[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 111 (Tuesday, June 10, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31596-31597]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-15098]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-5838-2]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB
Review
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 notice announces that the following Information
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Oil Pollution Act Facility
Response Plan,
[[Page 31597]]
OMB Control Number 2050-0135, EPA ICR Number 1630.03, expiring 7/31/97.
The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its
expected burden and cost; where appropriate it includes the actual data
collection instrument.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before July 10, 1997.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY CALL: Sandy Farmer at EPA, (202) 260-
2740, and refer to EPA ICR No. 1630.03.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Oil Pollution Act Facility Response Plan, (OMB Control
Number 2050-0135, EPA ICR Number 1630.03) expiring 7/31/97. This is a
request for extension of a currently approved collection.
Abstract: The authority for EPA's response plan requirements is
derived from Section 311 of the Clean Water Act as amended by the Oil
Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA). EPA's regulation, which is codified at 40
CFR 112.20 and 21, requires that owners and operators of facilities
that could cause substantial harm to the environment by discharging oil
into navigable water bodies or adjoining shorelines prepare plans for
responding to the maximum extent practicable, to a worst case discharge
of oil, to a substantial threat of such a discharge, and as
appropriate, to discharges smaller than worst case discharges.
All facility response plan (FRP) reporting and recordkeeping
activities are mandatory. Each FRP is submitted to EPA. The Agency, in
turn, reviews and approves plans from facilities identified as having
the potential to cause ``significant and substantial harm'' to the
environment from oil discharges. Other low risk, regulated facilities
that are not required to prepare facility response plans are required
to document their determination that they do not meet the ``substantial
harm'' criteria.
Facility response plans enhance EPA's ability to protect navigable
waters and sensitive environments when oil discharges occur and reduce
the cost of spills to the regulated community and society. Response
plans reduce such costs by ensuring that discharges are controlled and
cleaned up swiftly and efficiently. Facilities that are prepared to
respond to incidents are more likely to contain the spread of a spill
before it reaches navigable waters and to mitigate the effects of a
spill on the environment. In an emergency, On-Scene Coordinators, local
emergency response officials such as fire chiefs, and outside oil
response contractors may consult the facility response plan.
None of the information to be gathered for this collection is
believed to be confidential. 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. The Federal Register Notice required under 5 CFR
1320.8(d), soliciting comments on this collection of information was
published on 2/20/97 (62 FR 7769). Three comments were received.
Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this collection of information is estimated as follows: An
average of .1 hours of recordkeeping for newly regulated facilities not
required to prepare FRPs (i.e., facilities that certify that they do
not meet the ``substantial harm'' criteria); 8.3 hours for
recordkeeping and 118.48 hours for reporting for the newly regulated
facilities required to prepare FRPs (i.e., first year costs for plan
development); 1.22 hours for recordkeeping and 65.7 hours for reporting
for facilities maintaining FRPs (i.e., subsequent costs for annual plan
maintenance). 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: 9886.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 9886.
Frequency of Response: One time certification, one time plan
development. Annual plan review and revision as needed.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 376,599 hours.
Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: $11.632 million.
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. 1630.03 and OMB Control No. 2050-0135 in any
correspondence.
Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, OPPE 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: June 4, 1997.
Richard Westlund,
Action Division Director, Regulatory Information Division.
[FR Doc. 97-15098 Filed 6-9-97; 8:45 am]
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