04-25819. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review and Approval; Comment Request; NESHAP for Vinyl Chloride (Renewal), EPA ICR Number 0186.10, OMB Control Number 2060-0071

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, this document announces that an Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on November 30, 2004. Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. This ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.

DATES:

Additional comments may be submitted on or before December 22, 2004.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OECA-2004-0011, to (1) EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by e-mail to [e-mail], or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Enforcement and Compliance Docket and Information Center, Mail Code 2201T, 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:

Learia Williams, Compliance Assessment and Media Programs Division, Office of Compliance, (Mail Code 2223A), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: [phone]; fax number: [phone]; 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 May 25, 2004 (69 FR 29718), EPA sought comments on this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments.

EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID No. OECA-2004-0011, which is available for public viewing at the Enforcement and Compliance Docket and Information Center in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Reading Room is [phone], and the telephone number for the Enforcement and Compliance Docket and Information Center Docket is: [phone]. An electronic version of the public docket is available through EPA Dockets (EDOCKET) at http://www.epa.gov/​edocket. Use EDOCKET 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. When in the system, select “search,” then key in the docket ID number identified above.

Any comments related to this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB within 30 days of this notice. EPA's policy is that public comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available for public viewing in EDOCKET 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 EDOCKET. 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 EDOCKET. For further information about the electronic docket, see EPA's Federal Register notice describing the electronic docket at 67 FR 38102 (May 31, 2002), or go to http://www.epa.gov/​edocket.

Title: NESHAP for Vinyl Chloride (Renewal).

Abstract: The National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Vinyl Chloride (VC) were proposed on December 24, 1975, promulgated on October 21, 1976, and amended on June 7, 1977, September 30, 1986, September 23, 1988, and December 23, 1992. These standards apply to exhaust gases and oxychlorination vents at ethylene dichloride (EDC) plants; exhaust gas at vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) plants; and exhaust gases, reactor opening losses, manual vent valves, and stripping residuals at polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plants. The standards also apply to relief valves and fugitive emission sources at all three types of plants.

In the Administrator's judgement, vinyl chloride emissions from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), ethylene dichloride (EDC), and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) plants cause or contribute to air pollution that may reasonably be anticipated to result in an increase in mortality or an increase in serious irreversible, or incapacitating reversible illness. Vinyl chloride is a known human carcinogen which causes a rare cancer of the liver. In order to ensure compliance with the standard, adequate recordkeeping and reporting is necessary. This information enables the Agency to: (1) Ensure that facilities that are affected continue to operate the control equipment and use proper work practices to achieve compliance; (2) notification of startup indicates to enforcement personnel when a new facility has been constructed and is thus subject to the standards; and (3) provides a means for ensuring compliance.

The standards require daily measurements from the continuous monitoring system and of the reactor pressure and temperature. Establishment of a continuous monitoring program is a high priority of the Agency. The continuous monitoring system monitors VC emissions from the stack to judge compliance with the numerical limits in the standards. The parameters are used to judge the operation of the reactor so that the source and EPA will be aware of improper operation and maintenance. The standards implicitly require the initial reports required by the General Provisions of 40 CFR 61.7 and 61.9. These initial reports include application for approval of construction or modification, and notification of startup. The standards also require quarterly reporting of vinyl chloride emissions from stripping, reactor openings, and exhausts. Reports must be submitted within 10 days of each valve discharge and manual vent valve discharge. The owner/operator must make the following one-time-only reports: Application for approval of construction or modification; notification of startup; application of a waiver of testing (if desired by source); and an initial report. The initial report includes a list of the equipment installed for compliance, a description of the physical and functional characteristics of each piece of equipment, a description of the methods which have been incorporated into the standard operation procedures for measuring or calculating emissions, and a statement that equipment and procedures are in place and are being used. Generally, the one-time-only reports are required of all sources subject to NESHAP regulation.

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, and are identified on the form and/or instrument, if applicable.

Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 60 hours per response. 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 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; 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.

Respondents/Affected Entities: Manufacturers of ethylene dichloride, vinyl chloride monomer, and polyvinyl chloride.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 28.

Frequency of Response: Initially, quarterly, and on occasion.

Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 11,825 hours.

Estimated Total Capital and Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Annual Costs: $2,014,515, which includes $0 annualized capital/startup, $1,260,000 annual O&M costs, and $754,515 Respondent Labor Costs.

Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 4,334 hours in the total estimated hours burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of Approved ICR Burdens. This decrease in the burden from the most recently approved ICR is due to a decrease in the number of existing sources. Our data indicates that there are approximately forty-four sources in the active ICR compared to twenty-eight sources in the renewal, reflected in the change in the hourly burden.

Dated: November 13, 2004.

Oscar Morales,

Director, Collection Strategies Division.