**Renewal**

**INFORMATION COLLECTION REQUEST**

**U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY**

*Technology Performance and Product Information to Support Vendor
Information Summaries*

*ICR Number 2154.03, OMB Control Number 2050--0194*

**March 2008**

**PART A OF THE SUPPORTING STATEMENT**

**1. Identification of the Information Collection**

**1(a)** Title of the Information Collection

Technology Performance and Product Information to Support Vendor
Information Summaries (Renewal), EPA Number 2154.03 OMB Control Number:
2050-0194

**1(b) Short Characterization (Abstract)**

The U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development's National Homeland
Security Research Center (NHSRC) is helping to protect human health and
the environment from adverse impacts resulting from intentional acts of
terror. With an emphasis on decontamination and consequence management,
water infrastructure protection, and threat and consequence assessment,
NHSRC scientists and engineers are working to develop tools and
information that will help detect the intentional introduction of
chemical, biological, and radiological contaminants in buildings or
water systems, the containment of these contaminants, the
decontamination of buildings and/or water systems, and the disposal of
material resulting from cleanups.

An important facet of the NHSRC mission is identifying, testing, and
evaluating technologies to support water utility operators, emergency
responders, and consequence managers. EPA lacks a well documented array
of technological tools to adequately address all of the monitoring,
detection, decontamination, and treatment tasks associated with
remediating contaminated facilities and drinking water supply systems.
EPA is aware that significant

research, development, and commercialization efforts are underway by the
private sector, but EPA needs to manage the information concerning the
myriad of technology choices faced by its customers.

EPA has initiated this effort to develop brief vendor information
summaries of available technologies relevant to the detection and
decontamination of drinking water systems, building materials, building
structures, and indoor air that may become contaminated with chemical,
biological, or radiological contaminants. These summaries will be based
upon vendor-generated or provided information including any independent,
validated test data generated by governmental or other organizations and
provided to EPA through this ICR.

EPA will produce 4-10 page summaries on each of the technologies for
which vendors voluntarily agreed to submit the requested information.
These summaries will be shared with EPA and other emergency response
personnel, building and facility managers, and water utility operators.
The information provided by technology developers and vendors will also
be used by the NHSRC's Technology Testing and Evaluation Program (TTEP)
to identify technologies that may be suitable candidates for testing and
evaluation and to track those technologies under development that may
eventually be ready for rigorous testing and evaluation.

Developers and vendors with applicable technologies are being searched
through all available mechanisms. Once identified, the developer or
vendor is sent a letter requesting the submission of specific
information pertinent to the performance, operation, maintenance, and
cost of the technology (see attachment).

The submission of information is voluntary. Because the summarized
information will be publically available, technology vendors/developers
will be discouraged from submitting confidential business information,
proprietary information, or any sensitive business information.

**2. Need For and Use of the Collection**

**2(a) Need/Authority for the Collection**

The Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response
Act (Bioterrorism Act) of 2002 is the legislative mandate for EPA's work
in water security. This law, coupled with executive directives and the
Agency's own strategic plan for homeland security, guides the Agency's
research and technical support activities to protect water
infrastructure. The Homeland Security Presidential Directive on Critical
Infrastructure Identification, Prioritization, and Protection (HSPD-7)
reinforces EPA's role as the sector-specific lead for water
infrastructure. It also assigns the responsibility of coordinating the
overall national effort to protect critical infrastructure and key
resources of the United States to the Department of Homeland Security.
As the sector-specific federal lead for protecting the nation's drinking
water and wastewater infrastructures, EPA plays a critical role in the
homeland security arena.

The U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development's National Homeland
Security Research Center (NHSRC) mission includes identifying, testing,
evaluating, and reporting on technologies that help decision-makers
prepare for, detect, contain, and decontaminate chemical, biological,
and radiological attacks directed against buildings, outdoor areas, and
water treatment systems. EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency
Response (OSWER) is EPA's lead office on Federal cleanup actions
authorized under the National Contingency Plan. Past attacks and
on-going threat scenario analyses of potential terrorist incidents of
national significance have illustrated vulnerability in EPA's emergency
response preparedness. Mainly, EPA lacks a well documented array of
technological tools to adequately address many of the monitoring,
detection, and decontamination tasks associated with remediating
contaminated facilities and drinking water supply systems. EPA is aware
that significant unstructured research and development is being
performed in the private sector, and multiple technological tools that
are either directly applicable or can be adapted for the decontamination
tasks have been developed

and are being marketed. The information collected through this ICR
bundles the needs of the following programs:

-   ORD, NHSRC: Identify response technology gaps and priority areas for
    testing and evaluation through the Center's Technology Testing and
    Evaluation Program (TTEP).

-   OW, OGWDW, Water Security Division - Water and Wastewater Security
    Product Guide: Technical information on market-ready technologies
    for drinking water system protection.

-   OSWER - Readily available technology summaries for use by first
    responders to determine appropriate technologies available for use
    and to make informed purchase decisions.

    **2(b) Practical Utility/Users of the Data**

    The information collected from technology vendors will serve as an
    important, objective reference for EPA's on-scene coordinators, the
    nation's water utility operators, and those responsible for
    decontamination after a terrorist attack. Users of technologies are
    faced with the daunting task of sorting through an often confusing
    mass of information provided by a vendor. Much of it is presented in
    the form of sales brochures and anecdotal information. It is
    difficult and time consuming for the user to extract the important
    technical nuggets out of product literature. Users are often faced
    with making quick decisions about which technology or technologies
    should or should not be used and do not have the luxury of time for
    wading through vendor-provided information. This information
    collection and review will result in technology information
    summaries that will be easily accessible to potential users. The
    summaries will be used to share the pertinent pieces of performance
    information so that the user can quickly match a technology to a
    given task.

    The information collected also serves another purpose in supporting
    the NHSRC's Technology Testing and Evaluation Program (TTEP). The
    purpose of TTEP is to test, evaluate, and report on the performance
    of commercially available homeland security-related technologies.
    TTEP will use the information collected as the basis for inviting
    technology vendors to have their technology evaluated.

    EPA is producing 4-10 page summaries on each of the technologies for
    which vendors agree to submit the requested information (as defined
    in 4(b)). These summaries will be shared with the Environmental
    Response Team and the Emergency Response Technology Workgroup,
    advisors and decision makers, respectively, on national technology
    purchase decisions. Summaries will also be supplied directly to U.S.
    EPA's Federal On-Scene Coordinators and technical personnel
    supporting the Agency's cleanup efforts through their online
    information systems. Additionally, information will be provided to
    other federal agencies that are involved in supporting the
    government's counterterrorism efforts. Specifically, raw information
    and the final reports will be shared with the Department of
    State/Department of Defense managed Technical Support Working Group
    (TSWG) and the Department of Homeland Security's SAFETY Act Program
    Office.

    Water utilities, whether operated privately or by a municipality,
    are trying to identify technologies that they can use to protect the
    public they serve. Although the utility operators are not typically
    faced with decision making under crisis, they are faced with the
    same confusing mass of information that technology vendors typically
    provide. Utility operators will use the information collected under
    this activity to identify technologies for establishing contaminant
    warning systems, for treating contaminated water, and for
    decontaminating distribution systems after an attack. EPA's Water
    Security Division has already established the Security Product Guide
    ([http://www.epa.gov/safewater/watersecurity/guide/index.html)](../(http://www.epa.gov/safewater/watersecurity/guide/index.html))
    for use by water utilities. The technology information summaries
    will be linked to this site so that they are easily available to the
    users and so that it will not require going to a separate web site
    to review the summaries.

    **3. Nonduplication, Consultations, and Other Collection Criteria**

    **3(a) Nonduplication**

    EPA has performed an exhaustive review encompassing EPA, Department
    of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Defense (DoD), Department
    of Energy (DOE), and other organizations, to identify specific
    programs, projects, or reports (referred to as programs) collecting
    information on technologies similar to what is to be sought through
    this ICR. The purpose was to avoid duplication of efforts and, to
    the extent possible, reduce the reporting burden by collecting
    information that is already available, and contacting vendors solely
    for the unavailable portions. In addition, EPA contacted selected
    individuals at these agencies to solicit follow-up information. EPA
    has produced a tool to track the information in these programs
    (Homeland Security Technology Roadmap), including the types of
    technologies reviewed, status, and the type of information they
    contain. More than 40 specific programs were identified and will be
    tapped for the information they already contain. However,
    significant information gaps continue to exist as many of the
    programs collect only basic information (such as company and product
    names), or information on products beyond the scope of EPA's needs
    under this effort (such as emergency communications equipment).

    **3(b) Public Notice Required Prior to ICR Submission to OMB**

    On February 12, 2008 EPA sought comments on this renewal ICR (73
    [FR]{.underline} 8040). EPA received no comments.

    **3(c) Consultations**

    The consultations shown below were obtained as part of the 2005 ICR
    process. No substantive changes to the program or respondent
    universe over the last three years has occurred; therefore, no
    further consultations were obtained.

    Thomas R. Archibald, President/CEO

    HazTech Systems, Inc.

    800-543-5487 or 209-966-8088

    [www.hazcat.com](http://www.hazcat.com/)

    MicroCat/WMD Kit

    Mr. Archibald indicated that he found responding to the request
    straight-forward and clear. He worked closely with EPA contractor
    staff to ensure that all the topics were addressed.

    Dr. Jonathan Shein

    Executive VP, Sales & Marketing

    NITON LLC

    800-875-1578 x 313

    978-670-7460 x 313

    [www.niton.com](http://www.niton.com/)

    Dr. Shein was asked to review a draft of the cover letter and the
    corresponding attachments that were ultimately sent to vendors. He
    stated "The document appears quite comprehensive. I personally
    wouldn\'t think it a problem to answer these questions, especially
    since the website would provide me as a vendor with potential
    exposure to users that would otherwise be difficult to achieve. From
    NITON\'s perspective, it would be of value to add a brief part on
    report generation and data integrity (how easy is it to document the
    results achieved with the analyzers, and is it possible for users of
    the equipment to modify the data, either accidentally or
    intentionally)." His suggestions were added to the final package

    Kevin M. Morley

    Regulatory Analyst

    American Water Works Association

    202-628-8303

    Mr. Morley works closely with the nation's water utility operators.
    He was asked to review the vendor letter and the corresponding
    attachments. He felt that the information collected under this ICR
    and shared with the water utilities would be very valuable and
    useful for protecting water systems and supplies.

    Ms. Wendy Howe

    Director

    Support Anti-terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies (SAFETY)
    Act Office

    Department of Homeland Security

    202-772-9887

    Ms. Howe has been briefed about this information collection activity
    on two occasions. The SAFETY Act program collects very detailed
    information from technology vendors but is unable to share it
    outside of DHS. Ms. Howe agreed to encourage vendors to supply their
    SAFETY Act submittal to EPA to, in part, satisfy our information
    collection needs. She found the letter and the attachments useful
    and encouraged EPA to move ahead with the effort.

    Mr. Lance Brooks

    Chemical Countermeasures Portfolio

    DHS, OST. PPB

    202-254-5768

    Mr. Brooks has been briefed about this information collection
    activity on numerous occasions. He has been instrumental in sharing
    the names and contacts of vendors whose technologies may

    be good candidates for testing under TTEP and for having their
    existing information available through this information collection
    activity.

    The following paragraphs describe the specific outreach activities
    that EPA staff performed during the questionnaire development
    period. These activities were intended to provide EPA with feedback
    on issues such as questionnaire format, terminology, and technical
    quality.

    In addition to these personal contacts, the information collection
    staff also provided briefings for members of EPA's Emergency
    Response Technical Workgroup (ERTG), EPA's Office of Pesticide
    Programs and Toxic Substances (OPPTS), and EPA's Office of Water
    during the development of the information collection materials.
    NHSRC continues to nurture a working relationship with the On-Scene
    Coordinators to ensure that the information collected and
    distributed is adequately addresses their needs.

    The information collection activities were also briefed to the
    Distribution System Research Consortium (DSRC). The consortium meets
    twice a year to address research and technical support issues around
    distribution systems. Members include representatives from the
    Department of Homeland Security, the Centers for Disease Control and
    Prevention, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, and
    the U. S. Geological Survey, among others.

    **3(d) Effects of Less Frequent Collection**

    This information collection activity is not conducted according to a
    periodic or episodic schedule. A master list of technology vendors
    is being compiled and vendors will be contacted in

    batches of 10 to 15 vendors at a time. Vendors will be invited to
    review their submittal on an annual basis to determine if the
    existing information needs to be revised and updated. It is

    expected that most of the possible vendors will have been contacted
    and have their reports prepared by the third quarter of FY09.

    **3(e) General Guidelines**

    This information collection activity complies with the eight
    stipulations identified in the guidance.

    **3(f) Confidentiality**

    The cover letter specifically states that proprietary or
    confidential business information will not be accepted because all
    the information the Agency collects under this information
    collection activity will be made available to the public.

    **3(g) Sensitive Questions**

    No sensitive questions pertaining to private or personal
    information, such as sexual behavior or religious beliefs, are being
    asked in the information request letter.

    **4.** **The Respondents and the Information Requested**

    **4(a) Respondents/NAICS**

    Most of the vendors are categorized as analytical laboratory
    instrument manufacturing (NAICS code 334516) ^1^. This includes
    environmental technology vendors, laboratory analytical

    ^1^<http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/naicstab.htm>

    instrument manufacturers (e.g., analytical chemistry and sample
    collection), sensor manufacturers, signal processing vendors, and
    test kit manufacturers.

    **4(b) Information Requested**

    *(i) Data items, including record keeping requirements*

    This information collection activity does not require the respondent
    to keep any records.

    The data items being collected are identified in the attachment.

    *(ii) Respondent Activities*

    The letter will be sent to a contact within the company that was
    identified through a preliminary search (web, literature, and word
    of mouth) by EPA. The respondent will need to:

```{=html}
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```
-   Review the instructions provided in the cover letter

-   Identify a point of contact

-   Collect and assemble the information necessary to address the
    criteria identified in the attachment to the cover letter

-   Organize the information into a coherent package

-   Transmit the information to EPA by mail or by email (O&M cost for
    postage, computer, and photocopying)

-   Answer follow up questions for clarification (O&M cost for use of
    telephone)

-   Review and comment on draft summary (O&M cost for postage, computer,
    and photocopying)

-   Answer follow up questions for clarification (O&M cost for use of
    telephone)

    Once the information is received and reviewed by EPA, the
    respondent's point of contact may need to be contacted for
    clarification or for additional information or both.

    After EPA condenses the information into a 4 to 10 page summary, a
    draft copy will be provided to the respondent for review to ensure
    that there are no significant errors or omissions.

    The attachment to the cover letter includes many data items that the
    respondent should already possess. It is anticipated that the
    respondent will have all this information available and accessible
    for compilation and submittal to EPA. The data items identified
    should have been generated through the respondent's customary and
    usual business practices; however, compiling the data to satisfy the
    Agency's request is unique and will require the respondent to devote
    staff time to the effort.

    **5. The Information Collected - Agency Activities, Collection,
    Methodology and Information Management**

    **5(a) Agency Activities**

    The Agency activities associated with the preparation of technology
    information summaries will consist of the following:

-   Prepare letter and send to respondent;

-   Perform an initial review of the submittal for completeness;

-   If the package is incomplete, contact the respondent for
    clarification;

-   Perform a detailed review of the information and compile a 4 to 10
    page summary;

-   Review the summary;

-   Provide a draft of the summary to the respondent for comment;

-   Reconcile respondent comments; and

-   Produce final summary.

    **5(b) Collection Methodology and Information Management**

    In collecting and analyzing the information associated with this
    ICR, EPA will use personal computers and applicable database and
    word processing software to manage the information. EPA will ensure
    the accuracy and completeness of collected information by reviewing
    each submittal. EPA will also provide a draft copy of the summary to
    the respondent for review and comment. A complete vendor information
    submission package will be kept on file by the Office of Research
    and Development. The information will not be entered into a database
    and stored electronically. Technology information summaries will be
    available online through the Water Security Division's Security
    Product Guide and separately through the Response Technology Ready
    Reference web site.

    **5(c) Small Entity Flexibility**

    This information collection activity is voluntary, not compulsory.
    EPA has attempted to streamline the information collection to
    minimize the amount of time the respondent will need to devote to
    compiling the items identified in the attachment to the cover
    letter. The Agency's intent is to minimize the information
    collection burden to all businesses regardless of size. If a
    respondent believes that it is too time consuming, they are under no
    obligation to provide any

    information. The respondent will still be identified on the above
    mentioned web sites, but the user of the web site will be referred
    to the vendor for specific information.

    **5(d) Collection Schedule**

    This information collection activity is not conducted according to a
    periodic or episodic schedule. A master list of technology vendors
    is being compiled and vendors will be contacted in batches of 10 to
    15 vendors at a time. The respondent will be mailed a letter
    requesting that specific information be sent to EPA within 30 days
    of receipt. Vendors will be invited to review

    their submittal on an annual basis to determine if the existing
    information needs to be revised and updated. It is expected that
    most of the vendors will have been contacted and have their reports
    prepared by the third quarter of FY09.

    **6. Estimating the Burden and Cost of the Collection**

    This information collection will necessitate the involvement of four
    general labor categories for each respondent:

-   Legal staff

-   Management

-   Technical staff

-   Clerical staff

    There are no third-party reporting requirements associated with this
    information collection activity.

    **6(a) Estimating Respondent Burden**

    For the purpose of estimating respondent burden, these are the tasks
    anticipated for each labor category:

    Legal staff -- perform initial review of the letter; a review of the
    respondents information submittal package; review the draft summary
    and technical staff comments

    Management -- perform initial review of the letter; a review of the
    respondents information submittal package; review the draft summary
    and technical staff comments

    Technical staff -- perform initial review of the letter; collect and
    organize information into a coherent package; spend time on the
    phone clarifying response

    (after response submittal and after review of summary); if
    necessary, provide additional supporting documentation (after
    response submittal and after review of summary) and review draft
    summary

    Clerical staff -- provides clerical support such as typing comments
    for technical staff, sending emails, and packaging and shipping
    information.

    The estimated hours associated with these tasks is included in Table
    6-1. No comments were received from the public during the comment
    period. Therefore, the hours were estimated after discussions with
    the individuals previously mentioned (Section 3(c)) as well as
    discussions with the EPA and contractor technical staff working on
    this information collection.

    **6(a) Estimating Respondent Costs**

    *(i) Estimating Labor Costs*

    The labor rates and categories available in the Labor Department's
    *Employer costs for Employee Compensation* are not directly
    applicable to this information collection. The labor cost estimates
    used for this information collection are based on previous
    discussions with the individuals previously mentioned and the EPA
    and contractor technical staff working on this

    information collection. The hourly rates used in Table 6-1 are
    comparable to approximately half those of the average GSA Schedule
    Professional Engineering Services contractor labor categories.

    *(ii) Estimating Capital and Operations and Maintenance Costs*

    Respondents will not incur capital costs in responding to this
    information collection. The O&M costs to respondents are very small
    and include photocopying, postage, telephone system usage
    (principally long distance telephone call charges and a portion of
    the costs of maintaining

    a phone system), and the use of existing computers for typing
    letters, and collecting and managing the information provided to the
    Agency in response to this information collection. The O&M costs are
    identified in Table 6-1. They were derived in the same manner as the
    labor categories and costs.

    *(iii) Capital/Start-up vs. Operating and Maintenance (O&M) Costs*

    See Section 6(a)(ii).

    *(iv) Annualizing Capital Costs*

    Not applicable to this information collection action.

    Table 6-1

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 29%" />
<col style="width: 5%" />
<col style="width: 4%" />
<col style="width: 5%" />
<col style="width: 5%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 8%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 3%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 5%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td colspan="13">Estimated Annual Respondent Burden and Cost</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td rowspan="2">Information Collection Activity Tasks</td>
<td colspan="8"><strong>Hours and Costs per Respondent</strong></td>
<td colspan="4"><strong>Total Hours and Costs</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Legal</p>
<p>$125/hr</p></td>
<td><p>Mgr</p>
<p>$105/hr</p></td>
<td><p>Tech.</p>
<p>$70/hr</p></td>
<td><p>Clerical</p>
<p>$35/hr</p></td>
<td><p>Respond</p>
<p>hr/yr</p></td>
<td><p>Labor</p>
<p>$/year</p></td>
<td><p>Capital/Startup</p>
<p>Cost</p></td>
<td>O&amp;M Cost</td>
<td>Number of Respond.</td>
<td><p>Total</p>
<p>hrs/yr</p></td>
<td>Total Labor $/yr</td>
<td>Total O&amp;M $/yr</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Review the instructions provided in cover letter</td>
<td>0.5</td>
<td>0.5</td>
<td>0.5</td>
<td></td>
<td>1.5</td>
<td>$150.00</td>
<td>$0.00</td>
<td>$0.00</td>
<td rowspan="9">70</td>
<td>105</td>
<td>$10,500</td>
<td>0</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>Collect information</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td>3</td>
<td></td>
<td>3</td>
<td>$210.00</td>
<td>$0.00</td>
<td>$0.00</td>
<td>210</td>
<td>$14,700</td>
<td>0</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Assemble and organize information</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td>2</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>3</td>
<td>$175.00</td>
<td>$0.00</td>
<td>$0.00</td>
<td>210</td>
<td>$12,250</td>
<td>0</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>Review package for completeness</td>
<td>0.5</td>
<td>0.5</td>
<td>0.5</td>
<td></td>
<td>1.5</td>
<td>$150.00</td>
<td>$0.00</td>
<td>$0.00</td>
<td>105</td>
<td>$10,500</td>
<td>0</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Transmit information to Agency</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td>0.5</td>
<td>0.5</td>
<td>$17.50</td>
<td>$0.00</td>
<td>$2.00<a href="#fn1" class="footnote-ref" id="fnref1"
role="doc-noteref"><sup>1</sup></a></td>
<td>35</td>
<td>$1,225</td>
<td>140</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>Answer follow up questions for clarification</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td>1</td>
<td></td>
<td>1</td>
<td>$70.00</td>
<td>$0.00</td>
<td>$1.00<a href="#fn2" class="footnote-ref" id="fnref2"
role="doc-noteref"><sup>2</sup></a></td>
<td>70</td>
<td>$4,900</td>
<td>70</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Review and comment on draft summary</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>1</td>
<td></td>
<td>3</td>
<td>$300.00</td>
<td>$0.00</td>
<td>$1.00<sup>a</sup></td>
<td>210</td>
<td>$21,000</td>
<td>70</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>Transmit comments to Agency</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td>0.5</td>
<td>0.5</td>
<td>$17.50</td>
<td>$0.00</td>
<td>$1.00<sup>a</sup></td>
<td>35</td>
<td>$1,225</td>
<td>70</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Answer follow up questions for clarification</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td>1</td>
<td></td>
<td>1</td>
<td>$70.00</td>
<td>$0.00</td>
<td>$1.00<sup>b</sup></td>
<td>70</td>
<td>$4,900</td>
<td>70</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><strong>Subtotal</strong></td>
<td>2</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>9</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>$1160.00</td>
<td>$0.00</td>
<td>$6.00</td>
<td><strong>Annualized Totals</strong></td>
<td>1050</td>
<td>$81,200</td>
<td>$420</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<aside id="footnotes" class="footnotes footnotes-end-of-document"
role="doc-endnotes">
<hr />
<ol>
<li id="fn1"><p>b<a href="#fnref1" class="footnote-back"
role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p></li>
<li id="fn2"><p>c<a href="#fnref2" class="footnote-back"
role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p></li>
</ol>
</aside>

^b^ Postage, computer, photocopying ^c^ Telephone system use

**6(c) Estimating Agency Burden and Cost**

This information collection will necessitate the involvement of the
following general labor categories:

EPA

-   Management

-   Technical staff

    Contractor

-   Management

-   Technical staff

-   Clerical

    Table 6-2 contains a detailed estimate of the Agency and contractor
    labor hours and costs associated with this information collection
    activity. The estimates are based on the information requests that
    were sent to technology vendors (respondents) during the 180-day
    emergency ICR period. There are no start-up or capital costs.
    Operations and maintenance costs for the contractor staff are
    included in the fully-loaded hourly costs identified in the table.

    Table 6-2

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 20%" />
<col style="width: 5%" />
<col style="width: 5%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 5%" />
<col style="width: 7%" />
<col style="width: 7%" />
<col style="width: 11%" />
<col style="width: 4%" />
<col style="width: 7%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td colspan="13">Estimated Annual Agency Burden and Cost</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td rowspan="2">Information Collection Activity Tasks</td>
<td colspan="4"><strong>Agency Hours and Costs</strong></td>
<td colspan="5"><strong>Contractor Hours and Costs</strong></td>
<td colspan="3"><strong>Total Hours and Costs</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p>Mgr</p>
<p>$70/hr</p></td>
<td><p>Tech.</p>
<p>$60/hr</p></td>
<td><p>Agency</p>
<p>hr/yr</p></td>
<td><p>Agency</p>
<p>$/yr</p></td>
<td><p>Mgr</p>
<p>$175/hr</p></td>
<td><p>Tech.</p>
<p>$120/hr</p></td>
<td><p>Clerical</p>
<p>$45/hr</p></td>
<td><p>Contractor</p>
<p>hr/yr</p></td>
<td><p>Contractor</p>
<p>$/yr</p></td>
<td>Number of Respond.</td>
<td><p>Total</p>
<p>hrs/yr</p></td>
<td><p>Total</p>
<p>$/yr</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Prepare letter and send to respondent</td>
<td>0.25</td>
<td>0.50</td>
<td>0.75</td>
<td>$47.50</td>
<td>0.25</td>
<td>0.50</td>
<td>0.25</td>
<td>1.00</td>
<td>$115.00</td>
<td rowspan="12">70</td>
<td>122.5</td>
<td>$11,375.00</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>Perform initial review of submittal for completeness</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td>0.00</td>
<td>$0.00</td>
<td></td>
<td>3.00</td>
<td></td>
<td>3.00</td>
<td>$360.00</td>
<td>210</td>
<td>$25,200.00</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Contact respondent for clarification</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td>0.00</td>
<td>$0.00</td>
<td></td>
<td>1.00</td>
<td></td>
<td>1.00</td>
<td>$120.00</td>
<td>70</td>
<td>$8,400.00</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>Review and evaluate information</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td>0.00</td>
<td>$0.00</td>
<td></td>
<td>5.00</td>
<td></td>
<td>5.00</td>
<td>$600.00</td>
<td>350</td>
<td>$42,000.00</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Prepare draft 4 to 10 page summary</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td>0.00</td>
<td>$0.00</td>
<td></td>
<td>15.00</td>
<td>3.00</td>
<td>18.00</td>
<td>$1,935.00</td>
<td>1260</td>
<td>$135,450.00</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>Internal review of draft summary</td>
<td></td>
<td>2.00</td>
<td>2.00</td>
<td>$120.00</td>
<td>2.00</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td>2.00</td>
<td>$350.00</td>
<td>280</td>
<td>$32,900.00</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Send draft to respondent for review and comment</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td>0.00</td>
<td>$0.00</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td>0.25</td>
<td>0.25</td>
<td>$11.25</td>
<td>17.5</td>
<td>$787.50</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>Review respondent comments</td>
<td></td>
<td>1.00</td>
<td>1.00</td>
<td>$60.00</td>
<td>1.00</td>
<td>1.00</td>
<td></td>
<td>2.00</td>
<td>$295.00</td>
<td>210</td>
<td>$24,850.00</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Contact respondent for clarification</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td>0.00</td>
<td>$0.00</td>
<td></td>
<td>1.00</td>
<td></td>
<td>1.00</td>
<td>$120.00</td>
<td>70</td>
<td>$8,400.00</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>Reconcile comments and produce final summary</td>
<td></td>
<td>1.00</td>
<td>1.00</td>
<td>$60.00</td>
<td></td>
<td>3.00</td>
<td>1.00</td>
<td>4.00</td>
<td>$405.00</td>
<td>350</td>
<td>$32,550.00</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Review and release final summary</td>
<td>1.00</td>
<td>2.00</td>
<td>3.00</td>
<td>$190.00</td>
<td>1.00</td>
<td>2.00</td>
<td></td>
<td>3.00</td>
<td>$415.00</td>
<td>420</td>
<td>$42,350.00</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>Bi-weekly teleconferences to discuss status</td>
<td></td>
<td>0.10</td>
<td>0.10</td>
<td>$6.00</td>
<td>0.10</td>
<td>1.00</td>
<td></td>
<td>1.10</td>
<td>$137.50</td>
<td>84</td>
<td>$10,045.00</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><strong>Subtotal</strong></td>
<td>1.25</td>
<td>6.60</td>
<td>7.85</td>
<td>$483.50</td>
<td>4.35</td>
<td>32.50</td>
<td>4.50</td>
<td>41.35</td>
<td>$4,863.75</td>
<td><strong>Annualized Totals</strong></td>
<td>3444</td>
<td>$340,462.50</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

**6(d) Estimating the Respondent Universe and Total Burden and Costs**

Tables 6-1 and 6-2 include these totals.

**6(e) Bottom Line Burden hours and Cost Tables**

Tables 6-1 and 6-2 include these totals.

**6(f) Reasons for Change in Burden**

No substantive changes to the program over the last three years have
occurred; therefore, there is no change in burden.

**6(g) Burden Statement**

The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection
of information is estimated to average 15 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; 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. 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.

To comment on the Agency\'s need for this information, the accuracy of
the provided burden estimates, and any suggested methods for minimizing
respondent burden, including the use of automated collection techniques,
EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID No.
EPA-HQ-ORD-2008-0067, which is available for public viewing at the
Office of Research and Development (ORD) Docket in the EPA Docket Center
(EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 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 Research and Development Docket is
(202) 566-1752. An electronic version of the public docket is available
through http://www.regulations.gov. Use
[www.regulations.gov](http://www.regulations.gov/) to 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. Also, you can send comments to
the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management
and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20503, Attention: Desk
Office for EPA. Please include the EPA Docket ID No.
(EPA-HQ-ORD-2008-0067) and OMB control number (2050-0194) in any
correspondence.

**ATTACHMENT 1**

**Information Request Cover Letter with Attachment**

Dear :

The purpose of this letter is to invite your company to participate in a
technology information collection activity being coordinated by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Homeland Security
Research Center (NHSRC). This information collection activity is part of
a project called the Response Technology Ready Reference (RTRR). The
purpose of RTRR is to gather existing technology performance
information, summarize it, and have it available to technology users.

The Agency is actively participating in the ongoing national efforts to
ensure the safety and security of select portions of the nation's
critical infrastructure -- specifically focusing on water treatment
infrastructure and the decontamination of buildings, structures, and
outdoor areas. A critical facet of the Center's overall homeland
security mission is identifying, testing, and evaluating technologies.

The RTRR contains brief summaries of technologies that are offered for
use to emergency responders, consequence managers, and water utility
operators in responding to a chemical, biological, or radiological
attack or for use in response to an unintentional release of
contaminants. This information also serves as a ready reference of
technologies that may be appropriate for testing and evaluation under
the Agency's Technology Testing and Evaluation Program (TTEP). The brief
summaries capture key information about commercially available
technologies that are relevant to the detection and decontamination of
water treatment infrastructure, building materials, building structures,
outdoor areas, and indoor air that may become contaminated with
chemical, biological, and radiological warfare agents. These summaries
are based upon vendor-provided data and information including, when
available, validated test data generated by governmental or other
organizations.

This invitation requests your company to supply detailed technical
information to help us more fully understand the capabilities of the
TECHNOLOGY NAME and to summarize the information for the technology
users mentioned previously. Attachment 1 identifies the types of
information and data we would like to include in each summary. We would
appreciate your providing this information to us and identifying a
technical point of contact that EPA can communicate with concerning
questions or clarifications about the submittal. This is a voluntary
program and the government will not be responsible for costs your
company may incur in responding to this request.

For this submission, please do not submit any proprietary information,
confidential business information, or other information that you do not
wish to be made public. The technology information summary report to be
prepared under this effort, along with selected supporting
documentation, will be available on a web site for dissemination to the
public through such means as a web site or direct mailings.

We plan to complete an information summary for your technology within
four weeks of receipt of your complete response to the items identified
in Attachment 1. Please provide information on your technology by DATE.
A member of the review team will be assigned to your technology to work
with you in compiling your information, and will contact you in the
interim should information gaps be identified. We will provide you with
the opportunity to review the summary report before it is finalized.

Please email the name, address, telephone and fax number, and email
address of your technical point of contact and any questions you might
have. Please e-mail materials to Batelle (point of contact to be
determined) or send them to the following address:

Battelle

505 King Avenue

Columbus, Ohio 43201-2693

If you have questions about this request, please contact Shannon Serre,
EPA, NHSRC at 919-541-3817 or serre.shannon@epa.gov.

Sincerely,

/s/

Jonathan Herrmann

Director

National Homeland Security Research Center

**Paperwork Reduction Act Burden Statement:** The public reporting and
recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to
average 15 hours per response. Send comments on the Agency\'s need for
this information, the accuracy of the provided burden estimates, and any
suggested methods for minimizing respondent burden, including through
the use of automated collection techniques to the Director, Collection
Strategies Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2822T), 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20460. Include the OMB control
number 2050-0194 in any correspondence. Do not send the information
requested above to this address.

**ATTACHMENT 2**

**Detection Technologies for Biological and Chemical Threats**

**Criteria for Technology Assessment**

**Background Information:** The following criteria are intended for use
in assessment of products/technologies used for detection of biological
agents and toxins in indoor air. These criteria also will have
applicability to products/technologies used for detection of chemical
warfare agents and industrial chemicals.

**[Category 1 - Product and Vendor Information]{.underline}**

1\. **Product Name and Classification**

2\. **Company Information**

3\. **Company Representative**

4\. **Individual Submitting Application**

5\. **Commercial Availability** **--** Discusses whether the product is
currently commercially available.

**[Category 2 - Product Description]{.underline}**

1\. **Product Description** -- Detailed description of the product;
including operation, functions, intended use, size, dimensions, and
weight.

2**. Method of Detection** -- Description of the principles of
operation.

3**. Intended User(s)** -- Types of individuals who will use the product
(for example, first responders, HazMat, military personnel, plant
engineers, skilled laborers, etc.).

4**. Utility Requirements** -- Description of the electric, water,
telephone, internet, and other utility requirements for the product.

5**. Durability** -- Ability to withstand wear and tear, based on
engineering design and materials of construction (also considering
conditions or factors that could reduce the operating lifetime.)

6**. Application(s)** -- Specify the area in which the product is
designed to operate (for example, ducts, rooms, plenum, air returns,
piping, or in process).

7**. Accessories** -- Description of accessories required for proper use
of the "base model" as well as optional accessories.

8**. Decontamination** -- Description of the method for decontaminating
the product following use.

9**. Portability** -- Ability to transport the product. Takes into
account whether the product requires installation to operate and special
licensing or other requirements for transport or shipping. Includes
information about whether unit can be carried by hand or needs a vehicle
for operation.

**[Category 3 - Performance Characteristics]{.underline}**

1**. Detected Compounds and/or Agents --** List of chemical and/or
biological agents the unit is capable of detecting.

2**. Units of Measurement** -- Identify if the unit produces a
qualitative or quantitative result (or either, depending on
configuration). For quantitative results, identify the unit of
measurement as ppb, mg/m^3^, CFU, Fg/L, or other unit. For qualitative
results, describe the indicator (e.g., color change, plus/minus sign,
noise) and the threshold value. Identify if there is an audible or
visible alarm.

3**. Throughput or Measurement Rate** -- Identify the amount of time
required to set up, conduct analysis, and produce results (also noting
factors that affect the throughput or measurement rate).

4**. Standard Operating Procedure, Method, or User's Manual --** Is a
procedure for the operation of the unit documented and available?

**Method Start-up** -- What steps, if any, are required to validate the
method for a specific application? What steps should be used to verify
the proficiency of an operator?

**Quality Control Procedures** -- Identify recommended QC checks and
frequency for normal operation

**Instrument Calibration** -- Describe the process that is required to
calibrate the instrument in the field (if necessary).

5**. Performance Parameters --** For the performance parameters below,
provide performance data using the method along with a brief description
of how the performance data were generated.

-   Accuracy

-   Precision

-   Bias

-   False positive/false negative rate

-   Upper and Lower Detection Limits

-   Linear Dynamic Range

-   Method/Instrument Sensitivity

-   Method Optimization and Ruggedness Testing

    6**. Detector Saturation --** Concentrations of agents or compounds
    that may produce saturation or instrument flooding, and lead to
    false negative readings.

    7**. Operational Considerations --** Information regarding
    operational considerations that may affect product performance,
    including ranges of temperature, humidity, dust, wind movement,
    and/or rain. Also includes information about operation in explosive
    atmospheres, near high voltage wires, or other conditions.

    8**. Potential Interferences** -- Potential cross sensitivities,
    spectral interferences, or other potential interference that could
    affect product performance; also noting ways to modify the method to
    remove or compensate for common interferences.

    **[Category 4 -- Cost Information]{.underline}**

    1\. **Product Cost** -- The cost of the basic model and all required
    accessories.

    2**. Accessories Cost** -- Cost of required accessories and optional
    accessories.

    3\. **Consumable Material Cost** -- Cost of consumable materials
    (for example, solutions, sampling media) required for proper
    operation. Identify those consumables that are proprietary and
    include information about their availability.

    4**. Special Testing Cost** -- Cost of scheduled special testing
    (for example, wipe testing).

    5**. Calibration Cost** -- Cost of regularly scheduled manufacturer
    calibration.

    6**. Training Cost** -- Cost of vendor-required or recommended
    training for users/operators of the product.

    7\. **Warranty Information** --Information about the warranty for
    the product and accessories.

    8**. Technical Service** --Types of customer and technical service
    provided to customers in the event that the instrument requires a
    repair.

    **[Category 5 - Other Information]{.underline}**

    1\. **Personnel Requirements** -- Number and experience level of
    personnel required to operate the unit.

    2\. **Training Requirements** -- Requirements or recommendations for
    training personnel to be able to operate the product.

    3\. **Data Management** - Method of storing and managing data.
    Includes whether the product is programmable, manual, or automatic;
    how many sets of data can be stored; whether or not there are any
    software requirements; and ability to log data remotely.

    4\. **Storage and Handling** -- Description of how the unit should
    be stored.

    5\. **Waste Generation** -- Description of waste streams generated
    from the method their disposition.

    6\. **Routine Maintenance Requirements** -- Routine requirements for
    maintenance.

    7\. **Independent Validation/Verification** -- Indication of
    availability of independent evaluations or reviews (for example,
    industry review, peer-review, scientific journals, military reviews,
    or independent laboratory evaluations). Includes information about
    testing with live agent (if applicable).

    8\. **Recommended Corroborative or Supporting Data** -- The vendor
    should suggest other analytical techniques that can be used to
    confirm or corroborate the results of the method, and any supporting
    data (e.g., meteorological) that are required for interpretation of
    the results.

    **[Category 6 - Health and Safety Information]{.underline}**

    1\. **Personnel Hazard --** Potential health hazard (acute or
    chronic), if any, to personnel operating the device (e.g. electrical
    hazards, explosion, radiation, exposure or chemicals). May also
    include information about the proper personal protection equipment
    required during use to ensure worker health and safety.

    2\. **Environmental Hazard --** Degree of environmental hazard or
    impact associated with direct contact to the product or its
    by-products.

> 3\. **Public Health Hazard --** Potential health hazard (acute or
> chronic) to the public (building visitors, occupants, and/or
> community) resulting from the operation of the device.