E9-18696. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; EPA's Design for the Environment Formulator Product Recognition Program; EPA ICR No. 2302.01, OMB Control No. 2070-NEW

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 the following Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: EPA's Design for the Environment Formulator Product Recognition Program; EPA ICR No. 2302.01, OMB No. 2070-NEW. 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 4, 2009.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, referencing docket ID Number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2008-0219 to (1) EPA online using 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 June 18, 2008 (73 FR 34726), EPA sought comments on this ICR. EPA sought comments on this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments during the comment period. Any comments related to 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-2008-0219, which is available for online viewing at http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the OPPT 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 Pollution Prevention and Toxics Docket is 202-566-0280.

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 public 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 in www.regulations.gov as EPA receives them and without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted material, Confidential Business Information (CBI), or other information whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA identifies a comment containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference to that material in the version of the comment that is placed in www.regulations.gov. The entire printed comment, including the copyrighted material, will be available in the public docket. Although identified as an item in the official docket, information claimed as CBI, or whose disclosure is otherwise restricted by statute. For further information about the electronic docket, go to www.regulations.gov.

Title: EPA's Design for the Environment Formulator Product Recognition Program.

ICR Numbers: EPA ICR No. 2302.01, OMB Control No. 2070-NEW.

ICR Status: This ICR is for a new information collection activity. 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's Design for the Environment (DfE) Formulator Product Recognition Program formally recognizes safer products where all ingredients have an environmental and human health profile showing that they are the safest in their functional use class. Under the encouragement of this program, leading companies have made great progress in developing safer, highly effective chemical products. Since the program's inception in 1997, formulators have used the program as a portal to OPPT's unique chemical expertise, information resources, and guidance on greener chemistry. DfE Formulator partners enjoy Agency recognition, including the use of the DfE logo on products with the safest possible formulations. In the future, EPA expects much greater program participation due to rising demand for safer products. This information collection enables EPA to accommodate participation by more than nine formulators each year and to enhance program transparency.

Information collection activities associated with this program will assist the Agency in meeting the goals of the Pollution Prevention Act (PPA) by providing resources and recognition for businesses committed to promoting and using safer chemical products. In turn, the program will help businesses meet corporate sustainability goals by providing the means to, and an objective measure of, environmental stewardship. Investment analysts and advisers seek these types of measures in evaluating a corporation's sustainability profile and investment worthiness. Formulator Program partnership is an important impetus for prioritizing and completing the transition to safer chemical products. The Formulator Program is also needed to promote greater use of safer chemical products by companies unaware of the benefits of such a change.

EPA has tailored its request for information, and especially the Formulator Product Recognition Program application forms, to ensure that the Agency requests only that information essential to verify applicants' eligibility for recognition. Responses to the collection of information are voluntary. Respondents may claim all or part of a notice 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 annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to 22 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 that formulate end-use, for-sale chemical products.

Frequency of Collection: On occassion.

Estimated Average Number of Responses for Each Respondent: 1.

Estimated No. of Respondents: 32.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 691 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Costs: $815,473 (including $382,800 in M&O costs).

Changes in Burden Estimates: This is a new ICR. This estimated burden for this new ICR is estimated to be 691 hours and is a program change.

Dated: July 30, 2009.

John Moses,

Director, Collection Strategies Division.