[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 215 (Monday, November 8, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60814-60815]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-29182]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6472-1]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Emergency Planning and Release Notification 
Requirements (EPCRA Sections 302, 303, and 304)

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: Emergency Planning and 
Release Notification Requirement (EPCRA sections 302, 303, and 304), 
OMB Control No. 2050-0092, expires January 31, 2000. The ICR describes 
the nature of the information collection and its expected burden and 
cost; where appropriate, it includes the actual data collection 
instrument.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before December 8, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sandy Farmer at EPA by phone at (202) 
260-2740, by email at [email protected], or download a copy 
of the ICR off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA 
ICR No. 1395.04.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Emergency Planning and Release Notification Requirements 
(EPCRA sections 302, 303, and 304), OMB Control No. 2050-0092, ICR No. 
1395.04, expiring January 31, 2000. This information collection is an 
extension of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: EPCRA established broad emergency planning and facility 
reporting requirements. Section 302 (40 CFR 355.30) requires any 
facility where an extremely hazardous substance (EHS) is present in an 
amount at or in excess of the threshold planning quantity (TPQ) to 
notify the state emergency response commission (SERC) by May 17, 1987. 
This activity has been completed; only new facilities are subject to 
this requirement. Section 303 (40 CFR 355.30) requires local emergency 
planning committees (LEPCs) to prepare emergency plans for facilities 
that have EHSs in excess of the TPQs in their local planning district. 
Facilities are required to provide local planners with information 
necessary for the preparation of emergency plans. Section 303 requires 
LEPCs to complete their emergency plans by October 17, 1988. This 
activity has been also completed; this ICR only covers any updates for 
these emergency response plans. Section 304 (40 CFR 355.40) requires 
facilities to report to SERCs and LEPCs releases in excess of 
quantities established by EPA. Facilities are required to report 
releases above the reportable quantity (RQ) of any EHS. This ICR covers 
the notification and the written follow-up required under this section.
    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 
Federal Register document required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting 
comments on this collection of information was published on August 5, 
1999 (64 FR 42687); one comment was received.
    Burden Statement: The average reporting burden for emergency 
planning under 40 CFR 355.30 is 17.65 hours for new and newly regulated 
facilities and 12.5 hours for existing facilities.
    For new and newly regulated facilities, this burden includes the 
time required to read and understand the regulations, to determine 
reporting status, notify the SERC that the facility is subject to 
emergency planning, designate a facility representative and otherwise 
participate in initial planning activities. For certain existing 
facilities, this burden includes the time required to inform the LEPC 
of any changes at a facility that may affect emergency planning, and 
provide information to the LEPC for planning purposes. The average 
reporting burden for facilities reporting releases under 40 CFR 355.40 
is estimated to average approximately 5 hours per release, including 
the time for determining if the release is a reportable quantity, 
notifying the LEPC and SERC, or the 911 operator, and developing and 
submitting a written follow-up notice. There are not recordkeeping 
requirements for facilities under EPCRA Sections 302-304.
    The average burden for emergency planning activities under 40 CFR 
300.215 is 21 hours per plan for LEPCs, 16 hours per plan for SERCs. 
Each SERC and LEPC is also estimated to incur an annual recordkeeping 
burden of 10 hours. The total burden to facilities over the three-year 
information collection period is estimated to be 269,200 hours, at a 
cost of $7.8 million. The total burden for SERCs and LEPCs over the 
three-year information collection period is estimated to be 486,000 
hours at a cost of $11.6 million.
    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.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Facilities where EHS's are present, 
LEPCs and SERCs.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 99,170.
    Frequency of Response: Section 302 respondents will comply with 
requirements once unless new information becomes available. Section 303 
respondents will comply with requirements as requested by LEPCs; LEPCs 
may have to update their local emergency response plans as new

[[Page 60815]]

facilities or other information such as new chemicals present at or 
above a TPQ. Section 304 respondents will comply when there is a 
release of an EHS above the RQ.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 251,700 hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Capital and Operating & Maintenance Cost 
Burden: $64,000.
    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. 1395.04 and OMB Control No. 2050-0092 in any 
correspondence.

Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of 
Policy, 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: November 3, 1999.
Richard T. Westlund,
Acting Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 99-29182 Filed 11-5-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-M