[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 186 (Tuesday, September 25, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49018-49019]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-23921]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7065-4]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Continuous Release Reporting Regulations 
(CRRR) Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, 
and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA)

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: Continuous Release Reporting 
Regulations (CRRR) under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation, and Liability

[[Page 49019]]

Act of 1980 (CERCLA), OMB No. 2050-0086, expiring September 30, 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 October 25, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Send comments, referencing EPA ICR No. 1445.05 and OMB 
Control No. 2050-0086, to the following addresses: Sandy Farmer, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, Collection Strategies Division (Mail 
Code 2822), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; 
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. 1445.05. For technical 
questions about the ICR contact Lynn Beasley on 703-603-9086 or E-mail 
address [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Continuous Release Reporting Regulation (CRRR) under the 
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act 
of 1980 (CERCLA), OMB Control No. 2050-0086, EPA ICR Number 1445.05, 
expiring September 30, 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 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). The RQ of every hazardous substance can be found in 
Table 302.4 of 40 CFR 302.4. Section 103(f)(2) of CERCLA provides 
facilities relief from this per-occurrence notification requirement if 
the hazardous substance release at or above the RQ is continuous and 
stable in quantity and rate. Under the CRRR, to report such a release 
as a continuous release you must make an initial telephone call to the 
NRC, an initial written report to the EPA Region, and if the source and 
chemical composition of the continuous release does not change and the 
level of the continuous release does not significantly increase, a 
follow-up written report to the EPA Region one year after submission of 
the initial written report. If the source or chemical composition of 
the previously reported continuous release changes, notifying the NRC 
and EPA Region of a change in the source or composition of the release 
is required. Further, a significant increase in the level of the 
previously reported continuous release must be reported immediately to 
the NRC according to section 103(a) of CERCLA. Finally, any change in 
information submitted in support of a continuous release notification 
must be reported to the EPA Region. The continuous release of hazardous 
substance information collected under CERCLA section 103(f)(2) is also 
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. State and local government 
authorities and facilities subject to the CRRR use release information 
for purposes of local emergency response planning. Members of the 
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 on March 28, 2001 (66 FR 
16910). One question was received through electronic mail; no 
additional comments were received.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 92 
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 use 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.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Entities potentially affected by 
this action are facilities that manufacture, process, or otherwise use 
certain specified hazardous substances.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,712.
    Frequency of Response: Annual.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 249,451.
    Estimated Total Annualized Capital, O&M Cost Burden: $76,496.
    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. 1445.05 and OMB Control No. 2050-0086 in any 
correspondence.

    Dated: September 12, 2001.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 01-23921 Filed 9-24-01; 8:45 am]
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