[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 91 (Monday, May 12, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25367-25368]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-11754]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OAR-2003-0073, FRL-7496-8]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Distribution of Offsite Consequence Analysis 
Information Under Section 112(r)(7)(H) of the Clean Air Act (CAA)

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): Distribution of Offsite Consequence 
Analysis Information under section 112(r)(7)(H) of the Clean Air Act 
(CAA), EPA ICR Number 1981.02, OMB Control Number 2050-0172, expiration 
date of the active ICR is October 31, 2003. 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 July 11, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Follow the detailed instructions in SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sicy Jacob, Chemical Emergency 
Preparedness and Prevention Office, Mail Code 5104A, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: (202) 564-8019; fax number: (202) 564-8233; email 
address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has established a public docket for this 
ICR under Docket ID number OAR-2003-0073, which is available for public 
viewing at the Air Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, 
Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket 
Center Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the 
Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the Air 
Docket is (202) 566-1742. An electronic version of the public docket is 
available through EPA Dockets (EDOCKET) at http://www.epa.gov/edocket. 
Use EDOCKET to obtain a copy of the draft collection of information, 
submit or view public comments, access the index listing of the 
contents of the public docket, and to access those documents in the 
public docket that are available electronically. Once in the system, 
select ``search,'' then key in the docket ID number identified above.
    Any comments related to this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB 
within 60 days of this notice, and according to the following detailed 
instructions: (1) Submit your comments to EPA online using EDOCKET (our 
preferred method), by email to [email protected], or by mail to: 
EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Air Docket, Mail 
Code 6102T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
    EPA's policy is that public comments, whether submitted 
electronically or in paper, will be made available for public viewing 
in EDOCKET as EPA receives them and without change, unless the comment 
contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other information whose public 
disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA identifies a comment 
containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference to that 
material in the version of the comment that is placed in EDOCKET. The 
entire printed comment, including the copyrighted material, will be 
available in the public docket. Although identified as an item in the 
official docket, information claimed as CBI, or whose disclosure is 
otherwise restricted by statute, is not included in the official public 
docket, and will not be available for public viewing in EDOCKET. For 
further information about the electronic docket, see EPA's Federal 
Register notice describing the electronic docket at 67 FR 38102 (May 
31, 2002), or go to http://www.epa.gov./edocket.
    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
State and local agencies and members of the public.
    Title: Distribution of Offsite Consequence Analysis Information 
Under Section 112(r)(7)(H) of the Clean Air Act (CAA), OMB Control 
Number 2050-0172, EPA ICR Number 1981.02 expiring 10/31/2003.
    Abstract: This ICR is the renewal of the ICR developed for the 
final rule, Accidental Release Prevention Requirements; Risk Management 
Programs Under the Clean Air Act Section 112(r)(7); Distribution of 
Off-Site Consequence Analysis Information. CAA section 112(r)(7) 
required EPA to promulgate reasonable regulations and appropriate 
guidance to provide for the prevention and detection of accidental 
releases and for responses to such releases. The regulations include 
requirements for submittal of a risk

[[Page 25368]]

management plan (RMP) to EPA. The RMP includes information on offsite 
consequence analyses (OCA) as well as other elements of the risk 
management program.
    On August 5, 1999, the President signed the Chemical Safety 
Information, Site Security, and Fuels Regulatory Relief Act 
(CSISSFRRA). The Act required the President to promulgate regulations 
on the distribution of OCA information (CAA section 112(r)(7)(H)(ii)). 
The President delegated to EPA and the Department of Justice (DOJ) the 
responsibility to promulgate regulations to govern the dissemination of 
OCA information to the public. The final rule was published on August 
4, 2000 (65 FR 48108). The regulations imposed minimal requirements on 
the public, State and local agencies that request OCA data from EPA. 
The State and local agencies who decide to obtain OCA information must 
send a written request on their official letterhead to EPA certifying 
that they are covered persons under Public Law 106-40, and that they 
will use the information for official use only. EPA will then provide 
paper copies of OCA data to those agencies as requested. The rule 
authorizes and encourages State and local agencies to set up reading 
rooms. The local reading rooms would provide read-only access to OCA 
information for all the sources in the LEPC's jurisdiction and for any 
source where the vulnerable zone extends into the LEPC's jurisdiction.
    Members of the public requesting to view OCA information at Federal 
reading rooms would be required to sign in and self certify. If asking 
for OCA information from Federal reading rooms for the facilities in 
the area where they live or work, they would be required to provide 
proof that they live or work in that area. Members of the public are 
required to give their names, telephone number, and the names of the 
facilities for which OCA information is being requested, when they 
contact the central office to schedule an appointment to view OCA 
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 the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    (ii) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency'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: For this ICR period, EPA estimates a total of 
3,270 hours (annually) for local agencies requesting OCA data from EPA 
and providing read-only access to the public. For the State agencies, 
the total annual burden for requesting OCA data from EPA and providing 
read-only access to the public, is 3,816 hours. For the public to 
display photo identification, sign a sign-in sheet, certify that the 
individual has not received access to OCA information for more than 10 
stationary sources for that calendar month, and to request information 
from the vulnerable zone indicator system (VZIS), EPA estimates a total 
of 8,754 hours annually. The total burden for the members of the 
public, State and local agencies is 15,840 hours and $413,380 annually 
(47,520 hours for three years and $1,240,140).
    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.

    Dated: May 6, 2003.
Deborah Y. Dietrich,
Director, Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office.
[FR Doc. 03-11754 Filed 5-9-03; 8:45 am]
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