Document ID: EPA-HQ-OA-2008-0701-0007
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Focus Groups as Used by EPA for Economics Projects
Posted Date: 2012-03-28T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 60 (Wednesday, March 28, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18804-18806]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-7367]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OA-2008-0701; FRL- 9514-3]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Focus Groups as Used By EPA for 
Economics Projects (Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

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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 April 27, 
2012.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-
2008-0701, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred 
method), by email to oei.docket@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA Docket 
Center, Environmental Protection Agency, 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: Nathalie Simon, National Center for 
Environmental Economics, Office of Policy, (1809T), Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: 202-566-2347; fax number: 202-566-2363; email 
address: simon.nathalie@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 October 7, 2011 (76 FR 62400), 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 EPA-HQ-OA-2008-0701, which is available for online viewing at 
www.regulations.gov, or in person 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 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: Focus Groups as Used by EPA for Economics Projects 
(Renewal).
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2205.07, OMB Control No. 2090-0028.
    ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on March 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: The EPA is seeking renewal of a generic information 
collection request (ICR) for the conduct of focus groups and one-on-one 
interviews primarily related to survey development for economics 
projects. Focus groups are groups of individuals brought together for 
moderated discussions on a specific topic or issue. These groups are 
typically formed to gain insight and understanding of attitudes and 
perceptions held by the public surrounding a particular issue. One-on-
one interviews, as the term implies, are individual interviews in which 
a respondent is generally asked to review materials and provide 
feedback on their content and design as well as the thought processes 
that the materials invoke.
    Focus groups and one-on-one interviews (hereafter referred to 
collectively as ``focus groups'') used as a qualitative research tool 
have three major purposes:
     To better understand respondents' attitudes, perceptions 
and emotions in response to specific topics and concepts;
     To obtain respondent information useful for better 
defining variables and measures in later quantitative studies; and
     To further explore findings obtained from quantitative 
studies.
    Through these focus groups, the Agency will be able to gain a more 
in-depth understanding of the public's attitudes, beliefs, motivations 
and feelings regarding specific issues and will provide invaluable 
information regarding the quality of draft survey instruments. Focus 
group discussions are necessary and important steps in the design of a 
quality survey. The target population for the focus group discussions 
will vary by project, but will generally include members of the general 
public. Participation in the focus groups will be completely voluntary. 
Each focus group will fully conform to federal regulations--
specifically the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), the Hawkins-
Stafford Amendments of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-297), and the Computer 
Security Act of 1987.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 2 
hours 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.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Individuals.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,066 over three years or 689 per 
year.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 1,359.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $41,394, includes $0 annualized 
capital or O&M costs. Changes in the Estimates:

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There is an increase of 573 hours in the total estimated burden 
currently identified in the OMB Inventory of Approved ICR Burdens. This 
increase is based on new estimates provided by the program offices at 
EPA on their projected use of focus groups.

John Moses,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2012-7367 Filed 3-27-12; 8:45 am]
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