The National Environmental Performance Track is a voluntary EPA program that recognizes and rewards private and public facilities that demonstrate top environmental performance beyond current regulatory requirements. The program is based on the premise that government should complement existing programs with new tools and strategies that not only protect people and the environment, but also capture opportunities for reducing cost and spurring technological innovation.
Performance Track is a facility based program (not corporate-wide) that receives applications twice per year in April and May, and in September and October. Acceptance decisions are announced twice per year, generally in March and September. Applying facilities must meet four basic criteria: 1) a history of sustained compliance with environmental regulations; 2) an environmental management system that is certified by an independent third party, and in place for at least one full cycle of planning, implementing, review and improvement; 3) past and future environmental achievements, and a commitment to quantified continuous environmental improvement; and 4) public involvement and annual reporting. Once accepted, members remain in the program for three years, as long as they continue to meet the program criteria. After three years, they may apply to renew their membership through a streamlined application process.
EPA announced the National Environmental Performance Track Program on June 26, 2000, and a total of 401 facilities are current members. Information is collected by EPA in the following areas: applications, customer satisfaction questionnaire, regulatory incentives, and annual performance reports. Current and potential Performance Track member facilities, and States are the respondents for this program, and EPA and States are the recipients and reviewers of this information.
Applications submitted by facilities are used by EPA and participating regulatory entities to determine whether the applicant qualifies for the program (See the program website at www.epa.gov/performancetrack for the application form). Environmental Performance Track members are also required to submit an Annual Performance Report (APR) documenting their environmental performance relative to the commitments they made upon entry into the program (See the program website for the APR form). This information is important to determine whether participants are meeting their commitments, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. The public reporting elements of the program also provide information to the local community.
There is a significant decrease in the burden hours for this renewal ICR. Several factors account for the decrease in burden. The primary reason for the decrease is in Âprogram participation under ICR 1949.03. The estimated hours for program participation were dramatically overestimated in the previous ICR, and EPA has determined that these hours were incorrect. Specifically, EPA estimated significant burden for Âcompliance demonstration, EMS documentation and reporting, continuous performance demonstration, and reporting and public outreach. This burden was not correctly estimated, nor attributable to information collection requirements of the Performance Track Program. Other areas that contributed to the decrease in burden hours are application and renewal application hours, incentives hours, and annual performance reporting hours. Estimated burden hours per facility for the customer satisfaction survey have not changed. Finally, EPA has gained tremendous experience in the last three years about implementing its Performance Track Program, and assessing ICR burden in ICR amendments 1949.03 and 1949.04. As a result of this experience, EPA believes that current estimates in ICR 1949.05 to be significantly more accurate than previous estimates.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
1949.05 Part B.doc
1949TA05.xls
Information Collection Request for the EPA National Environmental Performance Track Program