[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 63 (Friday, April 1, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-7853]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: April 1, 1994]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRC-4856-7]

 

Agency Information Collection Activities Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request 
(ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the nature 
of the information collection and its expected cost and burden; where 
appropriate, it includes the actual data collection instrument.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before May 2, 1994.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sandy Farmer at ETA, (202) 260-2740

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response

    Title: Notification of Episodic Releases of Oil and Hazardous 
Substances, EPA ICR  # 1049.07. This ICR requests renewal of a 
currently approved collection (OMB #2050-0046).
    Abstract: The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, 
and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) establishes broad Federal authority 
to respond to releases of hazardous substances from vessels and 
facilities. A ``hazardous substance'' is defined in section 101(14) of 
CERCLA by reference to other environmental statutes, including Clean 
Water Act (CWA) section 311 and 307; Clean Air Act (CAA) section 112; 
the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) section 3001; the 
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) section 7; and CERCLA section 
102(a). There are currently about 793 CERCLA hazardous substances, 
another 1,500 radionuclides, and an unspecified number of unlisted RCRA 
hazardous wastes that are also considered CERCLA hazardous substances. 
When the CAA Amendments were enacted on November 15, 1990, 190 air 
pollutants were listed as hazardous under section 112(b) of the CAA. 
While the majority of those pollutants were already CERCLA hazardous 
substances with established Reportable Quantities (RQs), those not 
previously listed were assigned the statutory RQ of one pound. The 
Agency has proposed RQ adjustments for 47 of the individual substances 
in an October 22, 1993, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM 58 FR 
54836).
    CERCLA section 103 reporting requirements are triggered following 
the release of a hazardous substance to the environment that is above 
its assigned RQ. The person in charge of a facility must immediately 
notify the National Response Center (NRC) about the release and provide 
general background information, such as the location of the incident 
and the name and address of the discharger, as well as more detailed 
information about the circumstances surrounding the release, including 
the type of material(s) released, environmental medium(a) affected, and 
cause(s) and source(s) of the release. Notification under CERCLA 
section 103(a) is intended to ensure that Federal authorities receive 
prompt notification of hazardous substance releases for which a timely 
response may be necessary to protect public health, welfare or the 
environment.
    Burden Statement: The estimated annual public reporting burden for 
this collection of information is estimated to average 4.1 hours per 
release, including time for reviewing regulatory requirements, 
gathering the required release information, contacting the NRC about 
the release, and keeping a log.
    Respondents: Anyone in charge of a facility or vessel from which a 
hazardous substance was spilled or released into the environment in 
quantities greater than its RQ.
    Estimated No. of Respondents: 29,844 release reports.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 122,360 hours.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion--as a release occurs.
    Send comments regarding the burden estimate, or any other aspect of 
this information collection, including suggestions for reducing the 
burden, to:

Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Information 
Policy Branch (Mail Code: 2136), 401 M Street SW., Washington, DC 
20460;

      and

Tim Hunt, Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20530.

    Dated: March 24, 1994.
Paul Lapsley,
Director, Regulatory Management Division.
[FR Doc. 94-7853 Filed 3-31-94; 8:45 am]
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