Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; State Small Business Stationary Source Technical and Environmental Compliance Assistance Program (SBTCP) Under the Clean Air Act as Amended in 1990

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5971-1]

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;

Comment Request; State Small Business Stationary Source Technical and

Environmental Compliance Assistance Program (SBTCP) Under the Clean Air

Act as Amended in 1990

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501

et seq.), this notice announces that EPA is planning to submit the

following proposed and continuing Information Collection Request (ICR)

to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB):

State Small Business Stationary Source Technical and Environmental

Compliance Assistance Program (SBTCP), EPA ICR number 1748.02, OMB

Control Number 2060-0337, expiration 7/31/98. Before submitting the ICR

to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific

aspects of the proposed information collection as described below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before April 27, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Office of the Small Business Ombudsman, U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW (2131), Waterside Mall Room 3423,

Washington, DC 20460, 202-260-1390. Interested persons may receive a

copy of the ICR without charge by writing or calling the above Office.

The ICR also is posted on the Small Business Environmental Assistance

homepage at http://www.smallbiz-enviroweb.org.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen V. Brown, Small Business

Ombudsman, telephone 202-260-1390, fascimilie 202-401-2302, and e-mail

[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are

those which are in one of the following state or territory offices,

including the District of Columbia: environmental agency, commerce or

economic development department, governor's office, or ombudsman's

office.

Title: State Small Business Stationary Source Technical and

Environmental Compliance Assistance Program (SBTCP), EPA ICR number

1748.02, OMB Control Number 2060-0337, expiration 7/31/98.

Abstract: As part of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, the U.S.

Congress included, as part of section 507, the requirement that each

state establish a Small Business Stationary Source Technical and

Environmental Compliance Assistance Program (SBTCP) to assist small

businesses comply with the Act. EPA must provide the Congress with

periodic reports from the EPA Small Business Ombudsman (SBO) on these

programs, including their effectiveness, difficulties encountered, and

other relevant information. Each state assistance program will submit

requested information to EPA for compilation and summarization.

This collection of information in mandatory pursuant to section 507

(a), (d), and (e) of the Clean Air Act as amended in 1990, Pub. L. 101-

549, November 15, 1990. This Act directs EPA to monitor the SBTCPs and

to provide a report to Congress. This responsibility has been delegated

to the EPA SBO.

Response to the collection is not required to obtain or retain a

benefit.

Information in the Annual Report to Congress is aggregated and is

not of a confidential nature. None of the information collected by this

action results in or requests sensitive information of any nature from

the states.

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 are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and 48 CFR Chapter 15.

The EPA would like to solicit comments to:

(i) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is

necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,

including whether the information will have practical utility.

The EPA SBO shall report the results of the collection to

Congress, including an objective summary of conclusions and

recommendations relative to funding or other environmental legislative

considerations. This information also will be provided to Congressional

staffs and committees interested in environmental matters and small

business assistance activities at the state and local levels. In

addition, this information will be provided to small business trade

associations for their further use in promoting the utility and

viability of assistance programs to EPA Headquarters and regional

offices, to other federal agencies such as the Small Business

Administration, to all state small business ombudsmen and small

business assistance program directors, state environmental

commissioners, state Governors, and other interested state

environmental officials.

Both state and federal officials have used the information not only

to evaluate how well the programs are functioning, but also in planning

how to render more effective, less costly and more timely assistance.

The constantly evolving nature of these programs means that information

of this nature should be made available to decision-makers, whether

they be at federal, state, or local levels.

(ii) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's burden estimate for the

proposed information collection, including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used.

The Reporting Form was discussed with the state ombudsmen

or small business assistance program directors from 6 of the 53 section

507 reporting programs (i.e., the 50 states, the District of Columbia,

and the territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands). A general

consensus was taken to establish how long it would take to complete the

Reporting Form and who would likely be responsible from each state to

complete the task.

From the pretest, the information requested was confirmed to be,

for the most part, the normal program activity information the SBTCPs

collect on an on-going basis. Where a few state environmental agencies

have delegated or contracted management of their technical assistance

program, this information is part of the project management

responsibilities. The requested reporting information typically would

be compiled by either an entry-level technical person or maintained by

experienced clerical staff.

On an average, the requested information can be compiled readily

and maintained by the state within 80 hours (assuming the state

organization continuously maintains their records in a reasonably

efficient manner) using a mix of management, entry-level technical

people, and experienced clerical staff. The 80-hour forecast includes 4

hours for record keeping and 76 hours for reporting the required

information.

The respondent information will be compiled electronically and

summarized by an outside contractor using a mix of management,

technical, and clerical staff. EPA will provide oversight of all

contractor activities. An estimated 274 EPA hours and 1,564.5

[[Page 9792]]

contractor hours will be required to complete the Report to Congress.

(iii) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information

to be collected.

Recent revisions to the Reporting Form were conducted by

representatives from the SBTCPs, who have been reporting on the

activities of their programs since 1995 and are familiar with these

reporting requirements. They provided extensive review of the proposed

Reporting Form and suggested modifications, which then were

incorporated into the Reporting Form.

Pretesting of the original collection instrument was accomplished

by consolidating all comments received following the states' review of

a draft of the Reporting Form and an extensive discussion of the Form

at the 1995 National Small Business Ombudsman and Small Business

Assistance Program Conference.

(iv) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those

who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated

electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or

other forms of information technology (e.g., permitting electronic

submission of responses).

Each year, every state will be provided with the Reporting

Form on disk and in hard copy along with instructions for gathering the

data and completing the Form. States may complete their Report by

typing the information on the disk and submitting the disk to the EPA

SBO.

As more states gain Internet access, the Reporting Form also may be

made available online, downloaded for completion, and returned via

Internet to the EPA SBO.

Burden Statement: This annual information collection involves

responses from all 50 states, 2 territories (Puerto Rico and the Virgin

Islands), and the District of Columbia, for a total of 53 respondents.

The requested information, for the most part, is collected as

normal program activity information for the SBTCPs. On an average, the

information can be compiled and maintained by the state within 80 hours

annually (assuming the state organization continuously maintains their

records in a reasonably efficient manner). The 80 hour per state

estimate includes 4 hours for record keeping and 76 hours for

reporting.

For each respondent, the annual cost burden is estimated to be

$2,102.76. Total capital and start-up cost component annualized over

its expected useful life is $0. Total operations and maintenance is

estimated at $0, and the cost for purchase of services is estimated at

$0.

Total annual burden for the 53 respondents is estimated at 4,240

hours at a cost of $111,446.28.

Federal burden is estimated to be 274 hours at an annual labor cost

of $14,085.32. Total capital and start-up costs are $0. Total

operations and maintenance costs are estimated to be $11,506. The cost

to purchase services is $75,000.

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.

Dated: February 19, 1998.

Thomas E. Kelly,

Director, Office of Regulatory Management and Information, Office of

Policy, Planning, and Evaluation.

[FR Doc. 98-4939 Filed 2-25-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560-50-P