[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 239 (Friday, December 12, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69397-69398]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-30776]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[SFUND-2000-0009, FRL-7598-9]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Notification of Episodic Releases of Oil and Hazardous 
Substances, EPA ICR Number 1049.10, OMB Control Number 2050-0046

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 a 
continuing Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB). This is a request to renew an existing 
approved collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on April 30, 2004. 
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 February 10, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number SFUND-
2000-0009, to EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by email 
to [email protected], or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, 
Environmental Protection Agency, Superfund Docket Office, Mail Code 
5202T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lynn M. Beasley, Office of Solid Waste 
and Emergency Response, Office of Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, 
and Response, Emergency Response Staff, 5204G, Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone 
number: (703) 603-9086; fax number: (703) 603-9104; e-mail address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has established a public docket for this 
ICR under Docket ID number SFUND-2000-0009, which is available for 
public viewing at the Superfund 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 Superfund Docket is (202) 566-0276. 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 within 
60 days of this notice. 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 
facilities or vessels that manufacture, process, transport, or 
otherwise use certain specified hazardous substances and oil.
    Title: Notification of Episodic Releases of Oil and Hazardous 
Substances.
    Abstract: Section 103(a) of CERCLA, as amended, requires the person 
in charge of a facility or vessel to immediately notify the National 
Response Center (NRC) of a hazardous substance release into the 
environment if the amount of the release equals or exceeds the 
substance's reportable quantity (RQ) limit. The RQ of every

[[Page 69398]]

hazardous substance can be found in Table 302.4 of 40 CFR 302.4.
    Section 311 of the CWA, as amended, requires the person in charge 
of a vessel to immediately notify the NRC of an oil spill into U.S. 
navigable waters if the spill causes a sheen, violates applicable water 
quality standards, or causes a sludge or emulsion to be deposited 
beneath the surface of the water or upon adjoining shorelines.
    The reporting of a hazardous substance release that is above the 
substance's RQ allows the Federal Government to determine whether a 
Federal response action is required to control or mitigate any 
potential adverse effects to public health or welfare or the 
environment. Likewise, the reporting of oil spills allows the Federal 
Government to determine whether cleaning up the oil spill is necessary 
to mitigate or prevent damage to public health or welfare or the 
environment.
    The hazardous substance and oil release information collected under 
CERCLA section 103(a) and CWA section 311 also is available to EPA 
program offices and other Federal agencies who use the information to 
evaluate the potential need for additional regulations, new permitting 
requirements for specific substances or sources, or improved emergency 
response planning. Release notification information, which is stored in 
the national Emergency Response Notification System (ERNS) data base, 
is available to State and local government authorities as well as the 
general public. State and local government authorities and the 
regulated community use release information for purposes of local 
emergency response planning. Members of the general public, who have 
access to release information through the Freedom of Information Act, 
may request release information for purposes of maintaining an 
awareness of what types of releases are occurring in different 
localities and what actions, if any, are being taken to protect public 
health and welfare and the environment. ERNS fact sheets, which provide 
summary and statistical information about hazardous substance and oil 
release notifications, also are available to the public. 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 in 40 CFR 
are listed in 40 CFR part 9.
    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:
    Estimated total number of reportable releases of hazardous 
substances and oil per year: 24,082.
    Frequency of response: When a reportable release occurs.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 98,736 hours.
    Estimated total annual burden costs: $7,230,537.
    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: November 10, 2003.
Deborah Y. Dietrich,
Director, Office of Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, and Response.
[FR Doc. 03-30776 Filed 12-11-03; 8:45 am]
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