E7-9812. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (Renewal), EPA ICR No. 1664.06, OMB Control No. 2050-0141

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), 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. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.

DATES:

Additional comments may be submitted on or before June 21, 2007.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OPA-2007-0042 to (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), by e-mail to [e-mail] or by mail to: EPA Docket Center (Superfund), Environmental Protection Agency, Mail code: 5104A, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; and (2) OMB by mail 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:

William “Nick” Nichols, Office of Emergency Management, (5104A), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-564-1970; fax number: 202-564-2625; 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 February 14, 2007 (72 FR 7027), EPA sought comments on this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments during the comment period. Any additional comments on 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. EPA-HQ-OPA-2007-0042, which is available for online viewing at www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Superfund Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC 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 Superfund Docket Center is 202-566-0276.

Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at www.regulations.gov, to submit or view public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those documents in the docket that are available electronically. Once in the system, select “docket search,” then key in the docket ID number identified above. Please note that EPA's policy is that public comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available for public viewing at www.regulations.gov, as EPA receives them and without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other information whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. For further information about the electronic docket, go to www.regulations.gov.

Title: National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (Renewal).

ICR Numbers: EPA ICR Number 1664.06, OMB Control Number 2050-0141.

ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2007. Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. 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 when approved, are listed in 40 CFR part 9, and displayed either by publication in the Federal Register or by other appropriate means, such as on the related collection instrument or form, if applicable. The display of OMB control numbers in certain EPA regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.

Abstract: This Information Collection Request (ICR) renewal supports activities to implement the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP), Subpart J (40 CFR 300.900), “Use of Dispersants and Other Chemicals.” Subpart J requirements include criteria for listing oil spill mitigating agents on the NCP Product Schedule. Under Subpart J, respondents who want to add a product to the Schedule must submit technical product data to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Specifically, Subpart J requires the manufacturer to conduct specific toxicity and effectiveness tests and submit the corresponding technical product data along with other detailed information to the EPA Office of Emergency Management. EPA uses product information when responding to oil spills in accordance with the NCP.

Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 26 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 which have subsequently changed; 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 include, but are not limited to, manufacturers of bioremediation agents, dispersants, surface collecting agents, surface washing agents and other chemical agents and biological additives used as countermeasures against oil spills.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 14.

Frequency of Response: On occasion.

Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 390 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Cost: $100,493, which comprises an estimated $17,693 in labor costs and $82,800 for operating & maintenance costs. There are no startup/capital costs.

Changes in the Estimates: EPA does not anticipate any changes in the annual burden hours or capital and O&M costs under this ICR renewal.

Dated: May 14, 2007.

Sara Hisel-McCoy,

Acting Director, Collection Strategies Division.