Jump to main content.

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Focus Groups as Used by EPA for Economics Projects; EPA ICR No. 2205.01

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

  [Federal Register: January 12, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 8)]
[Notices]
[Page 1511-1512]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12ja07-67]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OA-2005-0004; FRL-8268-3]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Focus Groups as Used by EPA for
Economics Projects; EPA ICR No. 2205.01

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)(44 U.S.C.
3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information Collection
Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for review and approval. This is a request for a new collection.
The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the
information collection and its estimated burden and cost.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before February 12, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-
2005-0004, to (1) EPA online using http://www.regulations.gov (our
preferred method), by e-mail oei.docket@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA Docket
Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Environmental
Information, Mail Code 2822T, 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nathalie Simon, Office of Policy,
Economics and Innovation, Mail Code 1809T, Environmental Protection
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone
number: 202-566-2347; fax 202-566-2363; e-mail address: 
simon.nathalie@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB
for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR
1320.12. On November 4, 2005 (70 FR 67163), EPA sought comments on this
ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received one comment during the
comment period, which is addressed in the ICR. Any additional comments
on this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB within 30 days of this
notice.
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID
No. EPA-HQ-OA-2005-0004, which is available for online viewing at
http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Office of
Environmental Information (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 Office
of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket is 202-566-1752.
    Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at
http://www.regulations.gov, to submit or view public comments, access the
index listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those
documents in the docket that are available electronically. Once in the
system, select ``docket search,'' then key in the docket ID number
identified above. Please note that EPA's policy is that public
comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made
available for public viewing at http://www.regulations.gov as EPA receives
them and without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted
material, CBI, or other information whose public disclosure is
restricted by statute. For further information about the electronic
docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov.
    Title: Focus Groups as Used by EPA for Economics Projects
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2205.01
    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: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking
approval for a generic information collection request (ICR) for the
conduct of focus groups and protocol interviews (hereafter jointly
referred to as focus groups) related to economics projects. Over the
next three years, the Agency anticipates embarking on a number of
survey development efforts associated with a variety of economics
projects including those related to valuation of ecosystems, children's
health risks, improvements to coastal waters, and invasive species to
name a few. Focus groups are an important part of any survey
development process, allowing for researchers to directly gauge what
specific issues are important to the public and providing a means for
explicitly testing draft survey materials. Through these focus groups,
the Agency will be able to gain a more in-depth understanding of the
public's attitudes, beliefs, motivations and feelings regarding
specific issues and will provide valuable information regarding the
quality of draft survey instruments.
    The information collected in the focus groups will be used to
develop and improve economics-related surveys. To the extent that these
surveys are ultimately successfully administered, they will serve to
expand the Agencies understanding of benefits and costs of a variety of
actions and could provide the means to quantitatively assess the
effects of others. Participation in the focus groups will be voluntary
and the identity of the participants will be kept confidential.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average about
2.5 hours per response (and 1,510 hours per year). 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

[[Page 1512]]

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.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Individuals or Households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 626 per year.
    Frequency of Response: one-time.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 1,510.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $2,363,493, includes $0 annualized
capital or O&M costs.

    Dated: January 4, 2007.
Richard T. Westlund,
Acting Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. E7-357 Filed 1-11-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P

 
 

Local Navigation

Jump to main content.