[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 67 (Wednesday, April 8, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17170-17172]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-9243]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[SWH-FRL-5992-6]


Agency Information Collection Activities--Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Survey of the Inorganic Chemicals Industry

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to submit the 
following proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB): Survey of the Inorganic Chemicals 
Industry, ICR Number 1848.01. This ICR includes information about the 
RCRA section 3007 questionnaire, subsequent data update requests, site 
visits, and sampling anticipated for this information collection 
effort. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA 
is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed information 
collection as described below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before June 8, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comenters must send an original and two copies of their 
comments referencing docket number F-98-SICP-FFFFF to: RCRA Docket 
Information Center, Office of Solid Waste (5305G), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency Headquarters (EPA, HQ), 401 M Street, SW, Washington, 
DC 20460. Hand deliveries of comments should be made to the Arlington, 
VA, address below. Comments also may be submitted electronically 
through the Internet to: [email protected]. Comments in 
electronic format also should be identified by the docket number F-98-
SCIP-FFFF. All electronic comments must be submitted as an ASCII file 
avoiding the use of special characters and any form of encryption.

    Commenters should not submit electronically any confidential 
business information (CBI). An original and two copies of CBI must be 
submitted under separate cover to: RCRA CBI Document Control Officer, 
Office of Solid Waste (5305W), U.S. EPA, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, 
DC 20460.
    The ICR, including the Inorganic Chemicals Industry RCRA Section 
3007 questionnaire, and supporting materials are available for viewing 
in the RCRA Information Center (RIC), located at Crystal Gateway I, 
First Floor, 1235

[[Page 17171]]

Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA. The public comments, upon their 
receipt will be available at the aforementioned address. The RIC is 
open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding federal 
holidays. To review docket materials, it is recommended that the public 
make an appointment by calling (703) 603-9230. The public may copy a 
maximum of 100 pages from any regulatory docket at no charge. 
Additional copies cost $0.15/page. The index and some supporting 
materials are available electronically.
    The ICR is available on the Internet. Follow these instructions to 
access the information electronically:
    WWW: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/hazwaste.htm#id.
    FTP: ftp.epa.gov.
    Login: anonymous.
    Password: your Internet address.
    Files are located in /pub/epaoswer.
    The official record for this action will be kept in paper form. 
Accordingly, EPA will transfer all comments received electronically 
into paper form and place them in the official record, which will also 
include all comments submitted directly in writing.
    EPA responses to comments, whether the comments are written or 
electronic, will be in a notice in the Federal Register. EPA will not 
immediately reply to commenters electronically other than to seek 
clarification of electronic comments that may be garbled in 
transmission or during conversion to paper form, as discussed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information, contact the 
RCRA Hotline at (800) 424-9346 or TDD (800) 553-7672 (hearing 
impaired). In the Washington, DC metropolitan area, call (703) 412-9810 
or TDD (703) 412-3323.
    For more detailed information on specific aspects of this 
rulemaking, contact Anthony D. Carrell, Office of Solid Waste (5304W), 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 
20460, (703) 308-0458, or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
those generating, transporting, storing or disposing of the wastes of 
interest from the inorganic chemicals industries.
    Title: Survey of the Inorganic Chemicals Industry, ICR Number 
1848.01.
    Abstract: Under the Industry Studies Program, EPA's Office of Solid 
Waste is planning to conduct surveys of various industries during the 
rest of this fiscal year through FY 1999, primarily for the purpose of 
developing hazardous waste listing determinations as part of a 
rulemaking effort under sections 3001 and 3004 of the Resource 
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Information collected under 
authority of this ICR will be used to establish and expand an 
information data base with regard to hazardous waste generation and 
management by the inorganic chemicals industry to support a goal of 
more effective regulation under sections 3001 and 3004 of RCRA.
    This ICR, once approved, will allow continued and expanded data 
collection on the inorganic chemicals industry for the following 
program areas:
     Listing.
     Land Disposal Restrictions (LDR) and Capacity.
     Source Reduction and Recycling.
     Risk Assessment.
    EPA has been conducting surveys and site visits for various 
industries over the past 12 years under authority granted under RCRA 
section 3007 and OMB #2050-0042. Responses to these surveys are 
mandatory and required by EPA to collect data for development of 
hazardous waste rulemakings as required by a consent decree signed 
December 9, 1994, which resulted from the EDF v. Reilly case.
    For the inorganic chemicals industries that are the subject of this 
information collection, these surveys will collect the data listed 
below.
     Corporate/facility data--name, location, EPA hazardous 
waste identification number, and facility representative.
     Feedstock and product information--chemical and physical 
identification of feedstocks and raw materials.
     General process information--types of processes in place, 
and on-site wastewater treatment and disposition.
     Specific manufacturing processes, residuals--flow sheets, 
including types and points of introduction and generation of 
feedstocks, products, co-products, by-products, and residuals.
     General residuals management information--on-site and/or 
off-site management of residuals of concern.
     Residuals characterization--chemical/physical properties 
of the residuals, regulatory status (i.e., whether the waste already is 
a hazardous waste).
     Residuals management units/facility-wide exposure pathway 
risk assessment of information--management units that manage residuals 
of concern, operating and design information on units, potential 
releases from units, environmental descriptors surrounding management 
units.
    In addition to the RCRA section 3007 questionnaire, other 
information collection efforts under this ICR include clarifications 
and updates to the questionnaire, site visits, and sampling. The 
information collected will be used primarily to determine if wastes 
from the inorganic chemicals industries should be listed as hazardous. 
In addition, this information also will be used to support other RCRA 
activities including developing engineering analyses; conducting 
regulatory impact analyses, economic analyses, and risk assessments; 
and developing land disposal restrictions treatment standards and waste 
minimization programs.
    The information collection will consist of a census of all the 
facilities that are included in the inorganic chemicals industries.
    EPA anticipates that some data provided by respondents will be 
claimed as confidential business information (CBI). Respondents may 
make a business confidentiality claim by marking the appropriate data 
as CBI. Respondents may not withhold information from the Agency 
because they believe it is confidential. EPA now is requiring that 
claims of confidentiality be substantiated at the time the claim is 
made. Information so designated will be disclosed by EPA only to the 
extent set forth in 40 CFR part 2.
    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 Ch. 15.
    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; and
    (ii) 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.
    In addition, EPA would like to solicit comments on the RCRA section 
3007

[[Page 17172]]

questionnaire for the inorganic chemicals industry. Burden Statement: 
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.
    The average annual burden imposed by the survey and other 
information collection efforts is approximately 44.0 hours per 
respondent. The average number of responses for each respondent is 1.2. 
The estimated number of likely respondents is 119. The information on 
the burden estimates is clarified in the ICR part A.

    Dated: March 25, 1998.
Elizabeth A. Cotsworth,
Acting Director, Office of Solid Waste.
[FR Doc. 98-9243 Filed 4-7-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-M