Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Assessment of EPA Compliance Assistance Projects, EPA 1860.03, OMB Control Number 2020-0015

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to submit a continuing Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on February 28, 2005. 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 October 18, 2004.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OECA-2004-0028, to EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by email to docket.oeca@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Enforcement and Compliance Docket and Information Center, MC 2201A, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Hans Scheifele, Compliance Assistance and Sector Programs Division, 2224A, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564-1459; fax number: (202) 564-0009; email address: scheifele.hans@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID number OECA-2004-0028, which is available for public viewing at the “Information Collection Request Renewal: Assessment of EPA Compliance Assistance Projects, EPA 1860.03, OMB Control Number 2020-0015” Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center 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 Office of Compliance Docket is (202) 566-1752. An electronic version of the public docket is available through EPA Dockets (EDOCKET) at http://www.epa.gov/edocket . Use EDOCKET to obtain a copy of the draft collection of information, submit or view public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the public 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 above.

Any comments related to this ICR should be submitted to EPA within 60 days of this notice. EPA's policy is that public comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available for public viewing in EDOCKET as EPA receives them and without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other information whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA identifies a comment containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference to that material in the version of the comment that is placed in EDOCKET. The entire printed comment, including the copyrighted material, will be available in the public docket. Although identified as an item in the official docket, information claimed as CBI, or whose disclosure is otherwise restricted by statute, is not included in the official public docket, and will not be available for public viewing in EDOCKET. For further information about the electronic docket, see EPA's Federal Register notice describing the electronic docket at 67 FR 38102 (May 31, 2002), or go to http://www.epa.gov./edocket .

Affected Entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are Business or other for profit, Federal Government, or State, Local, and Tribal Government.

Title: Assessment of EPA Compliance Assistance Projects.

Abstract: This information collection determines how well EPA compliance assistance tools and services meet customers needs and to assess the effectiveness of the assistance activities. This will be a voluntary collection of information to gauge customer satisfaction with the compliance assistance projects, measure any resulting changes in knowledge and/or behavior, and evaluate any environmental and human health impacts. EPA proposes to use assessment surveys to provide the agency with feedback on the compliance assistance documents, onsite visits, telephone assistance, Web sites, and compliance assistance seminars and workshops delivered by headquarters and regional compliance assistance programs to the regulated community. This feedback will help EPA improve the quality and delivery of compliance assistance tools and services. This ICR will only provide anecdotal data for the purpose of informing EPA of the effectiveness of compliance assistance tools, and customer satisfaction with those tools. All assessments undertaken under this ICR will adhere to specific conditions to ensure that data is collected and used properly and efficiently. The information collection is voluntary, and will be limited to non-sensitive data concerning the quality of compliance assistance activities. 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 are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and 48 CFR chapter 15.

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;

(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 record keeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 9 minutes 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; 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.