Attachment C: Copy of Consultations Message Sent to Potential Respondents

January 10, 2010

Hello,

I’m writing from Abt Associates on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Design for the Environment (DfE) Program. We're currently supporting DfE in conducting research on the burden associated with its Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative (SDSI). The Paperwork Reduction Act requires that federal agencies re-evaluate every three years the recordkeeping and reporting burden associated with information collection requests of this nature.

As a potential respondent, we would value your feedback about the burden associated with SDSI to ensure that our estimates are reasonable.

Attached below is a copy of the Information Collection Request (ICR) for SDSI. For your reference, here is a link to the federal register notice: http://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2010/11/22/2010-29393/agency-information-collection-activities-proposed-collection-comment-request-safer-deterg

Please give particular attention to Section 6 of the ICR, which includes burden estimates associated with SDSI participation. When reviewing, please consider the following questions:

(i) is the proposed collection of information necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, including whether the information will have practical utility?;

(ii) are the Agency's estimates of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used, reasonable and accurate?;

(iii) could the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected be improved?

We would greatly appreciate your feedback on the above items and also value your suggestions for future improvements to SDSI. Please send me any comments or feedback by Friday, January 21.

Thanks in advance for your time and assistance!

Sincerely,

Emily Connor

Environment and Resources Division

Abt Associates, Inc.

4550 Montgomery Avenue, Suite 800 North

Bethesda, MD 20814

301.347.5197