[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 160 (Friday, August 18, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47805-47807]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-13607]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2006-0499; FRL-8072-6]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Voluntary Cover Sheet for TSCA Submissions; EPA ICR 
No. 1780.04, OMB Control No. 2070-0156

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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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, 
entitled: ``Voluntary Cover Sheet for TSCA Submissions'' and identified 
by EPA ICR No. 1780.04 and OMB Control No. 2070-0156, is scheduled to 
expire on June 30, 2007. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review 
and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the 
proposed information collection.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before October 17, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2006-0499, by one of the following methods:
     http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Mail: Document Control Office (7407M), Office of Pollution 
Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001.
     Hand Delivery: OPPT Document Control Office (DCO), EPA 
East Bldg., Rm. 6428, 1201 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. 
Attention: Docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2006-0499. The DCO is open from 
8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The 
telephone number for the DCO is (202) 564-8930. 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 number EPA-HQ-OPPT-
2006-0499. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included 
in the public docket without change and may be made available on-line 
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 regulations.gov or e-
mail. The regulations.gov website 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 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: For general information contact: Colby 
Lintner, Regulatory Coordinator, Environmental Assistance Division 
(7408M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (202) 554-1404; e-mail address: [email protected].
    For technical information contact: Ron Carlson, Information 
Management Division (7407M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564-631; fax number: 
(202) 564-7480; e-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. 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:
    1. 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.
    2. Evaluate the accuracy of the Agency's estimates of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used.
    3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected.
    4. 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

[[Page 47806]]

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.

II. 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. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns.
    6. Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity.
    7. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline identified 
under DATES.
    8. 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.

III. What Information Collection Activity or ICR Does this Action Apply 
to?

    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
companies that manufacture, process, use, import or distribute in 
commerce chemical substances that are subject to reporting requirements 
under sections 4, 8(d) or 8(e) of the Toxic Substances Control Act 
(TSCA), or are subject to voluntary reporting under the Voluntary 
Children's Chemical Evaluation Program (VCCEP).
    Title: Voluntary Cover Sheet for TSCA Submissions.
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1780.04, OMB Control No. 2070-0156.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on June 30, 
2007. 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: TSCA requires industry to submit information and studies 
for existing chemical substances under sections 4, 6, and 8, and 
requests voluntary submission of such information under the VCCEP. EPA 
typically receives thousands of such submissions each year; each 
submission represents on average three studies. In addition, EPA can 
impose specific Data Call-Ins on industry.
    As a follow-up to industry experience with a 1994 TSCA Data Call-
In, the Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA), now known as the 
American Chemistry Council (ACC), the Specialty Organics Chemical 
Manufacturers Association (SOCMA), and the Chemical Industry Data 
Exchange (CIDX), in cooperation with EPA, took an interest in pursuing 
electronic transfer of TSCA summary data and of full submissions to 
EPA. In particular, ACC developed a standardized cover sheet for 
voluntary use by industry as a first step to an electronic future and 
to begin familiarizing companies with standard requirements and 
concepts of electronic transfer. This form is designed for voluntary 
use as a cover sheet for submissions of information under TSCA sections 
4, 8(d), 8(e) and VCCEP. The cover sheet facilitates submission of 
information by displaying certain basic data elements, permitting EPA 
more easily to identify, log, track, distribute, review and index 
submissions, and to make information publicly available more rapidly 
and at reduced cost, to the mutual benefit of both the respondents and 
EPA.
    Responses to the collection of information are voluntary. 
Respondents may claim all or part of a notice confidential. EPA will 
disclose information that is covered by a claim of confidentiality only 
to the extent permitted by, and in accordance with, the procedures in 
TSCA section 14 and 40 CFR part 2.
    Burden statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 0.5 
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 which have subsequently changed; 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 this estimate, which is 
only briefly summarized here:
    Estimated total number of potential respondents: 1,206.
    Frequency of response: On occasion.
    Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 
1.8.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 1,061.5 hours.
    Estimated total annual costs: 52,779. This includes an estimated 
burden cost of 52,779 and an estimated cost of 0 for capital investment 
or maintenance and operational costs.

IV. Are There Changes in the Estimates from the Last Approval?

    There is a decrease of 8,074.5 hours (from 9,136 hours to 1,061.5 
hours) in the total estimated respondent burden compared with that 
identified in the ICR currently approved by OMB. This decrease reflects 
a decrease in the estimated number of submissions under TSCA sections 
4, 8(d) and 8(e), offset by the estimated number of submissions under 
VCCEP, for which the Voluntary TSCA Cover Sheet could be used, in 
particular a substantial decrease in the estimated number of TSCA 
section 4 submissions. Since the use of the Voluntary TSCA Cover Sheet 
is a direct reflection of the number of submissions received under TSCA 
sections 4, 8(d), 8(e) and VCCEP, any change in the estimated numbers 
of submissions under those requirements will result in a parallel 
change in the burden hours associated with this information collection. 
The change is an adjustment.

V. 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. 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 technical

[[Page 47807]]

person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Dated: August 7, 2006.
James D. Gulliford,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic 
Substances.
[FR Doc. E6-13607 Filed 8-17-06; 8:45 am]
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