Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 103 / Tuesday, May 29, 2001 / Notices 29125

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–6984–3]

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Proposed Collection;

Comment Request; ‘‘General

Administration Request for Assistance

Programs (Lobbying & Litigation

Certification Amendment)’’

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In compliance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.

3501 et seq.), this document announces

that EPA is planning to submit the

following amendment to an existing

Information Collection Request (ICR) to

the Office of Management and Budget

(OMB): General Administration Request

for Assistance Programs (Lobbying &

Litigation Certification Amendment),

EPA ICR #0938.08, OMB #2030–0020.

Before submitting the amendment 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 on

or before July 30, 2001.

ADDRESSES: U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency, Office of Grants and

Debarment, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue,

NW, Washington, DC 20460. A copy of

the ICR may be obtained at no charge by

contacting Bill Hedling at the above

address or at

www.hedling.william@epa.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

William Hedling, phone: (202) 564–

5377, FAX: 202–565–2470, or e-mail at

www.hedling.william@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Affected entities: Affected entities

include not-for-profit institutions,

educational institutions, state, local or

tribal governments and other entities

receiving assistance awards under EPA’s

fiscal years (FY) 2000 and 2001

Appropriations Acts. Depending on

future EPA Appropriations Act

language, this requirement may also

apply to these entities that receive

assistance awards in subsequent fiscal

years. Recipients of fellowship awards

and other individuals receiving

assistance awards are not affected.

Estimated Number of Recipients:

Approximately 2000 annually.

Frequency of Response: Once per

project or annually.

Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden:

166 hours annually for all recipients.

Estimated Total Annualized Cost

(non-labor) Burden: $0.00.

Title: ‘‘General Administration

Request for Assistance Programs

(Lobbying & Litigation Certification

Amendment)’’ OMB #2030–0020, EPA

ICR #0938.08, expiring 12/31/2002.

Abstract: Public Law 106–377, § 424

of the FY 2001 VA, HUD and

Independent Agencies Appropriations

Act (Appropriations Act) requires ‘‘A

chief officer of any entity receiving

funds under this Act shall certify that

none of the funds have been used to

engage in the lobbying of the Federal

Government or in litigation against the

United States unless authorized under

existing law.’’ Public Law 106–74,

section 426 of the FY 2000

Appropriations Act contains a similar

provision. These provisions impose

additional information collection

requirements on EPA assistance

agreements and thus necessitate an

amendment to the existing ICR.

The sole purpose of the certification

is to validate that a chief executive

officer of any entity receiving EPA

assistance funds has certified that none

of the funds were used in lobbying the

Federal Government or in litigation

against the United States. The

certification will consist of a oneparagraph form that will be signed by a

chief executive officer. It will normally

be submitted with the final Financial

Status Report. Recipients with multiple

awards may choose to submit one

certification covering all their awards on

an annual basis.

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 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,

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 through the

use of appropriate automated electronic,

mechanical, or other technological

collection techniques or other forms of

information technology, e.g., permitting

electronic submission of responses.

Burden Statement: It is projected that

the time involved in signing this

certification is minimal. The estimate of

increased time to sign this certification

is five minutes.

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: May 17, 2001.

Howard F. Corcoran,

Director, Office of Grants and Debarment.

[FR Doc. 01–13410 Filed 5–25–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–6983–9]

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Proposed Collection;

Comment Request; Reporting and

Recordkeeping Requirements Under

EPA’s Natural Gas STAR Program

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In compliance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.

3501 et seq.), this document announces

that EPA is planning to submit the

following continuing Information

Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB):

Reporting and Recordkeeping

Requirements Under EPA’s Natural Gas

STAR Program, EPA ICR Number

1736.02, OMB Control Number 2060–

0328, expiring on 9/30/2001. 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 on

or before July 1, 2001.