[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 234 (Tuesday, December 6, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76159-76161]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-31247]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-RCRA-2011-0923, FRL-9500-2]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Revisions to the RCRA Definition of Solid Waste
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to
submit a request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to renew
an existing approved Information Collection Request (ICR) concerning
the definition of Solid Waste. This ICR is scheduled to expire on May
31, 2012. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA
is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed information
collection as described below.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before February 6, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
RCRA-2011-0923, by one of the following methods:
www.regulations.gov: Follow the online instructions for
submitting comments.
Email: [email protected].
Fax: (202) 566-9744.
Mail: RCRA Docket (28221T), U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460.
Hand Delivery: 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Room 3334,
Washington, DC 20460. Such deliveries are only accepted during the
Docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be
made for deliveries of boxed information.
Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-RCRA-
2011-0923. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included
in the public docket without change and may be made available online at
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided,
unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential
Business
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Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted
by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to be CBI or
otherwise protected through www.regulations.gov or email. The
www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' system, which
means EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you
provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an email comment
directly to EPA without going through www.regulations.gov your email
address will be automatically captured and included as part of the
comment that is placed in the public docket and made available on the
Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you
include your name and other contact information in the body of your
comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your
comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic
files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of
encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. For additional
information about EPA's public docket visit the EPA Docket Center
homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Huggins, Materials Recovery
and Waste Management Division, Office of Resource Conservation and
Recovery, (5304P), Environmental Protection Agency, 2733 South Crystal
Drive, Arlington, VA 22202; telephone number: (703) 308-0017; fax
number: (703) 308-0514; email address: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
How can I access the docket and/or submit comments?
EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID
No. EPA-HQ-RCRA-2002-0031, which is available for online viewing at
www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the RCRA Docket in the EPA
Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave.
NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC Public Reading Room is open from 8 a.m.
to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The
telephone number for the Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the
telephone number for RCRA Docket is (202) 566-0270.
Use www.regulations.gov to obtain a copy of the draft collection of
information, submit or view public comments, access the index listing
of the contents of the docket, and to access those documents in the
public docket that are available electronically. Once in the system,
select ``search,'' then key in the docket ID number identified in this
document.
What information is EPA particularly interested in?
Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA specifically
solicits comments and information to enable it to:
(i) 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;
(ii) Evaluate the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden
of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions used;
(iii) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information
to be collected; and
(iv) 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.
What should I consider when I prepare my comments for EPA?
You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your
comments:
1. Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific
examples.
2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used
that support your views.
4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you
arrived at the estimate that you provide.
5. Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity.
6. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline identified
under DATES.
7. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the docket
ID number assigned to this action in the subject line on the first page
of your response. You may also provide the name, date, and Federal
Register citation.
What information collection activity or ICR does this apply to?
Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action
include approximately 5,600 facilities in 280 industries in 21 economic
sectors that generate or recycle hazardous secondary materials that are
currently regulated as RCRA Subtitle C hazardous wastes (e.g.,
secondary materials, such as industrial co-products, by-products,
residues, and unreacted feedstocks). Approximately 60% of these
affected facilities are classified in NAICS code economic sectors 31,
32, and 33 (manufacturing). The remaining economic sectors, which have
more than ten affected industries each, are in NAICS codes 48
(transportation), 42 (wholesale trade), and 56 (administrative support,
waste management and remediation).
Title: Revisions to the RCRA Definition of Solid Waste.
ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2310.01, OMB Control No. 2050-0202.
ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on May 31,
2012. 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 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 in certain EPA
regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
Abstract: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has
published final revisions to the definition of solid waste that exclude
certain hazardous secondary materials from regulation under Subtitle C
of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), as amended. The
information requirements help ensure that (1) entities operating under
the regulatory exclusions contained in today's action are held
accountable to the applicable requirements; (2) state inspectors can
verify compliance with the restrictions and conditions of the
exclusions when needed; and (3) hazardous secondary materials exported
for recycling are actually handled as commodities abroad.
Burden Statement: Burden means the total time, effort, or financial
resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or
disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency. This
includes the time needed to review
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instructions; develop, acquire, install, and utilize technology and
systems for the purposes of collecting, validating, and verifying
information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and
providing information; adjust the existing ways to comply with any
previously applicable instructions and requirements which have
subsequently changed; train personnel to be able to respond to a
collection of information; search data sources; complete and review the
collection of information; and transmit or otherwise disclose the
information.
The ICR provides a detailed explanation of the Agency's estimate,
which is only briefly summarized here:
For the recordkeeping and reporting requirements applicable to
hazardous secondary materials sent for reclamation, the aggregate
annual burden to respondents over the three-year period covered by this
ICR is estimated to be 11,552 hours, with a cost to affected entities
(i.e., industrial facilities) of $1,417,242. However, this represents
an annual reduction in burden to respondents of 52,050 hours,
representing a cost reduction of $3,474,035 per year. The estimated
annual operation and maintenance costs to affected entities are
$739,469 per year, primarily for purchasing audit or other similar type
reports. There are no startup costs and no costs for purchases of
services. Administrative costs to the Agency are estimated to be 1,257
hours per year, representing an annual cost of $49,891. Burden is
defined at 5 CFR 1320.3(b).
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. At that time, EPA will
issue another Federal Register notice 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.
Dated: November 22, 2011.
Suzanne Rudzinski,
Director, Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery.
[FR Doc. 2011-31247 Filed 12-5-11; 8:45 am]
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