[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 149 (Wednesday, August 5, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39074-39075]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-18696]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2008-0219; FRL-8940-6]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; EPA's Design for the Environment 
Formulator Product Recognition Program; EPA ICR No. 2302.01, OMB 
Control No. 2070-NEW

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (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: EPA's Design for the 
Environment Formulator Product Recognition Program; EPA ICR No. 
2302.01, OMB No. 2070-NEW. 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 September 4, 
2009.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID Number EPA-HQ-
OPPT-2008-0219 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, 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 June 18, 2008 (73 FR 34726), EPA sought comments on this 
ICR. EPA sought comments on this ICR 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-2008-0219, which is available for online viewing at 
http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the OPPT 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 Pollution Prevention and Toxics Docket is 202-
566-0280.
    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 public 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 in 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. 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. For 
further information about the electronic docket, go to 
www.regulations.gov.
    Title: EPA's Design for the Environment Formulator Product 
Recognition Program.
    ICR Numbers: EPA ICR No. 2302.01, 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. The OMB control numbers for EPA's regulations 
in title 40 of the CFR, after appearing in the Federal Register

[[Page 39075]]

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: EPA's Design for the Environment (DfE) Formulator Product 
Recognition Program formally recognizes safer products where all 
ingredients have an environmental and human health profile showing that 
they are the safest in their functional use class. Under the 
encouragement of this program, leading companies have made great 
progress in developing safer, highly effective chemical products. Since 
the program's inception in 1997, formulators have used the program as a 
portal to OPPT's unique chemical expertise, information resources, and 
guidance on greener chemistry. DfE Formulator partners enjoy Agency 
recognition, including the use of the DfE logo on products with the 
safest possible formulations. In the future, EPA expects much greater 
program participation due to rising demand for safer products. This 
information collection enables EPA to accommodate participation by more 
than nine formulators each year and to enhance program transparency.
    Information collection activities associated with this program will 
assist the Agency in meeting the goals of the Pollution Prevention Act 
(PPA) by providing resources and recognition for businesses committed 
to promoting and using safer chemical products. In turn, the program 
will help businesses meet corporate sustainability goals by providing 
the means to, and an objective measure of, environmental stewardship. 
Investment analysts and advisers seek these types of measures in 
evaluating a corporation's sustainability profile and investment 
worthiness. Formulator Program partnership is an important impetus for 
prioritizing and completing the transition to safer chemical products. 
The Formulator Program is also needed to promote greater use of safer 
chemical products by companies unaware of the benefits of such a 
change.
    EPA has tailored its request for information, and especially the 
Formulator Product Recognition Program application forms, to ensure 
that the Agency requests only that information essential to verify 
applicants' eligibility for recognition. 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 22 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: Entities potentially affected by 
this action are companies that formulate end-use, for-sale chemical 
products.
    Frequency of Collection: On occassion.
    Estimated Average Number of Responses for Each Respondent: 1.
    Estimated No. of Respondents: 32.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 691 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Costs: $815,473 (including $382,800 in M&O 
costs).
    Changes in Burden Estimates: This is a new ICR. This estimated 
burden for this new ICR is estimated to be 691 hours and is a program 
change.

    Dated: July 30, 2009.
John Moses,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. E9-18696 Filed 8-4-09; 8:45 am]
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