70 FR 42 pgs. 10612-10614 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Technology Performance and Product Information to Support Vendor Information Summaries (Renewal), EPA ICR Number 2154.02, OMB Control Number 2050-0194
Type: NOTICEVolume: 70Number: 42Pages: 10612 - 10614
Docket number: [ORD-2004-0022; FRL-7880-7]
FR document: [FR Doc. 05-4276 Filed 3-3-05; 8:45 am]
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
Official PDF Version: PDF Version
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[ORD-2004-0022; FRL-7880-7]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Technology Performance and Product Information to Support Vendor Information Summaries (Renewal), EPA ICR Number 2154.02, OMB Control Number 2050-0194
AGENCY:
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION:
Notice.
SUMMARY:
In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. ), this document announces that an Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on February 28, 2005. Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. This ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.
DATES:
Additional comments may be submitted on or before April 4, 2005.
ADDRESSES:
Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number ORD-2004-0022, to (1) EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by e-mail to ord.docket@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development (ORD) Docket, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB at: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Eric N. Koglin, Environmental Protection Agency, P.O. Box 93478, Las Vegas, Nevada 89193-3478; telephone number: (702) 798-2332; fax number: (702) 798-2291; e-mail address: koglin.eric@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 1320.12. On December 21, 2004 (69 FR 76464) EPA sought comments on this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments.
EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID No. ORD-2004-0022, which is available for public viewing at the ORD Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 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 ORD Docket is (202) 566-1752. An electronic version of the public docket is available through EPA Dockets (EDOCKET) at http://www.epa.gov/edocket. Use EDOCKET to submit or view public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the public 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 above.
Any comments related to this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB within 30 days of this notice. EPA's policy is that public comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available for public viewing in EDOCKET as EPA receives them and without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other information whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA identifies a comment containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference to that material in the version of the comment that is placed in EDOCKET. The entire printed comment, including the copyrighted material, will be available in the public docket. Although identified as an item in the official docket, information claimed as CBI, or whose disclosure is otherwise restricted by statute, is not included in the official public docket, and will not be available for public viewing in EDOCKET. For further information about the electronic docket, see EPA's Federal Register notice describing the electronic docket at 67 FR 38102 (May 31, 2002), or go to http://www.epa.gov/edocket.
Title: Technology Performance and Product Information to Support Vendor Information Summaries (Renewal).
Abstract: The U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development's National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC) is helping to protect human health and the environment from adverse impacts resulting from intentional acts of terror. With an emphasis on decontamination and consequence management, water infrastructure protection, and threat and consequence assessment, NHSRC scientists and engineers are working to develop tools and information that will help detect the intentional introduction of chemical, biological, and radiological contaminants in buildings or water systems, the containment of these contaminants, the decontamination of buildings and/or water systems, and the disposal of material resulting from cleanups. With a substantial background in environmental protection and risk management, NHSRC researchers are well-positioned to develop the tools and technologies needed to respond to existing and potential terrorist threats. The focus of these efforts is aimed at providing advice, guidance, and scientific expertise on homeland security issues to emergency response personnel, consequence managers, decision-makers, and government officials that will result in improved protection for all citizens.
An important facet of the NHSRC mission is identifying, testing, and evaluating technologies to support water utility operators, emergency responders, and facility managers. EPA lacks a well documented array of technological tools to adequately address all of the monitoring, detection, decontamination, and treatment tasks associated with remediating contaminated facilities and drinking water supply systems. EPA is aware that significant research, development, and commercialization efforts are underway by the private sector, but EPA needs to manage the information concerning the myriad of technology choices faced by its customers.
EPA has initiated this effort to develop brief vendor information summaries of available technologies relevant to the detection and decontamination of drinking water systems, building materials, building structures, and indoor air that may become contaminated with chemical, biological, or radiological contaminants. These summaries will be based upon vendor-generated or provided information including any independent, validated test data generated by governmental or other organizations and provided to EPA through this ICR. EPA will produce 4-10 page summaries on each of the technologies for which vendors voluntarily agreed to submit the requested information. These summaries will be shared with EPA and other emergency response personnel, building and facility managers, and water utility operators. The information provided by technology developers and vendors will also be used by the NHSRC's Technology Testing and Evaluation Program (TTEP) to identify technologies that may be suitable candidates for testing and evaluation and to track those technologies under development that may eventually be ready for rigorous testing and evaluation.
Developers and vendors with applicable technologies are being searched through all available mechanisms. Once identified, the developer or vendor is sent a letter requesting the submission of specific information pertinent to the performance, operation, maintenance, and cost of the technology. The submission of information is voluntary. Because the summarized information will be publically available, technology vendors/developers will be discouraged from submitting CBI.
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 40 CFR are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and are identified on the form and/or instrument, if applicable.
Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and record keeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 15 hours per response. 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; develop, 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 collection of information; search data sources; complete and review the collection of information; and transmit or otherwise disclose the information.
Respondents/Affected Entities: Homeland security technology developers or vendors.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 70.
Frequency of Response: On occasion.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 1,050 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Cost: $66,000, includes $0 annual capital/startup costs, $500 annual OM costs, and $65,000 annual labor costs.
Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 675 hours in the total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of Approved Burdens. This increase is due to adjustments made to the amount of time necessary for the compiling, submitting and commenting on information provided under this ICR after having consulted with respondents.
Dated: February 25, 2005.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 05-4276 Filed 3-3-05; 8:45 am]
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