[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 37 (Friday, February 23, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6995-6996]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-4145]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5429-5]


Agency Information Collection Activities Under OMB Review; 
Renewal of OMB No. 2070-0017

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 

[[Page 6996]]
the Information Collection Request (ICR) described below has been 
forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for an expedited 
review. As a result of the Government shutdown in December, the Office 
of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances (OPPTS) was unable to 
complete and forward a request to renew the approval of this 
Information Collection Request (ICR) in a timely manner. In order to 
minimize a lapse in OMB approval, and given the continuing nature of 
the ICR, as well as the absence of any issues, OPPTS is requesting an 
expedited review and approval for this ICR. The ICR describes the 
nature of the information collection and its expected cost and burden; 
where appropriate, it includes the actual data collection instrument. A 
Federal Register notice proposing this submission and seeking public 
comments on this ICR was published on September 29, 1995 (60 FR 50568). 
EPA did not receive any comments in response to that notice.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 24, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY CALL:
Sandy Farmer at EPA, 202-260-2740, and refer to EPA ICR No. 1031.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: TSCA Section 8(c) Health and Safety Data Reporting Rule (OMB 
Control No. 2070-0017, EPA ICR No. 1031). This is a request for 
extension of a currently approved information collection which expires 
on February 28, 1996.
    Abstract: Section 8(c) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) 
requires companies that manufacture, process, or distribute chemicals 
to maintain records of significant adverse reactions to health or the 
environment alleged to have been caused by such chemicals. Since 
section 8(c) includes no automatic reporting provision, EPA can obtain 
and use the information contained in company files only by inspecting 
those files or requiring reporting of records that relate to specific 
substances of concern. Therefore, under certain conditions, and using 
the provisions found in 40 CFR part 717, EPA may require companies to 
report such allegations to the Agency.
    EPA uses such information on a case-specific basis to corroborate 
suspected adverse health or environmental effects of chemicals already 
under review by EPA. The information is also useful to identify trends 
of adverse effects across the industry that may not be apparent to any 
one chemical company.
    Responses to the collection of information are mandatory (see 40 
CFR part 717). Respondents may claim all or part of a notice 
confidential. EPA will disclose information that is covered by a claim 
of confidentiality only to the extent permitted by, and in accordance 
with, the procedures in TSCA section 14 and 40 CFR part 2.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to range between 
0.25 hours and 8.0 hours per response, depending upon the requirements 
that the collection places on each respondent. This estimate 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. No 
person is 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 displayed in 40 CFR Part 9.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Those that manufacture, process, 
import or distribute in commerce chemical substances or mixtures.
    Estimated No. Of Respondents: 7,397.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 30,287 hours.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
    Send comments regarding the burden estimate, or any other aspect of 
the information collection, including suggestions for reducing the 
burden, to the following addresses. Please refer to EPA ICR No. 1031 
and OMB Control No. 2070-0017 in any correspondence.
Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Information 
Policy Branch (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. 96-4145 Filed 2-22-96; 8:45 am]
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