[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 170 (Wednesday, September 2, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53151-53152]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-21372]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2015-0273; FRL-9931-70]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection;
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: ``TSCA Section 5(a)(2) Significant New Use Rules for
Existing Chemicals'' and identified by EPA ICR No. 1188.12 and OMB
Control No. 2070-0038, represents the renewal of an existing ICR that
is scheduled to expire on July 31, 2016. 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 November 2, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2015-0273, 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.
Additional instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along
with more information about
[[Page 53152]]
dockets generally, is available at http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical information contact:
Jeffrey Taylor, Chemical Control Division (7405-M), Office of Pollution
Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number:
(202) 564-8828; email address: [email protected].
For general information contact: The TSCA-Hotline, ABVI-Goodwill,
422 South Clinton Ave., Rochester, NY 14620; telephone number: (202)
554-1404; 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: TSCA Section 5(a)(2) Significant New Use Rules for Existing
Chemicals.
ICR number: EPA ICR No. 1188.12.
OMB control number: OMB Control No. 2070-0038.
ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on July 31,
2016. 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 Code of Federal Regulations (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
for certain EPA regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
Abstract: Section 5 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
provides EPA with a regulatory mechanism to monitor and, if necessary,
control significant new uses of chemical substances. Section 5
authorizes EPA to determine by rule (i.e., a significant new use rule
or SNUR), after considering all relevant factors, that a use of a
chemical substance represents a significant new use. If EPA determines
that a use of a chemical substance is a significant new use, section 5
requires persons to submit a significant new use notice (SNUN) to EPA
at least 90 days before they manufacture, import, or process the
substance for that use.
EPA uses the information obtained through this collection to
evaluate the health and environmental effects of the significant new
use. EPA may take regulatory actions under TSCA section 5, 6 or 7 to
control the activities for which it has received a SNUR notice. These
actions include orders to limit or prohibit the manufacture,
importation, processing, distribution in commerce, use or disposal of
chemical substances. If EPA does not take action, section 5 also
requires EPA to publish a Federal Register notice explaining the
reasons for not taking action. This information collection addresses
the reporting and recordkeeping requirements inherent in TSCA section 5
significant new use rules.
Responses to the collection of information are mandatory (see 40
CFR part 721). Respondents may claim all or part of a notice
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.
Burden statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 16.3
hours per response. 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: Entities potentially affected by
this ICR are companies that manufacture, process, import, or distribute
in commerce chemical substances or mixtures.
Estimated total number of potential respondents: 6.
Frequency of response: On occasion.
Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent:
1.1.
Estimated total annual burden hours: 1,025 hours.
Estimated total annual costs: $100,595. This includes an estimated
burden cost of $ 100,595 and an estimated cost of $ 0 for capital
investment or maintenance and operational costs.
III. Are there changes in the estimates from the last approval?
There is a net increase of 289 hours in the total estimated
respondent burden compared with that identified in the ICR currently
approved by OMB. This increase reflects EPA's updating the number of
affected sites (from 4.24 to 6.06 per year), the average number of
SNUNs submitted annually (from 7 SNUNs to 10 SNUNS per year),
recalculating the average number of chemicals per SNUR (7 chemicals to
8 chemicals), and correcting rounding errors in the burden estimate for
completing a SNUN, (92.2 hours to 91.68 hours), and rule
familiarization (0.83 hours to 0.82 hours). Details about these changes
are found in the Supporting Statement. 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 technical person listed under
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.
Dated: August 6, 2015.
James Jones,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2015-21372 Filed 9-1-15; 8:45 am]
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