[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 174 (Thursday, September 7, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54264-54265]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-22973]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6865-7]


Agency Information Collection Activities; EPA ICR No. 1139.06; 
Submission to OMB; Additional Opportunity to Comment

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information 
Collection Request (ICR) entitled: TSCA Existing Chemical Test Rules, 
Consent Orders, Test Rule Exemptions, and Voluntary Test Data 
Submissions (EPA ICR No. 1139.06, OMB No. 2070-0033) 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 Federal Register notice required 
under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on this ICR was issued on 
July 28, 1999 (64 FR 40865). EPA received comments on the draft ICR 
during the comment period, which are addressed in the ICR.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before October 10, 
2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sandy Farmer at EPA by phone on (202) 
260-2740, by e-mail: ``[email protected],'' or by mail at 
the address indicated below. You may also access the ICR at http://www.epa.gov/icr/icr.htm. Please refer to EPA ICR No. 1139.06 or OMB 
Control No. 2070-0033.

ADDRESSES: Send comments, referencing the proper ICR number, to the 
following addresses: Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, Collection Strategies Division (2822), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave, 
NW., Washington, DC 20460; and to: Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for 
EPA, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: TSCA Existing Chemical Test Rules, Consent Orders, Test Rule 
Exemptions, and Voluntary Test Data Submissions (EPA ICR No. 1139.06; 
OMB Control No. 2070-0033).
    Review Requested: This is a request under 5 CFR 1320.12 to renew an 
existing ICR currently scheduled to expire on August 31, 2000. Under 5 
CFR 1320.10(e)(2), the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the 
collection of information while the submission is pending at OMB.
    Abstract: This data collection program is designed to provide EPA 
with necessary test data on health effects, ecological effects and 
environmental fate to predict the probable impacts on human health or 
the environment of chemicals that may present an unreasonable risk to 
which there is substantial exposure or release. Section 4 of the Toxic 
Substances Control Act (TSCA) provides the authority for collecting 
this test data, and is intended to assure that chemicals that may pose 
serious risks to human health or the environment undergo testing by 
manufacturers or processors, and that the results of such testing are 
made available to EPA. EPA uses the information collected to assess 
risks associated with the manufacture, processing, distribution, use or 
disposal of a chemical, and to support any necessary regulatory action 
with respect to that chemical.
    The Agency may obtain the needed test data (1) by issuing a test 
rule through notice and comment rulemaking, (2) through negotiation 
with industry and issuing an Enforceable Consent Agreement (ECA), or 
(3) through commitments from industry as Voluntary Testing Agreements 
(VTAs). The testing specified in a rule or ECA issued under TSCA 
section 4, or any testing identified

[[Page 54265]]

in a VTA, only needs to be conducted once for each specified chemical. 
As such, only one of the entities that manufacture, import, or process 
the specified chemical, or a consortia formed by these entities, will 
conduct the specified testing and report the results of that testing to 
EPA. An entity subject to a test rule may also apply for an exemption 
from the testing requirement if that testing will be or has been 
performed by another party.
    Responses to the collection of information specified in a rule 
issued under TSCA section 4 are mandatory (see 40 CFR part 790), while 
response to a consent order issued under TSCA section 4 is only 
mandatory for the participants in the ECA. Participating in a VTA is 
voluntary. The export notification provisions apply to any exporter of 
a chemical subject to a rule or consent order issued under TSCA section 
4, regardless of their participation in the ECA or any related testing 
consortia.
    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.
    Burden Statement: The annual public burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 68.36 hours per response. According 
to the PRA, ``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. For this 
collection it 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.
    An Agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to a collection of information that is subject to approval 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act, unless it displays a currently valid 
OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA's information 
collections appear as part of the collection instruments (i.e., form or 
instructions), in the Federal Register notices for related rulemaking 
and ICR notices, and, if the collection is contained in a regulation, 
in a table of OMB approval numbers in 40 CFR Part 9.
    The ICR provides a detailed explanation of the burden and cost 
estimates for this ICR, which are only briefly summarized here:
    Respondents/affected entities: Entities potentially affected by 
this action are companies that manufacture, process, import, use, 
distribute or dispose of chemicals.
    Estimated Number of Potential Respondents: 128.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: One, per occasion.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 1,182,574 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Non-labor Costs: $0.
    Changes in the ICR Since the Last Approval: There is an increase of 
1,106,124 hours in the estimated total annual burden for this ICR, from 
76,450 hours currently in the OMB inventory to 1,182,574 hours 
requested in this ICR. This increase, and the corresponding increase in 
the costs, are described in detail in the ICR document. In short, this 
increase is the result of a program related to the two new VTAs 
recently initiated, the voluntary HPV Challenge Program and the 
voluntary children's health testing program.
    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 
notice, as described above.

    Dated: August 30, 2000.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 00-22973 Filed 9-6-00; 8:45 am]
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