Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Invitation for Bids and Request for Proposals (IFBs and RFPs) EPA ICR Number 1038.10, OMB Control Number 2030-0006

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency.

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 29, 2004. 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 November 10, 2003.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OAR-2003-0170, to EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by e-mail to a-and-r-Docket@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center, Mail Code: 6102T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jill Robbins, OAM, 3802R, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564-1052; fax number: (202) 565-2551, e-mail address: robbins.jill@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID number OAR-2003-0170, which is available for public viewing at the Air and Radiation 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 Air and Radiation Docket is (202) 566-1742. 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 those companies or organizations, large and small businesses, that want to provide the EPA with supplies or services.

Title: Invitation for Bids and Request for Proposals (IFBs and RFPs).

Abstract: EPA requires contractors to submit information in order to be considered for the award of a contract. Information requested includes: prices for the supplies/services requested, information on past performance, technical and cost information, and general financial and organizational information. Information provided by vendors in response to an RFP/IFB is used to evaluate which vendor will provide the best product in terms of quality, timeliness and price. Response to IFBs/RFPs are required to be considered for a contract award. The legal authority for this collection is 41 U.S.C. 253., contractor confidential business information submitted in connection with an IFB or RFP response is protected from public release in accordance with 40 CFR 2.201 et seq. 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;

(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: Burden estimate for responding to IFBs is 8 hours per submission. Annual collection by the Agency is estimated to be 298 bids. At an average cost of $503.57 for each submission, the annual cost to respondents is $150,063.86. Burden for responding to RFPs is estimated at 251 hours per submission. Annual receipt of proposals by the Agency is expected to be 1224. At an average cost of $15,837.86 the annual cost for RFP information collection is estimated at $19,385,540. The total respondent burden for both IFBs and RFPs is 309,608 hours. Total annual cost for IFBs and RFPs is estimated at $19,535,603. This number fluctuates year to year based on how many IFBs and RFPs are released at the Agency. Nominal capital or start up costs are expected. 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.