2015-08058. Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Background Checks for Contractor Employees (Renewal)

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an information collection request (ICR), Background Checks for Contractor Employees (Renewal)—EPA ICR No. 2159.06, OMB Control No. 2030-0043, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through April 30, 2015. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register (80 FR 6956) on February 9, 2015, during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. A fuller description of the ICR is given below, including its estimated burden and cost to the public. 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.

DATES:

Additional comments may be submitted on or before May 8, 2015.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-OARM-2014-0857, to: (1) EPA, 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; and (2) OMB, via email to [e-mail]. Address comments to OMB Desk Officer for EPA.

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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dianne Lyles, Policy Training and Oversight Division, Office of Acquisition Management (3802R), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-564-6111; fax number: 202-565-2553; email address: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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 uses contractors to perform services throughout the nation with regard to environmental emergencies involving the release or threatened release of oil, radioactive materials or hazardous chemicals that may potentially affect communities and the surrounding environment. The Agency may request contractors responding to any of these types of incidents to conduct background checks and apply government-established suitability criteria in Title 5 of the CFR (Administrative Personnel), Sections 731.104 (Appointments Subject to Investigation), 732.201 (Sensitivity Level Designations and Investigative Requirements), and 736.102 (Notice to Investigative Sources), when determining whether employees are acceptable to perform on given sites or on specific projects. In addition to emergency response contractors, EPA may require background checks for contractor personnel working in sensitive sites or sensitive projects. The background checks and application of the government's suitability criteria must be completed prior to contract employee performance. The contractor shall maintain records associated with all background checks. Background checks cover citizenship or valid visa status, criminal convictions, weapons offenses, felony convictions, and parties prohibited from receiving federal contracts.

Form Numbers: None.

Respondents/affected entities: Private Contractors.

Respondent's obligation to respond: Required to obtain or retain a benefit under 5 CFR 731.104, 732.201 and 736.102.

Estimated number of respondents: 1,000.

Frequency of response: Annual.

Total estimated burden: 1,000 hours (per year). Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).

Total estimated cost: $190,900 (per year), which includes no annualized capital or operation and maintenance costs.

Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 450 hours in the total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently approved by OMB. This is an adjustment to correct an error made when the current ICR was approved. While the currently approved supporting statement included 1,000 burden hours, this number was incorrectly entered into OMB's system as 450 hours. The correct hour burden, 1,000 hours, has not changed.

Rebecca Moser,

Deputy Director, Office of Information Collection.