E5-6698. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; TSCA Section 5(a)(2) Significant New Use Rules for Existing Chemicals; EPA ICR No. 1188.08, OMB Control No. 2070-0038

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: TSCA Section 5(a)(2) Significant New Use Rules for Existing Chemicals; EPA ICR No. 1188.08, OMB No. 2070-0038. This is a request to renew an existing approved collection, that is scheduled to expire on January 31, 2006. Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the information collection activity and its expected burden and costs.

DATES:

Additional comments may be submitted on or before December 30, 2005.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, referencing docket ID Number OPPT-2005-0009, to (1) EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by e-mail to [e-mail] 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:

Barbara Cunningham, Acting Director, Environmental Assistance Division, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 7408, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-554-1404; 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 March 23, 2005 (70 FR 14674), EPA sought comments on this renewal ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received two comments during the comment period, which are addressed in the Supporting Statement of the ICR. Any 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. OPPT-2005-0009, which is available for online viewing at http://www.epa.gov/​edocket, or in person viewing at the OPPT Docket 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 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 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. Once in the system, select “search,” then key in the docket ID number identified above.

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, 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 go to http://www.epa.gov/​edocket.

Title: TSCA section 5(a)(2) Significant New Use Rules for Existing Chemicals.

Abstract: Section 5 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) provides EPA with a regulatory mechanism to monitor and, if necessary, control significant new uses of chemical substances. Section 5 authorizes EPA to determine by rule (a significant new use rule or SNUR), after considering all relevant factors, that a use of a chemical substance represents a significant new use. If EPA determines that a use of a chemical substance is a significant new use, section 5 requires persons to submit a notice to EPA at least 90 days before they manufacture, import, or process the substance for that use.

EPA uses the information obtained through this collection to evaluate the health and environmental effects of the significant new use. EPA may take regulatory actions under TSCA sections 5, 6 or 7 to control the activities for which it has received a SNUR notice. These actions include orders to limit or prohibit the manufacture, importation, processing, distribution in commerce, use or disposal of chemical substances. If EPA does not take action, section 5 also requires EPA to publish a Federal Register notice explaining the reasons for not taking action.

Responses to the collection of information are mandatory (see 40 CFR 721). Respondents may claim all or part of a notice as CBI. EPA will disclose information that is covered by a CBI claim only to the extent permitted by, and in accordance with, the procedures in 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 in title 40 of the CFR, after appearing in the Federal Register, are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and included on the related collection instrument or form, if applicable.

Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to be 118.9 hours per response. Burden is 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: Entities potentially affected by this action are companies that manufacture, process, import, or distribute in commerce chemical substances or mixtures.

Frequency of Collection: On occasion.

Estimated total/average number of responses for each respondent: 1.

Estimated No. of Respondents: 5.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 861 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Costs: $51,030.

Changes in Burden Estimates: There is a decrease of 159 hours (from 1,020 hours to 861 hours) in the total estimated respondent burden compared with that identified in the information collection request most recently approved by OMB. This decrease reflects EPA's updating of burden estimates for this collection based upon historical information on the number of chemicals per SNUR. Based upon revised estimates, the number of chemicals per SNUR has decreased from 65.5 to 41, with a corresponding decrease in the associated burden. This change is an adjustment.

Dated: November 22, 2005.

Oscar Morales,

Director, Collection Strategies Division.