[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 160 (Friday, August 17, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43253-43254]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-20796]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[AD-FRL-7035-4]
RIN 2060-AE55


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; National Volatile Organic Compound Emission Standards 
for Architectural Coatings

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 EPA is planning to submit 
the following continuing Information Collection Request (ICR) to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB): ``Reporting and Recordkeeping 
Requirements for National Volatile Organic Compound Emission Standards 
for Architectural Coatings,'' EPA ICR No. 1750.02, OMB Control No. 
2060-0393, expires January 31, 2002. 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 October 16, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments. By U.S. Postal Service, written comments should be

[[Page 43254]]

submitted (in duplicate if possible) to: Air and Radiation Docket and 
Information Center (6102), Attention Docket Number A-92-18, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20460. In person or by courier, deliver comments to: Air 
and Radiation Docket and Information Center (6102), Attention Docket 
Number A-92-18, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, 
SW., Room M-1500, Washington, DC 20460. The EPA requests a separate 
copy also be sent to the contact person listed in FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.
    Information concerning the ICR and the rule. Information on the ICR 
and the Architectural Coatings Rule can be obtained from the docket 
(below) and is also available for downloading from EPA's internet 
website for this rule at http://www.epa.gov/ttn/uatw/183e/aim/aimpg.html.
    Docket. Docket Number A-92-18, containing the ICR and supporting 
statement, is available for public inspection and copying from 8:00 
a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays, at 
the EPA's Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center, Waterside 
Mall, Room M-1500, Ground Floor, 401 M Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20460, telephone number (202) 260-7548. A reasonable fee may be charged 
for copying.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Linda Herring, Coatings and 
Consumer Products Group, Emission Standards Division (MD-13), U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; 
telephone number (919) 541-5358; facsimile number (919) 541-5689; 
electronic mail (e-mail) address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Affected Entities

    Entities potentially affected by this action are those which 
manufacture or import architectural coatings for sale or distribution 
in the United States, including the District of Columbia and all United 
States territories.
    Title: National Volatile Organic Compound Emission Standards for 
Architectural Coatings, OMB Control No. 2060-0393; EPA ICR No. 1750.02; 
expires January 31, 2002.

Abstract

    The information collection includes initial reports, annual 
reporting, and recordkeeping necessary for EPA to ensure compliance 
with Federal standards for volatile organic compounds in architectural 
coatings. Respondents are manufacturers and importers of architectural 
coatings. Responses to the collection are mandatory under 40 CFR part 
59, subpart D--National Volatile Organic Compound Emission Standards 
for Architectural Coatings. All information submitted to EPA for which 
a claim of confidentiality is made will be safeguarded according to the 
Agency policies set forth in 40 CFR part 2, subpart B--Confidentiality 
of Business Information. 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 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 EPA, including 
whether the information will have practical utility;
    (ii) evaluate the accuracy of EPA'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

    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 previous 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. Total industry 
burden is estimated to be 23,411 hours per year, at a total labor cost 
of $1,425,382 per year. Labor costs were estimated based on Table 2 of 
the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Employment Cost Trends. After 
adding overhead costs of 100 percent to the BLS figures, the resulting 
hourly labor rates for management, technical, and clerical labor are 
$74, $52, and $34, respectively. There are no capital costs associated 
with this collection. Burden was calculated based on the following 
assumptions:
    (i) Initial Notification Reports will have been submitted by nearly 
all the estimated 500 regulated entities prior to expiration of the 
existing ICR. Therefore, the burden calculation is based on 5 
notifications per year beginning in 2002.
    (ii) Reading the rule to obtain the recordkeeping and reporting 
instructions would require 2 hours per respondent.
    (iii) Completion of the Initial Notification Report, including the 
date code explanation, would require 3 hours per respondent.
    (iv) Notification of change in date code would require 2 hours per 
respondent.
    (v) Annual planning for recordkeeping activities would require 8 
hours per respondent.
    (vi) Labeling products would require 67 hours per respondent.
    (vii) An additional recordkeeping and annual reporting burden, 
required only for those who choose the recycled coating provision, 
exceedance fee provision, or tonnage exemption in lieu of meeting the 
coating volatile organic compound content limits, is based on the 
assumptions that 25 manufacturers/importers per year will use the 
recycled coating provision; 120 will use the exceedance fee provision; 
and 100 will use the tonnage exemption. The burden estimates for these 
provisions are 121 hours, 100 hours, and 43 hours, respectively.

    Dated: August 7, 2001.
Thomas C. Curran,
Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 01-20796 Filed 8-16-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P