An official website of the United States government.

This is not the current EPA website. To navigate to the current EPA website, please go to www.epa.gov. This website is historical material reflecting the EPA website as it existed on January 19, 2021. This website is no longer updated and links to external websites and some internal pages may not work. More information »

Privacy Act System of Records: EPA’s Light-Duty In-Use Vehicle Testing Program Information System, EPA-60

[excerpted from: Federal Register: May 24, 2011 (Volume76, Number 100)]

System Name:  EPA’s Light-Duty In-Use Vehicle Testing Program Information System.

System Location:  USEPA, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, Compliance and Innovative Strategies Division, National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory, 2000 Traverwood, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105.

Categories of Individuals Covered by the System:  Individuals who volunteer to loan  vehicles they own or lease for emissions standards testing at the National Vehicle and Emissions Laboratory.

Categories of Records in the System

  1. Car owner/lessee names, addresses, phone numbers, and vehicle identification
    numbers (VINs).
  2. Owners’ response cards.
  3. Owners’ description of vehicle via response cards and telephone questionnaires; notary statement for questionnaire; owner’s car maintenance records (optional); results of tests on participating vehicles.
  4. Vehicle release; vehicle test agreement; loaner car agreement, cash incentives agreement (includes social security number for mandatory tax reporting purposes if incentive is greater than $600), cash receipt.

Authority for Maintenance of the System (includes any revisions or amendments):  Under Title II of the Clean Air Act, (42 U.S.C. 7521 et seq.), manufacturers of motor vehicles and engines are required to design and build vehicles which will comply with emission standards throughout their useful lives.  Pursuant to Clean Air Act section 207(c) (42 U.S.C 7541), EPA is responsible for monitoring compliance and investigating possible noncompliance with emission standards. 

Purpose(s):  The primary purpose of the system is to collect and maintain the information necessary to recruit vehicles of a particular class for testing; to have information relevant to the testing regarding the vehicles that have been recruited, including maintenance records if volunteered by the participant; to have the results of tests conducted on the vehicles; and to include papers necessary to administer the program (vehicle release, loaner agreement, cash receipt, etc.)

Routine Uses of Records Maintained in the System, Including Categories of Users, and the Purposes of Such UsesGeneral routine uses A, F, G, H, K and L apply to this system.  In addition, if the owner consents, maintenance records, questionnaire answers, and test results are shared with the manufacturer of the owner’s vehicle.  This information may be used by the manufacturer and EPA to help clarify the test-related  issues.  Manufacturers may on occasion use this information to contact a vehicle owner to request voluntary participation in a manufacturer-conducted retest.

Policies and Practices for Storing, Retrieving, Accessing, Retaining, and Disposing of Records in the System:

  • Storage: Information from the Michigan Secretary of State is received on diskette  and stored on a computer. All subsequent data is received and stored as paper files.
  • Retrievability: All data are retrieved by a control number that is assigned to each participant at the initiation of the vehicle recruitment process.
  • Safeguards:
    • Computer-stored information is protected in accordance with the Agency’s    security requirements.
    • Access to the information in the system is limited to authorized Agency and contractor personnel who administer the program. No external access to the system is provided. A subset of the information may be shared with manufacturers in accordance with the vehicle owner’s prior consent.
    • The contractor is subject to Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Privacy
          Act clauses included in their contract.
    • All information in the system is subject to a Security, Privacy, and Personnel Policy Plan Governing Personal Information agreed to with the Michigan Department of State. The Plan includes methods to prohibit and detect any unauthorized access or use of  personal information; an annual review of data security policies and procedures; notification of any known or alleged breach of security of personal data; notification of individuals affected by any unauthorized release of personal information; maintenance of records identifying each third-party person or entity obtaining personal information and the uses thereof; notification of the supervisor if any employee is approached to    provide information improperly; and disciplinary action for violations of the Policy.
       
  • Retention and Disposal: Records stored in this system are subject to Schedule 483.

System Manager(s) and Address:  Lynn Sohacki, Compliance and Innovative Strategies Division, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2000 Traverwood, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105; telephone number: 734-214-4851; fax number: 734-214-4869; email address: Lynn Sohacki (sohacki.lynn@epa.gov).

Notification Procedure:  Requests to determine whether this system of records contains a record pertaining to you must be sent to the Agency’s Freedom of Information Office.  The address is:  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Room 6416 West; Washington, D.C. 20460; (202) 566-1667; E-mail: FOIA (hq.foia@epa.gov); Attn: Privacy Act Officer.

Record Access Procedures:   Persons seeking access to their own personal information in this system of records will be required to provide adequate identification (e.g., driver’s license, military identification card, employee badge or identification card) and, if necessary, proof of authority.  Additional identity verification procedures may be required as warranted.  Requests must meet the requirements of EPA regulations at 40 CFR Part 16.

Contesting Records Procedures:  Requests for correction or amendment must identify the record to be changed and the corrective action sought.  Complete EPA Privacy Act procedures are set out at 40 CFR Part 16.

Record Source Categories:  There are four sources of information for records stored in the system:
1) Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs), vehicle class descriptors, and owner name and address from the Michigan Department of State.
2)  Information on the vehicles provided by their owners from potential and actual participants in the program.
3)  Results of tests conducted on participating owners’ vehicles.
4)  Information generated by EPA and its contractor in administering the program.

System Exempted from Certain Provisions of the Privacy Act:  None.

Top of Page