4282 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 19 / Wednesday, January 29, 1997 / Notices

and 18 CFR 385.214). All such motions

or protests should be filed on or before

the comment date. Protests will be

considered by the Commission in

determining the appropriate action to be

taken, but will not serve to make

protestants parties to the proceeding.

Any person wishing to become a party

must file a motion to intervene. Copies

of this filing are on file with the

Commission and are available for public

inspection.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–2113 Filed 1–28–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–5681–7]

Agency Information Proposed

Collection; Comment Request;

National Request for Information (RFI)

for Vendor Information System for

Innovative Treatment Technologies

(VISITT) and Vendor Field Analytical

and Characterization Technologies

System (Vendor FACTS)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In compliance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.

3501 et seq.), this notice announces that

EPA is planning to submit the following

continuing Information Collection

Request (ICR) to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB):

National Request for Information (RFI)

for Vendor Information System for

Innovative Treatment Technologies

(VISITT) and Vendor Field Analytical

and Characterization Technologies

System (Vendor FACTS). The EPA ICR

Number is 1583.02, OMB Control

Number is 2050–0114 and current

expiration date is July 31, 1997. 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 by

April 4, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Technology Innovation

Office (5102G), Office of Solid Waste

and Emergency Response, U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency, 401

M Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460.

Individuals interested in obtaining a

copy of the ICR at no charge may send

their requests to the above address or by

calling (703) 603–9903.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Carl Ma by telephone at (703) 603–9903,

by telefax at (703) 603–9135, or by Email at ‘‘ma.carl@epamail.epa.gov’’.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Affected entities: Entities potentially

affected by this action are technology

vendors who are interested in the

voluntary participation in EPA’s

databases on innovative technologies for

the clean-up, characterization and

monitoring of hazardous waste sites.

Title: National Request for

Information (RFI) for Vendor

Information System for Innovative

Treatment Technologies (VISITT) and

Vendor Field Analytical and

Characterization Technologies System

(Vendor FACTS). The EPA ICR Number

is 1583.02, OMB Control Number is

2050–0114 and current expiration date

is July 31, 1997.

Abstract: As part of a broad effort to

promote the routine consideration and

use of more cost effective technologies

by the Agency and others, the

Technology Innovation Office created

the VISITT and Vendor FACTS

databases for the purpose of

disseminating the latest information on

technologies to clean-up, characterize,

or monitor hazardous waste sites.

Version 5.0 of VISITT contains

information on 346 technologies to

remediate soil and groundwater

contaminated with hazardous wastes.

Version 2.0 of Vendor FACTS contains

approximately 129 technologies for field

analytical and site characterization.

These systems help technology vendors

promote their technologies by providing

readily available information to system

users, such as site managers, on the

options for site monitoring and cleanup. In addition, the systems provide a

communication link between

technology users and vendors. Each

year, EPA invites vendors to participate

in these databases on a voluntary basis

and requests specific, non-confidential

technology information for listing in the

databases. EPA does not verify the

accuracy of submitted data or claims

made by vendors. 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. One of EPA’s

highest priorities has been to encourage

the use of innovative technologies to

speed-up the site remediation process

and at the same time to reduce project

costs. EPA is working toward these

goals by providing the site managers

with the necessary information to select

the most applicable and cost-effective

technology for their sites. In order to

obtain such critical information, once

every year, EPA invites vendors to

participate in the databases by

submitting or updating information on

new technologies as they emerge or

become commercially available.

Originally, EPA based the burden hours

estimates for individual respondents on

two non-statistical pre-tests designed to

minimize the burden of potential

respondents. In the first pre-test, nonrespondent technical experts completed

the Vendor Information Form (VIF), and

in the second pre-test, vendors who

participated in the workgroup to

develop the system were asked to

estimate the time it would take to

complete the VIF. Several vendors based

their time estimates on actual time

required to fill out the form. To improve

its estimates of respondent burden, EPA

conducted a small survey of actual

respondents. The revised estimates are

now 25 hours and 13 hours respectively

for an original VIF submittal and an VIF

update. EPA is further trying to

minimize respondent burden by

providing an option to fill out and

submit the VIF electronically.

Burden Statement: The following

assumptions were made to estimate

individual respondent burden:

—Participation in the databases is

voluntary; therefore, some potential

respondents will read the instructions

for completing the VIF, and will

choose not to respond.

—Participating new respondents will

complete the entire VIF. EPA assumed

that each new respondent will

complete an average of two VIFs and

current participants will submit two

updated VIFs each year.

First-time respondents will take a

maximum of 50 hours to complete the

form for two technologies (or 25 hours

per technology). This value is consistent

with the maximum values obtained

from our respondent survey.

Respondents updating two previously

submitted forms will require a total of

26 hours. Estimates are the same for

VISITT and Vendor FACTS

respondents. Based on current trend, the

Agency expects, on average, 120 new

respondents and 300 current

respondents providing updates each

year for the next three years beginning

in 1997. The hourly rates for

management, technical, and clerical

staff have been increased by 5% from

previous year to bring them in line with

current contractor hourly rates. For

1997, the values are $77 for

management, $46 for technical staff, and

$29 for clerical support. The Agency
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 19 / Wednesday, January 29, 1997 / Notices 4283

assumes that rates will increase 5%

each year thereafter due to inflation.

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.

Dated: January 8, 1997.

Walter W. Kovalick, Jr.,

Director, Technology Innovation Office, Office

of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.

[FR Doc. 97–2191 Filed 1–28–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

[OPP–00466; FRL–5584–8]

FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel; Open

Meeting

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of open meeting.

SUMMARY: There will be a 2–day meeting

of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide,

and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and Food

Quality Protection Act (FQPA)

Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) to

review a set of scientific issues being

considered by the Agency in connection

with Standard Operating Procedures for

Peer Reviews, Visual System Toxicity

Testing of Organophosphates, Inhalation

Risk Assessments and the Combining of

Margin of Exposures, Toxicology

Endpoint Selection Process, Common

Mode/Mechanism of Action, and

Aggregate Exposure Methodology

Issues.

DATES: The meeting will be held on

Wednesday and Thursday, March 19

and 20, 1997, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Written comments must be received on

or before February 24, 1997.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at:

Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel, 1700

Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA.

The telephone number for the hotel is:

(703) 920–3230. By mail, submit written

comments (one original and 20 copies)

to: Public Response and Program

Resources Branch, Field Operations

Division (7506C), Environmental

Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW.,

Washington, DC 20460. In person, bring

comments to: Rm. 1132, Crystal Mall #2,

1921 Jefferson Davis Highway,

Arlington, VA.

Comments and data also may be

submitted electronically by sending

electronic mail (e-mail) to: oppdocket@epamail.epa.gov. Electronic

comments must be submitted as an

ASCII file avoiding the use of special

characters and any form of encryption.

Comments and data also will be

accepted on disks in WordPerfect in 5.1

file format or ASCII file format. All

comments and data in electronic form

must be identified by the docket control

number ‘‘OPP–00466.’’ No Confidential

Business Information (CBI) should be

submitted through e-mail. Electronic

comments may be filed online at many

Federal Depository Libraries. Additional

information on electronic submissions

can be found under SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: By

mail: Larry C. Dorsey, Designated

Federal Official, FIFRA Scientific

Advisory Panel (7509C), Office of

Pesticide Programs, Environmental

Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW.,

Washington, DC 20460, Office location,

telephone number, and e-mail address:

Rm. 819B, CM #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis

Highway, Arlington, VA 22202,

telephone: (703) 305–5369/7351, e-mail:

dorsey.larry@epamail.epa.gov.

Copies of EPA documents may be

obtained by contacting: Public Response

and Program Resources Branch, Field

Operations Division (7506C), Office of

Pesticide Programs, Environmental

Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW.,

Washington, DC 20460; Office location:

Rm. 1132 Bay, CM #2, 1921 Jefferson

Davis Highway, Arlington, VA,

Telephone: (703) 305–5805.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Any

member of the public wishing to submit

written comments should contact Larry

C. Dorsey at the address or the

telephone number given above.

Interested persons are permitted to file

written statements before the meeting.

To the extent that time permits and

upon advanced written request to the

Designated Federal Official, interested

persons may be permitted by the Chair

of the Scientific Advisory Panel to

present oral statements at the meeting.

There is no limit on the length of

written comments for consideration by

the Panel, but oral statements before the

Panel are limited to approximately 5

minutes. As oral statements only will be

permitted as time permits, the Agency

urges the public to submit written

comments in lieu of oral presentations.

Persons wishing to make oral and/or

written statements should notify the

Designated Federal Official and submit

20 copies of the summary information

no later than February 24, 1997, to

ensure appropriate consideration by the

Panel.

Information submitted as a comment

in response to this notice may be

claimed confidential by marking any

part or all of that information as

‘‘Confidential Business Information’’

(CBI). Information marked CBI will not

be disclosed except in accordance with

procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2.

An edited copy of the comment that

does not contain the CBI material must

be submitted for inclusion in the public

docket. Information not marked

confidential will be included in the

public docket. All comments and

materials received will be made part of

the public record and will be considered

by the Panel.

A public record has been established

for this notice under docket control

number ‘‘OPP–00466’’ (including

comments and data submitted

electronically). A public version of this

record, including printed versions of

electronic comments, which does not

include information claimed as CBI, is

available for inspection from 8:30 a.m.

to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday,

excluding legal holidays. The public

record is located in Rm. 1132 Bay of the

Public Response and Program Resources

Branch, Field Operations Division

(7506C), Office of Pesticide Programs,

Environmental Protection Agency,

Crystal Mall #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis

Highway, Arlington, VA.

Electronic comments can be sent

directly to EPA at: oppdocket@epamail.epa.gov. Electronic

comments must be submitted as an

ASCII file avoiding the use of special

characters and any form of encryption.

The official record for this notice, as

well as the public version, as described

above will be kept in paper form.

Accordingly, EPA will transfer all

comments received electronically into

printed, paper form as they are received

and will place the paper copies in the

official record which will also include

all comments submitted directly in

writing. The official record is the paper

record maintained at the address in

‘‘ADDRESSES’’ at the beginning of this

document.

Copies of the Panel’s report of their

recommendations will be available

approximately 15 working days after the

meeting and may be obtained by

contacting the Public Response and

Program Resources Branch, at the

address or telephone number given

above.