[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 70 (Monday, April 12, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19179-19180]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-8231]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPPT-2003-0013; FRL-7645-3]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Request for Contractor Access to 
TSCA Confidential Business Information; EPA ICR No. 1250.07; OMB No. 
2070-0075

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 an Information Collection 
Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for review and approval: Request for Contractor Access to TSCA 
Confidential Business Information; (EPA ICR 1250.07; OMB 
2070-0075). This is a request to renew an existing approved 
collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on May 31, 2004. Under OMB 
regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the 
collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. This 
ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its 
estimated burden and cost.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before May 12, 2004.

[[Page 19180]]


ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OPPT-
2003-0013, to both (1) EPA online at http://www.epa.gov/edocket (our 
preferred method), or by mail to: Document Control Office (DCO), Office 
of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental Protection 
Agency, Mailcode: 7407T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 
20460, and (2) 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Cunningham, Acting Director, 
Environmental Assistance Division, Office of Pollution Prevention and 
Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 7408, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-
564-1404; fax number: 202-564-8251; 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 April 15, 2003 (68 FR 18202), 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 
No. OPPT-2003-0013, which is available for public viewing at the 
Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) 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 OPPT Docket is (202) 566-0280. An electronic 
version of the public docket is available through 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. 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 30 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 138102 (May 31, 2002), or go to www.epa.gov/edocket.
    Title: Request for Contractor Access to TSCA Confidential Business 
Information.
    Abstract: Certain employees of companies working under contract to 
EPA require access to confidential business information (CBI) collected 
under the authority of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) in order 
to perform their official duties. The Office of Pollution Prevention 
and Toxics (OPPT), which is responsible for maintaining the security of 
TSCA CBI, requires that all individuals desiring access to TSCA CBI 
obtain and annually renew official clearance to TSCA CBI. As part of 
the process for obtaining TSCA CBI clearance, OPPT requires certain 
information about the contracting company and about each contractor 
employee requesting TSCA CBI clearance, primarily the name, an 
identification number of the employee, the type of TSCA CBI clearance 
requested and the justification for such clearance, and the signature 
of the employee to an agreement with respect to access to and use of 
TSCA CBI.
    Responses to the collection of information are voluntary, but 
failure to provide the requested information will prevent a contractor 
employee from obtaining clearance to TSCA CBI. EPA will observe strict 
confidentiality precautions with respect to the information collected 
on individual employees, based on the Privacy Act of 1974, as outlined 
in the ICR and in the collection instrument.
    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 burden for this 
collection of information is estimated to average 1.6 hour 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: Companies that are under contract to 
the Environmental Protection Agency to provide certain services, and 
whose employees must have access to TSCA confidential business 
information in the performance of their duties.
    Estimated No. of Respondents: 19.
    Frequency of Collection: One time only per individual employee 
needing TSCA CBI clearance.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 415 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Costs: $15,488.
    Changes in Burden Estimates: There is a decrease of 260 hours (from 
675 hours to 415 hours) in the total estimated respondent burden 
compared with that identified in the information collection request 
most recently approved by OMB. This change results from a lesser number 
of contractor companies with employees needing TSCA CBI clearance.

    Dated: April 1, 2004.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 04-8231 Filed 4-9-04; 8:45 am]
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