[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 226 (Friday, November 22, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70037-70039]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-28135]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2013-0458; FRL-9395-7]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), this 
document announces that EPA is planning to submit an Information 
Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). 
The ICR, titled: ``Chemical-Specific Rules, TSCA Section 8(a)'' and 
identified by EPA ICR No. 1198.10 and OMB Control No. 2070-0067, 
represents the renewal of an existing ICR that is scheduled to expire 
on June 30, 2014. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and 
approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the 
proposed information collection that is summarized in this document. 
The ICR and accompanying material are available in the docket for 
public review and comment.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before January 21, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2013-0458, by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Document Control Office (7407M), Office of Pollution 
Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001.
     Hand Delivery: OPPT Document Control Office (DCO), WJC 
East Bldg.,

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Rm. 6428, 1201 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. ATTN: Docket ID 
Number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2013-0458. The DCO is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number 
for the DCO is (202) 564-8930. Such deliveries are only accepted during 
the DCO's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be 
made for deliveries of boxed information.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPPT-
2013-0458. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included 
in the docket without change and may be made available online at http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, 
unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to 
be CBI or otherwise protected through regulations.gov or email. The 
regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' system, which means 
EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you 
provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an email comment 
directly to EPA without going through regulations.gov, your email 
address will be automatically captured and included as part of the 
comment that is placed in the docket and made available on the 
Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you 
include your name and other contact information in the body of your 
comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your 
comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for 
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic 
files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of 
encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses.
    Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the docket index 
available at http://www.regulations.gov. Although listed in the index, 
some information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other 
material, such as copyrighted material, will be publicly available only 
in hard copy. Publicly available docket materials are available 
electronically at http://www.regulations.gov, or, if only available in 
hard copy, at the OPPT Docket. The OPPT Docket is located in the EPA 
Docket Center (EPA/DC) at Rm. 3334, WJC West Bldg., 1301 Constitution 
Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC Public Reading Room hours of 
operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding 
legal holidays. The telephone number of the EPA/DC Public Reading Room 
is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the OPPT Docket is 
(202) 566-0280. Docket visitors are required to show photographic 
identification, pass through a metal detector, and sign the EPA visitor 
log. All visitor bags are processed through an X-ray machine and 
subject to search. Visitors will be provided an EPA/DC badge that must 
be visible at all times in the building and returned upon departure.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical information contact: 
Mike Mattheisen, Chemical Control Division (7405M), Office of Pollution 
Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: 
(202) 564-3077; fax number: (202) 564-4755; email address: 
[email protected].
    For general information contact: The TSCA-Hotline, ABVI-Goodwill, 
422 South Clinton Ave., Rochester, NY 14620; telephone number: (202) 
554-1404; email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. What information is EPA particularly interested in?

    Pursuant to PRA section 3506(c)(2)(A) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), 
EPA specifically solicits comments and information to enable it to:
    1. 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.
    2. Evaluate the accuracy of the Agency's estimates of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used.
    3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected.
    4. 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. In particular, EPA is requesting comments from 
very small businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples of 
specific additional efforts that EPA could make to reduce the paperwork 
burden for very small businesses affected by this collection.

II. What information collection activity or ICR does this action apply 
to?

    Title: Chemical-Specific Rules, TSCA Section 8(a).
    ICR number: 1198.10.
    OMB control number: 2070-0067.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on June 30, 
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 currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA's 
regulations in title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (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 
for certain EPA regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
    Abstract: Section 8(a) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) 
authorizes the Administrator of EPA to promulgate rules that require 
persons who manufacture, import or process chemical substances and 
mixtures, or who propose to manufacture, import, or process chemical 
substances and mixtures, to maintain such records and submit such 
reports to EPA as may be reasonably required. Any chemical covered by 
TSCA for which EPA or another Federal agency has a reasonable need for 
information and which cannot be satisfied via other sources is a proper 
potential subject for a chemical-specific TSCA section 8(a) rulemaking. 
Information that may be collected under TSCA section 8(a) includes, but 
is not limited to, chemical names; categories of use; production or 
processing volume, byproducts of chemical production, processing, use 
or disposal; existing data concerning environmental and health effects; 
exposure data; and disposal information. Generally, EPA uses chemical-
specific information under TSCA section 8(a) to evaluate the potential 
for adverse human health and environmental effects caused by the 
manufacture (including import), processing, use or disposal of 
identified chemical substances and mixtures. Additionally, EPA may use 
TSCA section 8(a) information to assess the need or set priorities for 
testing and/or further regulatory action. To the extent that reported 
information is not considered confidential, environmental groups, 
environmental justice advocates, state and local government entities 
and other members of the public will also have access to this 
information for their use.

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    Responses to the collection of information are mandatory (see 40 
CFR part 704). Respondents may claim all or part of a response 
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 average 68.8 
hours per response. Burden is defined in 5 CFR 1320.3(b).
    The ICR, which is available in the docket along with other related 
materials, provides a detailed explanation of the collection activities 
and the burden estimate that is only briefly summarized here:
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Entities potentially affected by 
this ICR are primarily those businesses that fall under NAICS codes 
325, Chemical Manufacturers and Processors, and 324110, Petroleum 
Refineries.
    Estimated total number of potential respondents: 4.
    Frequency of response: On occasion.
    Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 1.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 275 hours.
    Estimated total annual costs: $16,551. This includes an estimated 
burden cost of $16,551 and an estimated cost of $0 for capital 
investment or maintenance and operational costs.

III. Are there changes in the estimates from the last approval?

    There is no change in the number of hours in the total estimated 
respondent burden compared with that identified in the ICR currently 
approved by OMB.

IV. What is the next step in the process for this ICR?

    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 pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. EPA will issue another 
Federal Register document pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to 
announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the opportunity to submit 
additional comments to OMB. If you have any questions about this ICR or 
the approval process, please contact the technical contact person 
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Dated: November 12, 2013.
James Jones,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2013-28135 Filed 11-21-13; 8:45 am]
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