Document ID: EPA-HQ-OEI-2012-0547-0002
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Regulations.gov Information Collection
Posted Date: 2012-12-12T05:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 239 (Wednesday, December 12, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73999-74000]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-29949]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OEI-2012-0547, FRL-9525-4]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Regulations.gov Information 
Collection

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)(44 U.S.C. 
3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information Collection 
Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing 
approved collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the 
nature of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before January 11, 
2013.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OEI-
2012-0547 to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred 
method), by email crowe.bryant@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA Docket 
Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Environmental 
Information Docket, mail code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., 
Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB by mail to: Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Attention: 
Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bryant Crowe, OEI/OIC/CStD at the 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., (MC 2822-
T), Washington, DC 20460; telephone number (202) 566-0295; fax number 
(202) 566-1611: email address: crowe.bryant@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB 
for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 
1320.12. On July 18, 2012 (77 FR 42305), EPA sought comments on this 
ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments. Any 
additional comments on this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB 
within 30 days of this notice.
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-OEI-2012-0547, which is available for online viewing at 
www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Office of 
Environmental Information Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA 
West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC 
Public Reading Room is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Reading 
Room is 202-566-1744, and the telephone number for the Environmental 
Information Docket is 202-566-1752.
    Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at 
www.regulations.gov, to submit or view public comments, access the 
index listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those 
documents in the docket that are available electronically. Once in the 
system, select ``docket search,'' then key in the docket ID number 
identified above. Please note that EPA's policy is that public 
comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made 
available for public viewing at www.regulations.gov as EPA receives 
them and without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted 
material, confidential business information (CBI), or other information 
whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. For further 
information about the electronic docket, go to www.regulations.gov.
    Title: Regulations.gov Information Collection.
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2357.04, OMB Control No. 2025-0008 .
    ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2012. 
Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor 
the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. 
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 
in title 40 of the CFR, after appearing in the Federal Register when 
approved, are listed in 40 CFR part 9, are displayed either by 
publication in the Federal Register or by other appropriate means, such 
as on the related collection instrument or form, if applicable. The 
display of OMB control numbers in certain EPA regulations is 
consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
    Abstract: In response to the Presidential memorandum, the 
eRulemaking Program launched the Regulations.gov `feedback exchange' 
Web site in May 2009. This interactive Web site showcases new 
technologies being considered for the Regulations.gov `feedback 
exchange' and Regulations.gov, as well as other agency-specific 
initiatives and rulemaking activities. The `feedback exchange' serves 
as a learning laboratory for open government, enabling the public to 
provide input on the Regulations.gov interface, build a community of 
practice on the Federal regulatory development process, and ensure that 
the eRulemaking Program can efficiently manage federal resources by 
testing new tools before they are launched.
    New technologies considered for Regulations.gov and the 
Regulations.gov `feedback exchange' include: User Profiles; Comment 
Threads and Wikis; Ratings, Polls, and Tagging; an interactive 
Educational Tool; and Information Export and Sharing capabilities, such 
as application programming interfaces (or APIs). These technologies 
have been deployed iteratively, with components deployed upon the 
site's release in May 2009, and others deployed during updates 
throughout the last three years. Other components are still being 
considered and will be released during subsequent upgrades to the 
Regulations.gov `feedback exchange' and Regulations.gov. User profiles 
enable the public to register on the site and pre-load submitter 
information for later use as well as save their own personalized 
searches, RSS feeds, and email alerts without the use of persistent 
cookies. Comment Threads allow the public to enter into virtual 
conversations with one another about a topic. Wikis enable the public 
to collaboratively develop and modify narrative descriptions about a 
topic. Ratings and Polls allow the public to indicate a preference for 
a topic or issue via the selection of stars or thumbs up/thumbs down 
icons which graphically provide an at-a-glance indication of public 
sentiment and can simplify navigation. Tagging provides the public with 
the ability to tag or label information they or someone else has posted 
to the site to ease navigation and to promote the formation of common 
interest categories. The Educational Tool will inform the public about 
the Federal rulemaking process through interactive text and images. The 
Data Export capability enables the public to download and review the 
contents of a rulemaking docket as well

[[Page 74000]]

as mix and match such information with other information in a new way 
(also known as a ``mash-up''). The Regulations.gov `feedback exchange' 
will rely on voluntary feedback from Government, Industry, Academia and 
Citizenry to improve Regulations.gov as time goes on.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 451 
hours per year. 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 which have subsequently changed; 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: Anyone who chooses to visit 
Regulations.gov.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 13,000.
    Estimated Number of Potential Responses: 91,000.
    Frequency of Response: Occasionally.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 451 hours.
    Estimated Capital or Operations & Maintenance Annual Costs: $0.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 4 burden hours 
from 455 to 451 in the total estimated burden currently identified in 
the OMB Inventory of Approved ICR Burdens due to a minor mathematical 
adjustment.

John Moses,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2012-29949 Filed 12-11-12; 8:45 am]
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