[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 207 (Tuesday, October 27, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57294-57295]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-28725]


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 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6180-6]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Milestones Plan for the Bleached Papergrade 
Kraft and Soda Subcategory of the Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Point 
Source Category

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 document announces that the following Information 
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Information Collection 
Request for Milestones Plan, Effluent Limitations Guidelines and 
Standards, Bleached Papergrade Kraft and Soda Subcategory, Pulp, Paper, 
and Paperboard Manufacturing Category (40 CFR Part 430), EPA ICR No. 
1877.01.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before December 28, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Sandy Farmer at EPA by phone 
at (202) 260-2740, by e-mail at [email protected], or download the 
ICR off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA ICR No. 
1877.01.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Milestones Plan for the Bleached Papergrade Kraft and Soda 
Subcategory of the Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Point Source Category 
(EPA ICR No. 1877.01). This is a new collection.
    Abstract: On April 15, 1998, the Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA) promulgated the Final Cluster Rules for portions of the Pulp, 
Paper and Paperboard Point Source Category (40 CFR part 43). See 63 FR 
18504. The

[[Page 57295]]

rules included the Voluntary Advanced Technology Incentives Program 
(VATIP) for the bleached papergrade kraft and soda subcategory, 40 CFR 
430.24(b) and 430.25(c). On the same day, EPA proposed the Milestones 
Plan provisions as amendments to 40 CFR 430.24 requiring owners or 
operators of bleached papergrade kraft and soda mills enrolled in the 
VATIP to submit information to describe how they intend to achieve the 
VATIP Best Available Technology Economically Achievable (BAT) limits. 
See 63 FR 18796 (April 15, 1998).
    EPA has structured the Plan to provide maximum flexibility to the 
regulated community and to minimize administrative burdens on National 
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit authorities that 
regulate bleached papergrade kraft and soda mills. EPA does not expect 
that the majority of the information requested for the Milestones Plan 
to be confidential business information (CBI). However, EPA received 
comments on the proposed Milestones Plan regulation (63 FR 18796, April 
15, 1998) indicating that a mill may wish to claim some information as 
CBI. Such claims would then be handled pursuant to 40 CFR part 2 when 
EPA is the permitting authority and applicable state rules and 
regulations governing CBI when states are the permitting authorities 
(see section 3(f) of the Supporting Statement for more information).
    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.
    Burden Statement: The initial, one-time industry reporting and 
recordkeeping burden to prepare the Milestones Plan is estimated to 
average approximately 120 hours per respondent. This is a one-time 
burden. State NPDES permitting authorities burden to review the 
Milestones Plan is estimated at 16 hours per respondent as an initial 
burden with an average recurring incremental review burden of 6 hours 
per respondent. Agency burden to review the Milestones Plans is 
estimated at 20 hours per respondent as an initial burden with an 
average recurring incremental review burden of 4 hours per respondent.
    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 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 previously applicable instructions and requirements; train 
personnel to be able to respond to the collection of information; 
search data sources; complete and review the collection of information 
and transmit or otherwise disclose the information.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Entities potentially affected by 
this action are those operations that chemically pulp wood fiber using 
kraft or soda methods to produce bleached papergrade pulp, paperboard, 
coarse paper, tissue paper, fine paper, and/or paperboard, and State 
permitting authorities.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 29.
    Frequency of Response: One-time response for industry and State 
NPDES permitting authorities. Annual recurring burden for State 
permitting authorities.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 1,302 hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: $0.
    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. 1877.01 in any correspondence.

Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, OP 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: October 21, 1998.
Richard T. Westlund,
Acting Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 98-28725 Filed 10-26-98; 8:45 am]
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