[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 50 (Tuesday, March 15, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13790-13791]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-05821]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2015-0436; FRL-9943-14]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Renewal of an 
Existing Collection (EPA ICR No. 1139.11); 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, entitled: ``TSCA Section 4 Test Rules, Consent Orders, 
Enforceable Consent Agreements, Voluntary Testing Agreements, Voluntary 
Data Submissions, and Exemptions from Testing Requirements'' and 
identified by EPA ICR No. 1139.11 and OMB Control No. 2070-0033, 
represents the renewal of an existing ICR that is scheduled to expire 
on August 31, 2016. 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 May 16, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2015-0436, by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Do not submit 
electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business 
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted 
by statute.
     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: To make special arrangements for hand 
delivery or delivery of boxed information, please follow the 
instructions at http://www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.html.
    Additional instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along 
with more information about dockets generally, is available at http://www.epa.gov/dockets.

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; 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: TSCA Section 4 Test Rules, Consent Orders, Enforceable 
Consent Agreements, Voluntary Testing Agreements, Voluntary Data 
Submissions, and Exemptions from Testing Requirements.
    ICR number: EPA ICR No. 1139.11.
    OMB control number: OMB Control No. 2070-0033.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on August 31, 
2016. 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 4 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is 
designed to assure that chemicals that may pose serious risks to human 
health or the environment undergo testing by manufacturers or 
processors, and that the results of such testing are made available to 
EPA. EPA uses the information collected under the authority of TSCA 
section 4 to assess risks associated with the manufacture, processing, 
distribution, use or disposal of a chemical, and to support any 
necessary regulatory action with respect to that chemical.
    EPA must assure that appropriate tests are performed on a chemical 
if it decides: (1) That a chemical being considered under TSCA section 
4(a) may pose an ``unreasonable risk'' or is produced in 
``substantial'' quantities that may result in substantial or 
significant human exposure or substantial environmental release of the 
chemical; (2) that additional data are needed to determine or predict 
the impacts of the chemical's manufacture, processing, distribution, 
use or disposal; and (3) that testing is needed to develop such data. 
Rules and consent orders under TSCA section 4 require that one 
manufacturer or processor of a subject chemical perform the specified 
testing and report the results of that testing to EPA. TSCA section 4 
also allows a manufacturer or processor of a subject chemical to apply 
for an exemption from the testing requirement if that testing will be 
or has been performed by another party. This information collection 
applies to reporting and recordkeeping activities associated with the 
information that EPA requires industry to provide in response to TSCA 
section 4 test rules, consent orders, test rule exemptions and other 
data submissions.

[[Page 13791]]

    Responses to the collection of information are mandatory (see 40 
CFR part 790). Respondents may claim all or part of a notice as CBI. 
EPA will disclose information that is covered by a CBI claim only to 
the extent permitted by, and in accordance with, the procedures in 40 
CFR part 2.
    Burden statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to range between 
8.5 and 243 hours per response, not including CDX registration, and 
0.53 hours per CDX registration. 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 manufacturers, processors, importers, users, distributors 
or disposers of one or more specified chemical substances.
    Estimated total number of potential respondents: 15.
    Frequency of response: On occasion.
    Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 
5.6.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 3,055 hours.
    Estimated total annual costs: $27,089,112. This includes an 
estimated burden cost of $58,917 and an estimated cost of $27,030,195 
for capital investment or maintenance and operational costs (namely 
laboratory test costs).

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

    There is a decrease of 626,838 hours in the total estimated 
respondent burden compared with that identified in the ICR currently 
approved by OMB. This decrease mainly reflects corrections to the 
previous renewal of this collection, plus reduced levels of activity in 
test rules, methodological corrections and updates, and requirements 
for electronic reporting of information. This change is both a program 
change (electronic reporting) and an adjustment (all other).

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 person listed under 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Authority:  44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.

    Dated: March 3, 2016.
James Jones,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2016-05821 Filed 3-14-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P