E7-16818. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Request for Contractor Access to TSCA Confidential Business Information (CBI); EPA ICR No. 1250.08, OMB No. 2070-0075

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (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 activity and its expected burden and costs.

DATES:

Additional comments may be submitted on or before September 24, 2007.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, referencing docket ID Number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2006-0807 to (1) EPA online using http://www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), by e-mail to [e-mail] or by mail to: Document Control Office (DCO), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code: 7407T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB at: 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:

Barbara Cunningham, Director, Environmental Assistance Division, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 7408-M, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-554-1404; 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 November 9, 2006 (71 FR 65809), EPA sought comments on this renewal 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-OPPT-2006-0807, which is available for online viewing at http://www.regulations.gov, or in person inspection at the OPPT Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center 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 Pollution Prevention and Toxics Docket is 202-566-0280. Use http://www.regulations.gov to submit or view public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the public docket, and to access those documents in the public docket that are available electronically. Once in the system, select “search,” then key in the docket ID number identified above.

Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at http://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 http://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 http://www.regulations.gov.

Title: Request for Contractor Access to TSCA Confidential Business Information (CBI).

ICR Numbers: EPA ICR No. 1250.08, OMB Control No. 2070-0075.

ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on August 31, 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, 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 in certain EPA regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.

Abstract: EPA procures contract support to facilitate the performance of certain duties. As authorized by section 14 of TSCA, certain employees of companies working under contract to EPA require access to TSCA confidential business information collected under the authority of TSCA in order to perform their official duties. Each contractor employee who will use TSCA CBI in the performance of his or her duties must be authorized for access to TSCA CBI through a multi-step process. The TSCA CBI Protection Manual provides Federal and contractor employees with guidelines and operating procedures for handling TSCA CBI while performing their official duties, as well as the procedures to obtain authorization for access to TSCA CBI. The Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), which is responsible for maintaining the security of TSCA confidential business information, requires that all individuals desiring access to TSCA CBI obtain and annually renew official clearance to TSCA CBI. As part of the process for obtaining TSCA CBI clearance, OPPT requires certain information about the contracting company and about each contractor employee requesting TSCA CBI clearance, primarily the name, EPA badge number or other identification of the employee, the type of TSCA CBI clearance requested and the justification for such clearance, and the signature of the employee to an agreement with respect to access to and use of TSCA CBI. For purposes of this information collection, contractor personnel must complete and submit EPA Form 7740-6, titled “TSCA CBI Access Request, Agreement, and Approval”.

Responses to the collection of information are required in order for a contractor employee to obtain clearance to access TSCA CBI. EPA will observe strict confidentiality precautions with respect to the information collected on individual employees, based on the Privacy Act of 1974, as outlined in the ICR and in the collection instrument.

Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1.6 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; 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 action are companies under contract to the Environmental Protection Agency to provide certain services, whose employees must have access to TSCA confidential business information to perform their duties.

Frequency of Collection: On occasion.

Estimated Average Number of Responses for Each Respondent: 10.

Estimated No. of Respondents: 28.

Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 446 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Costs: $20,466.

Changes in Burden Estimates: This request reflects an increase of 31 hours (from 415 hours to 446 hours) in the total estimated respondent burden from that currently in the OMB inventory. This increase represents an increase in the number of contractor employees that need clearance. The change is an adjustment.

Dated: August 16, 2007.

Sara Hisel-McCoy,

Acting Director, Collection Strategies Division.