[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 64 (Tuesday, April 3, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17701-17702]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-8129]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[SWH-FRL-6960-8]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Information Collection Request Number 0820.08: 
Hazardous Waste Generator Standards

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 notice announces that EPA is planning to submit the 
following proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB): Hazardous Waste Generator Standards, 
EPA ICR Number 0820.08, OMB Control Number 2050-0035, current 
expiration date 9/30/01. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review 
and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the 
proposed information collection as described below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before June 4, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Commenters must send an original and two copies of their 
comments referencing docket number F-2001-HG1P-FFFFF to RCRA Docket 
Information Center, Office of Solid Waste (5305G), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Ariel Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W., 
Washington, DC 20460. Hand deliveries of comments should be made to the 
Arlington, VA, address listed below. Comments may also be submitted 
electronically by sending electronic mail through the Internet to: 
[email protected]. Comments in electronic format should also 
be identified by the docket number F-2001-HG1P-FFFFF. All electronic 
comments must be submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the use of special 
characters and any form of encryption.
    Public comments and supporting materials are available for viewing 
in the RCRA Information Center (RIC), located at Crystal Gateway 1, 
1235 Jefferson Davis Highway, first floor, Arlington, VA. The RIC is 
open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding 
federal holidays. To review docket materials, the public must make an 
appointment by calling 703-603-9230. The public may copy a maximum of 
100 pages from any regulatory docket at no charge. Additional copies 
cost $.15/page.
    Copies of the original ICR may be requested from the docket address 
and phone number listed above or may be found on the Internet. On the 
Internet, access the main EPA gopher menu and locate the directory: EPA 
Offices and Regions/Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response 
(OSWER)/Office of Solid Waste (RCRA/hazardous waste-RCRA Subtitle C/
generators.
    Follow these instructions to access the information electronically: 
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/id/icr-gen.htm.
    FTP: ftp.epa.gov.
    Login: anonymous.
    Password: your Internet address.
    Path: /pub/epaoswer.
    The official record for this action will be kept in paper form. 
Accordingly, EPA will transfer all comments received electronically 
into paper form and place them in the official record, which will also 
include all comments submitted directly in writing. The official record 
is the paper record maintained in the RCRA Information Center (the RIC 
address is listed above in this section).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information, contact the 
RCRA Hotline at 1-800-424-9346 or TDD 1-800-553-7672 (hearing 
impaired). In the Washington metropolitan area, call 703-412-9610 or 
TDD 703-412-3323. For technical information, contact Bryan Groce at 
703-308-8750.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
generators of hazardous wastes; transporters who commingle wastes with 
different Department of Transportation descriptions; and importers or 
exporters of hazardous wastes.
    Title: Hazardous Waste Generator Standards (OMB Control No. 2050-
0035; EPA ICR No. 0820.07), expiring 9/30/01.
    Abstract: In the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), as 
amended, Congress directed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA) to implement a comprehensive program for the safe management of 
hazardous waste. The core of the national waste management program is 
the regulation of hazardous waste from generation to transport to 
treatment and eventual disposal, or from ``cradle to grave.'' Section 
3001(d) of RCRA requires EPA to develop standards for small quantity 
generators. Section 3002 of RCRA among other things states that EPA 
shall establish requirements for hazardous waste generators regarding 
recordkeeping practices. Section 3002 also requires EPA to establish 
standards on appropriate use of containers by generators.
    Finally, section 3017 of RCRA specifies requirements for 
individuals exporting hazardous waste from the United States, including 
a notification of the intent to export, and an annual report 
summarizing the types, quantities, frequency, and ultimate destination 
of all exported hazardous waste (additional reporting requirements for 
exporters and importers of recyclable materials are covered under ICR 
Number 1647.01).
    This ICR targets five categories of informational requirements in 
part 262: hazardous waste determination requirements; pre-transport 
requirements for both large (LQG) and small (SQG) quantity generators 
(including the generator pre-transport requirements referenced in 40 
CFR part 265), air emission standards requirements for LQGs (referenced 
in 40 CFR part 265, subparts I and J), recordkeeping and reporting 
requirements for LQGs and SQGs, and export requirements for LQGs and 
SQGs (i.e., notification of intent to export and annual reporting).
    This collection of information is necessary to help generators and 
EPA (1) identify and understand the waste streams being generated and 
the hazards associated with them, (2) determine whether employees have 
acquired the necessary expertise to perform their jobs, and (3) 
determine whether LQGs have developed adequate procedures to respond to 
unplanned sudden or non-sudden releases of hazardous waste or hazardous 
constituents to air, soil, or surface water. This information is also 
needed to help EPA determine whether tank systems are operated in a 
manner that is fully protective of human health and the environment and 
to ensure that releases to the environment are managed quickly and 
efficiently.
    Additionally, this information contributes to EPA's goal of 
preventing contamination of the environment from hazardous waste 
accumulation practices, including contamination from

[[Page 17702]]

equipment leaks and process vents. Export information is needed to 
ensure that (1) foreign governments consent to U.S. exported wastes, 
(2) exported waste is actually managed at facilities listed in the 
original notifications, and (3) documents are available for compliance 
audits and enforcement actions. In general, these requirements 
contribute to EPA's goal of preventing contamination of 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.
    EPA would like to solicit comments to:
    (i) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    (ii) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of 
the methodology and assumptions used;
    (iii) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
to be collected; and
    (iv) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses.
    Burden Statement: The estimated number of likely respondents under 
this collection of information is 130,511 (17,581 LQGs and 112,930 
SQGs). The bottom line annual reporting and recordkeeping burden to 
respondents under this collection of information is 475,802 hours. The 
average annual public reporting burden per response for LQGs under this 
collection of information is estimated to range from 21 minutes to 
32.58 hours, and the average annual public reporting burden per 
response for SQGs is estimated to range from 21 minutes to 7.2 hours. 
The average annual recordkeeping burden per response for LQGs under 
this collection of information is estimated to range from 2.5 hours to 
3.15 hours, and the average annual recordkeeping burden per response 
for SGQs is estimated to range from 1.2 to 1.65 hours. The total 
average annual burden cost for all generators, collectively is: 
$26,217,644 in labor costs; $23,892 in capital costs; and $30,396 in 
annual O&M costs. 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.

    Dated: March 26, 2001.
Elizabeth Cotsworth,
Director, Office of Solid Waste.
[FR Doc. 01-8129 Filed 4-2-01; 8:45 am]
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