[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 173 (Friday, September 6, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54889-54890]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-21707]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OEI-2013-0565; FRL -9535-9]


Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; 
Confidentiality Rules (Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an 
information collection request (ICR), ``Agency Information Collection 
Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Confidentiality Rules 
(Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 1665.12, OMB Control No. 2020-0003) to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). 
Before doing so, EPA is soliciting public comments on specific aspects 
of the proposed information collection as described below. This is a 
proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through 
January 31, 2014. An Agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is 
not required to respond to a collection of information unless it 
displays a valid OMB control number.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before November 5, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OEI-
2013-0565, online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), by 
email to [email protected], or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, 
Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460.
    EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the 
public docket without change including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes profanity, threats, or 
information claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Larry F. Gottesman, National Freedom 
of Information Act Officer, Collection Strategies Division, Office of 
Information Collection, (Mail Code 2822T), Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone 
number: 202-566-2162; email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supporting documents which explain in detail 
the information that the EPA will be collecting are available in the 
public docket for this ICR. The docket can be viewed online at 
www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, WJC West, 
Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The telephone 
number for the Docket Center is 202-566-1744. For additional 
information about EPA's public docket, visit http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act 
(PRA), EPA is soliciting comments and information to enable it to: (i) 
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; (ii) evaluate the 
accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed 
collection of information, including the validity of the

[[Page 54890]]

methodology and assumptions used; (iii) enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and (iv) 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. EPA will consider the comments received and amend the ICR as 
appropriate. The final ICR package will then be submitted to OMB for 
review and approval. At that time, EPA will issue another Federal 
Register notice to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the 
opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB.
    Abstract: In the course of administering environmental protection 
statutes, EPA collects data from ``businesses'' in many sectors of the 
U.S. economy. In many cases, ``businesses'' mark the data it submits to 
EPA as confidential business information (CBI). In addition, businesses 
submit information to EPA without the Agency requesting the 
information. EPA established the procedures described in 40 CFR Part 2, 
subparts A and B, to protect the confidentiality of information as well 
as the rights of the public to obtain access to information under the 
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). In accordance with these 
regulations, when EPA finds it necessary to make a final 
confidentiality determination (e.g., in response to a FOIA request or 
in the course of rulemaking or litigation, a resubstantiation of a 
prior claim, or an advance confidentiality determination), it shall 
notify the affected business and provide an opportunity to submit a 
substantiation of confidentiality claims. This ICR relates to 
information EPA needs to collect to assist in determining whether 
previously submitted information is entitled to confidential treatment.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: Entities potentially affected by 
this action are businesses and other for-profit companies.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Required to obtain or retain a 
benefit, 5 USC Section 522 Freedom of Information Act.
    Estimated number of respondents: 1,320.
    Frequency of response: 1 per year.
    Total estimated burden: 1,992 hours. Burden is defined at 5 CFR 
1320.3(b).
    Total estimated cost: $88,825.25 includes $0 annualized capital or 
operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in Estimates: As part of the ICR renewal process, EPA is 
obtaining usage for the past 12 months of each of the letters covered 
by this ICR to obtain up-to-date estimates. EPA anticipates that both 
usage and response rates will decrease.

John Moses,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2013-21707 Filed 9-5-13; 8:45 am]
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