[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 135 (Friday, July 14, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40093-40095]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-11106]



[[Page 40093]]

=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0073; FRL-8197-3]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Distribution of Offsite Consequence Analysis 
Information Under Section 112(r)(7)(H) of the Clean Air Act (CAA). EPA 
ICR No. 1981.03, OMB Control No. 2050-0172

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to 
submit a request to renew an existing approved Information Collection 
Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR is 
scheduled to expire on December 31, 2006. Before submitting the ICR to 
OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific 
aspects of the proposed information collection as described below.

DATES:  Comments must be submitted on or before September 12, 2006.

ADDRESSES:  Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2003-0073, by one of the following methods:
     http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Fax: (202) 566-1741.
     Mail: Air Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, 
Mailcode: 6102T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
     Hand Delivery: EPA Docket Center; Public Reading Room, 
Room B102; EPA West Building, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington 
DC. Such deliveries are only accepted during the Docket's normal hours 
of operation, and special arrangements should be made for deliveries of 
boxed information.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2003-0073. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included 
in the public docket without change and may be made available online at 
http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be 
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose 
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you 
consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through www.regulations.gov 
or e-mail. The www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' 
system, which means EPA will not know your identity or contact 
information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you 
send an e-mail comment directly to EPA without going through 
www.regulations.gov your e-mail address will be automatically captured 
and included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket 
and made available on the Internet. If you submit an electronic 
comment, EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact 
information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you 
submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties 
and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to 
consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of special 
characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any defects or 
viruses. For additional information about EPA's public docket visit the 
EPA Docket Center homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Sicy Jacob, Office of Emergency 
Management, Regulation and Policy Development Division, 5104A, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564-8019; fax number: 
(202) 564-2620; e-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

How Can I Access the Docket and/or Submit Comments?

    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-OAR 2003-0073, which is available for online viewing at 
http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Air Docket in 
the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution 
Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC 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 Air Docket is 202-566-1742.
    Use http://www.regulations.gov to obtain a copy of the draft 
collection of information, submit or view public comments, access the 
index listing of the contents of the 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 in this document.

What Information Is EPA Particularly Interested in?

    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA specifically 
solicits comments and information to enable it to:
    (i) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the
    (ii) Proper performance of the functions of the Agency, including 
whether the
    (iii) Information will have practical utility;
    (iv) Evaluate the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden 
of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of 
the methodology and assumptions used;
    (v) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    (vi) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses. In particular, EPA is requesting comments from 
very small businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples of 
specific additional efforts that EPA could make to reduce the paperwork 
burden for very small businesses affected by this collection.

What Should I Consider When I Prepare My Comments for EPA?

    You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your 
comments:
    1. Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific 
examples.
    2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
    3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used 
that support your views.
    4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you 
arrived at the estimate that you provide.
    5. Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity.
    6. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline identified 
under DATES.
    7. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the docket 
ID number assigned to this action in the subject line on the first page 
of your response. You may also provide the name, date, and Federal 
Register citation.

[[Page 40094]]

What Information Collection Activity or ICR Does This Apply to?

Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0073

    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
Entities potentially affected by this action are State and local 
agencies and members of the public.
    Title: Entities potentially affected by this action are State and 
local agencies and members of the public.
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1981.03, OMB Control No. 2050-0172.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on December 
31, 2006. 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 when approved, are listed in 40 CFR part 9, are displayed 
either by publication in the Federal Register or by other appropriate 
means, such as on the related collection instrument or form, if 
applicable. The display of OMB control numbers in certain EPA 
regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
    Abstract: This ICR is the renewal of the ICR developed for the 
final rule, Accidental Release Prevention Requirements; Risk Management 
Programs Under the Clean Air Act Section 112(r)(7); Distribution of 
Off-Site Consequence Analysis Information. CAA section 112(r)(7) 
required EPA to promulgate reasonable regulations and appropriate 
guidance to provide for the prevention and detection of accidental 
releases and for responses to such releases. The regulations include 
requirements for submittal of a risk management plan (RMP) to EPA. The 
RMP includes information on offsite consequence analyses (OCA) as well 
as other elements of the risk management program.
    On August 5, 1999, the President signed the Chemical Safety 
Information, Site Security, and Fuels Regulatory Relief Act 
(CSISSFRRA). The Act required the President to promulgate regulations 
on the distribution of OCA information (CAA section 112(r)(7)(H)(ii)). 
The President delegated to EPA and the Department of Justice (DOJ) the 
responsibility to promulgate regulations to govern the dissemination of 
OCA information to the public. The final rule was published on August 
4, 2000 (65 FR 48108). The regulations imposed minimal requirements on 
the public, state and local agencies that request OCA data from EPA. 
The state and local agencies who decide to obtain OCA information must 
send a written request on their official letterhead to EPA certifying 
that they are covered persons under Public Law 106-40, and that they 
will use the information for official use only. EPA will then provide 
paper copies of OCA data to those agencies as requested. The rule 
authorizes and encourages state and local agencies to set up reading 
rooms. The local reading rooms would provide read-only access to OCA 
information for all the sources in the LEPC's jurisdiction and for any 
source where the vulnerable zone extends into the LEPC's jurisdiction.
    Members of the public requesting to view OCA information at federal 
reading rooms would be required to sign in and self certify. If asking 
for OCA information from federal reading rooms for the facilities in 
the area where they live or work, they would be required to provide 
proof that they live or work in that area. Members of the public are 
required to give their names, telephone number, and the names of the 
facilities for which OCA information is being requested, when they 
contact the central office to schedule an appointment to view OCA 
information.
    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.
    The EPA would like to solicit comments to:
    (i) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    (ii) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of 
the methodology and assumptions used;
    (iii) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
to be collected; and
    (iv) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses.
    Burden Statement: For this ICR period, EPA estimates a total of 
3,270 hours (annually) for local agencies requesting OCA data from EPA 
and providing read-only access to the public. For the state agencies, 
the total annual burden for requesting OCA data from EPA and providing 
read-only access to the public, is 3,816 hours. For the public to 
display photo identification, sign a sign-in sheet, certify that the 
individual has not received access to OCA information for more than 10 
stationary sources for that calendar month, and to request information 
from the vulnerable zone indicator system (VZIS), EPA estimates a total 
of 8,754 hours annually. The total burden for the members of the 
public, state and local agencies is 15,840 hours and $413,380 annually 
(47,520 hours for three years and $1,240,140).
    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.
    The ICR provides a detailed explanation of the Agency's estimate, 
which is only briefly summarized here:
    Estimated total number of potential respondents: 4,417.
    Frequency of response: Annual.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 15,840.
    Estimated total annual costs: $413,380.
    The burden and cost reported here are from the current approved 
ICR. In the package submitted to OMB, the costs will change based on 
the most recent labor and wage rates information reported by the Bureau 
of Labor and Statistics.

What Is the Next Step in the Process for This ICR?

    EPA will consider the comments received and amend the ICR as 
appropriate. The final ICR package will then be submitted to OMB for 
review and approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. At that time, EPA will 
issue another Federal Register notice pursuant to 5 CFR 
1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the 
opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB. If you have any 
questions about this ICR or the approval process, please contact the

[[Page 40095]]

technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Dated: July 10, 2006.
Deborah Y. Dietrich,
Director, Office of Emergency Management.
 [FR Doc. E6-11106 Filed 7-13-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P