2023-03818. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Tips and Complaints Regarding Environmental Violations (Renewal)

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an information collection request (ICR), Tips and Complaints Regarding Environmental Violations (Renewal) (EPA ICR Number 2219.07, OMB Control Number 2020-0032), to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through February 28, 2023. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register on June 13, 2022 during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments.

DATES:

Comments may be submitted on or before March 27, 2023.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments to EPA, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-OECA-2009-0494, online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), by email to [e-mail], or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the public docket without change including any personal information provided, unless the comment includes profanity, threats, information claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI), or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.

Submit written comments and recommendations to OMB for the proposed information collection within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michael Le Desma; Legal Counsel Division; Office of Criminal Enforcement, Forensics, and Training; Environmental Protection Agency, Building 25, Box 25227, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80025; telephone number: [phone]; fax number: [phone]; email address: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through February 28, 2023. 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.

Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register on June 13, 2022 during a 60-day comment period (87 FR 35763). This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. Supporting documents, which explain in detail the information that the EPA will be collecting, are available in the public docket for this ICR. The docket can be viewed online at www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, WJC West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC. The telephone number for the Docket Center is 202-566-1744. For additional information about EPA's public docket, visit http://www.epa.gov/​dockets.

Abstract: EPA tips and complaints web form is intended to provide an easy and convenient means by which members of the public can supply information to EPA regarding suspected violations of environmental law. The decision to provide a tip or complaint is entirely voluntary and use of the webform when supplying a tip or complaint is also entirely voluntary. Tippers need not supply contact information or other personal identifiers. Those who do supply such information, however, should know that this information may be shared by EPA with appropriate administrative, law enforcement, and judicial entities engaged in investigating or adjudicating the tip or complaint.

Form Numbers: None.

Respondents/affected entities: Members of the general public as well as employees of any company subject to federal environmental regulation. There is no specific industry or group of industries about which EPA expects tips or complaints.

Respondent's obligation to respond: Voluntary.

Estimated number of respondents: 1,585 per month (total).

Frequency of response: Generally, a one-time response.

Total estimated burden: 9,510 hours (per year). Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).

Total estimated cost: $487,673 (per year), includes no annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.

Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 924 hours in the total estimated respondent burden compared with that identified in the ICR currently approved by OMB. This increase reflects the fact that tips and complaints are being filed at a higher rate than originally anticipated, a strong indication of the success of this program. Some questions have been removed and a single question has been added, with no expected net change in estimated burden per respondent.

Courtney Kerwin,

Director, Regulatory Support Division.