[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 18 (Tuesday, January 28, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4980-4981]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-01344]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2019-0456; FRL-10003-42]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Renewal of an 
Existing Collection (EPA ICR No. 2446.03 and OMB Control No. 2070-
0185); 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: ``Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products 
Act'' and identified by EPA ICR No. 2446.03 and OMB Control No. 2070-
0185, represents the renewal of an existing ICR that is scheduled to 
expire on June 30, 2020. 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 March 30, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OPPT-
2019-0456 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Todd Coleman, National Program 
Chemicals Division, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, 
DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (202) 564-1208; 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: Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act.
    EPA ICR number: EPA ICR No. 2446.03.
    OMB control number: OMB Control No. 2070-0185.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently approved through June 30, 2020. 
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 regulations 
in title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) are displayed 
either by publication in the Federal Register or by other appropriate 
means, such as on the related collection

[[Page 4981]]

instrument or form, if applicable. The display of OMB control numbers 
for certain EPA regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
    Abstract: This ICR renewal covers the recordkeeping and reporting 
requirements for all aspects of the TSCA Title VI implementing 
regulations and regulations relating to accreditation bodies (ABs) and 
third-party certifiers (TPCs) that wish to participate in this third-
party certification program. As part of maintaining recognition in the 
TSCA Title VI program, these ABs and TPCs must submit initial 
applications for recognition and update those applications every three 
and two years respectively using the Agency's Central Data Exchange 
(CDX) system. In addition, ABs and TPCs must submit annual reports 
which relay certain information to the Agency on the TSCA Title VI 
certification and testing activities both ABs and TPCs have performed 
over the last year. Through the CDX, Product ABs are responsible for 
reporting various notifications and annual reports pursuant to 40 CFR 
770.7(a) and Laboratory ABs are responsible for reporting various 
notifications and annual reports pursuant to 40 CFR 770.7(b). Should an 
AB conduct both product and laboratory AB services for any of its TPCs, 
that AB would be responsible for satisfying the reporting obligations 
for both Product and Laboratory AB roles.
    TPCs are responsible for the certification of regulated composite 
wood products at the mill level through the oversight of panel 
producers, routine quarterly testing of composite wood products, and 
physical inspections of the panel production facilities. Through the 
Agency's CDX, TPCs are responsible for reporting information including 
various notifications and annual reports pursuant to 40 CFR 770.7(c). 
TPCs are also responsible for notifying the Agency of any approval of a 
no-added formaldehyde limited exemption or an ultra-low emitting 
formaldehyde exemption of reduced testing approval which they issue to 
the mills they certify after submitting the required information to the 
Agency.
    Panel producers are responsible for communicating routine testing 
documentation to their respective TPC pursuant to their 
responsibilities under 40 CFR 770.20 and 40 CFR 770.40. Panel producers 
are also responsible for providing certain records to downstream 
entities and purchasers of regulated composite wood products as well as 
the Agency, upon request.
    Importers, fabricators, distributors, and retailers are responsible 
for maintaining records pursuant to 40 CFR 770.30 and 40 CFR 770.40(d).
    Burden statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 
84,793 hours (per year). 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: Panel producers, fabricators, 
distributors, retailers, TPCs, and ABs.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory (15 U.S.C. 2697).
    Estimated total number of potential respondents: 990,269 firms 
(total).
    Frequency of response: On occasion.
    Estimated total annual burden: 84,793 hours (per year). Burden is 
defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Estimated total annual costs: $19,638,018 (per year), with no 
annualized capital or operation and maintenance costs.

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

    There is an overall decrease of 1,396,732 hours in the total 
estimated combined respondent burden compared with the ICR currently 
approved by OMB. This decrease is due to adjustments in EPA's estimates 
of the burden, reflecting activities that only had one-time burdens 
associated with the initial implementation of the rule, and revisions 
to the estimated number of respondents based on the actual number of 
participants in the TSCA Title VI program. This change is an 
adjustment.

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 person listed under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

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

    Dated: January 17, 2020.
Alexandra Dapolito Dunn,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2020-01344 Filed 1-27-20; 8:45 am]
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