[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 51 (Wednesday, March 16, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14849-14850]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-05507]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2017-0652; FRL-9660-01-OMS]


Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and 
Approval; Comment Request; Expanded Access to TSCA Confidential 
Business Information

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR), Expanded Access to Toxic 
Substances Control Act Confidential Business Information, (EPA ICR 
Number 2570.02, OMB Control Number 2070-0209) to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with 
the Paperwork Reduction Act. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, 
which is currently approved through March 31, 2022. Public comments 
were previously requested via the Federal Register on August 12, 2021 
during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 
days for public comments. A fuller description of the ICR is given 
below, including its estimated burden and cost to the public. 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.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before April 15, 
2022.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to EPA, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-

[[Page 14850]]

HQ-OPPT-2017-0652, online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred 
method) or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection 
Agency, Mail Code 2821T, 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, information 
claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI), or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
    Submit written comments and recommendations to OMB for the proposed 
information collection within 30 days of publication of this notice to 
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information 
collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--Open for 
Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: General contact: Katherine Sleasman, 
Mission Support Division, Office of Program Support, Office of Chemical 
Safety and Pollution Prevention, (Mailcode: 7101M), Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: (202) 566-1204; email address: 
[email protected].
    Technical contact: Jessica Barkas, Project Management and 
Operations Division, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Office 
of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, (Mailcode: 7408M), 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, 
DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 250-8880; 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.
    Abstract: The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) amendments of 
June 22, 2016, known as the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 
21st Century Act, expanded the categories of people to whom EPA may 
disclose TSCA confidential business information (CBI). The amendments 
authorize EPA to disclose TSCA CBI to state, tribal, and local 
governments; environmental, health, and medical professionals; and 
emergency responders, under certain conditions, including consistency 
with guidance that EPA is required to develop.
    Three guidance documents have been developed, corresponding to the 
new authorities in TSCA section 14(d)(4), (5), and (6). The conditions 
for access vary under each of the new provisions, but generally include 
the following: Requesters must show that they have a need for the 
information related to their employment, professional, or legal duties; 
recipients of TSCA CBI are prohibited from disclosing or permitting 
further disclosure of the information to individuals not authorized to 
receive it (physicians/nurses may disclose the information to their 
patient); and except in emergency situations EPA must notify the entity 
that made the CBI claim at least 15 days prior to disclosing the CBI. 
In addition, under these new provisions, requesters (except in some 
emergency situations) are required to sign an agreement and may be 
required to submit a statement of need to EPA. In accordance with the 
requirements of TSCA section 14(c)(4)(B), the guidance documents cover 
the content and form of the agreements and statements required under 
each provision and include information on where and how to submit 
requests to EPA.
    Form numbers: Not applicable.
    Respondents/affected entities: Respondents affected by this 
activity are mainly government employees (federal, state, local, 
tribal), as well as medical professionals, such as doctors and nurses.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Voluntary.
    Frequency of response: On occasion.
    Estimated number of respondents: 6 (total).
    Total estimated burden: 89 hours (per year). Burden is defined at 5 
CFR 1320.3(b).
    Total estimated cost: $5,873.98 (per year), includes $0 annualized 
capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in the estimates: There is an increase in the estimated 
burden costs compared with that currently approved by OMB. The increase 
in the respondent burden and agency costs were caused by an increase in 
the hourly wages and a change in the methodology to calculate loaded 
wages (wages plus fringe benefits and overhead). The change in the 
estimated number of respondents is based on EPA experience. The 
changes, which are discussed in more detail in the ICR, qualify as an 
adjustment.

Courtney Kerwin,
Director, Regulatory Support Division.
[FR Doc. 2022-05507 Filed 3-15-22; 8:45 am]
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