[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 48 (Friday, March 12, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12314-12316]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-6181]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPPTS-00262; FRL-6050-9]


Design for the Environment (DfE); Agency Information Collection 
Activities

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice and request for comment.

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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 Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Before submitting 
the ICR to OMB, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the 
information collection described in Unit I. and Unit II. of this 
document. The ICR is a continuing ICR entitled ``Collection of Impact 
Data on Technical Information: Request for Generic Clearance, Design 
for the Environment (DfE),'' EPA ICR No. 1768.02, OMB No. 2070-0152. 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.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before May 11, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Each comment must bear the docket control number ``OPPTS-
00262'' and administrative record number 206. All comments should be 
sent in triplicate to: OPPT Document Control Officer (7407), Office of 
Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M 
St., SW., Rm. G-099, East Tower, Washington, DC 20460.
    Comments and data may also be submitted electronically to: 
[email protected]. Follow the instructions under Unit III. of this 
document. No TSCA Confidential Business Information (CBI) should be 
submitted through e-mail.

[[Page 12315]]

    All comments that contain information claimed as CBI must be 
clearly marked as such. Three sanitized copies of any comments 
containing information claimed as CBI must also be submitted and will 
be placed in the public record for this document. Persons submitting 
information on any portion of which they believe is entitled to 
treatment as CBI by EPA must assert a business confidentiality claim in 
accordance with 40 CFR 2.203(b) for each such portion. This claim must 
be made at the time that the information is submitted to EPA. If a 
submitter does not assert a confidentiality claim at the time of 
submission, EPA will consider this as a waiver of any confidentiality 
claim and the information may be made available to the public by EPA 
without further notice to the submitter.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information contact: Susan 
B. Hazen, Director, Environmental Assistance Division (7408), Office of 
Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M 
St., SW., Washington, DC 20460, Telephone: 202-554-1404, TDD: 202-554-
0551, e-mail: TSCA-H[email protected]. For technical information contact: 
Bill Hanson, Economics, Exposure and Technology Division (7406), Office 
of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 
401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460, Telephone: 202-260-1678, Fax: 
202-260-0981, e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Availability:

Internet

    Electronic copies of the ICR are available from the EPA Home Page 
at the Federal Register - Environmental Documents entry for this 
document under ``Laws and Regulations'' (http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/).

Fax-on-Demand

    Using a faxphone call 202-401-0527 and select item 4066 for a copy 
of the ICR.

I. Background

    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
companies or industries that are part of industry sectors that may 
interact with EPA in the Agency's DfE program. For each collection of 
information addressed in this notice, EPA would like to solicit 
comments to:
    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected.
    4. 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.

II. Information Collection

    EPA is seeking comments on the following ICR as well as the 
Agency's intention to renew the corresponding OMB approvals.
    Title: Collection of Impact Data on Technical Information: Request 
for Generic Clearance, Design for the Environment (DfE)
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1768.02, OMB No. 2070-0152.
    Approval expiration date: July 31, 1999.
    Abstract: EPA's DfE program is a voluntary, non-regulatory approach 
to encourage industry to adopt technologies and use materials that 
result in lower levels of pollution, lessened reliance on toxic 
materials, higher energy efficiency and lower environmental health 
risks. Through DfE, EPA creates partnerships with industry, 
professional organizations, state, and local governments, other federal 
agencies and the public to develop and disseminate technical 
information.
    This is a generic ICR for a series of surveys, referred to as DfE 
Technical Information Impact Studies, to undertake data collection in 
support of EPA's DfE program. The studies will focus on various 
industrial sectors such as printing, printed wiring board circuitry and 
dry cleaning. The purpose of all DfE Technical Information Impact 
Studies is to evaluate the impact of DfE technical information on 
industry practices, use of materials, and waste generation. In each 
case, EPA, often in collaboration with industry associations and 
universities, will have developed technical information for industry on 
the use of product reclamation processes and other workplace practices 
that may lower health risks to workers and prevent pollution. The 
proposed studies will each involve two separate surveys of owners or 
operators of target industry establishments. The initial survey will 
establish a baseline representing pre-technical information receipt. A 
follow-up survey will be administered approximately 2 years later to 
establish longer-term impacts of the technical materials. The overall 
goal of this before-and-after design is to understand the impacts of 
DfE technical information on workplace practices and technologies that 
generate or prevent pollution. This generic ICR will allow EPA to 
conduct a series of small conceptually interrelated surveys. It will 
permit the DfE program the ability to collect information in a timely 
manner and to evaluate the effectiveness of the technical materials EPA 
provides to industry. EPA will be the principal user of information 
developed from the survey findings, but EPA expects that tens of 
thousands of small businesses in a variety of industry sectors will 
benefit from the results of the studies.
    Responses to the collection of information are voluntary. 
Respondents may claim all or part of a response confidential. EPA will 
disclose information that is covered by a claim of confidentiality only 
to the extent permitted by, and in accordance with, the procedures in 
TSCA section 14 and 40 CFR part 2.
    Burden statement: The burden to respondents for complying with this 
ICR is estimated to total 15,000 hours per year with an annual cost of 
$420,000. These totals are based on an average burden of approximately 
2.0 hours per response for an estimated 7,500 respondents making one or 
more responses annually. These estimates include 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.

III. Public Record and Electronic Submissions

    The official record for this document, as well as the public 
version, has been established for this document under docket control 
number ``OPPTS-00262'' (including comments and data submitted 
electronically as described below). A public version of this record, 
including printed, paper versions of electronic comments, which does 
not include any information claimed as CBI,

[[Page 12316]]

is available for inspection from 12 noon to 4 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The official rulemaking record is 
located in the TSCA Nonconfidential Information Center, Rm. NE-B607, 
401 M St., SW., Washington, DC.
    Electronic comments can be sent directly to EPA at:
    [email protected]


    Electronic comments must be submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the 
use of special characters and any form of encryption. Comments and data 
will also be accepted on disks in WordPerfect 5.1/6.1 or ASCII file 
format. All comments and data in electronic form addressing ICR No. 
0795.10 must be identified by docket control number ``OPPTS-00262'' and 
administrative record number 206. Electronic comments on this document 
may be filed online at many Federal Depository Libraries.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Information collection requests, 
Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Dated: February 1, 1999.

Stephen L. Johnson,

Acting Assistant Administrator for Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic 
Substances.

[FR Doc. 99-6181 Filed 3-1-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F