[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 249 (Tuesday, December 29, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71634-71635]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-34416]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-6211-7]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB
Review; Comment Request; Best Management Practices for the Bleached
Papergrade Kraft and Soda Subcategory and the Papergrade Sulfite
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 Best Management Practices for the Bleached Papergrade Kraft
and Soda Subcategory and the Papergrade Sulfite Subcategory of the
Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Point Source Category (EPA ICR No.
1829.01).
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before January 28, 1999.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Sandy Farmer at EPA by phone
at (202) 260-2740, by e-mail at farmer.sandy@epa.gov, or download the
ICR off the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA ICR No.
1829.01.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Best Management Practices for the
Bleached Papergrade Kraft and Soda Subcategory and the Papergrade
Sulfite Subcategory of the Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Point Source
Category (EPA ICR No. 1829.01). This is a new collection.
Abstract: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established
Best Management Practices (BMPs) provisions as part of final amendments
to 40 CFR part 430, the Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Point Source
Category promulgated on April 15, 1998 (see 63 FR 18641-18643). These
provisions, promulgated under the authorities of sections 304, 307,
308, 402, and 501 of the Clean Water Act, require that owners or
operators of bleached papergrade kraft, soda and sulfite mills
implement site-specific BMPs to prevent or otherwise contain leaks and
spills of spent pulping liquors, soap and turpentine and to control
intentional diversions of these materials. EPA has determined that
these BMPs are necessary because the materials controlled by these
practices, if spilled or otherwise lost, can interfere with wastewater
treatment operations and lead to increased discharges of toxic,
nonconventional, and conventional pollutants. For further discussion of
the need for BMPs, see section VI.B.7 of the preamble to the amendments
to 40 CFR part 430 (see 63 FR 18561-18566). The Federal Register
document required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on this
collection of information was published on 4/15/98 (63 FR 18399); no
comments were received.
EPA has structured the regulation to provide maximum flexibility to
the regulated community and to minimize administrative burdens on
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit and
pretreatment control authorities that regulate bleached papergrade
kraft and soda and papergrade sulfite mills. Although EPA does not
anticipate that mills will be required to submit any confidential
business information or trade secrets as part of this ICR, all data
claimed as confidential business information will be handled pursuant
to 40 CFR part 2 when EPA is the permitting authority and applicable
state rules and local ordinances when these entities are the permitting
or control authorities.
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 burden to prepare, certify, and update
the BMP plan and to fulfill on-going BMP requirements is estimated to
average approximately 941 hours per respondent. Annual Agency burden to
assist state and local governments in the implementation of the BMP
requirements is estimated at about 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
[[Page 71635]]
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; those
operations that chemically pulp wood fiber using papergrade sulfite
methods to produce pulp and/or paper; and State permitting and local
pretreatment control authorities.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 130.
Frequency of Response: Initial plus annual and as-needed to respond
to leaks or spills and to update records. Initial and annual recurring
burden for state permitting and local pretreatment control authorities.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 122,383 hours.
Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: $7,255,000.
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. 1829.01 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: December 22, 1998.
Joseph Retzer,
Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 98-34416 Filed 12-28-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
