[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 116 (Friday, June 16, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34929-34930]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-9458]


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

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2005-0061; FRL-8184-8]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Data Submissions for the 
Voluntary Children's Chemical Evaluation Program (VCCEP); EPA ICR No. 
2055.02, OMB No. 2070-0165

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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

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: Data Submissions for the 
Voluntary Children's Chemical Evaluation Program (VCCEP); EPA ICR No. 
2055.02, OMB No. 2070-0165. The ICR, which is abstracted below, 
describes the nature of the information collection activity and its 
expected burden and costs.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before July 17, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
OPPT-2005-0061 to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (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, Mail Code: 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-M, 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 13, 2005 (70 FR 73741), EPA sought comments on 
this renewal ICR. EPA sought comments on this ICR

[[Page 34930]]

pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments during the 
comment period. Any comments related to this ICR should be submitted to 
EPA and OMB within 30 days of this notice.
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-OPPT-2005-0061, which is available for online viewing at 
http://www.regulations.gov, or in person inspection 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. Use www.regulations.gov 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, key in the docket ID 
number identified above and click submit.
    EPA's policy is that public comments, whether submitted 
electronically or in paper, will be made available for public viewing 
in www.regulations.gov 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 
www.regulations.gov. 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 www.regulations.gov. For further information about 
the electronic docket, go to www.regulations.gov.
    Title: Data Submissions for the Voluntary Children's Chemical 
Evaluation Program (VCCEP).
    ICR Numbers: EPA ICR No. 2055.02, OMB Control No. 2070-0165
    ICR Status: This is a request to renew an existing approved 
collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on September 30, 2006. 
Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor 
the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB.
    Abstract: VCCEP is a voluntary program intended to provide data to 
enable the public to understand the potential health risks to children 
associated with certain chemical exposures. EPA has asked companies 
that manufacture and/or import 23 chemicals that have been found in 
human tissues and the environment to volunteer to sponsor their 
evaluation in VCCEP. VCCEP consists of three tiers which a sponsor may 
commit to separately. Thus far, EPA has received Tier 1 commitments for 
20 chemicals. As part of their sponsorship, companies will submit 
commitment letters, collect and/or develop health effects and exposure 
information on their chemical(s), integrate that information in a risk 
assessment, and develop a ``Data Needs Assessment.'' The Data Needs 
Assessment will discuss the need for additional data, which could be 
provided by the next tier, to fully characterize the risks the chemical 
may pose to children.
    The information submitted by the sponsor will be evaluated by a 
group of scientific experts with extensive, relevant experience in 
toxicity testing and exposure evaluations, a Peer Consultation Group. 
This Group will forward its opinions to EPA and the sponsor(s) 
concerning the adequacy of the assessments and the need for development 
of any additional information to fully assess risks to children. EPA 
will consider the opinions of the Peer Consultation Group and announce 
whether additional higher tier information is needed. Sponsors and the 
public will have an opportunity to comment on EPA's decision concerning 
data needs. EPA will consider these comments and issue a final 
decision. If the final decision is that additional information is 
needed, sponsors will be asked to volunteer to provide the next tier of 
information. If additional information is not needed, the risk 
communication and, if necessary, risk management phases of the program 
will be initiated.
    Responses to the collection of information are voluntary. 
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 231.4 
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 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, processors, 
importers, or distributors in commerce of certain chemical substances 
or mixtures who have volunteered to sponsor a chemical under the VCCEP.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
    Estimated average number of responses for each respondent: 3.5.
    Estimated No. of Respondents: 20.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 106,256 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Costs: $8,973,067.
    Changes in Burden Estimates: There is a decrease of 48,076 hours 
(from 154,332 hours to 106,256 hours) in the total estimated respondent 
burden compared with that identified in the information collection most 
recently approved by OMB. This decrease represents the net effect of 
several changes in estimates and assumptions made from the previous 
VCCEP ICR, based on recent experiences with the VCCEP pilot. First, the 
estimated number of chemicals participating in the program was reduced 
from 23 to 20, based on actual participation. Second, because the Tier 
1 Peer Consultation Documents submitted thus far to EPA have been so 
comprehensive (e.g., many have contained information on Tier 2- and 
Tier 3-level tests), EPA is estimating that fewer chemicals will 
advance to the higher tiers. This decrease is an adjustment.

    Dated: June 9, 2006.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. E6-9458 Filed 6-15-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P