[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 172 (Friday, September 4, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47277-47278]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-23814]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6155-6]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; RCRA 
Expanded Public Participation

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 Request (ICR) to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB): RCRA Expanded Public Participation, EPA 
ICR Number 1688.03, OMB Control Number 2050-0149, current expiration 
date: 11/30/98. 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 November 3, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Commenters must send an original and two copies of their 
comments referencing docket number F-98-RPIP-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 listed below. Comments may also be submitted electronically 
by sending electronic mail through the Internet to: rcra-
[email protected]. Comments in electronic format should also be 
identified by the docket number F-98-RPIP-FFFFF. All electronic 
comments must be submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the use of special 
characters and any form of encryption.
    Public comments and supporting materials are available for viewing 
in the RCRA Information Center (RIC), located at Crystal Gateway 1, 
1235 Jefferson Davis Highway, first floor, Arlington, VA. The RIC is 
open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding federal 
holidays. To review docket materials, the public must 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 $.15/page.
    Copies of the original ICR may be requested from the docket address 
and phone number listed above or may be found on the Internet.

[[Page 47278]]

    Follow these instructions to access the information electronically.

WWW: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/permit/pubpart/index.htm
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. The official record 
is the paper record maintained in the RCRA Information Center (the RIC 
address is listed above in the section).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information, contact the 
RCRA Hotline at 1-800-424-9346 or TDD 1-800-553-7672 (hearing 
impaired). In the Washington metropolitan area, call 703/412-9610 or 
TDD 703-412-3323. For technical information, contact Toshia King at 
703-308-7033.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
owners and operators of facilities that treat, store, or dispose of 
hazardous waste to comply with standards, under Section 3004 of RCRA, 
that are necessary to protect human health and the environment.
    Title: RCRA Expanded Public Participation, EPA ICR Number 1688.03, 
OMB Control Number 2050-0149, expiration date: 11/30/98.
    Abstract: Congress gave EPA broad authority to provide for public 
participation in the RCRA permitting process. EPA promulgated 
requirements for providing additional opportunities for the public to 
be involved in the RCRA permitting process at 40 CFR Part 124 
Secs. 124.31 through 124.33 and in Part 270 Secs. 270.62 and 270.66. 
The Part 124 requirements apply to all types of hazardous waste 
treatment, storage, and disposal facilities, unless exempted under a 
specific section; the Part 270 requirements apply only to hazardous 
waste combustors planning trial burns.
    The public participation regulations at parts 124 and 270 were 
promulgated by EPA under the authority of Subtitle C in RCRA to provide 
earlier and better public participation in the hazardous waste facility 
permitting process. In summary the regulations require a permit 
applicant to provide notice of and hold an informal meeting with the 
public before submitting a Part B application, and to submit a summary 
of the meeting to the agency (Sec. 124.31). This meeting is the 
earliest formal step in the RCRA permitting process. The agency is 
required to issue a public notice when it receives an application 
(Sec. 124.32). The notice informs the recipient that the facility has 
submitted a permit application for agency review. Certain facilities 
(as decided by the agency director on a case-by-case basis) are 
required to set up and maintain an information repository(Sec. 124.33). 
Lastly, the agency is required to issue a public notice of an upcoming 
trial burn at a permitted hazardous waste combustion facility 
(Secs. 270.62(b)(6) and 270.66(d)(3)), or at a hazardous waste 
combustion facility operating under interim status (270.62(d) and 
270.66(g)).
    This information collection targets the reporting frequency and 
requirements of the permit and assures public involvement regulations 
are met by owners or operators. The reporting frequency is essential to 
assure that any changes in the trial burn plans or in the anticipated 
permit application contents are made known to EPA and to the public. In 
addition, in the RCRA Expanded Public Participation rule, EPA 
promulgated regulations to build upon the Part 124 requirements, in 
support of the Agency's goal to enhance public involvement in RCRA 
permit-ting procedures. These requirements are important components in 
: (1) meeting its statutory mandate to promote public participation in 
the development, revision, and implementation of any regulation under 
RCRA; and (2) achieving EPA's goal of enhancing public involvement.
    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 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
    (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.
    Burden Statement: EPA estimated repondent burden hours for the 
information collection requirements associated with the pre-application 
meeting and the information repository requirements. The estimated 
number of likely respondents subject to public participation activities 
required under this collection of information is 78. The Agency 
estimates that 76 facilities are expected to apply for permits or renew 
their permits each year, and an additional two facilities are included 
in this universe because they are the percent of the existing RCRA 
TSDFs expected to be required to initiate information repositories. The 
total annual burden to respondents, as estimated for all public 
participation reporting and recordkeeping activities under this 
collection of information is 7,253 hours. The total estimated average 
annual burden cost to respondents required to perform public 
participation activities under this information collection request is 
$320,590 ($311,384 in labor cost, $3,786 in total capital cost, and 
$5,420 in O&M cost). The estimates for O& M cost include preparation of 
multilingual notices and the purchase of a file cabinet to retain 
copies and other required documentation. 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.

    Dated: August 18, 1998.
Barnes Johnson,
Acting Director, Office of Solid Waste.
[FR Doc. 98-23814 Filed 9-3-98; 8:45 am]
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