[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 133 (Thursday, July 12, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38079-38081]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-13559]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2007-0572; FRL-8140-2]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Information Collection in Support of EPA's Stewardship 
Program for Nanoscale Materials; EPA ICR No. 2250.01, OMB Control No. 
2070-new

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 for a new Information Collection Request (ICR) to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Before submitting the ICR, 
entitled: ``Information Collection in Support of EPA's Stewardship 
Program for Nanoscale Materials'' and identified by EPA ICR No. 2250.01 
and OMB Control No. 2070-new, to OMB for review and approval, EPA is 
soliciting public comments on specific aspects of the proposed 
information collection for this voluntary stewardship program for 
nanoscale materials. In a separate Federal Register document, EPA is 
announcing the availability for public review and comment of two draft 
documents: ``Concept Paper for the Nanoscale Materials Stewardship 
Program under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)'' and ``TSCA 
Inventory Status of Nanoscale Substances--General Approach.''

DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 10, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2007-0572, by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Document Control Office (7407M), Office of Pollution 
Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001.
     Delivery: OPPT Document Control Office (DCO), EPA East, 
Rm. 6428, 1201 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. Attention: 
Docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2007-0572. 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 DCO'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-
2007-0572. 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

[[Page 38080]]

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.
    Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the docket index 
available in regulations.gov. To access the electronic docket, go to 
http://www.regulations.gov, select ``Advanced Search,'' then ``Docket 
Search.'' Insert the docket ID number where indicated and select the 
``Submit'' button. Follow the instructions on the regulations.gov web 
site to view the docket index or access available documents. Although 
listed in the index, some information is not publicly available, e.g., 
CBI or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. 
Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, will be publicly 
available only in hard copy. Publicly available docket materials are 
available electronically at http://www.regulations.gov, or, if only 
available in hard copy, at the OPPT Docket. The OPPT Docket is located 
in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC) at Rm. 3334, EPA West Bldg., 1301 
Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC Public Reading Room 
hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
excluding Federal holidays. The telephone number of the EPA/DC Public 
Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the OPPT 
Docket is (202) 566-0280. Docket visitors are required to show 
photographic identification, pass through a metal detector, and sign 
the EPA visitor log. All visitor bags are processed through an X-ray 
machine and subject to search. Visitors will be provided an EPA/DC 
badge that must be visible at all times in the building and returned 
upon departure.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Alwood, Chemical Control Division 
(7405M), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (202) 564-8974; fax 
number: (202) 564-9490; e-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. What Should I Consider as I Prepare My Comments for EPA?

A. Considerations Under the Paperwork Reduction Act

    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. Guidance 
issued by OMB states that the term ''practical utility'' refers to the 
usefulness of information (considering its accuracy, adequacy, and 
reliability) to carry out the Agency's functions in a timely manner.
    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 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.

B. Tips for Preparing Your Comments

    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.

C. Submitting CBI

    Do not submit this information to EPA through regulations.gov or e-
mail. Clearly mark the part or all of the information that you claim to 
be CBI. For CBI information in a disk or CD ROM that you mail to EPA, 
mark the outside of the disk or CD ROM as CBI and then identify 
electronically within the disk or CD ROM the specific information that 
is claimed as CBI. In addition to one complete version of the comment 
that includes information claimed as CBI, a copy of the comment that 
does not contain the information claimed as CBI must be submitted for 
inclusion in the public docket. Information so marked will not be 
disclosed except in accordance with procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 
2.

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

    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this ICR are 
manufacturers, importers, and processors of nanoscale materials. Using 
the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes to 
assist you and others in determining whether this action might apply to 
certain entities, potentially affected entities may include, but are 
not limited to:
     Chemical manufacturers, importers, and processors (NAICS 
code 325), e.g., persons who manufacture (defined by TSCA to include 
import) or process chemical substances.
    Title: Information Collection in Support of EPA's Stewardship 
Program for Nanoscale Materials.
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2250.01, OMB Control No. 2070-new.
    ICR status: This ICR is for a new information collection activity. 
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. After approval by OMB, the OMB control number 
for this ICR will be displayed by publication in the Federal Register 
and by the inclusion of the paperwork reduction notice in the optional 
form and instructions.
    Abstract: EPA intends to initiate a voluntary information 
collection to assemble all known or reasonably ascertainable 
information from manufacturers, importers, and processors of nanoscale 
materials who are participating in the voluntary Stewardship Program 
for Nanoscale Materials. EPA also intends to

[[Page 38081]]

collaborate with participating manufacturers, importers, and processors 
of nanoscale materials, and other stakeholders in an effort to generate 
more detailed information of certain specific nanoscale materials. 
Under this second effort OPPT and program participants will work 
together to generate data and analyses that will more fully 
characterize certain nanoscale materials and to increase understanding 
of the environmental health and safety implications of manufactured 
nanoscale materials.
    This data collection will facilitate and support EPA's voluntary 
Stewardship Program for Nanoscale Materials and complement EPA's new 
and existing chemical programs under TSCA. These data will also help 
provide a firmer scientific foundation for regulatory decisions by 
encouraging the development of key scientific information and 
appropriate risk management practices for nanoscale chemical 
substances.
    Burden statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 833 
hours per response. This estimate assumes that the response involves 
all potential activities in the Nanoscale Materials Stewardship Program 
described in the ICR. Not all participants in the Nanoscale Materials 
Stewardship Program are expected to participate in the ``in-depth'' 
component of the program. Under the PRA, ``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 the activities and 
estimated burden, which is only briefly summarized here:
    Estimated total number of potential respondents: 615.
    Frequency of response: On occasion.
    Estimated total average number of annual responses for each 
respondent: 2.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 24,724 hours.
    Estimated total annual costs: $1,271,240.

III. What is the Next Step in the Process for this ICR?

    EPA will consider the comments received and amend the ICR as 
appropriate. Although included as attachments to the ICR, EPA is 
issuing a separate Federal Register document to solicit public review 
and comments on two draft documents: ``Concept Paper for the Nanoscale 
Materials Stewardship Program under TSCA'' and ``TSCA Inventory Status 
of Nanoscale Substances--General Approach.'' In addition to considering 
comments submitted on the ICR, EPA will also consider public comments 
received on these two documents.
    The final ICR package, including the revised attachments, 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 process, please 
contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.


    Dated: July 9, 2007.
James Jones,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Prevention, Pesticides and 
Toxic Substances.
[FR Doc. E7-13559 Filed 7-11-07; 8:45 am]
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