2015-19918. Agency Information Collection Activities; PCBs, Consolidated Reporting and Record Keeping Requirements; Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

EPA has submitted the following information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA): “PCBs, Consolidated Reporting and Record Keeping Requirements” and identified by EPA ICR No. 1446.11 and OMB Control No. 2070-0112. The ICR, which is available in the docket along with other related materials, provides a detailed explanation of the collection activities and the burden estimate that is only briefly summarized in this document. EPA has addressed the comments received in response to the previously provided public review opportunity issued in the Federal Register on October 10, 2014 (79 FR 61302). With this submission, EPA is providing an additional 30 days for public review.

DATES:

Comments must be received on or before September 14, 2015.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, identified by docket identification (ID) number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2014-0597, to both EPA and OMB as follows:

• To EPA online using http://www.regulations.gov (our preferred method) or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460.
• To OMB via email to [e-mail]. Address comments to OMB Desk Officer for EPA.

EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the docket without change, including any personal information provided, unless the comment includes profanity, threats, information claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI), or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit electronically any information you consider to be CBI or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Colby Lintner, Environmental Assistance Division (7408M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: [phone]; email address: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Docket: Supporting documents, including the ICR that explains in detail the information collection activities and the related burden and cost estimates that are summarized in this document, are available in the docket for this ICR. The docket can be viewed online at http://www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, West William Jefferson Clinton Bldg., Rm. 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The telephone number for the Docket Center is [phone]. For additional information about EPA's public docket, visit http://www.epa.gov/​dockets.

ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on August 31, 2015. Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB.

Under PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., 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 are 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 for certain EPA regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.

Abstract: Section 6(e)(1) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), 15 U.S.C. 2605(e), directs EPA to regulate the marking and disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Since 1978, EPA has promulgated numerous rules addressing all aspects of the life cycle of PCBs as required by the statute. To meet its statutory obligations to regulate PCBs, EPA must obtain sufficient information to conclude that specified activities do not result in an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment. EPA uses the information collected under the 40 CFR 761 requirements to ensure that PCBs are managed in an environmentally safe manner and that activities are being conducted in compliance with the PCB regulations. The information collected by these requirements will update the Agency's knowledge of ongoing PCB activities, ensure that individuals using or disposing of PCBs are held accountable for their activities, and demonstrate compliance with the PCB regulations. Specific uses of the information collected include determining the efficacy of a disposal technology; evaluating exemption requests and exclusion notices; targeting compliance inspections; and ensuring adequate storage capacity for PCB waste.

Respondents/Affected Entities: Entities potentially affected by this ICR are persons who currently possess PCB items, PCB-contaminated equipment, or other PCB waste.

Respondent's obligation to respond: Responses to the collection of information are mandatory (see 40 CFR part 761). 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.

Estimated total number of potential respondents: 548,298.

Frequency of response: On occasion.

Estimated total burden: 745,926 hours (per year). Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.3(b).

Estimated total costs: $ 29,778,544 (per year), includes no annualized capital investment or maintenance and operational costs.

Changes in the estimates: There is an increase of 60,591 hours in the total estimated respondent burden compared with that identified in the ICR currently approved by OMB. This increase reflects EPA's revisions to the estimated total number of respondents, resulting from new data gathered for this ICR effort as well as another recent PCB regulatory analysis, plus updated Agency data regarding total numbers of regulated entities. The ICR supporting statement provides a detailed analysis of the change in burden estimate. This change is an adjustment.

Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.

Courtney Kerwin,

Acting Director, Collection Strategies Division.