

[Federal Register: February 8, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 26)]
[Notices]
[Page 6475-6477]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08fe06-87]


[[Page 6475]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OA-2006-0082, FRL-8029-6]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Valuing Reduced Asthma Episodes for Adults and
Children--Research Survey; EPA ICR Number 2216.01

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

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
request for a new Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB). 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 10, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number EPA-HQ-
OA-2006-0082, by one of the following methods:
     http://www.regulations.gov; Follow the on-line

instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: dockins.chris@epa.gov
     Fax: 202-566-2338
     Mail : Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket,
Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460
     Hand Deliver: Office of Environmental Information (OEI)
Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room B102, 1301
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. Such deliveries are only
accepted during the Docket's normal hours of operation, and special
arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-2006-
0082. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in
the public docket without change and may be made available online at
http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information

provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you
consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through http://www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The http://www.regulations.gov website

is an ``anonymous access'' system, which means EPA will not know your
identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of
your comment. If you send an e-mail comment directly to EPA without
going through http://www.regulations.gov your e-mail address will be

automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is
placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. If you
submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name
and other contact information in the body of your comment and with any
disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to
technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA
may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid
the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of
any defects or viruses. For additional information about EPA's public
docket visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm
.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Chris Dockins, Office of Policy,
Economics and Innovation, U.S. EPA, Mail Code 1809T, Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington DC 20460;
telephone number 202-566-2286; fax number 202-566-2338; e-mail address: 
dockins.chris@epa.gov.


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

How Can I Access the Docket and/or Submit Comments?

    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID
No. EPA-HQ-OA-2006-0082, which is available for online viewing at
http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Office of

Environmental Information (OEI) Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/
DC), EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington,
DC. The EPA/DC Public Reading Room is open from 8 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
Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket is 202-566-1752.
    Use http://www.regulations.gov to obtain a copy of the draft

collection of information, submit or view public comments, access the
index listing of the contents of the 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 in this document.

What Information Is EPA Particularly Interested in?

    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA specifically
solicits comments and information to enable it 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. In particular, EPA is requesting comments from
very small businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples of
specific additional efforts that EPA could make to reduce the paperwork
burden for very small businesses affected by this collection.

What Should I Consider When I Prepare My Comments for EPA?

    You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your
comments:
    1. Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific
examples.
    2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
    3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used
that support your views.
    4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you
arrived at the estimate that you provide.
    5. Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity.
    6. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline identified
under DATES.
    7. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the docket
ID number assigned to this action in the subject line on the first page
of your response. You may also provide the name, date, and Federal
Register citation.

What Information Collection Activity or ICR Does This Apply to?

    Affected Entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are
individuals

[[Page 6476]]

volunteering to participate in focus group discussions.
    Title: Valuing Reduced Asthma Episodes for Adults and Children--
Focus Groups.
    ICR Numbers: EPA ICR No. 2216.01.
    ICR Status: This ICR is for a new information collection activity.
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 title 40 of the CFR, after appearing in the Federal Register when
approved, are listed in 40 CFR part 9, are displayed either by
publication in the Federal Register or by other appropriate means, such
as on the related collection instrument or form, if applicable. The
display of OMB control numbers in certain EPA regulations is
consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
    Abstract: Asthma is one of the most common chronic illnesses in the
United States, particularly among children. The disease is
characterized by recurring episodes of symptoms like cough, shortness
of breath, and wheezing. Epidemiological studies suggest that ambient
air pollution may contribute to exacerbation of these episodes. Acute
asthma episodes are a leading cause of work and school absence and
contribute to the economic burden of the disease. The policies and
programs of many public and private entities including EPA may affect
the frequency and severity of asthma episodes, but economic analysis of
these programs is hindered by inadequate information about the economic
benefits of reduced asthma episodes. The proposed surveys would gather
information to support estimation of willingness to pay (WTP) to avoid
acute episodes of asthma exacerbation for adults and children.
    The survey research has three main objectives. The first is to
estimate WTP to reduce frequency of asthma episodes. The second is to
examine how the ``attributes'' of asthma episodes, such as their
frequency, severity and symptoms, affect WTP. The third is to provide
some evidence on the WTP to reduce the severity of asthma episodes,
while holding frequency constant. WTP would be estimated in the context
of the severity of the individual's asthma and the activities taken to
manage the disease. The resulting estimates will advance research
needed to provide researchers and policy analysts with a systematic and
credible basis for valuing policies that influence acute asthma
episodes.
    Through a cooperative agreement from EPA (R-83062801-0),
researchers at the University of Central Florida (UCF) have designed
and are proposing to conduct a nationwide survey of adult individuals
in two parts. One survey would be administered to a sample of adults
with physician-diagnosed asthma who have experienced asthma symptoms
during the 12 months preceding the survey. This survey focuses on
eliciting adults' WTP to reduce the asthma episodes that they
experience. The other survey would be administered to a national sample
of parents of children with physician-diagnosed asthma who have
experienced asthma symptoms during the 12 months preceding the survey.
In this case, the focus is on eliciting parents' WTP to reduce the
asthma episodes that their children experience.
    The purpose of the proposed ICR is to gain approval for these
research surveys. A separate is ICR is being proposed for the focus
groups needed for survey testing and development. Survey respondents
will be selected from a representative national panel of respondents
maintained by Knowledge Networks, an online survey company. Subjects
will be asked to complete a web-based questionnaire. Participation in
the survey is voluntary. The survey is anticipated to be given to a
total of 1250 persons, including any pilot versions. A web-based format
was chosen because it is the most cost-effective method available to
conduct large statistically-based surveys.
    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 in order 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: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 25
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.
    The only burden imposed by the survey on respondents will be the
time required to respond to the invitation to take the survey, to read
the survey instructions, and respond to the survey questions. The
survey developers estimate that this will require an average of 25
minutes per respondent. With a total of 1250 respondents, including
pretests, this requires a total of approximately 521 hours. Based on an
average hourly rate of $26.05 \1\ (including employer costs of all
employee benefits), the survey developers expect that the average per-
respondent cost for the pilot survey will be $10.86 and the
corresponding one-time total cost to all respondents will be
approximately $13,568.00. Since this information collection is
voluntary and does not involve any special equipment, respondents will
not incur any capital or operation and maintenance (O&M) costs.
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    \1\ Employer costs per hour worked for employee compensation and
costs as a percent of total compensation: Civilian workers, total
compensation, December 2005. (http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.t02.htm
)

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What Is the Next Step in the Process for This ICR?

    EPA will consider the comments received and amend the ICR as
appropriate. The final ICR package will then be submitted to OMB for
review and approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. At that time, EPA will
issue another Federal Register notice pursuant to 5 CFR
1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the
opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB. If you have any
questions about this ICR or the approval process, please contact the

[[Page 6477]]

technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Dated: January 31, 2006.
Al McGartland,
Director, National Center for Environmental Economics, Office of Policy
Economics and Innovation.
[FR Doc. E6-1716 Filed 2-7-06; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
