Document ID: EPA-HQ-OA-2010-0757-0001
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Confidential Financial Disclosure Form for Special Government Employees Serving on Federal Advisory Committees
Posted Date: 2010-11-24T05:00Z

[Federal Register: November 24, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 226)]
[Notices]               
[Page 71686-71687]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24no10-76]                         

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OA-2010-0757; FRL-9231-6]

 
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Confidential Financial Disclosure Form for Special 
Government Employees Serving on Federal Advisory Committees at the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency (Renewal); EPA ICR No. 2260.04, OMB 
Control No. 2090-0029

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

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 EPA is planning to 
submit a request to renew an existing approved Information Collection 
Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR is 
scheduled to expire on 05/31/2011. 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 January 24, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-
2010-0757 by one of the following methods:
     http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the online instructions 
for submitting comments.
     E-mail: oei.docket@epa.gov.
     Fax: 202-566-9744.
     Mail: OEI Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail 
Code: 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
     Hand Delivery: EPA Docket Center, EPA West Room 3334, 1301 
Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. Such deliveries are only 
accepted during the Docket's normal hours of operation, and special 
arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-2010-
0757. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in 
the public docket without change and may be made available online at 
http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be 
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose 
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you 
consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through http://
www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The http://www.regulations.gov Web site 
is an ``anonymous access'' system, which means EPA will not know your 
identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of 
your comment. If you send an e-mail comment directly to EPA without 
going through http://www.regulations.gov your e-mail address will be 
automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is 
placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. If you 
submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name 
and other contact information in the body of your comment and with any 
disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to 
technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA 
may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid 
the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of 
any defects or viruses. For additional information about EPA's public 
docket visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at http://www.epa.gov/
dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Vicki Ellis, Office of Federal 
Advisory Committee Management and Outreach, Mail Code 1601M, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-564-1203; fax number: 202-
564-8129; e-mail address: ellis.vicki@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

How can I access the docket and/or submit comments?

    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-OA-2010-0757, which is available for online viewing at 
www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the 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 8:30 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 202-566-9744.
    Use http://www.regulations.gov to obtain a copy of the draft 
collection of information, submit or view public comments, access the 
index listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those 
documents in the public docket that are available electronically. Once 
in the system, select ``search,'' then key in the docket ID number 
identified in this document.

What information is EPA particularly interested in?

    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA specifically 
solicits comments and information to enable it 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

[[Page 71687]]

use of appropriate automated electronic, mechanical, or other 
technological collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses. In 
particular, EPA is requesting comments from very small businesses 
(those that employ less than 25) on examples of specific additional 
efforts that EPA could make to reduce the paperwork burden for very 
small businesses affected by this collection.

What should I consider when I prepare my comments for EPA?

    You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your 
comments:
    1. Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific 
examples.
    2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
    3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used 
that support your views.
    4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you 
arrived at the estimate that you provide.
    5. Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity.
    6. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline identified 
under DATES.
    7. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the docket 
ID number assigned to this action in the subject line on the first page 
of your response. You may also provide the name, date, and Federal 
Register citation.

What information collection activity or ICR does this apply to?

    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
approximately 300 candidates for membership as Special Government 
Employees (SGEs) on EPA Federal advisory committees. The Form 3110-48 
(7-08) is completed as part of the member selection process and before 
they are invited to serve as a member of a Federal Advisory Committee 
(FAC) at EPA.
    Title: Confidential Financial Disclosure Form for Special 
Government Employees Serving on Federal Advisory Committees at the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency (Renewal).
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2260.04, OMB Control No. 2090-0029.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on 05/31/
2011. 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: The purpose of this information collection request is to 
assist the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the 
Agency) in selecting Federal advisory committee members who will be 
appointed as Special Government Employees (SGEs), mostly to EPA's 
scientific and technical committees. To select SGE members as 
efficiently and cost effectively as possible, the Agency needs to 
evaluate potential conflicts of interest before a candidate is hired as 
an SGE and appointed as a member to a committee by EPA's Administrator 
or Deputy Administrator.
    Agency officials developed the ``Confidential Financial Disclosure 
Form for Special Government Employees Serving on Federal Advisory 
Committees at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,'' also referred 
to as Form 3110-48 (7-08), for greater inclusion of information to 
discover any potential conflicts of interest as recommended by the 
Government Accountability Office.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average one 
hour 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 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.
    The ICR provides a detailed explanation of the Agency's estimate, 
which is only briefly summarized here:
     Estimated total number of potential respondents: 300.
     Frequency of response: Annual.
     Estimated total average number of responses for each 
respondent: 1.
     Estimated total annual burden hours: 300 hours/1 hour per 
respondent.
     Estimated total annual costs: $40,800. There is no capital 
investment or maintenance and operational costs.

Are there changes in the estimates from the last approval?

    The burden estimates have been changed to reflect an increase of 
respondent costs to complete the form to cover the next three years. 
There is no increase of hours in the total estimated respondent burden 
compared with that identified in the ICR currently approved by OMB.

What is the next step in the process for this ICR?

    EPA will consider the comments received and amend the ICR as 
appropriate. The final ICR package will then be submitted to OMB for 
review and approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. At that time, EPA will 
issue another Federal Register notice pursuant to 5 CFR 
1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the 
opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB. If you have any 
questions about this ICR or the approval process, please contact the 
technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Dated: November 17, 2010.
Timothy O. Sherer,
Acting Director, Office of Federal Advisory Committee Management and 
Outreach.
[FR Doc. 2010-29623 Filed 11-23-10; 8:45 am]
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