[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 171 (Wednesday, September 3, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51464-51466]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-20393]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2004-0228; FRL-8710-5]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Reporting and Recordkeeping 
Requirements Under the Perfluorocompound (PFC) Reduction/Climate 
Partnership for the Semiconductor Industry; EPA ICR No. 1823.04, OMB 
Control No. 2060-0382

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

[[Page 51465]]

announces that an Information Collection Request (ICR) has been 
forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and 
approval. This is a request to reinstate a previously approved ICR. The 
ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the information 
collection and its estimated burden and cost.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before October 3, 
2008.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2004-0228, to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred 
method), by e-mail to [email protected], or by mail to: EPA Docket 
Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Air and Radiation Docket, 
Mailcode: 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, and 
(2) OMB by mail to: 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: Scott Bartos, Office of Atmospheric 
Programs, Climate Change Division (6207J), Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone 
number: 202-343-9167; fax number: 202-343-2202; 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 March 11, 2008 (73 FR 12996), EPA sought comments on this 
ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments. Any 
additional comments on 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-OAR-2004-0228, which is available for online viewing at 
www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Air and Radiation 
Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 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 and Radiation Docket is 202-
566-1742.
    Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at 
www.regulations.gov, to submit or view public comments, access the 
index listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those 
documents in the docket that are available electronically. Once in the 
system, select ``docket search,'' then key in the docket ID number 
identified above. Please note that EPA's policy is that public 
comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made 
available for public viewing at www.regulations.gov as EPA receives 
them and without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted 
material, confidential business information (CBI), or other information 
whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. For further 
information about the electronic docket, go to www.regulations.gov.
    Title: Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements under the 
Perfluorocompound (PFC) Reduction/Climate Partnership for the 
Semiconductor Industry
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1823.04, OMB Control No. 2060-0382
    ICR Status: This ICR expired on March 31, 2008. 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 and 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: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) PFC 
Reduction/Climate Partnership for the Semiconductor Industry is a 
voluntary program that promotes reduction of perfluorocompounds (PFCs). 
PFCs are the most potent greenhouse gases (GHG) known, with atmospheric 
lifetimes of up to 50,000 years. These unique chemical compounds are 
required during two critical semiconductor manufacturing steps: Plasma 
etching and CVD chamber cleaning. EPA's Partnership uses a pollution 
prevention approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and tracks 
progress by collecting annual PFC emissions estimates from voluntary 
participants. Partnership Companies have committed to reduce their PFC 
emissions 10 percent below their 1995 baseline level by 2010. As a 
Partner to the industry, EPA serves as a clearinghouse of technical 
information on successful strategies for reducing PFC emissions that 
are economically, technically, and environmentally sound. EPA also 
helps assess the global warming potential of potential substitute 
chemicals and publicly recognizes the Partner Companies' achievements.
    Participation in the program begins with completion of a Memorandum 
of Understanding (MOU) that outlines responsibilities of the PFC 
Reduction/Climate Partnership. By joining the Partnership, a Company 
agrees to submit a Company-specific annual report, identifying an 
overall estimate of PFC emissions by gas, to a third party designated 
by the participating Companies. The MOU also specifies that the Partner 
Company will direct the designated third party to create a confidential 
data depository for the information supplied by the Partner Company. In 
addition, the MOU states that the Partner Company will direct the 
designated third party to prepare an industry-wide annual report, to be 
submitted to EPA, that aggregates PFC emissions estimates, and provides 
each Partner Company's annual emissions by gas on a ``blind'' or 
anonymous basis. The Partner Company also agrees to share with EPA and 
others in the semiconductor industry information about successful PFC 
emission reduction processes and technologies that the Partner Company 
considers nonconfidential. This MOU applies only to PFC emissions 
originating from U.S. semiconductor manufacturing sites and can be 
terminated by either Party 30 days after the receipt of written notice 
by the other Party with no penalties or continuing obligations.
    Using the information provided through the Partnership, the EPA is 
able to (1) evaluate the overall PFC emission reductions achieved by 
the voluntary program, (2) develop estimates for the total U.S. 
semiconductor emissions, (3) identify new technologies or processes 
that reduce PFC emissions, and (4) serve as a technical clearing-house 
to provide industry with pertinent information on emissions estimation 
and reduction strategies. The Partnership data is a valuable resource 
for evaluating current and promoting future GHG emissions reductions 
within the semiconductor industry.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 544 
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

[[Page 51466]]

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.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Semiconductor manufacturing 
companies.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 21.
    Frequency of Response: Annually.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 11,426.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $938,461, which includes $116,319 
annualized capital or O&M costs and $822,142 in labor costs.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 11,426 hours in 
the total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of 
Approved ICR Burdens, which reflect the burden for reinstating the 
entire program. EPA has not collected under this ICR since it expired 
in March 2008. There is a decrease of 1,624 hours from the last time 
this ICR was approved. This is because the number of respondents 
decreased from 24 to 21.

    Dated: August 27, 2008.
Sara Hisel-McCoy,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. E8-20393 Filed 9-2-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P