[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 111 (Friday, June 8, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30901-30902]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-14478]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6992-8]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; TSCA Section 8(a) Preliminary Assessment 
Information Rule

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: TSCA Section 8(a) Preliminary 
Assessment Information Rule [EPA ICR No. 0586.09; OMB Control No. 2070-
0054]. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the 
information collection and its estimated cost and burden. The Federal 
Register document required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments 
on this collection of information, was published on December 8, 2000 
(65 FR 77022). EPA received one comment, which has been addressed in 
this ICR.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before July 9, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sandy Farmer by phone on (202) 260-
2740 or by e-mail: ``[email protected].'' You may also access the 
ICR via Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr/icr.htm. Refer to EPA ICR 
No. 0586.09 and/or OMB Control No. 2070-0054.

ADDRESSES: Send comments, referencing EPA ICR No. 0586.09 and OMB 
Control No. 2070-0054, 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: TSCA Section 8(a) Preliminary Assessment Information Rule 
(OMB Control No. 2070-0054; EPA ICR No. 0586.09). This is a request for 
extension of an existing approved collection that is currently 
scheduled to expire on May 31, 2001. 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: Section 8(a) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) 
authorizes EPA to promulgate rules under which manufacturers, importers 
and processors of chemical substances must maintain records and submit 
reports to EPA. Promulgated under TSCA section 8(a), EPA uses the 
Preliminary Assessment Information Rule (PAIR) (40 CFR part 712) to 
collect information to identify, assess and manage human health and 
environmental risks from chemicals. PAIR requires chemical 
manufacturers and importers to complete a

[[Page 30902]]

standardized reporting form to help evaluate the potential for adverse 
human health and environmental effects caused by the manufacture or 
importation of identified chemicals. Chemicals for which a justifiable 
information need for production, use or exposure-related data can be 
satisfied by the use of the PAIR, are identified individually for one-
time reporting under PAIR. In addition to EPA, other federal agencies 
may demonstrate a justifiable information need, and EPA will identify 
the chemical for reporting under PAIR. In most instances the 
information that EPA receives from a PAIR report is sufficient to 
satisfy the information need in question.
    Responses to the collection of information are mandatory. 
Respondents may claim all or part of a notice 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. 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.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting burden for this 
collection of information is estimated to be 28.45 hours per report. 
The Agency assumes that respondents will submit an average of 2.44 
reports annually, for a per respondent burden of 69.41 hours. 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. The following is a summary of the 
estimates taken from the ICR:
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Manufacturers, importers and 
processors of chemical substances and mixtures.
    Frequency of Collection: One-time, on occasion.
    Estimated No. of Respondents: 48.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 3,355 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Costs: $609,116.
    Changes in Burden Estimates: The total burden associated with this 
ICR has decreased from 3,489 hours in the previous ICR to 3,355 hours 
for this ICR. This adjustment in burden is attributable to carrying 
through in the burden hour totals the adjustment made to the unit 
burden of the CBI substantiation requirement, i.e., only 75 percent of 
sites or reports are expected to make CBI claims. This adjustment was 
made in the unit burden calculations in the previous ICR but was not 
carried through in the industry totals. In addition, a few minor 
mathematical corrections were made to the estimates presented in the 
previous ICR.
    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.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Hazardous substances, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements.

    Dated: May 20, 2001.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 01-14478 Filed 6-7-01; 8:45 am]
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