[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 111 (Tuesday, June 10, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31596-31597]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-15098]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5838-2]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for 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 following Information 
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Oil Pollution Act Facility 
Response Plan,

[[Page 31597]]

OMB Control Number 2050-0135, EPA ICR Number 1630.03, expiring 7/31/97. 
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 July 10, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY CALL: Sandy Farmer at EPA, (202) 260-
2740, and refer to EPA ICR No. 1630.03.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Title: Oil Pollution Act Facility Response Plan, (OMB Control 
Number 2050-0135, EPA ICR Number 1630.03) expiring 7/31/97. This is a 
request for extension of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: The authority for EPA's response plan requirements is 
derived from Section 311 of the Clean Water Act as amended by the Oil 
Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA). EPA's regulation, which is codified at 40 
CFR 112.20 and 21, requires that owners and operators of facilities 
that could cause substantial harm to the environment by discharging oil 
into navigable water bodies or adjoining shorelines prepare plans for 
responding to the maximum extent practicable, to a worst case discharge 
of oil, to a substantial threat of such a discharge, and as 
appropriate, to discharges smaller than worst case discharges.
    All facility response plan (FRP) reporting and recordkeeping 
activities are mandatory. Each FRP is submitted to EPA. The Agency, in 
turn, reviews and approves plans from facilities identified as having 
the potential to cause ``significant and substantial harm'' to the 
environment from oil discharges. Other low risk, regulated facilities 
that are not required to prepare facility response plans are required 
to document their determination that they do not meet the ``substantial 
harm'' criteria.
    Facility response plans enhance EPA's ability to protect navigable 
waters and sensitive environments when oil discharges occur and reduce 
the cost of spills to the regulated community and society. Response 
plans reduce such costs by ensuring that discharges are controlled and 
cleaned up swiftly and efficiently. Facilities that are prepared to 
respond to incidents are more likely to contain the spread of a spill 
before it reaches navigable waters and to mitigate the effects of a 
spill on the environment. In an emergency, On-Scene Coordinators, local 
emergency response officials such as fire chiefs, and outside oil 
response contractors may consult the facility response plan.
    None of the information to be gathered for this collection is 
believed to be confidential. 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 2/20/97 (62 FR 7769). Three comments were received.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated as follows: An 
average of .1 hours of recordkeeping for newly regulated facilities not 
required to prepare FRPs (i.e., facilities that certify that they do 
not meet the ``substantial harm'' criteria); 8.3 hours for 
recordkeeping and 118.48 hours for reporting for the newly regulated 
facilities required to prepare FRPs (i.e., first year costs for plan 
development); 1.22 hours for recordkeeping and 65.7 hours for reporting 
for facilities maintaining FRPs (i.e., subsequent costs for annual plan 
maintenance). Burden means the total time, effort, or financial 
resources expended 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: 9886.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 9886.
    Frequency of Response: One time certification, one time plan 
development. Annual plan review and revision as needed.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 376,599 hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: $11.632 million.
    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. 1630.03 and OMB Control No. 2050-0135 in any 
correspondence.

Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, OPPE Regulatory 
Information Division (2137), 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: June 4, 1997.
Richard Westlund,
Action Division Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 97-15098 Filed 6-9-97; 8:45 am]
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