[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 188 (Thursday, September 29, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59077-59078]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-21169]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-SFUND-2015-0100; FRL-10265-01-OMS]


Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and 
Approval; Comment Request; Continuous Release Reporting Requirement 
Including Analysis for Use of Continuous Release Reporting Form 
(Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an 
information collection request (ICR), Continuous Release Reporting 
Requirement Including Analysis for Use of Continuous Release Reporting 
Forms (EPA ICR Number 1445.15, OMB Control Number 2050-0086) 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 November 30, 
2022. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal 
Register on February 24, 2022 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 October 31, 
2022.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
SFUND-2015-0100, online using 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.
    The 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: Wendy Hoffman, Office of Emergency 
Management, Mail Code 5104A, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 
564-8794; 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: Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, in the 
first FR notice (87 FR 10361 published on February 24, 2022, EPA 
solicited comments and information pertaining to the Continuous Release 
Reporting Requirements (CRRR) under Section 103(a) of CERCLA, as 
amended. CRRR requires the person in charge of a vessel or facility 
immediately to notify the National Response Center (NRC) of a hazardous 
substance release into the environment if the amount of the release 
equals or exceeds the substance's reportable quantity (RQ) (found in 
Table 302.4 of 40 CFR 302.4). If the source and chemical composition of 
the continuous release do not change and the level of the continuous 
release does not significantly increase, a follow-up written report to 
EPA Headquarters one year after submission of the initial written 
report is also required. The person in charge must notify the NRC and 
EPA Region of a change in the source or composition of the release, and 
under section 103(a) of CERCLA, a significant increase must be reported 
immediately to the NRC. Finally, any change in information submitted in 
support of a continuous release notification must be reported to EPA 
Headquarters. Section 103(f)(2) of CERCLA provides facilities relief 
from per-occurrence notification release requirements if the subject 
release is continuous and stable in quantity and rate.
    CRRR allows the Federal government to determine whether a Federal 
response action is required to control or mitigate any potential 
adverse effects to public health, welfare or the environment. The 
release information is also available to EPA program offices and other 
Federal agencies who evaluate the potential need for additional 
regulations, new permitting requirements for specific substances or 
sources, or improved emergency response planning. State and local 
government authorities and facilities subject to the CRRR use the 
release information for local emergency response planning. The public, 
which has access to release information through the Freedom of 
Information Act, may request release information on what types of 
releases are occurring in different localities and what actions, if 
any, are being taken to protect public health, welfare and the 
environment.
    Form Numbers: EPA Form 6100-10, Continuous Release Reporting Form.
    Respondents/affected entities: Entities potentially affected by 
this action are not defined. The use and release of hazardous 
substances are pervasive throughout industry. EPA expects many 
different industrial categories to report hazardous substance releases 
under the provisions of the CRRR. No one industry sector or group of 
sectors is disproportionately affected by the information collection 
burden.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory if respondents want 
reduced reporting for continuous releases.
    Estimated number of respondents: 4,250, including 25 State and 
local government agencies.
    Frequency of response: On occasion.
    Total estimated burden: 38,625 hours (average per year, including 
75 hours for State and local government agencies). Burden is defined at 
5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $2,487,450 (average per year), including 
$8,200 annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs (average per 
year) and $4,178 in State and local government agency costs (average 
per year).
    Changes in Estimates: Compared to the previous ICR renewal, the 
estimated respondent unit burden per CRRR submission has remained the 
same and the estimated annual total respondent burden has decreased by 
88 percent,

[[Page 59078]]

from an estimated 334,472 average annual hours in the previous ICR 
renewal to an estimated 38,625 average annual hours in this renewal. 
This ICR renewal was updated to reflect the review of available 
information gathered while moving the program submissions from EPA 
Regions to a central location at EPA HQ. The previous ICRs had 
overestimated the burden on both industry and governments. The typical 
facility does not make an average of eight separate submissions, as 
previously estimated, but rather, one. While the burden to generate a 
CRRR submission remains the same, the overall submissions and number of 
chemicals reported are reduced. This reduces the labor burden for both 
industry and governments.

Courtney Kerwin,
Director, Regulatory Support Division.
[FR Doc. 2022-21169 Filed 9-28-22; 8:45 am]
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