[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 176 (Thursday, September 11, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47807-47808]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-24149]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5891-6]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Small Business Compliance Assistance Centers

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq.), this notice announces that the following Information 
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Small Business Compliance 
Assistance Centers (EPA ICR #1815.01 ). The ICR describes the nature of 
the information collection and its expected burden and cost; where 
appropriate, it includes the actual data collection instrument.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before October 14, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY CALL: Sandy Farmer at EPA, (202) 260-
2740, and refer to EPA ICR No. 1815.01.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Title: Small Business Compliance Assistance Centers (EPA ICR 
#1815.01 ). This is a new collection.
    Abstract: This request is for a consolidated clearance for a series 
of evaluations of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Small 
Business Compliance Assistance Centers Regulatory Reinvention 
Initiative. The purpose of the evaluation is to assess the impact of 
the information that this program provides. The Small Business 
Compliance Assistance Centers program, a Presidential Regulatory 
Reinvention Initiative, provides small businesses with easy access to 
sector-specific and readily understandable information on their federal 
environmental regulatory requirements. There are currently four 
operating Centers for the printing, metal finishing, auto service and 
repair and agriculture sectors. Over the next year, EPA's Office of 
Compliance (OC) will open four new Centers for the printed wiring board 
manufacturing, chemical manufacturing, local government and 
transportation sectors. The Centers are operated through cooperative 
agreements with industry associations, universities, state agencies and 
other partners that are trusted sources of information by the small 
business sectors. The Centers also serve the needs of the state and 
local technical assistance community by providing them with sector-
specific compliance and technical information.
    The Centers are ``communications'' Centers rather than physical 
locations. Via the Internet, toll-free numbers, e-mail discussion 
groups and other communications methods they distribute compliance and 
technical information to the small business community and their 
assistance providers.
    Four types of evaluations are proposed: (1) Phone-surveys of a 
random sample of the small business populations to determine the reach 
of the Centers; (2) & (3) on-line surveys and fax-back surveys of the 
users of the Center web sites and toll-free numbers to determine users' 
satisfaction with the Centers' services and to determine what users do 
as a next step with the information they get from the Centers.; and (4) 
phone interviews to follow-up with on-line and fax-back survey 
respondents to collect anecdotal information on the behavioral/
operation changes that users undertake to improve their compliance and 
environmental performance as a result of Center usage. In each 
instance, responses to requests for information are voluntary. In 
addition, the names of the respondents will not be disclosed to EPA. 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 Federal Register 
notice required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on this 
collection of information was published on June 25th, 1997 and no 
comments were received.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 45 
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

[[Page 47808]]

information; and transmit or otherwise disclose the information.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Small businesses, regulatory agency 
staff, technical assistance program staff, consultants, university-
staff.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 26,220 annually.
    Frequency of Response: phone-survey: annual; on-line surveys: bi-
annual; fax-back surveys: bi-annual; phone interviews: annual.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 2,760 hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: $30,360.
    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 following addresses. Please 
refer to EPA ICR No.1815.01 in any correspondence.

Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, OPPE Regulatory 
Information Division (2137), 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460
    and
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and 
Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW, 
Washington, DC 20503

    Dated: September 8, 1997.
Rick Westlund,
Acting Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 97-24149 Filed 9-10-97; 8:45 am]
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