[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 238 (Wednesday, December 13, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58602-58603]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-26778]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2015-0437; FRL-9967-78-OEI]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Safer Choice Product 
Recognition Program; Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: EPA has submitted the following information collection request 
(ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and 
approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA): ``Safer 
Choice Product Recognition Program'' and identified by EPA ICR No. 
2302.03 and OMB Control No. 2070-0178. 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 in this document. EPA did not receive any 
comments in response to the previously provided public review 
opportunity issued in the Federal Register on March 8, 2016 (81 FR 
12097). With this submission, EPA is providing an additional 30 days 
for public review.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before January 12, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2015-0437, to (1) EPA online using http://www.regulations.gov (our preferred method) or by mail to: EPA Docket 
Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460 and (2) OMB via email to 
[email protected]. Address comments to OMB Desk Officer for 
EPA.
    EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the 
docket without change, including any personal information provided, 
unless the comment includes profanity, threats, information claimed to 
be Confidential Business Information (CBI), or other information whose 
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit electronically any 
information you consider to be CBI or information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Colby Lintner, Environmental 
Assistance Division (7408M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, 
DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (202) 554-1404; email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Docket: Supporting documents, including the ICR that explains in 
detail the information collection activities and the related burden and 
cost estimates that are summarized in this document, are available in 
the docket. The docket can be viewed online at http://www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, West William 
Jefferson Clinton Bldg., Rm. 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.
    ICR status: This ICR expire on August 31, 2016. Under PRA, 44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq., 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 
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: EPA's Safer Choice program formally recognizes safer 
products where all ingredients have an environmental and human health 
profile showing that they are the safest in their functional use class. 
Under the encouragement of this program, leading companies have made 
great progress in developing safer, highly effective chemical products. 
Since the program's inception in 1997, formulators have used the 
program as a portal to EPA's unique chemical expertise, information 
resources, and guidance on greener chemistry. Safer Choice program 
partners enjoy Agency recognition, including the use of the Safer 
Choice program logo on products with the safest possible formulations. 
In the future, EPA expects much greater program participation due to 
rising demand for safer products. This information collection enables 
EPA to accommodate participation by more than nine formulators each 
year and to enhance program transparency.
    Information collection activities associated with this program will 
assist the Agency in meeting the goals of the Pollution Prevention Act 
(PPA) by providing resources and recognition for businesses committed 
to promoting and using safer chemical products. In turn, the program 
will help businesses meet corporate sustainability goals by providing 
the means to, and an objective measure of, environmental stewardship. 
Investment analysts and advisers seek these types of measures in 
evaluating a corporation's sustainability profile and investment 
worthiness. Safer Choice Product Recognition program partnership is an 
important impetus for prioritizing and completing the transition to 
safer chemical products. The Safer Choice Product Recognition program 
is also needed to promote greater use of safer chemical products by 
companies unaware of the benefits of such a change.
    EPA has tailored its request for information, and especially the 
Safer Choice Product Recognition program application forms, to ensure 
that the Agency requests only that information essential to verify 
applicants' eligibility for recognition.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Companies engaged in the formulation 
of end-use, for-sale products that have

[[Page 58603]]

furthered the goals of the Safer Choice program through participation 
in and promotion of the program, and that wish to receive recognition 
for their achievements.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Responses to the collection of 
information are voluntary. 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.
    Estimated total number of potential respondents: 157.
    Frequency of response: On occasion.
    Estimated total burden: 1,596 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.3(b).
    Estimated total costs: $ 652,359 (per year), includes no annualized 
capital investment or maintenance and operational costs.
    Changes in the estimates: There is an increase of 362 hours in the 
total estimated respondent burden compared with that identified in the 
ICR currently approved by OMB. This increase reflects EPA's estimate of 
a greater number of respondents, due to historical experience and 
increases in the expected future number of responses due to greater 
consumer awareness and demand for products with the Safer Choice label. 
This increase is partially offset by reduced per-response burden 
estimates based on expected efficiencies created by using the 
Salesforce-based Safer Choice Community on the part of respondents. 
This change is an adjustment.

Courtney Kerwin,
Director, Regulatory Support Division.
[FR Doc. 2017-26778 Filed 12-12-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P