View Information Collection Request (ICR) Package

OMB Control No: 2020-0033	ICR Reference No: 200709-2020-001
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 200609-2020-001
Agency/Subagency: EPA/OECA	Agency Tracking No: 2243.04
Title: Procedures for Implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Assessing the Environmental Effects Abroad of EPA Actions (Final Rule)
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR: No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved without change	Conclusion Date: 09/20/2007
	Date Received in OIRA: 09/20/2007
Terms of Clearance:

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	08/31/2010	36 Months From Approved	09/30/2007
Responses	313	0	313
Time Burden (Hours)	48,147	0	54,597
Cost Burden (Dollars)	8,673	0	9,550

Abstract: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) is amending its procedures for implementing the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). For EPA actions subject to NEPA, the Responsible Official may determine that the proposed action does not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment and may, therefore, be categorically excluded (CE, categorical exclusion) from further NEPA review. If the proposed action is not categorically excluded, the Responsible Official may prepare an environmental assessment (EA) in order to determine whether to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) or a finding of no significant impact (FONSI). If necessary, the Responsible Official must prepare an EIS if the proposed action will have a significant effect on the human environment. For applicant-proposed actions, the applicant may submit information to the Responsible Official regarding the applicability of a CE and request a determination by the Responsible Official. Unless the applicant-proposed action is categorically excluded, the Responsible Official may gather the information and prepare the NEPA document without assistance from the applicant, or have the applicant prepare an environmental information document (EID) or a draft EA and supporting documents or implement a third-party agreement with the applicant generally for preparation of an EIS. Applicants generally are grant applicants applying to EPA for funding of special projects identified in EPA's State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG) account authorized by Congress through the Agency's annual Appropriations Act, and permit applicants applying to EPA for issuance of new source National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits under Section 402 of the Clean Water Act. The final rule also includes minor, technical amendments to the Agency's procedures for implementing Executive Order 12114, "Environmental Effects Abroad of Major Federal Actions" (E.O.). EPA's E.O. procedures further the purpose of NEPA and provide that EPA may be guided by its NEPA procedures to the extent they are applicable. For this Information Collection Request (ICR), applicant-proposed projects subject to either NEPA or E.O. 12114 (and that are not addressed in other EPA programs' ICRs) are addressed through the NEPA process.

Authorizing Statute(s): EO: EO 12114 Name/Subject of EO: Environmental Effects Abroad of Major Federal Actions
US Code: 41 USC 4321-4347 Name of Law: National Environmental Policy Act

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
2020-AA42	Final or interim final rulemaking	72 FR 53652	09/19/2007

Federal Register Notices & Comments
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to Agency Discretion
Annual Number of Responses	313	313	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	48,147	54,597	-6,450
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	8,673	9,550	-877

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Increase Due to: Changing Regulations

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Reduction Due to: Changing Regulations

Short Statement: The burden is reduced by decreasing the use of EA/FONSIs and increasing the use of CEs for project documentation. For grant applicants, an EA will generally cost $40 and take 260 hours to complete, while a CE costs approximately $17 and uses 45 hours. The reduction in burden is created by estimating that with this final rule, the use of a CE to document a project will increase to 60% from 50%, and the use of an EA will decrease from 50% to 40%. For more detail, please refer to the Supporting Statement, Section 6(d).

Annual Cost to Federal Government: $1,510,600

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Is the Supporting Statement intended to be a Privacy Impact Assessment required by the E-Government Act of 2002? No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? Uncollected

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? Uncollected

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? Uncollected

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? Uncollected

Agency Contact: Robert Hargrove 202 564-7157 Hargrove.Robert@epa.gov

View ICR - OIRA Conclusion