[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 143 (Tuesday, July 26, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44585-44586]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-18866]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA HQ-SFUND-2011-0052; FRL-9443-6 ]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Superfund Site Evaluation and 
Hazard Ranking System (Renewal)

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 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 renew an 
existing approved collection. 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 August 25, 
2011.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
SFUND-2011-0052, to (1) EPA online using http://www.regulations.gov 
(our preferred method), by e-mail to [email protected], or by 
mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Superfund 
Docket, Mail Code: 28221T, 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: Randy Hippen, mail code 5204-P, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (703) 603-8829; fax number: 
(703) 603-9104; 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 February 8, 2011 (76 FR 6782), 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-SFUND-2011-0052, which is available for online viewing at 
http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Superfund 
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 8:30 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 Superfund Docket is 202-566-
0276.
    Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at http://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 http://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 http://www.regulations.gov.
    Title: Superfund Site Evaluation and Hazard Ranking System 
(Renewal).
    ICR Numbers: EPA ICR No. 1488.08, OMB Control No. 2050-0095.
    ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on July 31, 2011. Under 
OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the 
collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. 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: Section 105 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, 1980 and 1986) amended the 
National Oil and Hazardous Substances Contingency Plan (NCP) to include 
criteria prioritizing releases throughout the U.S. before undertaking 
remedial action at uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. The Hazard 
Ranking System (HRS) is a model that is used to evaluate the relative 
threats to human health and the environment posed by actual or 
potential releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, and 
contaminants. The HRS criteria take into account the population at 
risk, the hazard potential of the substances, as well as the potential 
for contamination of drinking water supplies, direct human contact, 
destruction of sensitive ecosystems, damage to natural resources 
affecting the human food chain, contamination of surface water used for 
recreation or potable water consumption, and contamination of ambient 
air.
    EPA Regional offices work with States to determine those sites for 
which the State will conduct the Superfund site evaluation activities 
and the HRS scoring. The States are reimbursed 100 percent of their 
costs, except for record maintenance.
    Under this ICR, the States will apply the HRS by identifying and 
classifying those releases or sites that warrant further investigation. 
The HRS score is crucial since it is the primary mechanism used to 
determine whether a site is eligible to be included on the National 
Priorities List (NPL). Only sites on the NPL are eligible for 
Superfund-financed remedial actions.
    HRS scores are derived from the sources described in this 
information collection, including conducting field reconnaissance, 
taking samples at the site, and reviewing available reports and 
documents. States record the collected information on HRS documentation 
worksheets and include this in the supporting reference package.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 214 
hours per

[[Page 44586]]

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.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: States (including U.S. Territories) 
and Indian Tribes.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 60.
    Frequency of Response: 9 to 10 reports per year.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 121,681.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $11,238,970, includes $1,869,270 
annualized capital or O&M costs, however all these costs are reimbursed 
by the Federal Government through cooperative agreements, resulting in 
no net cost to respondents for this ICR.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 27,192 hours in 
the total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of 
Approved ICR Burdens. This decrease is primarily due to a reduction in 
the number of total activities to be performed by respondents combined 
with a decline in related infrastructure costs. This change reflects an 
adjustment to the estimated burden.

    Dated: July 20, 2011.
John Moses,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2011-18866 Filed 7-25-11; 8:45 am]
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