[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 193 (Thursday, October 4, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50643-50644]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-24908]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7074-4]


Clean Air Act; Contractor Access to Confidential Business 
Information

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: EPA has contracted with The Bionetics Corporation to provide 
assistance in the enforcement of regulatory requirements under the 
Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and 
Recovery Act, and the Toxic Substances Control Act, from May 30, 2001, 
until May 31, 2006. The Bionetics Corporation has been authorized to 
have access to information submitted to EPA under these statutes that 
may be claimed and determined to be confidential business information.

DATES: This notice is effective October 4, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ross Ruske, Environmental Scientist, 
USEPA, Mail Code (2242A), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 
20460. Telephone: (202) 564-1033. Fax: (202) 564-1024. Internet mail 
address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has authorized access for The Bionetics 
Corporation (``Bionetics''), a contractor, to information submitted to 
the EPA under the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Resource 
Conservation and Recovery Act, and the Toxic Substances Control Act. 
Some of this information may be claimed and determined to be 
confidential business information (``CBI''). The EPA contract number is 
68-W-01-035.
    The Bionetics corporate address is: The Bionetics Corporation, 
11833 Canon Boulevard, Suite #100, Newport News, VA 23606.
    Under the contract, Bionetics provides enforcement support to the 
Air Enforcement Division, Office of Regulatory Enforcement, Office of 
Enforcement and Compliance Assurance in a number of activities 
primarily related to the Clean Air Act. The contractor may also be 
called upon to provide support to other EPA offices under the other 
statutes. The activities in which Bionetics provides enforcement 
support include, but are not limited to:
    Inspections and audits of facilities that produce, import, store, 
transport, dispense or analyze motor vehicle fuel; and,
    Inspections and audits of facilities that produce, distribute, sell 
or repair motor vehicles, motor vehicle engines, or non-road engines.
    The type of information that may be disclosed includes, but are not 
limited to: Records related to the production, importation, 
distribution, sale, storage, testing and transportation of gasoline, 
gasoline blendstocks, diesel fuel, diesel fuel blendstocks, and 
detergent additives; and records related to the manufacture, 
importation, emission certification, emission testing, emission control 
warranty, repair, modification and fueling of motor vehicles, motor 
vehicle engines, non-road mobile source engines, and stationary source 
engines.
    It is necessary for Bionetics to have access to these records in 
order to

[[Page 50644]]

prepare reports that EPA uses to evaluate whether regulated parties are 
in compliance with applicable regulatory requirements under the above 
listed statutes. Bionetics may be assisted in these activities by a 
subcontractor, Patterson & Associates of Houston, Texas, working under 
Bionetics subcontract No. 017-001.
    In accordance with 40 CFR 2.301(h)(2), EPA has determined that 
disclosure of confidential business information to Bionetics and its 
subcontractor is necessary for these entities to carry out the work 
required by this contract. EPA is issuing this notice to inform all 
submitters of information to the EPA under the Clean Air Act, the Clean 
Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the Toxic 
Substances Control Act, that EPA may allow access to CBI contained in 
such submittals to Bionetics and their subcontractor as necessary to 
carry out work under this contract. Disclosure of CBI under this 
contract may continue until May 31, 2006.
    As required by 40 CFR 2.301(h)(2), the Bionetics contract includes 
provisions to assure the appropriate treatment of CBI disclosed to 
contractors and subcontractors. Similar requirements are contained 
under 40 CFR 2.302(h), 40 CFR 2.305(h), and 40 CFR 2.306(j), for the 
Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the 
Toxic Substances Control Act, respectively. The notice is intended to 
meet the requirements of these regulations as well.

    Dated: September 28, 2001.
Bruce C. Buckheit,
Director, Air Enforcement Division.
[FR Doc. 01-24908 Filed 10-3-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P