[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 197 (Thursday, October 13, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-25384]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: October 13, 1994]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-5090-47]
Agency Information Collection Activities Under OMB Review
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501
et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request
(ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the nature
of the information collection and its expected cost and burden; where
appropriate, it includes the actual data collection instrument.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before November 14, 1994.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
For further information, or to obtain a copy of this ICR, contact Sandy
Farmer at EPA, (202) 260-2740.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
Title: Applications for ``Preauthorization of a CERCLA Response
Action'' and ``Claim for CERCLA Response Action'' (EPA ICR #1304.04;
OMB #2050-0106). This ICR requests renewal of the existing clearance.
Abstract: The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation,
and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), and as amended in 1986, establishes
broad Federal authority to undertake removal and remedial actions in
response to releases or threats of releases of hazardous substances and
certain pollutants and contaminants into the environment. One of the
uses of the Hazardous Substance Superfund (the Fund), which is
authorized under CERCLA, is the payment of claims for necessary
response costs.
Under section 111(a)(2) of CERCLA, claimants are authorized to be
reimbursed from the Fund for necessary response costs incurred as a
result of carrying out the National Oil and Hazardous Substances
Pollution Contingency Plan. In addition, section 122(b)(1) of CERCLA
delegates to EPA the authority to enter into agreements with
potentially responsible parties (PRPs) to allow the PRPs to perform a
preauthorized phase of a response action in return for reimbursement of
an agreed-on portion of response costs from the Fund. Section 112(b)(1)
of CERCLA authorizes EPA to prescribe the appropriate forms and
procedures for the filing of response claims against the Fund. All
proposed response actions must be approved in advance by EPA through
the preauthorization process in order for a subsequent claim to be
awarded.
The information required by the application and claim forms is
essential for EPA to adequately review and evaluate the merits and
validity of a response claim, and to make a decision on whether to
award that claim from the Fund. The information and data submitted by
applicants under the nine sections of the application for
preauthorization will be used by the Agency to make a determination on
whether to approve in advance a proposed response action under the
preauthorization process. The subsequent information submitted to EPA
on the claim form will be used to determine whether or not to award the
claim. In its role as manager of the Fund, this information allows EPA
to ensure appropriate uses of Fund resources, meet cost control and
budget requirements, protect against potential waste and fraud, and
ensure that the proposed response actions themselves do not create
environmental hazards.
Burden Statement: The estimated annual public reporting burden for
the ``Application for Preauthorization of a CERCLA Response Action'' is
estimated to average 258 hours per response. These burden estimates
include time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data
sources, gathering and maintaining needed data, and completing and
reviewing the collection of information.
Public reporting burden for the ``Claim for CERCLA Response
Action'' is estimated to average 44 hours per response, including the
time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources,
gathering and maintaining needed data, and completing and reviewing the
collection of information. In addition, claimants awarded money from
the Fund will be required to maintain their records for a 10 year
period. It is estimated that it will require those claimants an average
of 15 workhours per year to maintain their records.
Respondents: Preauthorization requests and response claims may be
submitted by individuals, private entities, foreign entities, or PRPs
(including States or local governments).
Estimated Number of Respondents: 34 (10 preauthorization requests,
and 24 claim submitters).
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion--only when an applicant/
claimant seeks reimbursement for response costs from the fund.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 4,000 hours.
Send comments regarding the burden estimate, or any other aspect of
this information collection, including suggestions for reducing the
burden, to:
Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Information Policy
Branch (2136), 401 M Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460;
and
Jonathan Gledhill, Office of Management and Budget, Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs, 725 17th Street, N.W., Washington,
D.C. 20530.
Dated: October 6, 1994.
Paul Lapsley,
Director, Regulatory Management Division.
[FR Doc. 94-25384 Filed 10-12-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-M
