[Federal Register: July 28, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 144)] [Notices] [Page 40868-40869] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr28jy99-73] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-6409-1] Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; EPA Office of Site Remediation Enforcement Program Evaluation ICR 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 the following Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: EPA Office of Site Remediation Enforcement Program Evaluation ICR, EPA ICR Number 1890.01. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden and cost; where appropriate, it includes the actual data collection instrument. DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before August 27, 1999. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sandy Farmer at EPA by phone at (202) 260-2740, by email at farmer.sandy@epa.gov, or download a copy of the ICR off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA ICR No. 1890.01. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: EPA Office of Site Remediation Enforcement Program Evaluation ICR, EPA ICR Number 1890.01. This is a new collection. Abstract: During the last 3-5 years, EPA's Office of Site Remediation Enforcement (OSRE), in conjunction with EPA's Office of Emergency and Remedial Response (OERR), has been implementing a series of Administrative Reforms in the Superfund program. These reforms are an effort to make Superfund a faster, fairer, and more efficient program for all parties involved. With 3-5 years of implementation past for a number of these reforms, OSRE is interested to learn how well these Administrative Reforms have worked and whether they have achieved their stated intentions in the eyes of the external stakeholders whom the reforms were intended to impact. The purpose of this ICR is to enable OSRE to collect data on the effectiveness of Superfund Administrative Reforms so that we can understand which of the reforms are most effective, as well as to obtain anecdotal and statistically valid information on the outcomes of the reforms. With each of the information collections described in this ICR, OSRE will be measuring whether or not the Administrative Reform is meeting its intended goal, such as speeding site study and cleanup and reducing private party transaction costs. Typical goals of the Administrative Reforms include: increasing the efficiency of reaching settlements with parties at Superfund sites; reducing transaction costs for parties at Superfund sites; increasing the fairness of enforcement actions at Superfund sites; and facilitating the reuse of Superfund sites. OSRE is planning to conduct program evaluations of up to 15 Superfund policies and Superfund reform initiatives. Eight of these reform initiatives are known and listed below. An additional seven program evaluations will take place as part of these information collections, but the exact topics are not known at this time. The eight known program evaluations are: (1) Orphan Share Compensation (2) Unilateral Administrative Order Administrative Reform (3) Effective Oversight Management Administrative Reform (4) Expedited Settlements Reform (5) De Minimis Settlements (6) PRP Response Costs and PRP Transaction Costs (7) Reuse of Superfund and Brownfield Sites (8) Disbursement of Response Costs to PRPs Performing Work from Special Accounts. Information will be collected through a series of mail, telephone, and on-line survey questionnaires. Responses to these information collection requests are voluntary and one-time efforts. 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 Federal Register document required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on March 19, 1999 (64 FR 13573); no comments were received. Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 2.86 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: Businesses; State, Local or Tribal Governments. Estimated Number of Respondents: 10,520. Frequency of Response: One time only. Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 9,994 hours. Estimated Total Annualized Capital, Operating/ Maintenance Cost Burden: $0.00. Send comments on the Agency's need for this information, 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.1890.01 in any correspondence. Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Policy, 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. [[Page 40869]] Dated: July 22, 1999. Joseph Retzer, Director, Regulatory Information Division. [FR Doc. 99-19269 Filed 7-27-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560-50-U