Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 76 /Tuesday, April 21, 1998 / Notices 19723

Requirement of $43,479,183, consisting

of an Energy Dollar (energy component)

amount of $22,527,359 and a Capacity

Dollar (capacity component) amount of

$20,951,824. The existing BCP energy

rate is 4.41 mills/kWh and capacity rate

is $0.89/kWmo.

Authorities

Since the proposed rates constitute a

major rate adjustment as defined by the

procedures for public participation in

general rate adjustments, as cited below,

both a public information forum and a

public comment forum will be held.

After review of public comments,

Western will recommend proposed

charges/rates for approval on a final

basis by the Deputy Secretary of DOE

pursuant to Rate Order No. WAPA–70.

The power rates for the BCP are

established pursuant to the Department

of Energy Organization Act (42

U.S.C.7101, et seq.), the Reclamation

Act of 1902 (43 U.S.C. 391, et seq.), as

amended and supplemented by

subsequent enactments, particularly

section 9(c) of the Reclamation Project

Act of 1939 (43 U.S.C. 485h(c)), the

Colorado River Basin Project Act of

1968 (43 U.S.C. 1501, et seq.), the

Colorado River Storage Project Act (43

U.S.C. 620, et seq.), the Boulder Canyon

Project Act (43 U.S.C. 617, et seq.), the

Boulder Canyon Project Adjustment Act

(43 U.S.C. 618, et seq.), the Hoover

Power Plant Act of 1984 (43 U.S.C. 619,

et seq.), the General Regulations for

Power Generation, Operation,

Maintenance, and Replacement at the

BCP, Arizona/Nevada (43 CFR Part 431)

published in the Federal Register at 51

FR 23960 on July 1, 1986, and the

General Regulations for the Charges for

the Sale of Power From the BCP, Final

Rule (10 CFR Part 904) published in the

Federal Register at 50 FR 37837 on

September 18, 1985, and the DOE

financial reporting policies, procedures,

and methodology (DOE Order No. RA

6120.2 dated September 20, 1979).

By Amendment No. 3 to Delegation

Order No. 0204–108, published

November 10, 1993 (58 FR 59716), the

Secretary of Energy (Secretary)

delegated: (1) The authority to develop

long-term power and transmission rates

on a nonexclusive basis to the

Administrator of Western; (2) the

authority to confirm, approve, and place

such rates into effect on an interim basis

to the Deputy Secretary; and (3) the

authority to confirm, approve, and place

into effect on a final basis, to remand,

or to disapprove power rates to FERC.

Regulatory Procedure Requirements

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis

The Regulatory Flexibility Act of

1980, 5 U.S.C. 601–612, requires Federal

agencies to perform a regulatory

flexibility analysis if a proposed rule is

likely to have a significant economic

impact on a substantial number of small

entities. Western has determined that

this action relates to rates or services

offered by Western and, therefore, is not

a rule within the purview of the act.

Environmental Compliance

In compliance with the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969

(NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.; Council

on Environmental Quality Regulations,

40 CFR Parts 1500–1508; and DOE

NEPA Regulations, 10 CFR Part 1021,

Western has determined this action is

categorically excluded from the

preparation of an environmental

assessment or an environmental impact

statement.

Determination Under Executive Order

12866

Western has an exemption from

centralized regulatory review under

Executive Order 12866; accordingly, no

clearance of this notice by the Office of

Management and Budget is required.

Availability of Information

All brochures, studies, comments,

letters, memorandums, and other

documents made or kept by Western for

the purpose of developing the proposed

rates for energy and capacity are and

will be made available for inspection

and copying at Western’s Desert

Southwest Regional Office, 615 South

43rd Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona.

Dated: April 10, 1998.

Michael S. Hacskaylo,

Acting Administrator.

[FR Doc. 98–10493 Filed 4–20–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–6000–2]

Agency Generic Information Collection

Request: Regional Compliance

Assistance Program Evaluation

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

proposed Generic Information

Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB):

Measuring the Program Effectiveness of

EPA Regional Compliance Assistance

Projects. Before submitting the ICR to

OMB for review, EPA is soliciting

comments on specific aspects of the

collection as described below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on

or before June 22, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Lynn Vendinello (2224A),

Office of Compliance, US EPA, 401 M

St. SW, Washington, DC 20460.

Interested persons may obtain a copy of

the ICR without charge by calling Lynn

Vendinello at 202–564–7066 or via email at

vendinello.lynn@epamail.epa.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Lynn Vendinello, 202–564–7066 or

vendinello.lynn@epamail.epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Affected entities: Entities potentially

affected by this action are those

businesses and technical assistance

providers who receive and/or

participate in EPA’s Regional

compliance assistance activities.

Technical assistance providers are

comprised of such groups as: state

pollution prevention programs, state

small business assistance programs,

small business development centers,

manufacturing extension partnership

programs, and trade associations. The

request for information from these

affected entities will be voluntary.

Title: Regional Compliance Assistance

Activities Program Evaluation. (OMB)

Control No. XXXX–XXXX: EPA ICR No.

1758.02). This is a new collection.

Abstract: Since EPA’s Office of

Enforcement and Compliance Assurance

(OECA) was formed three years ago,

there has been an increased focus on the

use of compliance assistance as an

appropriate tool to assist the regulated

community in improving its

compliance. In particular, OECA has

focussed its compliance assistance on

small business and small communities

that have not had much exposure to

traditional enforcement and therefore

may not be fully aware of their

compliance obligations. Compliance

assistance consists of information and

technical assistance provided to the

regulated community to help it meet the

requirements of environmental law.

First and foremost, compliance

assistance ensures that the regulated

community understands its obligations

by providing clear and consistent

descriptions of regulatory requirements.

The bulk of OECA’s compliance

assistance activities are undertaken in

our regional offices. Regional
19724 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 76 /Tuesday, April 21, 1998 / Notices

compliance assistance activities

commonly include: hotlines,

workshops/seminar/trainings,

compliance guides (e.g., plain language

explanations of regulations, videos), and

on-site visits. Since compliance

assistance is a rather new tool for OECA,

we are very interested in learning about

its effectiveness. In particular, we are

interested in learning about the

‘‘outcome’’ of compliance assistance on

a continuum of potential outcomes. The

continuum includes determining the

‘‘reach’’ of activity within the intended

audience; determining their

‘‘satisfaction’’ with the activity; and

determining what ‘‘behavioral changes’’

they make as a result of the activity. The

purpose of this generic ICR is to enable

OECA to collect data on the program

effectiveness of their compliance

assistance program so that we can begin

to understand which of our various

types of compliance assistance activities

are most effective as well as to obtain

anectdotal information on the outcomes

of these assistance efforts. Moreover,

since measuring the impact of

compliance assistance is a new activity

for OECA, we are also interested in

experimenting with different types of

measurement methods (e.g., comment

cards, mailed surveys, phone surveys) to

better direct our program evaluation

program. Moreover, we are interested in

learning if this data can be obtained

using statistically-valid methods and

will be supporting our measurement

activities with analysis in this area.

In each instance we will be measuring

whether or not the compliance

assistance activity is meeting its

intended goal. Typical goals for

compliance assistance activities

include: informing the regulated

community of their compliance

obligations (e.g., plain-language guides);

assisting the regulated community in

their understanding of complex federal

and/or state requirements (e.g., Section

215 of the Small Business Regulatory

Enforcement Fairness Act asks EPA to

undertake demonstration projects with

states to develop compliance assistance

tools that integrate state and federal

rules); and motivating behavioral

change (e.g., pollutants reduced, permits

adopted) from on-site visits, in-depth

workshops/trainings.

This activity is being undertaken to

assist EPA in its implementation of the

National Performance Measures Strategy

that was finalized on December 22,

1997, which includes compliance

assistance.

None of the information collected by

this action results in or requests

sensitive information of any nature from

the states.

An agency may not conduct or

sponsor, and a person is not required to

respond to, a collection of information

unless it display 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 EPA is soliciting 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,

including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used;

(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 the use of

appropriate automated electronic,

mechanical, or other technological

collection techniques or other forms of

information technology, e.g., permitting

electronic submission of response.

The Office of Compliance (OC) will

use this information to evaluate the

effectiveness of our compliance

assistance programs so that we can plan

more effective programs in the future.

OC will also include highlights in its

end-of-year accomplishments report.

This information also will be provided

to Congressional staffs and committees

interested in environmental matters and

small business assistance activities at

the EPA regional and state level (the

SBREFA Section 215 projects are being

conducted as cooperative agreements

with state assistance programs). In

addition, we will share our lessons

learned about compliance assistance

program effectiveness widely with state

and local assistance programs. Since

compliance assistance is a relatively

new program for most state programs,

this program effectiveness information

should be of great interest and value to

them.

Burden Statement: This information

collection request is for three years with

an OMB review of progress after 18

months. The information collection

request is a generic request for all

surveys conducted over the 3-year

period. Sample surveys are attached to

the ICR and actural surveys will be

submitted to OMB with a 10-day

comment period from OMB. OC will

minimize the numbers of surveys by

providing consistent surveys for several

similar activities. This will also increase

the ability to compare program

effectiveness across program activities.

For each respondent, the annual cost

burden is estimated to be $4.20. Total

capital and start-up cost component

annualized over its expected useful life

is $0. Total operations and maintenance

is estimated at $0, and the cost for

purchase of services is estimated at $0.

Total annual burden for the 155,163

respondents is estimated to be 19,470

hours at a cost of $218,090.

Federal burden is estimated to be 53

hours a year at an annual labor cost of

$15,510. Total capital and start-up cost

component annualized over its expected

useful life is $0. Total operations and

maintenance is estimated at $0, and the

cost for purchase of services is

estimated at $75,000.

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, 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: April 10, 1998.

Elaine Stanley,

Director, Office of Compliance.

[FR Doc. 98–10508 Filed 4–20–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–M

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[No. W–98–14; FRL–6000–1]

Availability of Draft Water

Conservation Plan Guidelines

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

SUMMARY: EPA is making available for

public comment a draft document

entitled ‘‘Water Conservation Plan

Guidelines.’’ The Safe Drinking Water

Act Amendments of 1996 require the

Agency to publish guidelines for water

conservation plans for public water

systems, taking into consideration such

factors as system size, water availability