[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 207 (Tuesday, October 27, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57294-57295]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-28725]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-6180-6]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB
Review; Comment Request; Milestones Plan for the Bleached Papergrade
Kraft and Soda Subcategory of the Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Point
Source Category
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 document announces that the following Information
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Information Collection
Request for Milestones Plan, Effluent Limitations Guidelines and
Standards, Bleached Papergrade Kraft and Soda Subcategory, Pulp, Paper,
and Paperboard Manufacturing Category (40 CFR Part 430), EPA ICR No.
1877.01.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before December 28, 1998.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Sandy Farmer at EPA by phone
at (202) 260-2740, by e-mail at [email protected], or download the
ICR off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA ICR No.
1877.01.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Milestones Plan for the Bleached Papergrade Kraft and Soda
Subcategory of the Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Point Source Category
(EPA ICR No. 1877.01). This is a new collection.
Abstract: On April 15, 1998, the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) promulgated the Final Cluster Rules for portions of the Pulp,
Paper and Paperboard Point Source Category (40 CFR part 43). See 63 FR
18504. The
[[Page 57295]]
rules included the Voluntary Advanced Technology Incentives Program
(VATIP) for the bleached papergrade kraft and soda subcategory, 40 CFR
430.24(b) and 430.25(c). On the same day, EPA proposed the Milestones
Plan provisions as amendments to 40 CFR 430.24 requiring owners or
operators of bleached papergrade kraft and soda mills enrolled in the
VATIP to submit information to describe how they intend to achieve the
VATIP Best Available Technology Economically Achievable (BAT) limits.
See 63 FR 18796 (April 15, 1998).
EPA has structured the Plan to provide maximum flexibility to the
regulated community and to minimize administrative burdens on National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit authorities that
regulate bleached papergrade kraft and soda mills. EPA does not expect
that the majority of the information requested for the Milestones Plan
to be confidential business information (CBI). However, EPA received
comments on the proposed Milestones Plan regulation (63 FR 18796, April
15, 1998) indicating that a mill may wish to claim some information as
CBI. Such claims would then be handled pursuant to 40 CFR part 2 when
EPA is the permitting authority and applicable state rules and
regulations governing CBI when states are the permitting authorities
(see section 3(f) of the Supporting Statement for more information).
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 are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and 48 CFR Chapter 15.
Burden Statement: The initial, one-time industry reporting and
recordkeeping burden to prepare the Milestones Plan is estimated to
average approximately 120 hours per respondent. This is a one-time
burden. State NPDES permitting authorities burden to review the
Milestones Plan is estimated at 16 hours per respondent as an initial
burden with an average recurring incremental review burden of 6 hours
per respondent. Agency burden to review the Milestones Plans is
estimated at 20 hours per respondent as an initial burden with an
average recurring incremental review burden of 4 hours per respondent.
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 time
needed to: review 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 previously applicable instructions and requirements; train
personnel to be able to respond to the collection of information;
search data sources; complete and review the collection of information
and transmit or otherwise disclose the information.
Respondents/Affected Entities: Entities potentially affected by
this action are those operations that chemically pulp wood fiber using
kraft or soda methods to produce bleached papergrade pulp, paperboard,
coarse paper, tissue paper, fine paper, and/or paperboard, and State
permitting authorities.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 29.
Frequency of Response: One-time response for industry and State
NPDES permitting authorities. Annual recurring burden for State
permitting authorities.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 1,302 hours.
Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: $0.
Send comments on the Agency's need for this information, the
accuracy of the provided burden estimates, and any suggested methods
for minimizing respondent burden, including through the use of
automated collection techniques to the following addresses. Please
refer to EPA ICR No. 1877.01 in any correspondence.
Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, OP Regulatory
Information Division (2137), 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460;
and
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and
Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW,
Washington, DC 20503.
Dated: October 21, 1998.
Richard T. Westlund,
Acting Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 98-28725 Filed 10-26-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
