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 program 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
compliance 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