[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 224 (Monday, November 22, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67908-67909]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-25820]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPPT-2004-0087; FRL-7839-8]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; PCBs; Consolidated Reporting and 
Recordkeeping Requirements; EPA ICR No. 1446.08, OMB No. 2070-0112

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 
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 cost.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before December 22, 
2004.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID Number OPPT-
2004-0087, to (1) EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by 
e-mail to [email protected] 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) 
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 April 30, 
2004, EPA sought comments on this renewal ICR (69 FR 23747). EPA sought 
comments on this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received one 
comment during the comment period, which is addressed in the Supporting 
Statement.
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. OPPT-2004-0087, 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.
    Title: PCBs; Consolidated Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements.
    Abstract: Section 6(e)(1) of the Toxic Substances Control Act 
(TSCA), 15 U.S.C. 2605(e), directs EPA to regulate the marking and 
disposal of PCBs. Section 6(e)(2) bans the manufacturing, processing, 
distribution in commerce, and use of PCBs in other than a totally 
enclosed manner. Section 6(e)(3) establishes a process for obtaining 
exemptions from the prohibitions on the manufacture, processing, and 
distribution in commerce of PCBs. Since 1978, EPA has promulgated 
numerous rules addressing all aspects of the life cycle of PCBs as 
required by the statute. The regulations are intended to prevent the 
improper handling and disposal of PCBs and to minimize the exposure of 
human beings or the environment to PCBs. These regulations have been 
codified in the various subparts of 40 CFR part 761. There are 
approximately 100 specific reporting, third-party reporting, and 
recordkeeping

[[Page 67909]]

requirements covered by 40 CFR part 761.
    To meet its statutory obligations to regulate PCBs, EPA must obtain 
sufficient information to conclude that specified activities do not 
result in an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment. 
EPA uses the information collected under the 40 CFR part 761 
requirements to ensure that PCBs are managed in an environmentally safe 
manner and that activities are being conducted in compliance with the 
PCB regulations. The information collected by these requirements will 
update the Agency's knowledge of ongoing PCB activities, ensure that 
individuals using or disposing of PCBs are held accountable for their 
activities, and demonstrate compliance with the PCB regulations. 
Specific uses of the information collected include determining the 
efficacy of a disposal technology; evaluating exemption requests and 
exclusion notices; targeting compliance inspections; and ensuring 
adequate storage capacity for PCB waste.
    Responses to the collection of information are mandatory (see 40 
CFR part 761). 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 about 
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: Persons who currently possess PCB 
Items, PCB-contaminated equipment, or other PCB waste.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
    Estimated No. of Respondents: 814,120.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 824,778 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Costs: $23,005,750.
    Changes in Burden Estimates: This request reflects an increase of 
83,517 hours (from 741,261 hours to 824,778 hours) in the total 
estimated respondent burden from that currently in the OMB inventory. 
This increase is due to revisions to the total number of respondents. 
In some cases, the total number of respondents was based on number of 
facilities, in other cases, the total number of respondents was 
calculated by estimating the total number of pieces of equipment that 
respondents must monitor for a particular requirement. These burden 
changes were the result of new data gathered for this ICR renewal as 
well as a recent PCB regulatory analysis, estimate adjustments made for 
consistency with a recent Agency report, and updated Agency data 
regarding total numbers of regulated entities. The change in burden 
represents an adjustment.

    Dated: November 9, 2004.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 04-25820 Filed 11-19-04; 8:45 am]
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