[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 162 (Tuesday, August 21, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50461-50462]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-20444]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of 
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 
U.S.C. Chapter 35).
    Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
    Title: Environmental Compliance Questionnaire for National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration Federal Financial Assistance Applicants.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-0538.
    Form Number(s): NA.
    Type of Request: Regular submission (extension of a current 
information collection).
    Number of Respondents: 1,000.
    Average Hours per Response: 3.
    Burden Hours: 3,000.
    Needs and Uses: This request is for extension of a currently 
approved information collection. The National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 through 4327) and the Council on Environmental 
Quality (CEQ) implementing regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508) 
require that an environmental analysis be completed for all major 
Federal actions significantly affecting the environment. NEPA applies 
only to the actions of Federal agencies. While those Federal actions 
may include a Federal agency's decision to fund non-Federal projects 
under grants and cooperative agreements, NEPA requires agencies to 
assess the environmental impacts of actions proposed to be taken by 
these recipients only when the Federal agency has sufficient discretion 
or control over the recipient's activities to deem those actions as 
Federal actions. To determine whether the activities of the recipient 
of a Federal financial assistance award (i.e., grant or cooperative 
agreement) involve sufficient Federal discretion or control, and to 
undertake the appropriate environmental analysis when NEPA is required, 
NOAA must assess information which can only be provided by the Federal 
financial assistance applicant. Thus, NOAA has developed an 
environmental information questionnaire to provide grantees and Federal 
grant managers with a simple tool to ensure that project and 
environmental information is obtained. The questionnaire applies only 
to those programs where actions are considered major Federal actions or 
to those where NOAA must determine if the action is a major Federal 
action. The questionnaire includes a list of questions that encompasses 
a broad range of subject areas. The applicants are not required to 
answer every question in the questionnaire. Each program draws from the 
comprehensive list of questions to create a relevant subset of 
questions for applicants to answer. The information provided in answers 
to the questionnaire is used by NOAA staff to determine compliance 
requirements for NEPA and conduct subsequent NEPA analysis as needed. 
The information provided in the questionnaire may also be used for 
other regulatory review requirements associated with the proposed 
project, such as permitting.
    Affected Public: Not-for-profit institutions.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
    OMB Desk Officer: OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Jennifer Jessup, Departmental Paperwork Clearance 
Officer, (202) 482-0336, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and 
Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at 
JJessup@doc.gov).
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov.


[[Page 50462]]


    Dated: August 15, 2012.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-20444 Filed 8-20-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-NW-P