E9-22689. Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request

AGENCY:

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of an extension of an information collection (1028-0051).

SUMMARY:

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we are notifying the public that we will submit to OMB an information collection request (ICR) to renew approval of the paperwork requirements for respondents to submit proposals to support research in earthquake hazard assessments and earthquake occurrence under the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977, as amended, Public Law 95-124, 42 U.S.C. 7701 et seq. To submit a proposal three standard OMB forms and a project narrative must be completed and submitted via Grants.gov. This notice provides the public an opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these forms.

DATES:

You must submit comments on or before November 23, 2009.

ADDRESSES:

Send your comments on this information collection directly to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Desk Officer for the Department of the Interior via OMB e-mail: ([e-mail]); or by fax [phone]; and identify your submission with Information Collection Number 1028-0051 in the subject line. Please submit a copy of your comments to Phadrea Ponds, Information Collections, U.S. Geological Survey, 2150-C Center Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80525 (mail); [phone] (fax); or FAX: [e-mail] (e-mail). Use Information Collection Number 1028-0051 in the subject line.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request additional information about this ICR, Elizabeth Lemersal, Earthquake Hazards Program, [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Earthquake Hazards Program Research and Monitoring.

OMB Control Number: 1028-0051.

Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Abstract: Research and monitoring findings are essential to fulfilling USGS's responsibility under the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act to develop earthquake hazard assessments and recording and reporting earthquake activity nationwide. Residents, emergency responders, and engineers rely on the USGS for this accurate and scientifically sound information. Respondents to Program Announcements submit proposals to support research and monitoring related to earthquake hazard assessments, earthquake causes and effects, and earthquake monitoring. This information is used as the basis for selection and award of projects meeting the USGS's Earthquake Hazards Program objectives. Final reports of research and monitoring findings are required for each funded proposal; annual progress reports are required for awards of a two- to five-year duration. Final reports are made available to the public at the Web site http://earthquake.usgs.gov/​research/​external/​.

We will protect information from respondents considered proprietary under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and implementing regulations (43 CFR Part 2), and under regulations at 30 CFR 250.197, “Data and information to be made available to the public or for limited inspection.” Responses are voluntary. No questions of a “sensitive” nature are asked.

Affected Public: Research scientists, engineers, and the general public.

Respondent Obligation: Voluntary; necessary to receive benefits.

Frequency of Collection: Annually and once every three to five years.

Estimated Annual Number of and Description of Respondents: 250 Educational institutions, and profit and non-profit organizations.

Estimated Annual Number of Responses: 370 (250 applications and narratives and 120 annual and final report).

Estimated Completion Time: 45 hours per application response and 9 hours per final report.

Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 12,330 (11,250 hours per application and 1,080 hours per annual and final report).

Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping “Hour” Burden: We estimate the public reporting burden will average 45 hours per application response. This includes time to develop project goals, write the statement of work, perform internal proposal reviews, and submit the proposal through grants.gov. We estimate the public reporting burden will average 9 hours per final or annual report response. This includes summarizing accomplishments for the past year's funded efforts. The currently approved “hour” burden for this collection is 12,300 hours. We do not expect the total burden for this process to change as a result of this request.

Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping “Non-Hour Cost” Burden: We have not identified any “non-hour cost” burdens associated with this collection of information.

Public Disclosure Statement: The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) provides that an agency may not conduct or sponsor and you are not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Until OMB approves a collection of information, you are not obligated to respond.

Comments: We are soliciting comments as to: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the agency to perform its duties, including whether the information is useful; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) how to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) how to minimize the burden on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Please note that the comments submitted in response to this notice are a matter of public record. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment, including your personal identifying information, may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask OMB in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that it will be done. To comply with the public process, we publish this Federal Register notice announcing that we will submit this ICR to OMB for approval. The notice provided the required 60 day public comment period.

USGS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Phadrea Ponds 970-226-9445.

Dated: September 16, 2009.

William S. Leith,

Associate Program Coordinator.