[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 247 (Tuesday, December 24, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78454-78455]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-32396]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7426-9]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Emergency Planning and Release Notification 
Requirements Under Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act 
Sections 302, 303, and 304

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: Emergency Planning and 
Release Notification Requirements under Emergency Planning and 
Community Right-to-Know Act Sections 302, 303, and 304, OMB Control 
Number 2050-0092, expiring January 31, 2003. The ICR describes the 
nature of the information collection and its expected burden and cost; 
where

[[Page 78455]]

appropriate, it includes the actual data collection instrument.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before January 23, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Send comments, referencing EPA ICR No. 1395.05 and OMB 
Control No. 2050-0092, to the following addresses: Susan Auby, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, Collection Strategies Division (Mail 
Code 2822T), 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 Susan 
Auby at EPA by phone at (202) 566-1672, by e-Mail at [email protected] 
or download off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA 
ICR No. 1395.05. For technical questions about the ICR, contact Sicy 
Jacob at EPA by phone at (202) 564-8019, by e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Emergency Planning and Release 
Notification Requirements under Emergency Planning and Community Right-
to-Know Act Sections 302, 303, and 304, OMB Control Number 2050-0092, 
EPA ICR Number 1395.05, expiring January 31, 2003. This is a request 
for extension of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: EPCRA established broad emergency planning and facility 
reporting requirements. Section 302 (40 CFR 355.30) requires facilities 
where an extremely hazardous substances (EHS) is present in an amount 
at or in excess of the threshold planning quantity (TPQ) to notify the 
State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) by May 17, 1987. This 
activity has been completed; the section 302 costs and burden hours for 
this ICR, therefore, reflect only the estimate of cost and burden 
incurred by newly regulated facilities during years 2000 to 2002. 
Section 303 (40 CFR 355.300 requires local emergency planning 
committees (LEPCs) to prepare local emergency plans. Facilities subject 
to section 302 are required to provide information for the development 
and implementation of these local emergency plans. Section 304 (40 CFR 
355.40) requires facilities to report to SERCs and LEPCs releases of 
EHSs and hazardous substances in excess of reportable quantities 
established by EPA. In addition, these facilities must provide written 
follow-up information on the release, its impacts, and any actions 
taken in response to the release. 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 August 12, 2002 (67 FR 52481); no comments were received.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average for 
emergency planning under 40 CFR 355.30 is 16.15 hours for new and newly 
regulated facilities and 1.50 hours for existing facilities. For a 
limited number of existing facilities, there may be a burden to inform 
the LEPC of any changes at a facility that may affect emergency 
planning (1.50 hours). The average reporting burden for facilities 
reporting releases under 40 CFR 355.40 is estimated to average 
approximately 5 hours per release, including the time for determining 
if the release is a reportable quantity, notifying the LEPC and SERC, 
or the 911 operator, and developing and submitting a written follow-up 
notice. There are no recordkeeping requirements for facilities under 
EPCRA sections 302-304.
    The average burden for emergency planning activities under 40 CFR 
300.215 is 21 hours per plan for LEPCs, 16 hours per plan for SERCs. 
Each SERC and LEPC is also estimated to incur an annual recordkeeping 
burden of 10 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.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Facilities where extremely hazardous 
substances are present, LEPCs and SERCs.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 82,260.
    Frequency of Response: Section 302 respondents will comply with 
requirements once unless new information becomes available. Section 303 
respondents will comply with requirements as requested by LEPCs; LEPCs 
may have to update their local emergency response plans as new 
facilities or other information such as new chemicals present at or 
above a TPQ. Section 304 respondents will comply when there is a 
release of an EHS above the RQ.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 212,460 hours.
    Estimated Total Annualized Capital, O&M Cost Burden: $15,160.
    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. 1395.05 and OMB Control No. 2050-0092 in any 
correspondence.

    Dated: December 10, 2002.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 02-32396 Filed 12-23-02; 8:45 am]
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