U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Information Collection Request
Title: Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery Grant Reporting and National Materials Management Survey
OMB Control Number: 2050-NEW
EPA ICR Number: 7802.01
Abstract: The Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery (ORCR) Resource Conservation and Sustainability Division (RCSD) requires the ability to collect consistent and timely information from grant recipients receiving EPA funding originating from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, (also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)). Additionally, in order to carry out the Agency’s obligations under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), RCSD needs broad-based national information on waste streams and materials management practices. This ICR covers two related information collections that are essential for RCSD to properly understand current conditions and promote interventions that can lead to a more sustainable future. One is based on the collection of progress and final reports from Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) and Recycling Education and Outreach (REO) grant recipients. The reports provide the Agency with necessary administrative information, documentation of grant outputs and outcomes, and for many grantees, data on the volume of materials and types of waste management methods they employ. EPA plans to use a web-based data management system to facilitate the collection and processing of these reports from grantees. The second proposed information collection is a voluntary annual survey to gather detailed information from all U.S. states and territories about their existing waste management programs, capacities, and throughputs. Survey respondents will also be grant recipients and the same electronic data management system can be used to collect and process survey results.
Total (3-Year) Respondent Burden & Costs |
|||||
Unique Respondents |
Responses |
Burden Hours |
Labor Costs |
Non-Labor Costs |
Total Costs |
225 |
920 |
2,841 |
$185,490 |
$0 |
$185,490 |
Supporting Statement A
Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary. Identify any legal or administrative requirements that necessitate the collection.
Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery (ORCR) Resource Conservation and Sustainability Division (RCSD) is charged with, among other responsibilities, ensuring efficient and equitable non-hazardous waste management. In this capacity, the receipt of timely and consistent information on waste/materials generation, disposition, and recovery is essential to ensure that programs, policies, and grant monies are properly targeted.
EPA is requesting approval to collect information that will be used to illustrate how the U.S. is striving toward the National Recycling Goal to increase the nation’s recycling rate to 50% by 2030 and the U.S. 2030 Food Loss and Waste Reduction Goal to cut food loss and waste in half by the year 2030. To track progress on these goals, EPA requires current, accurate, and evolving data on national waste management pathways, including recycling participation and food loss and waste generation rates. Without data collection, tracking these goals relies upon predictive modeling that is insufficiently accurate and precise.
Several statutes mandate that EPA disburse grants and implement programs that will be supported by this Information Collection Request (ICR). The Save our Seas 2.0 Act1 (SOS 2.0) (Public Law 116–224), as codified at 33 U.S.C. 4282(a), charges EPA with issuing Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) grants2 authorized under Section 302(a) “Post-Consumer Materials Management Infrastructure Grant Program.” Section 302(a) states that the EPA can provide grants to implement the National Recycling Strategy3, support improvements to local post-consumer materials management, and assist local waste management authorities in making improvements to local waste management systems. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act4 (IIJA) (Public Law 117-58) is a historic investment in the health, equity, and resilience of American communities. The IIJA appropriates $275 million in funding for the SWIFR grants, and $75 million in funding for outreach and education on waste reduction and recycling through the Recycling Education and Outreach Grant Program (REO)5. EPA was also provided an additional $2.5 million in Fiscal Year 2022 and $6.5 million in Fiscal Year 2023 funding to implement the SWIFR program. This ICR will use the progress reports and final reports for the SWIFR and REO grants which will include outputs and outcomes from SWIFR and REO funding and measure how the funding is progressing. The information will also measure the implementation of the National Recycling Strategy. The reports allows for consistent and comparable data collection across all the grants. Without the reports, data may not be comparable therefore, difficult to measure any trends toward implementing the National Recycling Strategy, National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics6 and the National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution7.
Furthermore, under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA)8 (Public Law 94-580), as codified at 42 U.S.C. 6983, EPA has broad authority to develop, collect, evaluate, and coordinate information on the methods, amounts, and economics of solid waste collection, management, recovery, reduction, and reuse. There is currently no national materials management data collected that can present an accurate picture of the status of the nation’s materials management capacity and state. EPA’s most recent Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes and Recycling Report9 (released December 2020) contains 2018 data. Trends in waste generation and management change overtime. More frequent data collection would allow EPA to keep a current understanding of the issues, adapt more quickly to changes in trends, and support states and territories in their understanding and adaptation efforts.
The information collected in the two tools will cover progress and final reports from Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) and Recycling Education and Outreach (REO) grant recipients and specific materials management data from all U.S. states and territories about the state and capacity of materials management across the country. The survey will cover materials such as municipal solid waste, plastics, organic waste (including food waste), electronics, batteries etc. Data will also be collected on end-of-life pathways such as landfills, composting facilities, anerobic digesters, incinerators etc. The progress and final reports, and draft survey questions and data fields are attached to this ICR.
EPA’s general regulation for assistance programs establishes the minimum management requirements for recipients of EPA assistance programs. The reports submitted by recipients of assistance programs under this ICR fulfills the information collection and reporting requirements included in EPA regulations 2 CFR Parts 20010, and 150011; and 40 CFR Part 3512.
Indicate how, by whom, and for what purpose the information is to be used. Except for a new collection, indicate the actual use the agency has made of the information received from the current collection.
Grant Progress and Final Reporting
EPA is mandated to meet certain reporting requirements as part of the SWIFR and REO grant programs established in SOS 2.0 and IIJA. To fulfill these requirements, EPA must have data that characterizes the generation and management of post-consumer materials in the U.S. to include materials and products generated, their end-of-life pathways, any next life cycles, and consumer awareness of those pathways. To characterize the impact of awarded grants, EPA also needs quantitative data on cost savings, improvements to recycling rates, and reductions in plastic leakage, and contamination.
To fulfill reporting requirements under Section 302(a) of the SOS 2.0 and IIJA, EPA is required to collect the following information from grantees:
the amount recycled material collected;
recycling participation rate;
the amount of contamination in the recycling stream; or
any other information the EPA deems appropriate.
Information collected for the REO grants will inform EPA’s annual REO report to Congress as mandated under Section 70402(9)(b) of the IIJA, which requires EPA to provide information to Congress related to:
the effectiveness of residential recycling programs awarded funds under the grant program, including statistics comparing the quantity and quality of recycled materials collected by those programs, as described in the reports submitted to the Administrator; and,
recommendations on additional actions to improve residential recycling.
Information collected for the SWIFR grants will inform EPA’s annual SWIFR report to Congress as mandated under Section 302(a)(4) of the SOS 2.0 Act, which requires EPA to provide information to Congress related to:
a description of activities carried out under subsection 302(a);
estimates as to how much plastic waste was prevented from entering the oceans and other waterways as a result of activities funded pursuant to subsection 302(a); and
a recommendation on the utility of evolving the grant program into a new waste management State revolving fund.
The creation of two new grant programs, SWIFR and REO, in RCSD must be efficient to effectively manage the new work. Under this ICR a new knowledge management system will be used to manage the post-award reporting, including data collection, organizing quarterly reports, and compiling data to create reports to Congress. This post-award management will be fully developed in early 2025, but will not be utilized until this ICR is approved. Post-award management is currently being conducted by individual emails, shared file systems and voluntary direction for report format. This has been done with the approval of EPA’s General Administrative Requirements for Assistance Programs (OMB Control #: 2030-002013) The grant progress and final reporting will be conducted via an online tool accessible to all state and territory grant recipients via a website portal. Grant recipients are already using email to send reports and no software will have to be purchased by the recipients, so there is no barrier to accessibility using this online system. Progress reports and final reports are not shared with other federal agencies or Congress. Data from the reports will be rolled up and specific success stories will be pulled out for the public.
This ICR submission is necessary because it authorizes a broader range of information collection instruments and methods than are covered by existing general and generic ICRs at EPA, including the General Administrative Requirements for Assistance Programs ICR (OMB Control Number 2030-0020). See Section 4 (Efforts to Identify Duplication) for further information.
Progress Reports
2 CFR Sections 200.301, 200.302, 200.328, and 200.329 require recipients to submit interim progress reports. Interim reports are collected quarterly or semi-annually, based on the schedule associated with the grant program. When a single SWIFR or REO grant is awarded, the grant requirements would supersede the administrative requirements for stand-alone grants.
Respondents will report information in line with program objectives, Agency strategic goals, and their work plans. Categories of information that may be collected (as relevant and feasible) include: activities, timelines/dates, locations, partners, outputs, audiences, outcomes, and resources. EPA uses progress reports to determine progress in relation to the approved schedule and milestones during the project and for other management purposes. Tracking progress at regular intervals during a project enables EPA to identify and address issues in a timely manner, thus ensuring responsible stewardship of public funds and transparent accountability to the American public. Collection of this information also facilitates the review and dissemination of success stories, lessons learned, and best practices in real time, thus contributing to learning and improvement across projects within an assistance program.
Final Reports
2 CFR Sections 200.301, 200.302, 200.328, and 200.329 require recipients to submit final reports. Final reports will be collected at the conclusion of the project.
The final report summarizes the work on the project and the extent to which the recipient has met the project’s objectives. Respondents may also be asked to report on any relevant intermediate and long-term outcomes that they have measured or calculated; such outcomes typically take some time to develop and thus are reported at the end of a project. Lastly, the final report provides an opportunity for respondents to describe any successes and challenges they experienced across the project period; results from any program evaluations or other evidence-building activities that they may have conducted; provide a final report of budget utilization; and offer any other reflections they may have.
EPA uses final reports to assess and report a project’s performance relative to program objectives and for other management purposes. Collection of the information also facilitates the reporting of performance metrics (e.g., on EPA’s public websites or in reports to Congress), thus ensuring responsible stewardship of public funds and transparent accountability to the American public. EPA may also share success stories and lessons learned with other project teams, thus contributing to learning and improvement across projects within an assistance program.
Materials Management Survey
In addition to the quarterly and final grantee performance reports, this ICR will allow EPA to voluntarily collect information on methods, amounts, and economics of solid waste collection, management, recovery, reduction, and reuse. The Materials Management Survey will be an online survey. Since the state and territory contacts for this survey are the same as those responsive to the SWIFR grant program, there is no barrier to accessibility using an electronic survey. The survey will include questions on amounts of different materials sent to different end-of-life pathways, jurisdiction provided budget and personnel to support sustainable materials management activities, population access to collection and drop-off programs, and the capacity of end-of-life facilities. The full survey is attached to view the full scope and detail of the information to be collected.
The information from the survey will be used to support EPA’s actions under the National Recycling Strategy to characterize materials management infrastructure, standardize measurement and increase data collection, and update the Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes and Recycling Report describing the generation and end-of-life management for materials and products including food. Information collected through this survey will help improve the accuracy of the modeling outputs for Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes and Recycling Report, e.g., how materials move through end-of-life management and re-enter the economy and in what quantities. These modeling outputs will offer insight on whether the U.S. is extracting all the valuable materials in wastes rather than sending to another country where the economic value is realized.
The information collected in this survey will support work with EPA’s Office of Research and Development, and potentially the National Center for Environmental Economics (NCEE), to integrate Waste Input-Output (WIO) modeling and the U.S. Environmentally-Extended Input-Output (USEEIO) model as the basis for future Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes and Recycling Report data estimates. The USEEIO model combines input-output tables of economic data prepared by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) with environmental data from EPA and other sources. Examples of types of entities that use the USEEIO include the federal government (e.g., EPA, DOE, DOD), state governments (e.g., California, Georgia), and the private sector (e.g., Amazon, GM, Merck, consultancies such as Climate Earth). All data and methodologies used within the USEEIO are publicly available and openly shared domestically and internationally through the Federal LCA Commons14. EPA’s Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes and Recycling Report is popular across the U.S. It is cited by journalists, academia, students, businesses, NGOs, and residents interested in understanding how much waste the U.S. generates, how waste is managed, and how much is recycled. Publication of collected data through public-facing EPA databases also will support evidence-based decision-making, resource management, and policy decisions.
Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses, and the basis for the decision for adopting this means of collection. Also describe any consideration of using information technology to reduce burden.
RCSD will endeavor to minimize burden associated with collections by relying exclusively on online, user-friendly surveys and reporting system that utilizes prepopulated information when available. No licenses or software will be needed to complete the information collections. For the grant programs, RCSD will establish a new online knowledge management system for grantees to submit progress reports and final reports. Similar online forms have been used successfully by other EPA program (e.g., ACRES system for Brownfields). The post-award management will be fully developed in early 2025 but will not be utilized until this ICR is approved.
Describe efforts to identify duplication. Show specifically why any similar information already available cannot be used or modified for use for the purposes described in Item 2 above.
This ICR will gather information that is not currently collected by EPA as there is no consistent national tracking of waste management and recycling data. Previously, in 2022, EPA conducted a state residential recycling survey under a congressionally mandated emergency ICR titled Collection of Information in Response to Congressional Data Request on Residential Recycling (OMB Control No. 2050-0225). The primary purpose of this information collection effort was to determine the degree to which U.S. states and territories collect and maintain data on recycling program coverage, volumes and materials collected, and recycling rates. The initial results indicated that while at least half of the states and territories collect data on some of these fundamental recycling measures, the consistency and completeness of data is variable. Overall, the results highlighted the need for enhancement of recycling data collection infrastructure nationally. Encouraging standardization of metrics to the extent feasible, as well as a regular data collection and reporting schedule, is needed to facilitate tracking of progress with respect to access and recovery rates. However, this one snapshot in time survey has concluded leaving the Agency with no OMB-approved means to assemble current, consistent, and timely data in this subject area.
This collection will have no significant overlap with the information gathered through EPA’s General Administrative Requirements for Assistance Programs (OMB Control #: 2030-0020) which covers the use of narrative reports for post-award progress and final reports but does not provide approval for the use of specific forms or online systems for such information collections.
If the collection of information impacts small businesses or other small entities, describe any methods used to minimize burden.
Recipients to the survey and grant reporting are not considered small businesses or small entities. The survey will be conducted by state and territory governments which are not small entities. The grant recipients are also state, territory, Tribal and local governments mostly. Private businesses are not eligible for either of the grant programs; therefore, small businesses are not impacted.
Describe the consequence to Federal program or policy activities if the collection is not conducted or is conducted less frequently, as well as any technical or legal obstacles to reducing burden.
Grant Progress and Final Reporting
Without the consistent and timely collection of these data, ORCR would be unable to fulfill reporting requirements and responsibilities under SOS 2.0, IIJA, and RCRA. Furthermore, burden will be greater for both the grantees and EPA staff as information would have to be submitted and processed without the efficiencies that will be created through the use of the progress and final reports in the knowledge management system.
Materials Management Survey
Without the annual Materials Management survey to states and territories, RCSD would continue to be forced to rely on waste generation and recycling data sets that are outdated, not comprehensive, and incomplete. EPA anticipates requesting the states and territories to conduct the survey annually in order to establish trends.
Explain any special circumstances that require the collection to be conducted in a manner inconsistent with OMB guidelines.
The information collection is consistent with the guidelines set forth in 5 CFR 1320(d)(2) of the Paperwork Reduction Act.
If applicable, provide a copy and identify the date and page number of publication in the Federal Register of the Agency's notice, required by 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on the information collection prior to submission to OMB. Summarize public comments received in response to that notice and describe actions taken by the Agency in response to these comments. Specifically address comments received on cost and hour burden.
An initial public notice was published in the Federal Register (88 FR 67277) on September 29, 2023, announcing that EPA was taking comments on this collection for 60 days. No comments were received in response to the notice.
A second public comment period was published in the Federal Register (89 FR 46393) on May 29, 2024 announcing that EPA was taking comments on this collection for 30 days. No comments were received in response to the notice.
8b. Consultations
Describe efforts to consult with persons outside the Agency to obtain their views on the availability of data, frequency of collection, the clarity of instructions and recordkeeping, disclosure, or reporting format (if any), and on the data elements to be recorded, disclosed, or reported. Consultation with representatives of those from whom information is to be obtained or those who must compile records should occur at least once every 3 years - even if the collection of information activity is the same as in prior periods. There may be circumstances that may preclude consultation in a specific situation. These circumstances should be explained.
Grant Progress and Final Reporting
Administering assistance agreements involves continual communication (in such forms as written correspondence, telephone calls, and in-person meetings) between representatives of the Agency and grant recipients. These interactions have already been a significant and valuable pathway for IIJA-funded grant recipients to make EPA aware of their needs and concerns with respect to this proposed information collection. Since the current post-award reports have been collected with direction and discussion with the grant recipients, those clarifying questions from grant recipients on what and how they should report sufficiently covers a consultation activity. They have also been particularly useful in helping EPA develop its burden estimates.
Materials Management Survey
In 2022, EPA was directed by Congress (H.R. 116-448) to submit an Emergency Information Collection Request to OMB (OMB Control No. 2050-0225) in order to allow the Agency to collect data on curbside recycling. Specifically, the Agency was directed to “begin a comprehensive data collection effort to strengthen residential recycling and accelerate the move towards a circular economy.” This collection proved to be a good source of both lessons learned and connections with organizations such as the Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials (ASTSWMO), the Northeast Waste Management Officials Association (NEWMOA), the Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF), and The Recycling Partnership (TRP) who were consulted to inform the current request.
The survey questions included with this ICR package are subject to minor refinements based on feedback received during upcoming state consultations. The survey attached will be shared with no more than 9 states or state representing bodies to receive feedback on the suitability, clarity, and burden load of the collection materials. Upon completion of these consultations, EPA will submit the final survey, complete with screenshots (including all data fields and demonstrating required PRA markings and notices), to OMB as a non-substantive revision to this ICR.
Explain any decisions to provide payments or gifts to respondents, other than remuneration of contractors or grantees.
There will be no payments or gifts to the respondents for the grant progress and final reports or to the materials management survey.
ASSURANCE OF CONFIDENTIALITY
Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for the assurance in statute, regulation, or Agency policy. If the collection requires a systems of records notice (SORN) or privacy impact assessment (PIA), those should be cited and described here.
All information submitted to the agency in response to this ICR will be managed in accordance with applicable laws and EPA’s regulations governing treatment of confidential business information at 40 CFR Part 2, Subpart B. Any information determined to constitute a trade secret will be protected under 18 U.S.C. § 1905. This ICR’s progress and final reports knowledge management system is covered by a notice of a new system of records titled Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records described in FRL–9887–01–OMS15. The Office of Land and Emergency Management, Customer Relationship Management System (OLEM CRM) was created to support work under the IIJA, SOS 2.0, and RCRA. The OLEM CRM tracks and manages stakeholder engagement, stakeholder commitments, EPA commitments, and external communications with stakeholders related to the implementation of OLEM’s initiatives.
Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered private. This justification should include the reasons why the Agency considers the questions necessary, the specific uses to be made of the information, the explanation to be given to persons from whom the information is requested, and any steps to be taken to obtain their consent.
Questions about sensitive issues that are normally considered private (e.g., religious beliefs, sexual attitudes, and behavior) will not be included in the information collections covered by this ICR.
Provide estimates of the hour burden of the collection of information. The statement should:
Indicate the number of respondents, frequency of response, annual hour burden, and an explanation of how the burden was estimated. Generally, estimates should not include burden hours for customary and usual business practices.
If this request for approval covers more than one form, provide separate hour burden estimates for each form and the aggregate the hour burdens.
Provide estimates of annualized cost to respondents for the hour burdens for collections of information, identifying and using appropriate wage rate categories. The cost of contracting out or paying outside parties for information collection activities should not be included here. Instead, this cost should be included as O&M costs under non-labor costs covered under question 13.
Grant Progress and Final Reporting
Under this information collection, RCSD intends to establish a quarterly reporting program for grantees over the three years of the grant. The estimated burden for these reports is described in the table below. This calculation assumes that these grant reports would be administered to grantees which include U.S. States and Territories, communities of U.S. states, Tribes and intertribal consortia and additional responders from non-profit organizations and public-private partnerships. EPA anticipates designing reports that will take no more than an hour for respondents to complete.
Materials Management Survey
This annual information collection is designed to collect information the state already collects and to skip questions that they do not have data for. EPA will provide guidance on the survey ahead of time and an Excel sheet to either input in a system or upload. We anticipate that this survey will take about 1.5 hours on average and will be the same staff working on the SWIFR state and territory grant.
Respondent Burden & Labor Costs |
||||||
|
Number of Respondents |
Annual Number of Responses per Respondent |
Estimated Completion Time per Response (hour) |
Total Annual Burden Hours for all Respondents |
Dollar Value of Burden Hour Including Benefits |
Total Dollar Value of Annual Burden Hours for all Respondents |
Quarterly Grant Reports |
||||||
SWIFR Community Grants Counties, Cities, Towns, Parishes, and similar units of governments |
55 |
4 |
1 |
220 |
$65.29 |
$14,364 |
SWIFR Tribe and Intertribal Consortia Grants Tribes and Intertribal Consortia |
88 |
4 |
1 |
352 |
$65.29 |
$22,982 |
REO Grants States, units of local government, and Tribes |
11 |
4 |
1 |
44 |
$65.29 |
$2,873 |
REO Grants nonprofit organizations |
15 |
4 |
1 |
60 |
$65.29 |
|
Semi-Annual Grant Reports |
||||||
SWIFR State and Territory Grants States (plus DC) Territories |
51 5 |
2 2 |
1 1 |
102 10 |
$65.29 $65.29 |
$6,660 $653 |
Final Grant Reports |
||||||
SWIFR Community Grants Counties, Cities, Towns, Parishes, and similar units of governments |
55 |
.333 |
1 |
18 |
$65.29 |
$1,175 |
SWIFR Tribe and Intertribal Consortia Grants Tribes and Intertribal Consortia |
88 |
.333 |
1 |
29 |
$65.29 |
$1,893 |
REO Grants States, units of local government, and Tribes |
11 |
.333 |
1 |
4 |
$65.29 |
$261 |
REO Grants nonprofit organizations |
15 |
.333 |
1 |
5 |
$65.29 |
$326 |
SWIFR State and Territory Grants States (plus DC) Territories |
51 5 |
.333 .333 |
1 1 |
17 2 |
$65.29 $65.29 |
$1,110 $131 |
Materials Management Survey |
||||||
State (plus DC) Territory |
51 5 |
1 1 |
1.5 1.5 |
76.5 7.5 |
$65.29 $65.29 |
$4,995 $490 |
Annual Total |
- |
- |
- |
947 |
- |
$61,830 |
3-YEAR Total |
- |
- |
- |
2,841 |
- |
$185,490 |
EPA estimates that each respondent's burden will consist of approximately 80% managerial labor and 20% clerical labor. The respondents to the state and territory grants are the same staff that would respond to the state and territory materials management survey; therefore, the loaded labor rates are the same across all the information collections.
Estimated loaded labor rates for these labor categories are calculated as follows.
• Managerial Wage Rate16 $51.62 x 1.43 = $73.82.
• Clerical Wage Rate17 $21.78 x 1.43 = $31.15.
Provide an estimate for the total annual cost burden to respondents or record keepers resulting from the collection of information. (Do not include the cost of any hour burden already reflected on the burden worksheet).
The cost estimate should be split into two components: (a) a total capital and start-up cost
component (annualized over its expected useful life) and (b) a total operation and maintenance and purchase of services component. The estimates should consider costs associated with generating, maintaining, and disclosing or providing the information. Include descriptions of methods used to estimate major cost factors including system and technology acquisition, expected useful life of capital equipment, the discount rate(s), and the period over which costs will be incurred. Capital and start-up costs include, among other items, preparations for collecting information such as purchasing computers and software; monitoring, sampling, drilling, and testing equipment; and record storage facilities.
If cost estimates are expected to vary widely, agencies should present ranges of cost burdens and explain the reasons for the variance. The cost of purchasing or contracting out information collections services should be a part of this cost burden estimate.
Generally, estimates should not include purchases of equipment or services, or portions thereof, made: (1) prior to October 1, 1995, (2) to achieve regulatory compliance with requirements not associated with the information collection, (3) for reasons other than to provide information or keep records for the government, or (4) as part of customary and usual business or private practices.
There are no anticipated capital or O&M costs for respondents to these collections. The equipment and non-labor services required to respond to EPA requests will already be in place as part of usual and customary business practices. No additional equipment or software licenses are required to provide the requested information since the information will be submitted through a standard login webpage.
Provide estimates of annualized costs to the Federal government. Also, provide a description of the method used to estimate cost, which should include quantification of hours, operational expenses (such as equipment, overhead, printing, and support staff), and any other expense that would not have been incurred without this collection of information.
Agency Burden & Labor Costs |
||||
Labor Category18 |
Percent of FTE Applied to ICR Activities19 |
Burden Applied to ICR Activities (hour) |
Dollar Value of Burden Hour Including Benefits |
Total Dollar Value of Annual Burden Hours |
Managerial (GS-15, step 1) |
20% |
416 |
$128.50 |
$53,456 |
Managerial (GS-14, step 1) |
30% |
624 |
$109.23 |
$68,160 |
Technical/Programatic (GS-13, step 1) |
233% |
4,840 |
$92.45 |
$477,458 |
Annual Total EPA Labor |
- |
5,880 |
- |
$569,074 |
Annual Contractor Costs |
|
|
|
$37,000 |
Total Annual EPA Costs |
|
|
|
$606,074 |
Grant Progress and Final Reporting
For each progress and final report, an EPA project officer will incur a burden in the process of reviewing and processing the information collected from grant recipients and answering respondent questions. It is estimated that each project officer using the online reporting system integrated with our internal data management system will spend, on average, up to 3 hours working with each report. Assuming respondents will submit an average total of 920 reports per year, that equates to 2,760 hours of EPA project officer labor hours. Managers and a designated BIL grant staff will consolidate reports to determine impact and progress of both grant programs (total of 30% of 1 GS13, and 20% of one GS15 FTE). There will also be one staff person (GS-13) designated to maintain the system.
Materials Management Survey
EPA, with support of expert contractors will design the materials management survey using an existing online platform. The contractors will consolidate all data to create an internal EPA report. Finally, the contractor will upload these data into EPA’s public-facing Environmental Dataset Gateway to ensure public availability. The estimated cost for the contractors to complete the work is about $37,000 annually. EPA staff will use 5% FTE to provide direction and review work of the contractors.
Burden and Cost to Federal Agency
The total estimated annual Agency burden for activities proposed for this information collection request is 5,880 hours (equating to $569,074 in labor costs). With contractor assistance the total annual cost to EPA is $606,074.
REASONS FOR CHANGE IN BURDEN
Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments reported in the burden or capital/O&M cost estimates.
This is a request for a new information collection.
For collections of information whose results will be published, outline plans for tabulation and publication. Address any complex analytical techniques that will be used. Provide the time schedule for the entire project, including beginning and ending dates of the collection of information, completion of report, publication dates, and other actions.
Information collected under this ICR can support the production of requisite reports and plans listed below. These reflect the target entities and respondent populations, and general data/information elements described in other sections herein.
Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes and Recycling Report
Quarterly and final reporting requirements for grant programs
Annual Reports to Congress on the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant Program under SOS 2.0
Annual Reports to Congress on the REO Grant Program under IIJA
Wasted Food Reports (National estimates of Food Waste Generation and Management in the U.S.)
National Recycling Strategy Progress Reports
National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution Progress Reports
For the materials management survey, data will be made publicly available through EPA’s Environmental Dataset Gateway (EDG). The EDG provides a one-stop to discover and access EPA’s Open Data resources. The EDG contains metadata records contributed by EPA Regions, Program Offices, and Research Laboratories that links to geospatial and non-geospatial resources (e.g., data, Web services, or applications). For the grants, data will be shared directly with Congress in reports and success stories will be shared on EPA’s webpage for the public.
DISPLAY OF EXPIRATION DATE
If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection, explain the reasons that display would be inappropriate.
All RCSD collection instruments will display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection.
Explain each exception to the topics of the certification statement identified in “Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions.”
No exceptions to the certification statement are being sought.
1 https://www.congress.gov/116/plaws/publ224/PLAW-116publ224.pdf
2 https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure/solid-waste-infrastructure-recycling-grant-program
3 https://www.epa.gov/circulareconomy/national-recycling-strategy
4 https://www.congress.gov/117/plaws/publ58/PLAW-117publ58.pdf
5 https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure/consumer-recycling-education-and-outreach-grant-program
6 https://www.epa.gov/circulareconomy/national-strategy-reducing-food-loss-and-waste-and-recycling-organics
7 https://www.epa.gov/circulareconomy/national-strategy-prevent-plastic-pollution
8 https://www.congress.gov/94/statute/STATUTE-90/STATUTE-90-Pg2795.pdf
9 https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/national-overview-facts-and-figures-materials
10 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/CFR-2014-title2-vol1/CFR-2014-title2-vol1-part200
11 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/CFR-2015-title2-vol1/CFR-2015-title2-vol1-part1500
12 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-35?toc=1
13 https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202103-2030-001
14 https://www.lcacommons.gov/
15 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/09/06/2022-19183/privacy-act-of-1974-system-of-records
16 $51.62 was derived from the median hourly wage for Bureau of Labor Statistics “Occupational Employment and Wages: Management Occupations” available at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes110000.htm (accessed 3/11/2024). A multiplier (in this case,1.43) is used to “load” basic wages with the additional costs of benefits and overhead incurred by respondents as part of their overall labor costs.
17 $21.78 represents the average hourly wage rate of two administrative/clerical positions. This figure was derived from the median hourly wage for Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wages: Information and Record Clerks” available at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes434199.htm ($21.50) and “Occupational Employment and Wages: Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks” available at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes433031.htm ($22.05) (accessed 3/11/2024). A multiplier (in this case,1.43) is used to “load” basic wages with the additional costs of benefits and overhead incurred by respondents as part of their overall labor costs
18 All federal labor costs were based on OMP’s 2025 general scale with Washington D.C. locality adjustments available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/25Tables/html/DCB_h.aspx (accessed Jan. 2025). A multiplier (in this case, 1.6) is used to “load” basic wages with the additional costs of benefits incurred by the Agency as part of its overall labor costs.
19 Assumes 1 FTE = 2,080 hours per year.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2025-01-15 |