Document ID: EPA-HQ-OEI-2008-0225-0001
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Tribal Capacity: Determining the Capability to Participate in the National Environmental Information Exchange Network; EPA ICR No. 2299.01, OMB Control No. 2025--New
Posted Date: 2008-05-12T04:00Z

[Federal Register: May 12, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 92)]
[Notices]               
[Page 26983-26985]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12my08-31]                         

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OEI-2008-0225; FRL-8564-5]

 
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Tribal Capacity: Determining the Capability to 
Participate in the National Environmental Information Exchange Network; 
EPA ICR No. 2299.01, OMB Control No. 2025--New

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 for a new Information Collection Request (ICR) to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB). 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 date July 11, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OEI-2008-0225, by one of the following methods:
     http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: forrest.terry@epa.gov.
     Fax: (202) 566-1624.
     Mail: Tribal Capacity: Determining the capability to 
participate in the National Environmental Information Exchange Network 
Program, Environmental Protection Agency, MC 2823T, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; Hand Delivery: EPA Docket Center, EPA 
West Bldg, 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-OEI-
2008-0225. 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 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/epahome/dockets.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tribal Capacity: Determining the 
Capability To Participate in the National Environmental Information 
Exchange Network Program or William Terry Forrest of OEI/OIC/IESD/IEPB 
at MC 2823-T, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., 
NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-566-0196; fax number: 
202-566-1624; e-mail address: forrest.terry@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-2008-0225 Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA 
West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/
DC

[[Page 26984]]

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 Tribal Capacity: 
Determining the Capability To Participate in the National Environmental 
Information Exchange Network Program Docket is 202-566-0196.
    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 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?

Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OEI-2008-0225

    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
Federally recognized Indian Tribes.
    Title: Tribal Capacity: Determining the Capability To Participate 
in the National Environmental Information Exchange Network Program.
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2299.01. OMB Control No. 2025--new.
    ICR status: This ICR is for a new information collection activity. 
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 Environmental Information Exchange Network (Exchange 
Network) is an Internet-based approach for exchanging environmental 
data among partners (e.g., EPA, states, tribes and territories). Built 
on the principles of applying data standards; providing secure, real-
time access; and electronically collecting and storing accurate 
information, the Exchange Network enables participants to control and 
manage their own data while making it available to partners via 
requests over a secure Internet connection. By facilitating the 
efficient exchange of environmental information among interested 
parties at all levels of government, the Exchange Network has begun to 
transform the way information is shared.
    While some Indian Tribes have been active partners in the Exchange 
Network, overall tribal participation is limited. EPA has issued grants 
that fund infrastructure and other support needed to share data on the 
network to just over 50 tribes or less than 10 percent of the more than 
500 federally recognized tribes. Of these, eight have exchanged data 
over the network and another five are developing the infrastructure 
required to do so.
    To expand tribal participation in the Exchange Network, EPA has 
been working with the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) 
under a series of cooperative agreements. NCAI is planning to conduct a 
baseline assessment survey to obtain data to help identify barriers and 
other factors that are limiting tribal participation in the Network. 
The survey will focus on gathering information related to collection 
and dissemination of environmental data; information technology 
infrastructure, capacity, and needs; and awareness of the Exchange 
Network. The survey will be distributed to all federally recognized 
tribes that are members of NCAI. Response to the survey is voluntary. 
NCAI will use the findings of this survey to design programs to broaden 
tribal participation.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 30 
minutes per response.
    The ICR provides a detailed explanation of the Agency's estimate, 
which is only briefly summarized here:
    Estimated total number of potential respondents: 250.
    Frequency of response: Once.
    Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 
One.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 125 hours.
    Estimated total annual costs: $ -0-. This includes an estimated 
burden cost of $-0- and an estimated cost of $-0- for capital 
investment or maintenance and operational costs.

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

[[Page 26985]]

technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Dated: April 25, 2008.
Doreen Sterling,
 Director, Office of Information Collection, Information Exchange & 
Services Division.
[FR Doc. E8-10505 Filed 5-9-08; 8:45 am]

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