[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 126 (Friday, June 28, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33732-33734]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-16589]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPPTS-00185; FRL-5370-9]


Agency Information Collection Activities

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 EPA is planning to submit the 
following continuing Information Collection Requests (ICRs) to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Before submitting the ICRs to 
OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific 
aspects of the information collections described below. The ICRs are: 
(1) A continuing ICR entitled ``Pre-Manufacture Review Reporting and 
Exemption Requirements for New Chemical Substances and Significant New 
Use Reporting Requirements for Chemical Substances,'' EPA ICR No. 0574, 
OMB No. 2070-0012, and (2) a continuing ICR entitled ``Polychlorinated 
Biphenyls (PCBs): Exclusions, Exemptions and Use Authorizations,'' EPA 
ICR No. 1001, OMB No. 2070-0008. 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.

Dates: Written comments must be submitted on or before August 27, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Submit three copies of all written comments to: TSCA 
Document Receipts (7407), Room NE-G99, Office of Pollution Prevention 
and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., 
Washington, DC 20460,

[[Page 33733]]

Telephone: 202-260-7099. All comments should be identified by the 
respective administrative record numbers: comments on ICR No. 0574 
should reference administrative record number 158, and comments on ICR 
No. 1001 should reference administrative record number 157. These ICRs 
are available for public review at, and copies may be requested from, 
the docket address and phone number listed above.
    Comments and data may also be submitted electronically by sending 
electronic mail (e-mail) to: [email protected]. Electronic 
comments must be submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the use of special 
characters and any form of encryption. Comments and data will also be 
accepted on disks in WordPerfect in 5.1 file format or ASCII file 
format. All comments and data in electronic form with respect to ICR 
No. 0574 must be identified by the administrative record number AR-158 
and ICR number 0574. All comments and data in electronic form with 
respect to ICR No. 1001 must be identified by the administrative record 
number AR-157 and ICR number 1001. No CBI should be submitted through 
e-mail. Electronic comments on this document may be filed online at 
many Federal Depository Libraries. Additional information on electronic 
submissions can be found in Unit III. of this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information contact: Susan 
B. Hazen, Director, Environmental Assistance Division (7408), Office of 
Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M 
St., SW., Washington, DC 20460, Telephone: 202-554-1404, TDD: 202-554-
0551, e-mail: TSCA-H[email protected]. For technical information 
contact the following individuals:
    For ICR No. 0574, contact Miriam Wiggins-Lewis, Chemical Control 
Division (7405), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460, 
Telephone 202-260-3937; Fax: 202-260-0118; e-mail: wiggins-
[email protected].
    For ICR No. 1001, contact Margaret Reynolds, Chemical Management 
Division (7404), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460, 
Telephone 202-260-3965; Fax: 202-260-1724; e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    Entities potentially affected by this action are: with respect to 
ICR No. 0574, manufacturers or importers of new chemical substances, as 
defined by the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), or manufacturers, 
processors, or importers of a chemical substance for a use that has 
been determined a significant new use, as defined by TSCA; and with 
respect to ICR No. 1001, chemical companies that manufacture chemical 
products, the manufacture of which is accompanied by the inadvertent 
generation of PCBs as trace byproducts or impurities, and companies 
that import chemical products that contain PCBs as trace byproducts or 
impurities. For the collection of information addressed in this notice, 
EPA would like to solicit comments to:
    (i) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility.
    (ii) Evaluate the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden 
of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of 
the methodology and assumptions used.
    (iii) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
to be collected.
    (iv) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses.

II. Information Collections

    EPA is seeking comments on two Information Collection Requests, 
which are identified and discussed separately below.
    Title: Pre-Manufacture Review Reporting and Exemption Requirements 
for New Chemical Substances and Significant New Use Reporting 
Requirements for Chemical Substances, EPA ICR No. 0574, OMB No. 2070-
0012, expires October 31, 1996.
    Abstract: TSCA section 5 requires manufacturers and importers of 
new chemical substances to submit to EPA notice of intent to 
manufacture or import a new chemical substance 90 days before 
manufacture or import begins. EPA reviews the information contained in 
the notice to evaluate the health and environmental effects of the new 
chemical substance. On the basis of the review, EPA may take further 
regulatory action under TSCA, if warranted. If EPA takes no action 
within 90 days, the submitter is free to manufacture or import the new 
chemical substance without restriction.
    TSCA section 5 also authorizes EPA to issue Significant New Use 
Rules (SNURs). EPA uses this authority to take follow-up action on new 
or existing chemicals that may present an unreasonable risk to human 
health or the environment if used in a manner that may result in 
different and/or higher exposures of a chemical to humans or the 
environment. Once a use is determined to be a significant new use, 
persons must submit a notice to EPA 90 days before beginning 
manufacture, processing or importation of a chemical substance for that 
use. Such a notice allows EPA to receive and review information on such 
a use and, if necessary, regulate the use before it occurs.
    Finally, TSCA section 5 also permits applications for exemption 
from section 5 review under certain circumstances. An applicant must 
provide information sufficient for EPA to make a determination that the 
circumstances in question qualify for an exemption. In granting an 
exemption, EPA may impose appropriate restrictions.
    Responses to the collection of information are mandatory (see 40 
CFR parts 720, 721, and 723). 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 burden to respondents for complying with this 
ICR is estimated to total 241,611 hours per year, based on an average 
burden of approximately 105 hours per response for an estimated 432 
respondents submitting one or more reports of information annually. 
These estimates include 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.
    Title: Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs): Exclusions, Exemptions and 
Use Authorizations, EPA ICR No. 1001, OMB No. 2070-0008, expires 
January 31, 1997.

[[Page 33734]]

    Abstract: TSCA section 6(e) generally prohibits the manufacture, 
processing, distribution in commerce, and use of polychlorinated 
biphenyls (PCBs). However, federal regulations exclude certain 
manufacturing processes from these prohibitions, enabling chemical 
manufacturers to continue to manufacture essential chemical products, 
the manufacture of which is accompanied by the inadvertent generation 
of PCBs as trace byproducts or impurities. To be eligible for such an 
exclusion, chemical manufacturers must comply with certain 
certification, reporting and recordkeeping requirements. These 
requirements provide the means for EPA to verify that companies indeed 
generate only trace quantities of PCBs in their products and thus do 
not present an unreasonable risk of injury to human health or the 
environment. EPA also uses the data to identify sites for compliance 
inspections.
    Responses to the collection of information are mandatory (see 40 
CFR part 761). 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 burden to respondents for complying with this 
ICR is estimated to total 1,030 hours per year, based on an average 
burden of approximately 25 hours per response for an estimated six 
respondents submitting a one-time report of information, and an average 
burden of approximately 5 hours for an estimated 176 respondents 
maintaining required records. These estimates include 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.

III. Public Record

    A record has been established for this action under docket number 
``OPPTS-00185'' (including comments and data submitted electronically 
as described below). A public version of this record, including 
printed, paper versions of electronic comments, which does not include 
any information claimed as CBI, is available for inspection from noon 
to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The public 
record is located in the TSCA Nonconfidential Information Center, Rm. 
NE-B607, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460.
    Electronic comments can be sent directly to EPA at:
    [email protected]
    Electronic comments must be submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the 
use of special characters and any form of encryption.
    The official record for this action, as well as the public version, 
as described above will be kept in paper form. Accordingly, EPA will 
transfer all comments received electronically into printed, paper form 
as they are received and will place the paper copies in the official 
record which will also include all comments submitted directly in 
writing. The official record is the paper record maintained at the 
address in ADDRESSES at the beginning of this document.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection and Information collection requests.

    Dated: June 18, 1996.
Lynn R. Goldman,
Assistant Administrator for Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic 
Substances.

[FR Doc. 96-16589 Filed 6-27-96; 8:45 am]
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