[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 36 (Thursday, February 22, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6830-6831]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-4009]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-5429-4]


Agency Information Collection Activities Under OMB Review; 
Standards of Performance for Iron and Steel Plants: Basic Oxygen 
Furnaces OMB Control No. 2060-0029 EPA ICR No. 1069.05

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 
3507(a)(1)(D)), this notice announces that the Information Collection 
Request (ICR) for New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for Basic 
Oxygen Process Furnaces (Subpart N and Na) described 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 burden and cost; where appropriate, it includes the actual 
data collection instrument.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 25, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY CALL: Sandy Farmer at EPA, (202) 260-
2740, and refer to EPA ICR No. 1069.05.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: .
    Title: New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for Basic Oxygen 
Process Furnaces (Subpart N and Na) (OMB Control No. 2060-0029; EPA ICR 
No. 1069.05). This is a request for extension of a currently approved 
collection.
    Abstract: The standards require initial notification reports with 
respect to construction, modification, reconstruction, startups, 
shutdowns, and malfunctions (specified in 40 CFR 60.7(a)). Notification 
of construction and startup indicated to enforcement personnel when a 
new affected facility has been constructed and, therefore, is subject 
to the standard.
    The Standards requires daily recordkeeping of process information 
(specified in 40 CFR 60.143a) which is generally readily available in 
plant records resulting in no increase burden to industry. It also 
requires continuous monitoring of pressure loss through the venturi 
constriction of the control equipment and water supply pressure to the 
control equipment (specified in 40 CFR 60.143b). This information 
collected will be used to compare results with those measured during 
the most recent performance test and, therefore, will ensure continuous 
compliance with the standard.
    The semiannual reporting requirement (specified in 40 CFR 

[[Page 6831]]
    60.143(c) and 60.143a (d) and (e)) for monitoring results (i.e., 
pressure loss through the venturi constriction of the scrubber and 
water supply pressure to the scrubber) which average more than ten 
percent below performance test results provides a good indication of a 
source's compliance status. Industry are required to maintain records 
at the facility for a minimum of two (2) years.
    An owner or operator could elect to reduce operating expenses by 
not installing, maintaining, or otherwise operating the control 
technology required by the standards. In the absence of the information 
collection requirements, compliance with the standards could be ensured 
only through continuous on-site inspections by regulatory agency 
personnel. Consequently, not collecting the information would result in 
either greatly increased expenditures of resources, or the inability to 
ensure compliance with the standards.
    The information collected from recordkeeping and reporting 
requirements is also used for targetting inspections, and is of 
sufficient quality to be used as evidence in court. The enforcement 
personnel may elect to conduct an inspection to ensure that the 
equipment is properly installed and operated, as was indicated in the 
performance test report. They may also conduct periodic inspections to 
obtain additional data, as a check for source operation and maintenance 
and for compliance determinations.
    All reports are sent to the delegated State or local level 
authority. In the event that there is no such delegated authority, the 
reports are sent directly to the EPA Regional Office.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA's 
regulations are listed in 40 CFR Part 9 and 48 CFR Chapter 15. The 
Federal Register Notice required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting 
comments on this collection of information was published on September 
29, 1995.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 95.35 
hours per response. Burden means the total time, effort, or financial 
resources expanded by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or 
disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency. This 
includes the time needed to review instructions; develop, acquire, 
install, and utilize technology and systems for the purposes of 
collecting, validating, and verifying information, processing and 
maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information; 
adjust the existing ways to comply with any previously applicable 
instructions and requirements; train personnel to be able to respond to 
a collection of information; search data sources; complete and review 
the collection of information; and transmit or otherwise disclose the 
information.

    Respondents/Affected Entities: 24.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 24.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 31.2.
    Frequency of Response: semiannual.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 2,974.8 hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: $90,582.66.

    Send comments on the Agency's need for this information, the 
accuracy of the provided burden estimates, and any suggested methods 
for minimizing respondent burden, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques to the following addresses. Please 
refer to EPA ICR No. 1069.05 and OMB Control No. 2060-0029 in any 
correspondence.

Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, OPPE Regulatory 
Information Division (2136), 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460.
      and
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and 
Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW, 
Washington, DC 20503.

    Dated: February 15, 1996.
Joseph Retzer,
Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 96-4009 Filed 2-21-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-M