2011-1663. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Chemical-Specific Rules, TSCA Sec. 8(a); EPA ICR No. 1198.09, OMB Control No. 2070-0067

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that the following Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Chemical-Specific Rules, TSCA Sec. 8(a); ICR No. 1198.09, OMB No. 2070-0067. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the information collection activity and its estimated burden and costs.

DATES:

Additional comments may be submitted on or before February 25, 2011.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, referencing docket ID Number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2010-0488 to (1) EPA online using http://www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), or by mail to: Document Control Office (DCO), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code: 7407T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB at: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Pamela Myrick, Director, Environmental Assistance Division, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 7408-M, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-564-9838; e-mail address: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 1320.12. On June 24, 2010 (75 FR 36067), EPA sought comments on this renewal ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments during the comment period. Any additional comments related to this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB within 30 days of this notice.

EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OPPT-2010-0488, which is available for online viewing at http://www.regulations.gov,, or in person inspection at the OPPT 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 the Pollution Prevention and Toxics Docket is 202-566-0280.

Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at http://www.regulations.gov to submit or view public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the public docket, and to access those documents in the public docket that are available electronically. Once in the system, select “docket search,” then key in the docket ID number identified above. Please note that EPA's policy is that public comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available for public viewing in http://www.regulations.gov as EPA receives them and without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted material, confidential business information (CBI), or other information whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA identifies a comment containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference to that material in the version of the comment that is placed in http://www.regulations.gov. The entire printed comment, including the copyrighted material, will be available in the public docket. Although identified as an item in the official docket, information claimed as CBI, or whose disclosure is otherwise restricted by statute, is not included in the official public docket, and will not be available for public viewing in http://www.regulations.gov. For further information about the electronic docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov.

Title: Chemical-Specific Rules, TSCA Sec. 8(a).

ICR Numbers: EPA ICR No. 1198.09, OMB Control No. 2070-0067.

ICR Status: This is a request to renew an existing approved collection that is scheduled to expire on January 31, 2011. Under 5 CFR 1320.10, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB.

Abstract: Section 8(a) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) authorizes the EPA Administrator to promulgate chemical-specific rules that require persons who manufacture, import or process the chemical substance or mixture, or who propose to manufacture, import, or process the chemical substance or mixture, to maintain such records and submit such reports to EPA as may be reasonably required. Any chemical covered by TSCA for which EPA or another Federal agency has a reasonable need for information and which cannot be satisfied via other sources is a proper potential subject for a chemical-specific TSCA section 8(a) rulemaking. Information that may be collected under TSCA section 8(a) includes, but is not limited to, chemical names, categories of use, production volume, by-products of chemical production, existing data on deaths and environmental effects, exposure data, and disposal information. Generally, EPA uses chemical-specific information under TSCA section 8(a) to evaluate the potential for adverse human health and environmental effects caused by the manufacture, importation, processing, use or disposal of the identified chemical substance or mixture. Additionally, EPA may use TSCA section 8(a) information to assess the need or set priorities for testing and/or further regulatory action. To the extent that reported information is not considered confidential, environmental groups, environmental justice advocates, state and local government entities and others in the public will also have access to this information for their use.

Responses to the collection of information are mandatory (see 40 CFR 704). 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 68.8 hours per response. Burden is defined in 5 CFR 1320.3(b).

Respondents/Affected Entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are companies that manufacture, process or import, or propose to manufacture, process or import, the chemical substance or mixture identified in a rule.

Frequency of Collection: On occasion.

Estimated average number of responses for each respondent: 1.

Estimated No. of Respondents: 4.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 275 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Costs: $14,080.

Changes in Burden Estimates: There is no change in the total estimated respondent burden from that currently in the OMB inventory.

Dated: January 20, 2011.

John Moses,

Director, Collection Strategies Division.