The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA), requires the establishment of Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs). These broad committees, composed of representatives from public safety, health care, and industry sectors, as well as environmental/community organizations, are charged with developing and maintaining emergency plans for their communities. LEPCs foster a valuable dialogue between members of government, industry, and the public to prevent and prepare for accidental (and terrorist-related) releases of hazardous chemicals.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER), Office of Emergency Management (OEM) plans to collect information through a one-time, web-based, voluntary survey of representatives of the approximately 3,500 LEPCs nationwide.
This proposed information collection will build upon the 1994 and 1999 nationwide LEPC surveys, which measured levels of compliance and proactivity of LEPCs. Since that time, no systematic nationwide analysis of LEPC activity has been conducted. In the six years since September 11th, local emergency planning has evolved, most notably, in the amount of information that is now available to assist LEPCs in preparing for and preventing chemical emergencies.
The primary goals of this research are to: (1) track the progress of LEPCs by assessing their current activity compared to some of the data collected in a 1999 survey; and (2) probe current LEPC practices and preferences regarding several important sets of issues, including: communication with local citizens, proactive accident prevention efforts, and the effectiveness of selected OEM products and services.
This collection will also contribute to reporting requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993, which stipulates that agencies evaluate program activities in terms of outputs and outcomes. This survey is necessary to gauge whether OEM is successfully providing national leadership and assistance to local communities in preparing for and preventing chemical emergencies.
The survey is designed to minimize the burden of the collection on respondents. The questions are self-selecting, such that those questions that are irrelevant to the respondent are eliminated. This reduces the overall burden on the respondent, and speeds completion of the survey. It is estimated that the information collection will involve 3,500 respondents and impose a burden of 875 hours (.25 hours per respondent) and $40,293.75.
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.