[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 176 (Monday, September 13, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55155-55156]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-20602]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPPT-2003-0065; FRL -7811-6]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Pre-Manufacture Review Reporting 
and Exemption Requirements for New Chemical Substances and Significant 
New Use Reporting Requirements for Chemical Substances, EPA ICR No. 
0574.12, OMB No. 2070-0012

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 the following Information 
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an 
existing approved collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on 
October 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 cost.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before October 13, 
2004.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to both (1) EPA, referencing docket ID 
number OPPT-2003-0065, online at http://www.epa.gov/edocket (our 
preferred method), by e-mail to: [email protected], or by U.S. 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 (reference OMB Control No. 2070-0012).

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-
554-1404; 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 December 15, 2003, EPA sought comments on this renewal ICR 
(68 FR 69677). EPA sought comments on this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 
1320.8(d). EPA received no comments during the comment period.
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. OPPT-2003-0065, which is available for public viewing at the 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 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 Pollution Prevention and 
Toxics Docket is 202-566-0280. 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. 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 38102 (May 31, 2002), or go to http://www.epa.gov/edocket.
    ICR Title: Pre-Manufacture Review Reporting and Exemption 
Requirements for New Chemical Substances and Significant New Use 
Reporting Requirements for Chemical Substances.
    Abstract: Section 5 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) 
requires manufacturers and importers of new chemical substances to 
submit to EPA notice of intent to manufacture or import a new chemical 
substance 90 days before manufacture or import begins. EPA reviews the 
information contained in the notice to evaluate the health and 
environmental effects of the new chemical substance. On the basis of 
the review, EPA may take further regulatory action under TSCA, if 
warranted. If EPA takes no action within 90 days, the submitter is free 
to manufacture or import the new chemical substance without 
restriction.
    TSCA section 5 also authorizes EPA to issue Significant New Use 
Rules (SNURs). EPA uses this authority to take follow-up action on new 
or existing chemicals that may present an unreasonable risk to human 
health or the environment if used in a manner that may result in 
different and/or higher exposures of a chemical to

[[Page 55156]]

humans or the environment. Once a use is determined to be a significant 
new use, persons must submit a notice to EPA 90 days before beginning 
manufacture, processing or importation of a chemical substance for that 
use. Such a notice allows EPA to receive and review information on such 
a use and, if necessary, regulate the use before it occurs.
    Finally, TSCA section 5 also permits applications for exemption 
from section 5 review under certain circumstances. An applicant must 
provide information sufficient for EPA to make a determination that the 
circumstances in question qualify for an exemption. In granting an 
exemption, EPA may impose appropriate restrictions.
    Responses to the collection of information are mandatory (see 40 
CFR parts 700, 720, 721, 723 and 725). Respondents may claim all or 
part of a notice as CBI. EPA will disclose information that is covered 
by a CBI claim only to the extent permitted by, and in accordance with, 
the procedures in 40 CFR part 2.
    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 title 40 of the CFR, after appearing in the Federal 
Register, are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and included on the related 
collection instrument or form, if applicable.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 102.1 
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 manufacture, process 
or import chemical substances.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
    Estimated No. of Respondents: 443.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 163,791 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Costs: $34,348,733.
    Changes in Burden Estimates: This request reflects a decrease in 
the total estimated burden of 20,817 hours (from 184,608 hours to 
163,791 hours) in the total estimated respondent burden from that 
currently in the OMB inventory. This decrease represents an adjustment 
in the number of annual submissions to reflect EPA's experiences since 
the most recent ICR. The decrease in the number of submissions per year 
is largely associated with the polymer and other exemptions implemented 
under the 1995 amendments.

    Dated: September 1, 2004.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 04-20602 Filed 9-10-04; 8:45 am]
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