.
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: June 22, 2011.
Jeffrey Wells,
Acting Director, Information Exchange &
Services Division.
[FR Doc. 2011–16194 Filed 6–27–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services
[Document Identifier: CMS–10321]
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Submission for OMB
Review; Comment Request
Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services, HHS.
In compliance with the requirement
of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS), Department of Health
and Human Services, is publishing the
following summary of proposed
collections for public comment.
AGENCY:
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37813
Interested persons are invited to send
comments regarding this burden
estimate or any other aspect of this
collection of information, including any
of the following subjects: (1) The
necessity and utility of the proposed
information collection for the proper
performance of the Agency’s function;
(2) the accuracy of the estimated
burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and (4) the use of
automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology to
minimize the information collection
burden.
1. Type of Information Collection
Request: Revision of a currently
approved collection; Title of
Information Collection: Early Retiree
Reinsurance Program (ERRP); Use:
Under section 1102 of the Affordable
Care Act and implementing regulations
at 45 CFR part 149, employment-based
plans that offer health benefits to early
retirees and their spouses, surviving
spouses and dependents are eligible
under a temporary program to receive a
tax-free reimbursement for the costs of
certain health benefits for such
individuals (the Early Retiree
Reinsurance Program, or ERRP). In order
to qualify, plan sponsors must submit a
complete application to the U.S.
Department of Health & Human Services
(HHS). In order to receive
reimbursement under the program, they
must also submit documentation of
actual costs for health care benefits,
which consists of documentation of
actual costs for the items and services
involved, and a list of individuals to
whom the documentation applies. Once
HHS reviews and analyzes the
information on the application,
notification will be sent to the plan
sponsor about its eligibility to
participate in the program. Once HHS
reviews and analyzes each
reimbursement request, reimbursement
under the program will be made to the
sponsor, as appropriate. The program’s
funding is limited to $5 billion, and the
program sunsets on January 1, 2014.
As compared with the burden
estimates OMB approved on December
22, 2010, for OMB #0938–1087. There is
a nominal change to burden of 1 hour,
to account for the fact that sponsors
have an obligation to update any
incorrect or outdated information in
their applications. Beyond that, there is
no change to burden. The burden hours
associated with reading the guidance
materials related to disclosing data
inaccuracies that are being included
with this revised PRA submission, and
with completing the Prima Facie
Evidence Cover Sheet that is being
E:\FR\FM\28JNN1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 124 (Tuesday, June 28, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37811-37813]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-16194]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OEI-2006-0037, FRL-9425-2]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Exchange Network Grants Progress
Report (Renewal)
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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 to renew an existing approved Information Collection
Request (ICR) to the Office of
[[Page 37812]]
Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR is scheduled to expire on 11/30/
11. 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: Additional comments may be submitted on or before July 28, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OEI-
2006-0037, to (1) EPA online using https://www.regulations.gov (our
preferred method), by e-mail to oei.docket@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA
Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Environmental
Information Docket, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB by mail to: Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Attention:
Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503. EPA's
policy is that all comments received will be included in the public
docket without change and may be made available online at https://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 statue. Do not submit information that you consider to be
CBI or otherwise protected through https://www.regulations.gov or e-
mail. The https://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 https://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 DC-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/epahome/dockets.htm.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ryan Humrighouse, Mail Code 2823T,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-566-1680; fax number: 202-
566-1684; e-mail address: humrighouse.ryan@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-OEI-2006-0037 which is available for online viewing at
https://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the OEI 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 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 OEI Docket is (202) 566-1752.
Use https://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.
What information 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, 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. In particular, EPA is requesting comments from
very small businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples of
specific additional efforts that EPA could make to reduce the paperwork
burden for very small businesses affected by this collection.
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 that 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 that 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?
Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OPEI-2006-0037
Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are
States, Tribal, and Territorial Environmental Offices receiving
National Environmental Information Exchange Network (NEIEN) grants.
Title: Exchange Network Grants Progress Report (Renewal).
ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2207.04, OMB Control No. 2025-0006.
ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on November 30, 2011.
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 and 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: This notice announces the collection of information
related to the U.S. EPA NEIEN Grant Program. The EPA Office of
Environmental
[[Page 37813]]
Information provides funding to EPA's Exchange Network partners
(states, territories, and Federally recognized Indian Tribes) to
support the development of the NEIEN. The NEIEN is an Internet and-
standards-based, secure information system that supports the electronic
collection, exchange, and integration of data among its partners.
Funding for the Grant Program has been provided through annual
congressional appropriations for the EPA.
To enhance the quality and overall public benefit of the Network,
EPA proposes to collect information from the NEIEN grantees about how
they intend to ensure quality in their projects and the environmental
outcomes and outputs from their projects. The proposed Quality
Assurance Reporting Form is intended to provide a simple means for
grant recipients to describe how quality will be addressed throughout
their projects. The Quality Assurance Reporting Form is derived from
guidelines provided in the NEIEN 2006 grant solicitation notice. As a
stipulation of their award, grant recipients are to submit the form
within ninety days of grant award.
Grantees are currently required to submit semi-annual progress
reports as a stipulation of their award. In these reports, grantees
outline project goals, activities required to meet these goals, and
outputs and outcomes of activities to date. At the request of numerous
grantees, we are proposing to offer the Progress Reporting Form as a
vehicle for collecting information. This form is easier to complete
than an unstructured narrative; it can be used as the semi-annual and
final report form and the information returned will be of higher
quality and comparable.
Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1.5
hours for the Semi-Annual Report Form per response and 1 hour per
Quality Assurance Form per response. Burden means 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 that 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.
Respondents/Affected Entities: State, Tribal, and Territorial
Environmental Offices receiving NEIEN grants.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 225. Frequency of Response: Twice
for the Semi-Annual Report Form; once for the Quality Assurance Form.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 733. Estimated Total Annual
Cost: $37,000 includes $0 annualized capital or O&M costs and $37,000
annual labor costs.
Are there changes in the estimates from the last approval?
Changes in the Estimates: There is no change in estimate from the
last ICR renewal.
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: June 22, 2011.
Jeffrey Wells,
Acting Director, Information Exchange & Services Division.
[FR Doc. 2011-16194 Filed 6-27-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P