[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 15, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7545-7546]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-3485]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6536-7]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Trade Secret Claims for Community Right-to-
Know and Emergency Planning (EPCRA Section 322)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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[[Page 7546]]

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: Trade Secret Claims for 
Community Right-to-Know and Emergency Planning (EPCRA section 322), OMB 
Control Number 2050-0078, expiring May 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 March 16, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For a copy of the ICR contact Sandy 
Farmer at EPA by phone at (202) 260-2740, by email at 
[email protected], or download off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA ICR No. 1428.05. For technical 
questions about the ICR contact Sicy Jacob at (202) 260-7249.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:   
    Title: Trade Secret Claims for Community Right-to-Know and 
Emergency Planning (EPCRA Section 322), EPA ICR Number 1428.05, 
expiring May 31, 2000. This is a request for extension of a currently 
approved collection.
    Abstract: This information collection request pertains to trade 
secrecy claims submitted under Section 322 of the Emergency Planning 
and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA). EPCRA contains 
provisions requiring facilities to report to State and local 
authorities, and EPA, the presence and release of extremely hazardous 
substances (described in sections 302 and 304), inventory of hazardous 
chemicals (described in sections 311 and 312) and manufacture, process 
and use of toxic chemicals (described in section 313). Section 322 of 
EPCRA allows a facility to withhold the specific chemical identity from 
these EPCRA reports if the facility asserts a claim of trade secrecy 
for that chemical identity. The provision establishes the requirements 
and procedures that facilities must follow to request trade secrecy 
treatment of chemical identities, as well as the procedures for 
submitting public petitions to the Agency for review of the 
``sufficiency'' of trade secret claims.
    Trade secrecy protection is provided for specific chemical 
identities contained in reports submitted under each of the following 
EPCRA sections: (1) 303(d)(2)--Facility notification of changes that 
have or are about to occur, (2) 303(d)(3)--Local Emergency Planning 
Committee (LEPC) requests for facility information, develop or 
implement emergency plans, (3) 311--Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) 
submitted by facilities, or lists of those chemicals submitted in place 
of the MSDSs, (4) 312--Tier II emergency and hazardous chemical 
inventory forms, and (5) 313--Toxic chemical release inventory forms.
    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 September 
16, 1999 (64 FR 50280); no comments were received.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 9.9 
hours per claim. The total annual burden for the respondents is 3,121 
hours at a cost of $190,280. 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: Chemical Manufacturers.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 320 annually.
    Frequency of Response: Annually.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 3,121 hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Capital, Operating/Maintenance 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. 1428.05 and OMB Control No. 2050-0078 in any 
correspondence.

Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of 
Environmental Information, Collection Strategies Division (2822), 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue NW, 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: February 8, 2000.
Oscar Morales,
 Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 00-3485 Filed 2-14-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P