[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 143 (Tuesday, July 26, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44580-44581]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-18878]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-SFUND-2011-0177, FRL-9444-1]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; National Oil and Hazardous 
Substance Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) (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-2011-0177, 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, Room 3334, 
EPA West Building, 1301 Constitution Avenue, 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: Lois Gartner, Assessment and 
Remediation Division, Office of Superfund Technology and Innovation, 
(5204P), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 703-603-8711; fax number: 703-
603-9102; 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 May 4, 2011, (76 FR 25331), 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-2011-0177, 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 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-
1744.
    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: National Oil and Hazardous Substance Pollution Contingency 
Plan (NCP) (Renewal).

[[Page 44581]]

    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No.1463.08, OMB Control No. 2050-0096.
    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: This ICR covers the remedial portion of the Superfund 
Program, as specified in the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 as amended (CERCLA) and the 
National Oil and Hazardous Substance Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP). 
All remedial actions covered by this ICR (e.g., Remedial 
Investigations/Feasibility Studies) are stipulated in the statute 
(CERCLA) and are instrumental in the process of cleaning up National 
Priorities List (NPL) sites to be protective of human health and the 
environment. Some community involvement activities covered by this ICR 
are not required at every site (e.g., Technical Assistance Grants) and 
depend very much on the community and the nature of the site and 
cleanup. All community activities seek to involve the public in the 
cleanup of the sites, gain the input of community members and include 
the community's perspective on the potential future reuse of the 
Superfund NPL sites. Community Involvement activities can enhance the 
remedial process and increase community acceptance and the potential 
for productive and useful reuse of the sites.
    The respondents on whom a burden is placed include state and tribal 
governments and communities. Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) are 
not addressed in this ICR because the Paperwork Reduction Act does not 
require the inclusion of those entities that are the subject of 
administrative or civil action by the Agency. The ICR reports the 
estimated reporting and recordkeeping burden hours and costs expected 
to be incurred by these entities and by the Federal government in its 
oversight capacities of state action and administration of community 
activities at Fund-lead NPL sites. Remedial activities undertaken by 
states at NPL sites are those required and recommended by CERCLA and 
the NCP and the cost of many of these activities may be reimbursed by 
the Federal government. All community involvement in the remedial 
process of Superfund is voluntary. Therefore, all cost estimates for 
community members is theoretical and does not represent expenditure of 
actual dollars.
    States have responsibilities at new and ongoing state-lead sites 
and at all state-lead, Federal-lead and Federal Facility sites entering 
the remedial phase of Superfund. All other remedial activities taken by 
the state are done so at sites which the state voluntarily assumes the 
lead agency role. Over each year of this ICR, the state will be 
completing remedial activities at sites that entered the remedial phase 
of Superfund at different times.
    Community members' participation in remedial activities at 
Superfund sites is purely voluntary, and the level of involvement 
varies greatly depending on the complexity of the site, its location 
(urban vs. rural, industrial vs. residential, etc.) and the level of 
interest.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 14 
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.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: State/tribal governments and 
individual community members who voluntarily participate in the 
remedial phase of the Superfund program and in associated community 
involvement activities throughout the Superfund process.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 11,397.
    Frequency of Response: Once, On Occasion.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 179,615 .
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $813,440, which is entirely for the 
cost of labor. All other associated costs to respondents are reimbursed 
by the Federal government.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is an increase of 108,450 hours in 
the total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of 
Approved ICR Burdens. This increase is primarily due to an adjustment 
in estimates attributable to the increase in the number of sites 
estimated to have RI/FS starts and ongoing RI/FS activity as well as an 
the increase in the number of sites expected to have Proposed Plans 
developed, and the introduction of customer satisfaction surveys at 
certain sites.

    Dated: July 21, 2011.
John Moses,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2011-18878 Filed 7-25-11; 8:45 am]
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