01-29659. Agency Information Collection Activities; Correction of Misreported Chemical Substances on the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Substance Inventory; Submission to OMB

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: Correction of Misreported Chemical Substances on the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Substance Inventory (EPA ICR No. 1741.03; OMB Control No. 2070-0145). The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated cost and burden. The Federal Register document required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on this collection of information, was published on February 12, 2001 (66 FR 9842). EPA received no comments on this ICR during the comment period.

DATES:

Additional comments may be submitted on or before December 31, 2001.

ADDRESSES:

Send comments, referencing EPA ICR No. 1741.03 and OMB Control No. 2070-0145, to the following addresses: Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Collection Strategies Division (Mail Code: 2822), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; and to: 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:

Sandy Farmer at EPA by phone on [phone], by e-mail: “[e-mail],” or download off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/​icr/​icr.htm and refer to EPA ICR No. 1741.03 and/or OMB Control No. 2070-0145.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Correction of Misreported Chemical Substances on the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Substance Inventory (EPA ICR No. 1741.03; OMB Control No. 2070-0145). This is a request for extension of an existing approved collection that is currently scheduled to expire on December 31, 2001. Under 5 CFR 1320.10(e)(2), the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the collection of information while the submission is pending at OMB.

Abstract: Section 8(b) of the TSCA requires EPA to compile and keep current an Inventory of Chemical Substances in Commerce, which is a listing of chemical substances manufactured, imported, and processed for commercial purposes in the United States. The purpose of the Inventory is to define, for the purpose of TSCA, what chemical substances exist in U.S. commerce. Since the Inventory thereby performs a regulatory function by distinguishing between existing chemicals and new chemicals, which TSCA regulates in different ways, it is imperative that the Inventory be accurate.

However, from time to time, EPA or respondents discover that substances have been incorrectly described by reporting companies. Reported substances have been unintentionally misidentified as a result of simple typographical errors, the misidentification of substances, or the lack of sufficient technical or analytical capabilities to characterize fully the exact chemical substances. EPA has developed guidelines (45 FR 50544, July 29, 1980) under which incorrectly described substances listed in the Inventory can be corrected. The correction mechanism ensures the accuracy of the Inventory without imposing an unreasonable burden on the chemical industry. Without the Inventory correction mechanism, a company that submitted incorrect information would have to file a premanufacture notification (PMN) under TSCA section 5 to place the correct chemical substance on the Inventory whenever the previously reported substance is found to be misidentified. This would impose a much greater burden on both EPA and the submitter than the existing correction mechanism.

Responses to the collection of information are voluntary. 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. 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 annual public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1.0 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 and importers of chemical substances, mixtures or categories.

Frequency of Collection: On occasion.

Estimated No. of Respondents: 200.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 200 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Costs: $16,150.

Changes in Burden Estimates: There is no change in the estimated burden associated with this ICR as compared with the ICR most recently approved by OMB.

According to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 1320.12, EPA has submitted this ICR to OMB for review and approval. Any comments related to the renewal of this ICR should be submitted within 30 days of this notice, as described above.

Dated: November 19, 2001.

Oscar Morales,

Director, Collection Strategies Division.