[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 224 (Monday, November 22, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67906-67908]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-25819]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OECA-2004-0011; FRL-7839-9]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; NESHAP for Vinyl Chloride 
(Renewal), EPA ICR Number 0186.10, OMB Control Number 2060-0071

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, this document 
announces that an 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 November 30, 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 December 22, 
2004.

[[Page 67907]]


ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OECA-
2004-0011, to (1) EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by 
e-mail to [email protected], or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, 
Environmental Protection Agency, Enforcement and Compliance Docket and 
Information Center, Mail Code 2201T, 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: Learia Williams, Compliance Assessment 
and Media Programs Division, Office of Compliance, (Mail Code 2223A), 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., 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 May 25, 2004 (69 FR 29718), 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. OECA-2004-0011, 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 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 Enforcement and Compliance Docket and 
Information Center Docket is: (202) 566-1752. 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. 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, 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 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.
    Title: NESHAP for Vinyl Chloride (Renewal).
    Abstract: The National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air 
Pollutants (NESHAP) for Vinyl Chloride (VC) were proposed on December 
24, 1975, promulgated on October 21, 1976, and amended on June 7, 1977, 
September 30, 1986, September 23, 1988, and December 23, 1992. These 
standards apply to exhaust gases and oxychlorination vents at ethylene 
dichloride (EDC) plants; exhaust gas at vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) 
plants; and exhaust gases, reactor opening losses, manual vent valves, 
and stripping residuals at polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plants. The 
standards also apply to relief valves and fugitive emission sources at 
all three types of plants.
    In the Administrator's judgement, vinyl chloride emissions from 
polyvinyl chloride (PVC), ethylene dichloride (EDC), and vinyl chloride 
monomer (VCM) plants cause or contribute to air pollution that may 
reasonably be anticipated to result in an increase in mortality or an 
increase in serious irreversible, or incapacitating reversible illness. 
Vinyl chloride is a known human carcinogen which causes a rare cancer 
of the liver. In order to ensure compliance with the standard, adequate 
recordkeeping and reporting is necessary. This information enables the 
Agency to: (1) Ensure that facilities that are affected continue to 
operate the control equipment and use proper work practices to achieve 
compliance; (2) notification of startup indicates to enforcement 
personnel when a new facility has been constructed and is thus subject 
to the standards; and (3) provides a means for ensuring compliance.
    The standards require daily measurements from the continuous 
monitoring system and of the reactor pressure and temperature. 
Establishment of a continuous monitoring program is a high priority of 
the Agency. The continuous monitoring system monitors VC emissions from 
the stack to judge compliance with the numerical limits in the 
standards. The parameters are used to judge the operation of the 
reactor so that the source and EPA will be aware of improper operation 
and maintenance. The standards implicitly require the initial reports 
required by the General Provisions of 40 CFR 61.7 and 61.9. These 
initial reports include application for approval of construction or 
modification, and notification of startup. The standards also require 
quarterly reporting of vinyl chloride emissions from stripping, reactor 
openings, and exhausts. Reports must be submitted within 10 days of 
each valve discharge and manual vent valve discharge. The owner/
operator must make the following one-time-only reports: Application for 
approval of construction or modification; notification of startup; 
application of a waiver of testing (if desired by source); and an 
initial report. The initial report includes a list of the equipment 
installed for compliance, a description of the physical and functional 
characteristics of each piece of equipment, a description of the 
methods which have been incorporated into the standard operation 
procedures for measuring or calculating emissions, and a statement that 
equipment and procedures are in place and are being used. Generally, 
the one-time-only reports are required of all sources subject to NESHAP 
regulation.
    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 60 
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

[[Page 67908]]

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: Manufacturers of ethylene 
dichloride, vinyl chloride monomer, and polyvinyl chloride.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 28.
    Frequency of Response: Initially, quarterly, and on occasion.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 11,825 hours.
    Estimated Total Capital and Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Annual 
Costs: $2,014,515, which includes $0 annualized capital/startup, 
$1,260,000 annual O&M costs, and $754,515 Respondent Labor Costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 4,334 hours in the 
total estimated hours burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory 
of Approved ICR Burdens. This decrease in the burden from the most 
recently approved ICR is due to a decrease in the number of existing 
sources. Our data indicates that there are approximately forty-four 
sources in the active ICR compared to twenty-eight sources in the 
renewal, reflected in the change in the hourly burden.

    Dated: November 13, 2004.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 04-25819 Filed 11-19-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P