[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 204 (Wednesday, October 22, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60386-60387]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-26737]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPPT-2003-0034; FRL-7331-2]


Draft Instructions for Reporting for the 2006 Partial Updating of 
the TSCA Chemical Inventory Database; Request for Comment; Notice of 
Public Meeting

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: EPA is convening a 1-day public meeting to receive comments 
from persons reporting data required by the Inventory Update Rule (IUR) 
on the draft instructions for reporting in 2006. The instructions have 
been revised in response to amendments to 40 CFR part 710 promulgated 
on January 7, 2003, which substantially modify the information which 
must be reported for the partial updating of the Toxic Substances 
Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Inventory Database beginning in 2006.

DATES: The public meeting will commence at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, 
October 22, 2003, and end at approximately 2 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Sheraton Suites 
Houston, 2400 West Loop South, Houston, TX 77027.
    Persons planning to attend the public meeting are encouraged to 
register with the technical contact person identified below. Persons 
registering for the meeting will receive by e-mail a copy of the draft 
instructions prior to the meeting. Prior registration is not required 
to attend the public meeting.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information contact: 
Barbara Cunningham, Director, Environmental Assistance Division 
(7408M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (202) 554-1404; e-mail address: [email protected].
    For technical information contact: Fredric C. Arnold, Economics, 
Exposure, and Technology Division (7406M), Office of Pollution 
Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,

[[Page 60387]]

Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (202) 564-8521; e-mail 
address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this Action Apply to Me?

    You may be potentially affected by this action if you manufacture 
chemical substances currently subject to reporting under the IUR as 
amended on January 7, 2003, and codified as 40 CFR part 710. Persons 
who process chemical substances but who do not manufacture or import 
chemical substances are not required to comply with the requirements of 
40 CFR part 710. Potentially affected entities may include, but are not 
limited to:
    Chemical manufacturers and importers currently subject to IUR 
reporting, including manufacturers and importers of inorganic chemical 
substances (NAICS codes 325 and 32411).
    This listing is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides 
a guide for readers regarding entities likely to be affected by this 
action. Other types of entities not listed in this unit could also be 
affected. The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) 
codes have been provided to assist you and others in determining 
whether this action might apply to certain entities. To determine 
whether you or your business may be affected by this action, you should 
carefully examine the applicability provisions at 40 CFR 710.48. If you 
have any questions regarding the applicability of this action to a 
particular entity, consult the technical contact person listed under 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

B. How Can I Get Copies of this Document and Other Related Information?

    1. Docket. EPA has established an official public docket for this 
action under docket identification (ID) number OPPT-2003-0034. The 
official public docket consists of the documents specifically 
referenced in this action, any public comments received, and other 
information related to this action. Although a part of the official 
docket, the public docket does not include Confidential Business 
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted 
by statute. The official public docket is the collection of materials 
that is available for public viewing at EPA's Docket Center, Rm. B102-
Reading Room, EPA West, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. 
EPA's Docket Center is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, excluding legal holidays. EPA's Docket Center Reading Room 
telephone number is (202) 566-1744 and the telephone number for the 
OPPT Docket, which is located in EPA Docket Center, is (202) 566-0280.
    2. Electronic access. You may access this Federal Register document 
electronically through the EPA Internet under the Federal Register 
listings at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.
    An electronic version of the public docket is available through 
EPA's electronic public docket and comment system, EPA Dockets. You may 
use EPA Dockets at http://www.epa.gov/edocket/ to submit or view public 
comments, access the index listing of the contents of the official 
public docket, and to access those documents in the public docket that 
are available electronically. Although not all docket materials may be 
available electronically, you may still access any of the publicly 
available docket materials through the docket facility identified in 
Unit I.B.1. Once in the system, select ``search,'' then key in the 
appropriate docket ID number.

II. Background

    EPA is convening a public meeting to receive comments on the 
instructions for reporting to the 2006 partial updating of TSCA 
Chemical Substance Inventory Database. EPA is required by section 8(b) 
of TSCA to compile and update an inventory of chemical substances 
manufactured or imported in the United States. Every 4 years, 
manufacturers (including importers) of certain chemical substances on 
the Chemical Substance Inventory have been required to report data 
specified in the TSCA section 8(a) IUR, 40 CFR part 710. Past updates 
included information on the chemical's production volume, site-limited 
status, and plant site information. Amendments to the IUR promulgated 
on January 7, 2003 (68 FR 848) (FRL-6767-4) expanded the data reported 
on certain chemicals to assist EPA and others in screening potential 
exposures and risks resulting from manufacturing, processing, and use 
of TSCA chemical substances. At the same time, EPA amended the IUR 
regulations to increase the production volume threshold, which triggers 
reporting requirements from 10,000 lbs per year to 25,000 lbs per year 
and established a new higher threshold of 300,000 lbs per year above 
which manufacturers must report additional information on down-stream 
processing and use of their chemical substances. The 2003 amendments to 
the IUR also revoked the exemption from reporting for inorganic 
chemical substances, provided a partial exemption from reporting of 
processing and use information for chemical substances of low current 
interest, and continued the current exemption from reporting for 
polymers, microorganisms, and naturally occurring chemical substances. 
These changes modify requirements for information collected in calendar 
year 2005 and submitted in 2006 and thereafter. The public meeting may 
be of interest to persons currently reporting under the IUR and to 
manufacturers of inorganic chemical substances.
    The public meeting will include a series of presentations by 
representatives of EPA on the instructions for reporting for the 2006 
partial updating of the TSCA Chemical Inventory Database. Presentation 
topics will include reporting requirements, instructions for completing 
the reporting form, how to assert confidentiality claims, and how to 
submit completed reports to EPA. After each presentation, persons 
attending the public meeting will be invited to comment on the clarity, 
completeness, and usefulness of the instructions. Comments may also be 
submitted in writing following the public meeting. Comments should be 
submitted within 30 days after the meeting to receive timely attention. 
The purpose of the public meeting is to receive input for improving the 
instructions; subsequent meetings are planned for 2004, to provide 
training to persons who must report in 2006, under the IUR.
    There is no charge for attending this public meeting.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Chemicals, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements.

    Dated: October 17,2003.
Charles M. Auer,
Director, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics.
[FR Doc. 03-26737 Filed 10-20-03; 2:26 pm]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S