[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 113 (Thursday, June 12, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35207-35209]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-14874]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OECA-2003-0018; FRL-7512-3]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; NESHAP for Mercury, ICR Number 
0113.08, OMB Number 2060-0097

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

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: NESHAP for Mercury, OMB 
Control Number 2060-0097, EPA ICR Number 0113.08. The ICR, which is 
abstracted below, describes the nature of the information collection 
and its estimated burden and cost.

[[Page 35208]]


DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before July 14, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Follow the detailed instructions in SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Learia Williams, Compliance Assessment 
and Media Programs Division, Office of Compliance, (Mail Code 2223A), 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564-4113; fax number: 
(202) 564-0050; E-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB 
for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 
1320.12. On September 26, 2002 (67 FR 60672), EPA sought comments on 
this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments.
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
Number OECA-2003-0018, which is available for public viewing at the 
Enforcement and Compliance Docket and Information Center in the EPA 
Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Avenue, 
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 Enforcement and Compliance Docket and 
Information Center is: (202) 566-1514. An electronic version of the 
public docket is available through EPA Dockets (EDOCKET) at http://www.epa.gov/edocket. Use EDOCKET to 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. When 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 30 days of this notice, and according to the following detailed 
instructions: (1) Submit your comments to EPA online using EDOCKET (our 
preferred method), by E-mail to [email protected], or by mail to: EPA 
Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code: 2201T, 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) mail your 
comments to OMB at: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 
725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503.
    EPA's policy is that public comment, whether submitted 
electronically or on paper, will be available for public viewing in 
EDOCKET, as EPA receives them without change, unless the comment 
contains copyrighted material, Confidential Business Information (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 
placed in EDOCKET. The entire printed comment, including 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.
    Title: NESHAP for Mercury (40 CFR part 61, subpart E) OMB Control 
Number 2060-0097, EPA ICR Number 0113.08. This is a request to renew an 
existing, approved collection that is scheduled to expire on June 30, 
2003. Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or 
sponsor the collection of information while this submission is pending 
at OMB.
    Abstract: The NESHAP for Mercury, published at 40 CFR part 61, 
subpart E, were proposed on December 7, 1971, promulgated on April 6, 
1973, and amended on October 14, 1975 and March 19, 1987. These 
standards apply to all stationary sources which process mercury ore to 
recover mercury, use mercury chlor-alkali cells to produce chlorine gas 
and alkali metal hydroxide, and incinerate or dry wastewater treatment 
plant sludge. Approximately 107 sources (100 sludge incineration and 
drying plants and seven mercury-cell chlor-alkali plants) are currently 
subject to the standard; and no additional sources are expected to 
become subject to the standard in the next three years. Mercury is the 
pollutant regulated under this standard. This information is being 
collected to assure compliance with 40 CFR part 61, subpart E.
    Owners or operators of affected facilities described must make the 
following one-time-only reports: Notification of the date of 
construction or reconstruction; notification of the anticipated and 
actual dates of startup; notification of any physical or operational 
change to an existing facility which may increase the regulated 
pollutant emission rate; notification of the date of the initial 
performance test; and the results of the initial performance test. 
These facilities must also maintain records of performance test 
results, startups, shutdowns, and malfunctions. In order to ensure 
compliance with the standards, adequate recordkeeping and reporting is 
necessary. This information enables the Agency to: (1) Identify the 
sources subject to the standard; (2) ensure initial compliance with 
emission limits; and (3) verify continuous compliance with the 
standard. A written report of each period for which hourly monitored 
parameters fall outside their established limits is required 
semiannually for mercury-cell chlor-alkali facilities. Reporting and 
recordkeeping is mandatory under section 114 of the Clean Air Act as 
amended in 40 CFR part 61. Records of emission test results and other 
data needed to determine total emissions will be maintained at the 
source and made available for inspection for a minimum of two years.
    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, and are 
identified on the form and/or instrument, if applicable.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 156 
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 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: Stationary Mercury processing 
facilities.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 107.
    Frequency of Response: Annually, Semiannually, and initially.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 17,818.

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    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $0 includes $0 annualized capital or 
O&M costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 8,686 hours in the 
total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of 
Approved ICR Burdens. This decrease in burden from the most recently 
approved ICR is due to a decrease in the number of sources. We have 
determined that the number of sources currently subject to this 
standard has decreased based on the most recent data available on the 
Air Facility System database for NESHAP respondent cost is due to a 
labor rate change where the rate was increased; however, the total 
overall cost is reduced due to the smaller number of sources covered by 
the rule.

    Dated: June 5, 2003.
Doreen Sterling,
Acting Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 03-14874 Filed 6-11-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P