[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 248 (Tuesday, December 28, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72657-72658]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-33626]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6516-3]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Toxic Chemical Release 
Reporting; Submission of ICR No. 1363.09 to OMB

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of submission to OMB.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq.), this document announces that the Information Collection 
Request (ICR) entitled: ``Toxic Chemical Release Reporting,'' (EPA ICR 
No. 1363.09; OMB Control No. 2070-0093) has been forwarded to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval pursuant 
to the OMB procedures in 5 CFR 1320.12. The ICR, which is abstracted 
below, describes the nature of the information collection and its 
estimated cost and burden. The Agency is requesting that OMB renew for 
3 years the existing approval for this ICR, which is scheduled to 
expire on April 30, 2000. A Federal Register document announcing the 
Agency's intent to seek the renewal of this ICR and the 60-day public 
comment opportunity, requesting comments on the request and the 
contents of the ICR, was issued on July 28, 1999 (64 FR 40862). EPA 
received a number of comments on this ICR during the comment period, 
which have been addressed.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before January 27, 
2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sandy Farmer at EPA by phone on (202) 
260-2740, by e-mail: ``[email protected],'' or download off the 
Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr/icr.htm and refer to EPA ICR No. 
1363.09.

ADDRESSES: Send comments, referencing EPA ICR No. 1363.09 and OMB 
Control No. 2070-0093, to the following addresses:

Ms. Sandy Farmer, Office of Environmental Information (OEI), Mailcode 
2822, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW, 
Washington, DC 20460;

    And to:

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW, 
Washington, DC 20503.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Review Requested: This is a request to renew a currently approved 
information collection pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12.
    ICR Numbers: EPA ICR No. 1363.09; OMB Control No. 2070-0093.
    Current Expiration Date: Current OMB approval expires on April 30, 
2000.
    Title: Toxic Chemical Release Reporting, Recordkeeping, Supplier 
Notification and Petitions under Section 313 of the Emergency Planning 
and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA).
    Abstract: Section 313 of EPCRA requires owners or operators of 
certain facilities that manufacture, process or otherwise use any of 
over 600 listed toxic chemicals and chemical categories in excess of 
applicable threshold quantities to report annually to the Environmental 
Protection Agency and to the states in which such facilities are 
located on their environmental releases and transfers of and waste 
management activities for such chemicals. In addition, section 6607 of 
the Pollution Prevention Act (PPA) requires that facilities provide 
information on the quantities of the toxic chemicals in waste streams 
and the efforts made to reduce or eliminate those quantities.
    Annual reporting under EPCRA section 313 of toxic chemical releases 
and other waste management information provides citizens with a more 
complete picture of the total disposition of chemicals in their 
communities and helps focus industries' attention on pollution 
prevention and source reduction opportunities.
    The information gathered under these authorities is stored in a 
database maintained at EPA and is available through the Internet. This 
information, commonly known as the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), is 
used extensively by both EPA and the public sector.
    Responses to the collection of information are mandatory (see 40 
CFR part 372). Respondents may claim all or part of a document 
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.

[[Page 72658]]

    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting burden for this 
collection of information is estimated to average 52.1 hours per 
response for an estimated 25,159 respondents making one or more 
submissions of information 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. No person is 
required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for these 
regulations are displayed in 40 CFR part 9.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Entities potentially affected by 
this action are owners or operators of facilities that manufacture, 
process or otherwise use certain specified toxic chemicals and chemical 
categories, which are required under EPCRA section 313 to report 
annually on the environmental releases and transfers of and waste 
management activities for such chemicals.
    Estimated No. of Respondents: 27,235.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 7,321,441 hours.
    Frequency of Collection: Annually.
    According to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 1320.12, EPA has 
submitted this ICR to OMB for review and approval. Any comments related 
to the renewal of this ICR should be submitted within 30 days of this 
document, as described above.

    Dated: December 21, 1999.
Richard T. Westlund,
Acting Director, Collection Strategies Division, Office of 
Environmental Information.
[FR Doc. 99-33626 Filed 12-27-99; 8:45 am]
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