[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 47 (Friday, March 9, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14138-14139]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-5857]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6950-8]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Notification of Episodic Releases of Oil and 
Hazardous Substances

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: ``Notification of Episodic 
Releases of Oil and Hazardous Substances,'' OMB No. 2050-0046; 
expiration date February 28, 2001. 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 April 9, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Send comments, referencing EPA ICR No. 1049.09 and OMB 
Control No. 2050-0046, to the following addresses: Sandy Farmer, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, Collection Strategies Division (Mail 
Code 2822), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For a copy of the ICR contact Sandy 
Farmer at EPA by phone at (202) 260-2740, by E-mail at 
[email protected], or download off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA ICR No. 1049.09. For technical 
questions about the ICR contact Lynn Beasley, (703) 603-9086.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Notification of Episodic Releases of Oil and Hazardous 
Substances, EPA ICR Number 1049.09, expiring February 28, 2001. This is 
a request for extension of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: Section 103(a) of CERCLA, as amended, requires the person 
in charge of a facility or vessel to immediately notify the National 
Response Center (NRC) of a hazardous substance release into the 
environment if the amount of the release equals or exceeds the 
substance's reportable quantity (RQ) limit. The RQ of every hazardous 
substance can be found in Table 302.4 of 40 CFR 302.4. Section 311 of 
the CWA, as amended, requires the person in charge of a vessel to 
immediately notify the NRC of an oil spill into U.S. navigable waters 
if the spill causes a sheen, violates applicable water quality 
standards, or causes a sludge or emulsion to be deposited beneath the 
surface of the water or upon adjoining shorelines. The reporting of a 
hazardous substance release that is above the substance's RQ allows the 
Federal government to determine whether a Federal response action is 
required to control or mitigate any potential adverse effects to public 
health or welfare or the environment. Likewise, the reporting of oil 
spills allows the Federal government to determine whether cleaning up 
the oil spill is necessary to mitigate or prevent damage to public 
health or welfare or the environment. The hazardous substance and oil 
release information collected under CERCLA section 103(a) and CWA 
section 311 also is available to EPA program offices and other Federal 
agencies who use the information to evaluate the potential need for 
additional regulations, new permitting requirements for specific 
substances or sources, or improved emergency response planning. Release 
notification information, which is stored in the national Emergency 
Response Notification System (ERNS) database, is available to State and 
local government authorities as well as the general public. The 
database resides at the National Response Center. The web address for 
the National Response Center is: http://www.nrc.uscg.mil/index.html. 
State and local government authorities and the regulated community use 
release information for purposes of local emergency response planning. 
Members of the general public, who have access to release information 
through the Freedom of Information Act, may request release information 
for purposes of maintaining an awareness of what types of releases are 
occurring in different localities and what actions, if any, are being 
taken to protect public health and welfare and the environment.
    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 initially 
published on June 13, 2000 (65 FR 37128); three comments were received. 
That Federal Register document was subsequently withdrawn on August 22, 
2000 (65 FR 50985) so that additional information could be included in 
the Information Collection Request. The Federal Register document 
required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on this collection 
of information was republished on December 5, 2000 (65 FR 75930); two 
comments were received.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and record keeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 4.1 
hours per response. 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

[[Page 14139]]

information; and transmit or otherwise disclose the information.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Facilities or vessels that 
manufacture, process, transport, or use specified hazardous substances 
and oil.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 23,726.
    Frequency of Response: When a reportable release occurs.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 97,277 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 addresses listed above. Please 
refer to EPA ICR No. 1049.09 and OMB Control No. 2050-0046 in any 
correspondence.

    Dated: February 27, 2001.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 01-5857 Filed 3-8-01; 8:45 am]
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