[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 238 (Tuesday, December 10, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65041-65042]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-31270]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5661-4]


Toxic Chemicals; PCBs; Submission to OMB; Agency Information 
Collection Activities; EPA ICR No 1001.06

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of submission to OMB.

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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) entitled: Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs): Exclusions, 
Exemptions and Use Authorizations [EPA ICR #1001.06; OMB Control #2070-
0008] has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
for review and

[[Page 65042]]

approval pursuant to the OMB procedures in 5 CFR 1320.12. The ICR, 
which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the information 
collection and its estimated cost and burden.
    The Agency is requesting that OMB renew for 3 more years the 
existing approval for this ICR, which is scheduled to expire on January 
31, 1997. A Federal Register notice announcing the Agency's intent to 
seek the renewal of this ICR and the 60 day public comment opportunity, 
requesting comments on the request and the contents of the ICR, was 
issued on June 28, 1996 (61 FR 33732). EPA received one comment on this 
ICR during the comment period, and has amended the ICR as appropriate 
and filed the comments as an attachment to the ICR submitted to OMB.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before January 9, 
1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY CONTACT: Sandy Farmer at EPA, (202) 
260-2740, and refer to EPA ICR No. 1001.06 and OMB Control No. 2070-
0008.

ADDRESSES: Send comments, referencing EPA ICR No. 1001.06 and OMB 
Control No. 2070-0008, to the following addresses:

Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, OPPE, 
Regulatory Information Division (2137), 401 M Street, S.W., Washington, 
DC 20460
    And to:
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, N.W., 
Washington, DC 20503

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Review Requested: This is a request to renew a currently approved 
information collection pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12.
    ICR Numbers: EPA ICR No. 1001.06; OMB Control No. 2070-0008.
    Current Expiration Date: Current OMB approval expires on January 
31, 1997.
    Title: Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs): Exclusions, Exemptions and 
Use Authorizations.
    Abstract: Section 6(e) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) 
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 parts 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 annual public reporting burden for this 
collection of information is estimated to average approximately 25 
hours per response. The annual recordkeeping burden is estimated to 
average approximately 5 hours per 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: Entities potentially affected by 
this action are 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.
    Estimated No. of Respondents: 176.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 1,030 hours.
    Frequency of Collection: One time.
    Changes in Burden Estimates: There is an increase of 105 hours in 
the total estimated respondent burden as compared with that identified 
in the information collection request most recently approved by OMB, 
from 925 hours currently to an estimated 1,030 hours. This reflects an 
analysis of the submissions in the past three years, showing that the 
total number of submissions has been higher than had been anticipated 
in the most recently approved ICR.
    According to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 1320.12, EPA has 
submitted this ICR to OMB for review and approval. Any additional 
comments related to the renewal of this ICR should be submitted within 
30 days, as described above.

    Dated: December 3, 1996.
Joseph Retzer,
Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 96-31270 Filed 12-9-96; 8:45 am]
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