[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 97 (Tuesday, May 20, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27599-27600]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-13206]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-5827-7]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB
Review, Comment Request
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501
et seq.), this notice announces that the following Information
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Environmental Projection
Agency/Chemical Manufacturers Association Root Cause Pilot Analysis
Project. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection,
the expected burden and cost to collect the information, and the actual
data collection instruments.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before June 19, 1997.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sandy Farmer at EPA (202) 260-2740 and refer to EPA ICR No. 1792.01.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Environmental Protection Agency/Chemical Manufacturers
Association Root Cause Analysis Pilot Project (Root Cause Project) (EPA
ICR No. 1792.01.) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in
conjunction with the CMA, is conducting a root cause analysis pilot
project to identify and analyze the underlying causes of noncompliance
under closed Federal civil judicial and administrative cases. This is a
new collection.
Abstract: The goals of the root cause project are: to improve
compliance by developing compliance assistance tools and identifying
regulatory reinvention opportunities to address the underlying causes
of noncompliance; and to assess the relationship between environmental
management systems (EMSs) (e.g., CMA's Responsible Care) and
facilities' environmental performance. EPA, CMA, and an ad-hoc CMA
member committee developed the survey instrument for the root cause
project. Entities potentially affected by this action are Chemical
Manufacturers Association (CMA) member facilities that voluntarily
agree to participate in this project by completing the survey
instrument and commenting on the facility-specific matrix(es).
EPA and CMA developed the survey instrument to assist EPA
understand the underlying causes of noncompliance and assess industry's
compliance assistance needs. Sixty CMA member facilities will receive
the survey and have the opportunity to respond voluntarily to the
survey instrument questions. These 60 CMA member facilities were
identified through EPA data and verified as CMA members by CMA. The
criteria used to identify the CMA member facilities for participation
in the project was whether they were a party to either a Federal civil
judicial or administrative action that was commenced and closed between
1990-1995. EPA developed a facility-specific matrix for each closed
civil action. The facility-specific matrix(es) will be sent with the
survey to each identified facility. The matrix provides general
information on the outcome of the Federal action and will help the
facility respond to the survey questions. CMA member facilities will
have the opportunity to review and comment on the data in their
facility-specific matrix(es). The information collection seeks comment
on the survey instrument and the matrix.
The respondents will be asked to: Identify the primary underlying
cause(s) and contributing factor(s) of noncompliance identified by the
Federal action(s) in the facility matrix(es); (2) describe the steps
taken and lessons learned by the facilities to address the
noncompliance; (3) provide information regarding the relationship that
may exist between the facilities' environmental management system (EMS)
and its environmental performance; and (4) recommend improvements to
the facilities' and Agency's approaches to achieve regulatory
compliance. In addition, each facility will have the opportunity to
comment on the data supplied in their facility profile matrix(es). An
agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to
respond to, a collection of information unless it displayes a currently
valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA's regulations
are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and 48 CFR Chapter 15. The Federal Register
notice required 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on this collection
of information was published on 8/9/96 (FR Doc. 96-20 367); No comments
were received.
[[Page 27600]]
Burden Statement: It is estimated that approximately 60 facilities
may voluntarily respond to the survey instrument and comment on the
facility-specific matrix(es). Both the survey responses and the
matrix(es) comments are a one-time request. EPA estimates that each
participating facility may need to spend up to 32 hours to research
compliance files and complete the survey. Therefore, a total of 1,920
facility hours may be expended to provide EPA and CMA with data for use
in the pilot project. This burden hour estimate translates to a cost of
$2,992 per facility and a total cost to industry of $179,520. The
respondent costs were calculated based on $80 per hour for the first 12
hours and $100 per hour for the remaining 4 hours, plus 110 percent
overhead. 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; develops, 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;
train personnel to be able to respond to a collectin of information;
search data sources; complete and review the collection of information;
and tansmit or otherwise disclose the information.
Respondents/Affected Entities: CMA member facilities that
volunteer.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 60.
Frequency of Response: 1.
Estimated Total Hour Burden: 1,920 hours.
Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: $179,520.
Send comments on the Agency's need for this informaiton, the
accuracy of the provided burden estimates, and any suggested methods
for minimizing respondent burden, including through the use of
automated collection techniques to the following addresses. Please
refer to EPA ICR No. 1792.01 in any correspondence.
Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, OPPE Regulatory
Information Division (2137), 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460
and
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and
Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW,
Washington, DC 20503
Dated: May 15, 1997.
Rick Westlund,
Acting Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 97-13206 Filed 5-19-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-M
