[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