Document ID: EPA-HQ-OEI-2011-0096-0001
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Cross-Media Electronic Reporting Rule
Posted Date: 2011-02-02T05:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 22 (Wednesday, February 2, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5802-5804]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-2270]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OEI-2011-0096; FRL-9261-1]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Cross-Media Electronic Reporting Rule (Renewal); EPA 
ICR No. 2002.05, OMB Control No. 2025-0003

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 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 July 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 April 4, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OEI-2011-0096 by one of the following methods:
    http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for 
submitting comments.
    E-mail: oei-docket@epa.gov.
    Fax: 202-566-1753.
    Mail: Office of Environmental Information Docket, Environmental 
Protection Agency, Mailcode: 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20460. For hand delivery: Office of Environmental 
Information (OEI) Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, 
Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. Such deliveries 
are only accepted during the Docket's normal hours of operation, and 
special arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed 
information. Please include a total of four copies.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OEI-
2011-0096. 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 www.regulations.gov 
or e-mail. The 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 
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/epahome/dockets.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cross-Media Electronic Reporting Rule 
(CROMERR) ICR, Information Exchange & Services Division, Office of 
Environmental Information, 2823T, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460. For questions regarding 
authorized programs burden and costs contact Evi Huffer, telephone 
number: 202-566-1697; fax number: 202-566-1685; e-mail address: 
huffer.evi@epa.gov or Karen Seeh, telephone number: 202-566-1175; fax 
number: 202-566-1685; e-mail address: Seeh.Karen@epa.gov. For questions 
regarding the Central Data Exchange (CDX) burden and costs contact 
Charles Freeman, telephone number: 202-566-1694; fax number: 202-566-
1684; e-mail address: freeman.charles@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-OEI-2011-0096, which is available for online viewing at 
www.regulations.gov, or in person

[[Page 5803]]

viewing at the Office of Environmental Information (OEI) 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 OEI Docket is 202-566-1752.
    Use 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 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 
direct and indirect reporters and state and local government authorized 
programs.
    Title: Cross-Media Electronic Reporting Rule (Renewal).
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2002.05, OMB Control Number 2025-0003.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on July 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 scope of this Information Collection Request is the 
final electronic reporting components of CROMERR, which is designed to: 
Allow EPA to comply with the Government Paperwork Elimination Act of 
1998; provide a uniform, technology-neutral framework for electronic 
reporting across all EPA programs; allow EPA programs to offer 
electronic reporting as they become ready for CROMERRR; and provide 
states with a streamlined process--together with uniform set of 
standards--for approval of their electronic reporting provisions for 
all their EPA-authorized programs. Responses to the collection of 
information are voluntary. In order to accommodate CBI, the information 
collected must be in accordance with the confidentiality regulations 
set forth in 40 CFR Part 2, Subpart B. Additionally, EPA will ensure 
that the information collection procedures comply with the Privacy Act 
of 1974 and the OMB Circular 108.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting burden for facilities 
for this collection of information is estimated to average: about 10 
minutes for an individual reporting electronically to EPA's CDX to 
prepare and submit the on-line subscriber agreement application and 
call the CDX Help Desk; 15 minutes for an individual that prepares and 
submits a subscriber agreement to a State/Local agency; 5 minutes for 
an individual that prepares and files a subscriber agreement on site at 
the facility under a Local Registration Authority (LRA) arrangement; 
and 30 minutes for each facility LRA, including the time for preparing 
and submitting the certification of receipt and secure storage of on-
site subscriber agreements to EPA or the State/Local agency. The annual 
public recordkeeping burden for facilities for this collection of 
information is estimated to average about 30 minutes for the LRA, 
including time for compiling subscriber agreements from employee 
registrants within the LRA's firm, placing and maintaining them in 
secure storage. The public reporting burden in this ICR is estimated to 
range from 210 hours for a Local government to 330 hours for State EPA 
seeking to implement an electronic receiving system. This includes time 
for preparing and submitting the program modification application to 
EPA.
    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:
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Facilities reporting electronically 
to EPA and state or local government authorized programs; and state and 
local government authorized programs implementing electronic.

[[Page 5804]]

    Estimated total number of potential respondents: EPA estimates 
20,391 facilities on average to register for electronic reporting to 
EPA or State/Local authorized program electronic document receiving 
systems each year, with an average total of 67,902 employee registrants 
each year. EPA estimates that 15 state agencies and 46 other local 
government jurisdictions will submit CROMERR applications for their 
electronic reporting programs each year.
    Frequency of response: On occasion.
    Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 1.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 48,292 hours for facilities 
and 14,717 hours for state and local authorized programs.
    Estimated total annual costs: $5,401,250 for facilities and 
$4,868,889 for state and local authorized programs. This includes an 
estimated burden cost of $5,199,840 for facilities and $417,926 for 
state and local authorized programs, and an estimated cost of $201,410 
for facilities and $4,450,963 for state and local authorized programs 
for capital investment or maintenance and operational costs.

Are there changes in the estimates from the last approval?

    EPA does not expect a significant change in the ICR renewal 
compared to the previous ICR, as the basic requirements are the same. 
There is an adjustment in the labor cost estimates due to the inflation 
of the labor rates over the past three years. Also, EPA expects the 
total estimated respondent burden for state and local government 
authorized programs identified in the ICR currently approved by OMB, to 
decrease over the next three year because most authorized programs with 
existing electronic document receiving systems submitted CROMERR 
applications to EPA, in compliance with the January 13, 2010 regulatory 
deadline. EPA expects a further reduction in the total number of 
respondents based on a decrease in the number of affected facilities.

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: January 26, 2011.
Connie Dwyer,
Director, Information Exchange and Services Division.
[FR Doc. 2011-2270 Filed 2-1-11; 8:45 am]
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