[Federal Register: November 23, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 225)]
[Notices]
[Page 68140-68142]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23no04-50]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OW-2004-0020, FRL-7840-4]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
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 EPA is planning to submit a
proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB). This is a request for a new collection.
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 January 24, 2005.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OW-2004-
0020, to 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, EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency,
Water Docket, EPA West, 4101T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington,
DC 20460.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erik Helm, Office of Science and
Technology, 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@epa.gov
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has established a public docket for this
ICR under Docket ID number 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 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 obtain a copy of the draft
collection of information, 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 within
60 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
[[Page 68141]]
Federal Register notice describing the electronic docket at 67 FR 38102
(May 31, 2002), or go to http://www.epa.gov./edocket.
Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are
individuals/households.
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). The facilities considered Phase III facilities under Clean
Water Act section 316(b) regulations include existing electrical
generators with cooling water intake structures that are designed to
withdraw 50 million gallons of water per day or less, as well as
existing manufacturing and industrial facilities with cooling water
intake structures, that withdraw water from rivers, streams, lakes,
reservoirs, estuaries, oceans, or other waters of the United States for
cooling purposes. The regulation also establishes section 316(b)
requirements for new offshore oil and gas extraction facilities.
EPA has previously published final section 316(b) regulations that
address new facilities (Phase I) on December 18, 2001 (66 FR 65256) and
existing large power producers (Phase II) on July 9, 2004 (69 FR
41576). See 40 CFR part 125, subparts I and J, respectively.
As required under executive Order 12866, EPA performs economic
impact and cost/benefit analyses of the section 316(b) regulation for
Phase III facilities. Comprehensive, appropriate estimates of total
resource value include both use and non-use values, such that the
resulting total social benefit estimates may be compared to total
social cost. Developing comprehensive quantified benefit estimates for
the section 316(b) regulation requires consideration of non-use values
because nearly all (96 percent) of impingement and entrainment losses
at CWIS consist of either forage species, or non-landed recreational
and commercial species that do not have direct uses or, as a result,
direct use values. Although individuals do not use these resources
directly they may nevertheless be affected by changes in resource
status or quality, such that they would be willing to pay to maintain
these resources. It is generally accepted that non-use values may be
substantial in some cases, and that failure to recognize such values
may lead to improper inferences regarding policy benefits and costs.
Many public comments on the proposed section 316(b) regulation for
Phase II facilities and the Phase II Notice of Data Availability
suggested that a properly designed and conducted stated preference, or
contingent valuation (CV), survey would be the most appropriate and
acceptable method to estimate the non-use benefits of the rule.\1\
Stated preference survey methodology is the generally accepted means to
estimate non-use values. Stated preference surveys use carefully
designed questions to elicit respondents' willingness to pay (WTP) for
particular ecological improvements, based on their responses to either
discrete choice or open-ended questions regarding hypothetical resource
improvements or programs. Such improvements may include increased
protection of aquatic habitats or species with particular attributes.
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\1\ For detail see ``Phase II--Large Existing Electric
Generating Plants Response to Public Comment,'' U.S. EPA, 2004.
Available at: http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/316b/commentph2.htm.
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To assess public policy significance or importance of the
ecological gains from the section 316(b) regulation for Phase III
facilities, EPA proposes to develop a stated preference study to
measure non-use benefits of reduced fish losses at CWIS due to the
section 316(b) regulation. The study would focus on a broad range of
aquatic species, including forage fish and a variety of fish species
harvested by commercial and recreational fisherman. The estimated
values of reducing impingement and entrainment losses of a variety of
fish species are also of academic interest since past studies focused
only on a few selected fish species such as salmon and striped bass.
The findings from this study would be used in developing estimates of
the economic benefits of the section 316(b) regulation for Phase III
facilities. These findings would also be pertinent to economists and
policy makers studying changes in fish populations and aquatic habitat
improvements.
The purpose of this information collection is to assist in the
development of a stated preference survey that would allow estimation
of non-use benefits from reduced impingement and entrainment
attributable to the section 316(b) regulation for Phase III facilities.
To assist in the development of a stated preference survey, EPA will
conduct a series of focus groups. Such use of focus groups to assist in
the design of stated preference surveys is well-established, as is the
capacity of focus groups to provide insight into motivations underlying
respondents' stated WTP values (Mitchell and Carson 1989; Desvousges et
al. 1984; Desvousges and Smith 1988; Johnston et al. 1995). Focus
groups are often described as ``informal sessions in which a skilled
moderator leads a group of individuals through a discussion of specific
topics to discover their attitudes and opinions'' (Desvousges et al.
1984, p. 2-1, cited in Johnston et al. 1995 p. 56). Following standard
practice, EPA will use focus groups to better understand the public's
perceptions and attitude concerning fishery resources, to frame and
define [CV] survey questions and to pretest draft survey questions.
Focus groups will also be used, following advice of Mitchell and Carson
(1989), Desvousges et al. (1984), Johnston et al. (1995), to test for
and eliminate or reduce potential biases which may be associated with
stated preference methodology, and to ensure that both researchers and
respondents share interpretations of survey language and scenarios.
EPA proposes to conduct 12 focus groups at different locations
across the United States. The number of planned focus groups is based
on an average number of focus groups used in prior stated preference
studies to design a draft survey. Following generally accepted practice
(e.g., Desvousges et al. 1984), EPA would recruit seven to nine
individuals for each focus group. These individuals will be randomly
selected by commercial marketing research firms from panels of focus
group participants maintained by each firm. Participants will be asked
to attend a focus group session and participate in a discussion of
specific topics led by a moderator. Participation in the focus group
sessions is voluntary. Participants will have to expend time, effort,
and travel to participate in the focus group sessions. Following
standard practice in marketing research, participants will be
compensated for their time and effort. The offered compensation would
also help to avoid the self selection bias that otherwise may result.
To maximize the research value of the focus group sessions for stated
preference survey design, EPA will proceed iteratively. The version of
the focus group script available now in the ICR package will undergo
several modifications based on findings from initial focus groups. The
goal of subsequent modifications is to develop and refine survey
questions to ensure greater clarity of survey questions and, as a
result, validity of the survey responses. Modifications will also be
tested in terms of their ability to
[[Page 68142]]
eliminate or reduce biases that may occur in surveys that have
undergone insufficient testing and development (Mitchell and Carson
1989). Based on the planned iterative modification of survey questions,
the structure of subsequent draft survey instruments will depend on how
people respond to surveys and questions in previous focus groups.
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.
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;
(ii) Evaluate the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden
of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions used;
(iii) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information
to be collected; and
(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.
Burden Statement: EPA estimates that the public reporting and
recordkeeping burden associated with the focus groups will average 160
minutes per respondent. The estimated total number of respondents is
96, producing an approximated 256 hours of total burden at a projected
cost of $4,883. EPA estimates that there will be no capital and
operating and maintenance cost burden.
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: November 2, 2004.
Geoffrey H. Grubbs,
Director, Office of Science and Technology.
[FR Doc. 04-25942 Filed 11-22-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P