[Federal Register: March 24, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 56)]
[Notices]
[Page 15079-15080]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24mr05-41]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OW-2004-0020; FRL-7889-1]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Willingness to Pay Survey: Phase
III Cooling Water Intake Structures, EPA ICR Number 2155.01
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Notice.
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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 for a new collection.
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 25,
2005.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OW-2004-
0020, to (1) EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by e-mail
to OW-Docket@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental
Protection Agency, Water Docket, Mail Code 4101T, 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: Erik Helm, USEPA/OST/EAD, Mail Code
4303T, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 566-1066; fax number:
(202) 566-1054; e-mail address: helm.erik@epamail.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 November 23, 2004, (69 FR 68140), EPA sought comments on
this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA has addressed the comments
received.
EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID
No. OW-2004-0020, which is available for public viewing at the Water
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
[[Page 15080]]
through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the
Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the Water
Docket is (202) 566-2426 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: Willingness to Pay Survey: Phase III Cooling Water Intake
Structures
Abstract: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is in the
process of developing new regulations to provide national performance
standards for controlling impacts from cooling water intake structures
(CWIS) for Phase III facilities under section 316(b) of the Clean Water
Act (CWA). In order to develop comprehensive quantified benefit
estimates, for these performance standards EPA proposes to conduct a
stated preference study to estimate the non-use benefits of reduced
fish losses at CWIS. The study would focus on a broad range of fish
species, including forage fish and a variety of fish species harvested
by commercial and recreational fishermen.
The purpose of this information collection request is to solicit
public comment on and obtain approval for conducting twelve focus
groups that will assist in the design of the stated preference survey.
EPA will use these focus groups to better understand the public's
perceptions of fishery resources and to assist in the design of the
stated preference.
EPA received several comments on the proposed ICR. Most of the
received comments did not address focus groups explicitly, but rather
the more general topic of resource valuation and stated preference
surveys. Many of the submitted comments were empirical in nature and
are therefore appropriately addressed within the survey design process.
Some commenters argued that non-use benefits in the Phase III policy
context are likely to be trivial and unreliable. EPA considers stated
preference methods capable of measuring the total values (including use
and non-use) of fish affected by impingement and entrainment, if a
survey is appropriately designed. Moreover, focus groups represent one
of the primary means of assessing whether many of the commenters'
remarks are indeed accurate regarding the inability of survey
instruments to measure non-use values for fish affected by entrainment
and impingement. EPA also points out that there is significant evidence
in the empirical literature as to the substantive nature of non-use
benefits.
For a detailed discussion of these issues, see EPA's response to
public comments for the ICR notice published on November 23, 2004 (69
FR 68140).
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 160
minutes 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: Focus group participants.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 96.
Frequency of Response: Once.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 256 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Cost: $5,000, which includes $0 capital/
startup costs and O&M costs, and $5,000 labor costs.
Dated: March 16, 2005.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 05-5817 Filed 3-23-05; 8:45 am]
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