Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 27 / Monday, February 10, 1997 / Notices 5979

Alabama-South Carolina System of

Projects’’ was developed and published

in the Federal Register on December 28,

1994, 59 FR 66957 by Southeastern.

Transmission contracts under this

policy have been negotiated with the

Southern Company, Oglethorpe Power

Corporation, Alabama Electric

Cooperative, South Mississippi Electric

Power Association, and the Municipal

Electric Authority of Georgia effective

October 1, 1996. Existing transmission

contracts with Duke Power Company,

South Carolina Electric & Gas, and

South Carolina Public Service Authority

are in the process of renegotiation.

The Georgia-Alabama-South Carolina

System consists of the Allatoona,

Buford, Carters, Water F. George,

Hartwell, Robert F. Henry, Millers Ferry,

Richard B. Russell, J. Strom Thurmond,

and West Point projects. The power

from the projects is currently marketed

to Preference Customers located in the

service areas of the Southern Company,

South Carolina Public Service

Authority, South Carolina Electric & Gas

Company, and in the Duke Power

Company. The policy also deals with

the allocation of power among

preference customers. It includes

pumping operations at the Carters and

Richard B. Russell pump-storage

projects and the utilization of area

utility systems for essential purposes

such as transmission and support. The

policy also discusses wholesale rates,

resale rates, and energy and economic

efficiency measures.

Under Section 5 of the Flood Control

Act of 1944 (16 U.S.C. 825s),

Southeastern is responsible for the

transmission and disposition of electric

power and energy from reservoir

projects operated by the Department of

Army. Southeastern has negotiated

transmission contracts with area

utilities described previously under this

authority. To pay the transmission fees

under these contracts to area utilities

Southeastern must obtain an

appropriation each year in a budget

approved by Congress and the

President. Because of budget

constraints, Southeastern has had

difficulty in obtaining these

appropriations. This difficulty has

compelled Southeastern to consider

selling the government power at the bus

bar of the projects. Southeastern

requests comments on this change in its

marketing policy. The current policy

does not contemplate such a disposition

of the power from the projects.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Charles A. Borchardt, Administrator,

Southeastern Power Administration,

Elberton, Georgia 30635, (706) 213–

3800.

Issued in Elberton, Georgia, January 30,

1997.

Charles A. Borchardt,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 97–3170 Filed 2–7–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–5686–6]

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Submission for OMB

Review; Comment Request;

Environmental Leadership Program

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

the following Information Collection

Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the

Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) for review and approval:

Environmental Leadership Program,

EPA ICR number 1794.01. 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 March 12, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY

CALL: Sandy Farmer at EPA, (202) 260–

2740, and refer to EPA ICR no. 1794.01.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Environmental Leadership

Program, EPA ICR number 1794.01. This

is a new collection.

Abstract: The Environmental

Leadership Program (ELP) is a voluntary

program designed to accomplish several

goals, including better protecting the

environment and human health,

encouraging environmental

enhancement activities, and increasing

identification and timely resolution of

environmental compliance issues by

ELP participants. The Program should

foster constructive and open

relationships between agencies, the

regulated community, and the public.

As part of the application process for

the ELP, facilities will be asked to

submit information about their

environmental management systems

(EMS), compliance and EMS auditing

programs, and community outreach and

employee involvement programs.

Federal facilities applying to the ELP

must submit a statement affirming they

endorse the Code of Environmental

Management Principles.

EPA will assess each applicant’s

information and determine whether

they meet ELP requirements. EPA will

conduct a compliance screening of

qualifying facilities and provide a 30-

day public comment period. On-site

visits will be conducted at facilities that

pass the initial eligibility requirements.

Upon acceptance to the ELP, facilities

will be required to submit Annual

Environmental Performance Reports for

each of the 6 years of participation. The

Annual Report should contain

information on EMS activities,

objectives, goals, and measures; a table

of information on the formal audit (EMS

and compliance) for years 2 and 5 of the

6-year performance period; an EMS

performance evaluation (results and

measures); information on agency

inspections; compliance issues and

status summary for the year; other

environmental enhancement activities;

and highlights from community

outreach/ employee involvement and

mentoring programs.

The submission of information for the

purposes of application to the ELP is

voluntary. The ELP will use a disclosure

and confidentiality policy that includes

40 CFR Part 2 and reference to any

State-specific regulations of

confidentiality. Submission of the

Annual Report is required for

participation in the Program. The

Annual Report will be made available to

the public. 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 11/18/96 (61 FR 58750); no

comments were received.

Burden Statement: It is estimated that

approximately 75 facilities may

voluntarily apply to the ELP annually.

EPA estimates that participating

facilities may need to spend up to 85

hours to prepare the application and

supplemental information. EPA also

estimates that facilities that pass the

initial application/compliance screening

may need to spend 32 hours during the

on-site visit. Participating facilities will

need an estimate of 166 hours for

preparing the Annual Report.

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
5980 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 27 / Monday, February 10, 1997 / Notices

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.

Respondents/Affected Entities: Public,

Private, or Federal facilities applying to

the ELP.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 75

in application phase, 50 in the Annual

Report phase.

Frequency of Response: Yearly.

Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden:

17,070 hours.

Estimated Total Annualized Cost

Burden: Application—$293,625, On-site

review—$135,600; Annual Report—

$384,550.

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. 1794.01 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: February 4, 1997.

Joseph Retzer,

Director, Regulatory Information Division.

[FR Doc. 97–3156 Filed 2–7–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

[FRL–5686–9]

Renewal of Agency Information

Collection Activities

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

the Information Collection Request (ICR)

listed below is coming up for renewal.

Before submitting the renewal package

to the Office of Management and Budget

(OMB), EPA is soliciting comments on

specific aspects of the collection as

described below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on

or before April 11, 1997.

ADDRESSES: U.S. EPA, Office of

Research and Development, Quality

Assurance Division (MS–104), 2890

Woodbridge Avenue, Edison, NJ 08837–

3679.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Nancy W. Wentworth, 202–260–5763,

Facsimile Number 202–401–7002,

wentworth.nancy@epamail.epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Affected entities: Entities affected by

this action are those which apply for

Federal financial assistance from EPA

for proposed projects that include

environmentally related measurements.

Title: ICR Number 0866, Quality

Assurance Specification and

Requirements, OMB Control Number

2080–0033, which expires June 30,

1997.

Abstract: This ICR covers the quality

assurance (QA) paperwork burden that

appears at 40 CFR 30.54 [which

supercedes 40 CFR 30.503(d)] and 40

CFR 31.45. These are subsections from

40 CFR Part 30—General Regulations for

Assistance Programs, and 40 CFR Part

31—Uniform Administrative

Requirements for Grants and

Cooperative Agreements to State and

Local Governments, respectively. The

information collection activity involves

the preparation of QA plans or narrative

statements that provide supporting

documentation sufficient to produce

data that are of quality adequate to meet

project objectives and (for 40 CFR 30.54)

to minimize loss of data due to out-ofcontrol conditions or malfunctions. The

quality system of the 40 CFR 30.54

assistance recipient must comply with

the requirements of ANSI/ASQC E4,

‘‘Specifications and Guidelines for

Quality Systems for Environmental Data

Collection and Environmental

Technology Programs.’’ All QA

submissions are reviewed and approved

by an EPA certified project officer or a

designated quality assurance officer.

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

displayed 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;

(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 collection

techniques or other forms of information

technology, e.g., permitting electronic

submission of responses.

Burden Statement: The currently

approved ICR estimated the burden for

annual reporting and recordkeeping to

be 85 hours each for 845 state and local

respondents applying for assistance, and

70 hours each for 550 principal

investigators who solicit assistance. The

agency burden for review of QA plans

and preparation assistance to

respondents was estimated at 15 hours

each for the estimated 1395 awards.

This estimate included the time needed

to review instructions, search existing

data sources, gather and maintain the

data needed, and complete and review

the collection of information. Note that

the agency research grants program has

expanded significantly since the last

renewal.

Send comments regarding these

matters or any other aspect of the

information collection, including

suggestions for reducing the burden, to

the address listed above.

Dated: February 4, 1997.

Robert J. Huggett,

Assistant Administrator for Research and

Development.

[FR Doc. 97–3220 Filed 2–7–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

[FRL–5687–3]

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Submission for OMB

Review; Comment Request; Significant

New Alternatives Policy (SNAP)

Program Final Rulemaking Under Title

VI of the Clean Air Act Amendments of

1990

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

the following Information Collection

Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the

Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) for review and approval: