[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 48 (Friday, March 12, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12314-12316]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-6181]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OPPTS-00262; FRL-6050-9]
Design for the Environment (DfE); Agency Information Collection
Activities
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice and request for comment.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501
et seq.), this notice announces that EPA is planning to submit the
following Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Before submitting
the ICR to OMB, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the
information collection described in Unit I. and Unit II. of this
document. The ICR is a continuing ICR entitled ``Collection of Impact
Data on Technical Information: Request for Generic Clearance, Design
for the Environment (DfE),'' EPA ICR No. 1768.02, OMB No. 2070-0152. 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.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before May 11, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Each comment must bear the docket control number ``OPPTS-
00262'' and administrative record number 206. All comments should be
sent in triplicate to: OPPT Document Control Officer (7407), Office of
Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M
St., SW., Rm. G-099, East Tower, Washington, DC 20460.
Comments and data may also be submitted electronically to:
oppt.ncic@epa.gov. Follow the instructions under Unit III. of this
document. No TSCA Confidential Business Information (CBI) should be
submitted through e-mail.
[[Page 12315]]
All comments that contain information claimed as CBI must be
clearly marked as such. Three sanitized copies of any comments
containing information claimed as CBI must also be submitted and will
be placed in the public record for this document. Persons submitting
information on any portion of which they believe is entitled to
treatment as CBI by EPA must assert a business confidentiality claim in
accordance with 40 CFR 2.203(b) for each such portion. This claim must
be made at the time that the information is submitted to EPA. If a
submitter does not assert a confidentiality claim at the time of
submission, EPA will consider this as a waiver of any confidentiality
claim and the information may be made available to the public by EPA
without further notice to the submitter.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information contact: Susan
B. Hazen, Director, Environmental Assistance Division (7408), Office of
Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M
St., SW., Washington, DC 20460, Telephone: 202-554-1404, TDD: 202-554-
0551, e-mail: TSCA-Hotline@epa.gov. For technical information contact:
Bill Hanson, Economics, Exposure and Technology Division (7406), Office
of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency,
401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460, Telephone: 202-260-1678, Fax:
202-260-0981, e-mail: hanson.bill@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Electronic Availability:
Internet
Electronic copies of the ICR are available from the EPA Home Page
at the Federal Register - Environmental Documents entry for this
document under ``Laws and Regulations'' (http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/).
Fax-on-Demand
Using a faxphone call 202-401-0527 and select item 4066 for a copy
of the ICR.
I. Background
Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are
companies or industries that are part of industry sectors that may
interact with EPA in the Agency's DfE program. For each collection of
information addressed in this notice, EPA would like to solicit
comments to:
1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility.
2. Evaluate the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden of
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used.
3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected.
4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic
submission of responses.
II. Information Collection
EPA is seeking comments on the following ICR as well as the
Agency's intention to renew the corresponding OMB approvals.
Title: Collection of Impact Data on Technical Information: Request
for Generic Clearance, Design for the Environment (DfE)
ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1768.02, OMB No. 2070-0152.
Approval expiration date: July 31, 1999.
Abstract: EPA's DfE program is a voluntary, non-regulatory approach
to encourage industry to adopt technologies and use materials that
result in lower levels of pollution, lessened reliance on toxic
materials, higher energy efficiency and lower environmental health
risks. Through DfE, EPA creates partnerships with industry,
professional organizations, state, and local governments, other federal
agencies and the public to develop and disseminate technical
information.
This is a generic ICR for a series of surveys, referred to as DfE
Technical Information Impact Studies, to undertake data collection in
support of EPA's DfE program. The studies will focus on various
industrial sectors such as printing, printed wiring board circuitry and
dry cleaning. The purpose of all DfE Technical Information Impact
Studies is to evaluate the impact of DfE technical information on
industry practices, use of materials, and waste generation. In each
case, EPA, often in collaboration with industry associations and
universities, will have developed technical information for industry on
the use of product reclamation processes and other workplace practices
that may lower health risks to workers and prevent pollution. The
proposed studies will each involve two separate surveys of owners or
operators of target industry establishments. The initial survey will
establish a baseline representing pre-technical information receipt. A
follow-up survey will be administered approximately 2 years later to
establish longer-term impacts of the technical materials. The overall
goal of this before-and-after design is to understand the impacts of
DfE technical information on workplace practices and technologies that
generate or prevent pollution. This generic ICR will allow EPA to
conduct a series of small conceptually interrelated surveys. It will
permit the DfE program the ability to collect information in a timely
manner and to evaluate the effectiveness of the technical materials EPA
provides to industry. EPA will be the principal user of information
developed from the survey findings, but EPA expects that tens of
thousands of small businesses in a variety of industry sectors will
benefit from the results of the studies.
Responses to the collection of information are voluntary.
Respondents may claim all or part of a response 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.
Burden statement: The burden to respondents for complying with this
ICR is estimated to total 15,000 hours per year with an annual cost of
$420,000. These totals are based on an average burden of approximately
2.0 hours per response for an estimated 7,500 respondents making one or
more responses annually. These estimates include 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.
III. Public Record and Electronic Submissions
The official record for this document, as well as the public
version, has been established for this document under docket control
number ``OPPTS-00262'' (including comments and data submitted
electronically as described below). A public version of this record,
including printed, paper versions of electronic comments, which does
not include any information claimed as CBI,
[[Page 12316]]
is available for inspection from 12 noon to 4 p.m., Monday through
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The official rulemaking record is
located in the TSCA Nonconfidential Information Center, Rm. NE-B607,
401 M St., SW., Washington, DC.
Electronic comments can be sent directly to EPA at:
oppt.ncic@epa.gov
Electronic comments must be submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the
use of special characters and any form of encryption. Comments and data
will also be accepted on disks in WordPerfect 5.1/6.1 or ASCII file
format. All comments and data in electronic form addressing ICR No.
0795.10 must be identified by docket control number ``OPPTS-00262'' and
administrative record number 206. Electronic comments on this document
may be filed online at many Federal Depository Libraries.
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Information collection requests,
Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
Dated: February 1, 1999.
Stephen L. Johnson,
Acting Assistant Administrator for Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic
Substances.
[FR Doc. 99-6181 Filed 3-1-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F
