[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 176 (Monday, September 13, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49484-49486]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-23711]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OPPTS-00277; FRL-6096-4]
Pre-Manufacture Reporting and Exemption Requirements; Request for
Comments on Proposed Renewal Information Collection
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), EPA is seeking public comment and information on
the following Information Collection Request (ICR): Pre-Manufacture
Review Reporting and Exemption Requirements for New Chemical Substances
and Significant New Use Reporting Requirements for Chemical Substances
(EPA ICR No. 0574.11, OMB No. 2070-0012). This ICR involves a
collection activity that is currently approved and scheduled to expire
on December 31, 1999. The ICR describes the nature of the information
collection activity and its expected burden and costs. Before
submitting this ICR to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for
review and approval under the PRA, EPA is soliciting comments on
specific aspects of the collection.
DATES: Written comments, identified by the docket control number
``OPPTS-00277'' and administrative record number 215, must be received
on or before November 12, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by mail, electronically, or in
person. Please follow the detailed instructions for each method as
provided in Unit III. of the ``SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION'' section of
this notice.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information contact:
Christine M. Augustyniak, Associate Director, Environmental Assistance
Division (7408), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics,
Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460;
Telephone: 202-554-1404; TDD: 202-554-0551; e-mail: TSCA-
Hotline@epa.gov. For technical information contact: Jim Alwood,
Chemical Control Division (7405), Office of Pollution Prevention and
Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC
20460, Telephone: 202-260-1857; Fax: 202-260-8168; e-mail:
alwood.jim@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Does This Notice Apply to Me?
You may be potentially affected by this notice if you manufacture
or import new chemical substances, as defined by the Toxic Substances
Control Act (TSCA), or manufacture, process, or import a chemical
substance for a use that has been determined a significant new use, as
defined by TSCA. Potentially affected categories and entities may
include, but are not limited to the following:
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Standard Industrial
Type of Business Classification (SIC) Code
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Chemical manufacturing 28
Petroleum refining 29
Photographic equipment 386
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This table is not intended to be exhaustive but rather provides a
guide for readers regarding entities likely to be affected by this
action. Other types of entities not listed in this table could also be
affected. To determine whether you or your business is affected by this
action, you should carefully examine the applicability provisions at 40
CFR part 720, Subpart B, 40 CFR part 721, Subparts A and C, 40 CFR part
723, Subpart B, and 40 CFR part 725, Subparts A, B, D, E, F, G, and L.
If you have any questions regarding the applicability of this action to
a particular entity, consult the technical person listed in the ``FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT'' section.
[[Page 49485]]
II. How Can I Get Additional Information or Copies of This Document
or Other Support Documents?
A. Electronic Availability
Electronic copies of this ICR are available from the EPA website at
the ``Federal Register-Environmental Documents'' entry for this
document under ``Laws and Regulations'' (http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/).
You can follow the menu to find this Federal Register notice using the
publication date or the Federal Register citation for this notice.
B. Fax-on-Demand
You may request to receive a faxed copy of the ICR by using a
faxphone to call 202-401-0527 and selecting item 4071. You may also
follow the automated menu.
C. In Person or By Phone
If you have any questions or need additional information about this
notice or the ICR referenced, please contact the person identified in
the ``FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT'' section.
In addition, the official record for this notice, including the
public version, has been established under docket control number
``OPPTS-00277'' (including comments and data submitted electronically
as described below). A public version of this record, including
printed, paper versions of any electronic comments, which does not
include any information claimed as Confidential Business Information
(CBI), is available for inspection in the TSCA Nonconfidential
Information Center, Rm. NE B-607, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC. The
Center is open from 12 noon to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding
legal holidays. The telephone number of the Center is 202-260-7099.
III. How Can I Respond to This Notice?
A. How and to Whom Do I Submit the Comments?
You may submit comments through the mail, in person, or
electronically. Be sure to identify the appropriate docket control
number ``OPPTS-00277'' and administrative record number 215 in your
correspondence.
1. By mail. Submit written comments to: Document Control Office
(7407), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental
Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460.
2. In person or by courier. Deliver written comments to: Document
Control Office in Rm. G-099, Waterside Mall, 401 M St., SW.,
Washington, DC, Telephone: 202-260-7093.
3. Electronically. Submit your comments and/or data electronically
by e-mail to: oppt.ncic@epa.gov. Please note that you should not submit
any information electronically that you consider to be CBI. Electronic
comments must be submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the use of special
characters and any form of encryption. Comment and data will also be
accepted on standard computer disks in WordPerfect 5.1/6.1 or ASCII
file format. All comments and data in electronic form must be
identified by the docket control number ``OPPTS-00277'' and
administrative record number 215. Electronic comments on this notice
may also be filed online at many Federal Depository Libraries.
B. How Should I Handle CBI Information That I Want To Submit To the
Agency?
You may claim information that you submit in response to this
notice as CBI by marking any part or all of that information as CBI.
Information so marked will not be disclosed except in accordance with
procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2. A copy of the comment that does
not contain CBI must also be submitted for inclusion in the public
record. Information not marked confidential will be included in the
public docket by EPA without prior notice. If you have any questions
about CBI or the procedures for claiming CBI, please consult with the
technical person, listed in the ``FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT''
section.
C. What Information is EPA Particularly Interested in?
Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(a) of the PRA, EPA specifically
solicits comments and information to enable it to:
1. Evaluate whether the proposed collections of information are
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility.
2. Evaluate the accuracy of the Agency's estimates of the burdens
of the proposed collections of information.
3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected.
4. Minimize the burden of the collections of information on those
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated
or electronic collection technologies or other forms of information
technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.
D. What Should I Consider When I Prepare My Comments for EPA?
We invite you to provide your views on the various options we
propose, new approaches we haven't considered, the potential impacts of
the various options (including possible unintended consequences), and
any data or information that you would like the Agency to consider
during the development of the final action. You may find the following
suggestions helpful for preparing your comments:
Explain your views as clearly as possible.
Describe any assumptions that you used.
Provide solid technical information and/or data to support
your views.
If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you
arrived at the estimate.
Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns.
Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity.
Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline in this
notice.
At the beginning of your comments (e.g., as part of the
``Subject'' heading), be sure to properly identify the document on
which you are commenting. You can do this by providing the docket
control number assigned to the notice, along with the name, date, and
Federal Register citation, or by using the appropriate EPA or OMB ICR
number.
IV. To What Information Collection Activity or ICR Does This Notice
Apply?
EPA is seeking comments on the following ICR:
Title: Pre-Manufacture Review Reporting and Exemption Requirements
for New Chemical Substances and Significant New Use Reporting
Requirements for Chemical Substances.
ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 0574.11, OMB No. 2070-0012.
ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on December
31, 1999. 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
information collections appear on the collection instruments or
instructions, in the Federal Register notices for related rulemakings
and ICR notices, and, if the collection is contained in a regulation,
in a table of OMB approval numbers in 40 CFR part 9.
Abstract: TSCA section 5 requires manufacturers and importers of
new
[[Page 49486]]
chemical substances to submit to EPA notice of intent to manufacture or
import a new chemical substance 90 days before manufacture or import
begins. EPA reviews the information contained in the notice to evaluate
the health and environmental effects of the new chemical substance. On
the basis of the review, EPA may take further regulatory action under
TSCA, if warranted. If EPA takes no action within 90 days, the
submitter is free to manufacture or import the new chemical substance
without restriction.
TSCA section 5 also authorizes EPA to issue Significant New Use
Rules (SNURs). EPA uses this authority to take follow-up action on new
or existing chemicals that may present an unreasonable risk to human
health or the environment if used in a manner that may result in
different and/or higher exposures of a chemical to humans or the
environment. Once a use is determined to be a significant new use,
persons must submit a notice to EPA 90 days before beginning
manufacture, processing, or importation of a chemical substance for
that use. Such a notice allows EPA to receive and review information on
such a use and, if necessary, regulate the use before it occurs.
Finally, TSCA section 5 also permits applications for exemption
from section 5 review under certain circumstances. An applicant must
provide information sufficient for EPA to make a determination that the
circumstances in question qualify for an exemption. In granting an
exemption, EPA may impose appropriate restrictions.
Responses to the collection of information are mandatory (see 40
CFR parts 720, 721, and 723). 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.
V. What Are EPA's Burden and Cost Estimates for This ICR?
Under the PRA, ``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. For this
collection it 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.
The ICR provides a detailed explanation of this estimate, which is
only briefly summarized in this notice. The annual public burden for
this collection of information is estimated to average 101.5 hours per
response. The following is a summary of the estimates taken from the
ICR:
Respondents/affected entities: Entities potentially affected by
this action are manufacturers or importers of new chemical substances,
as defined by the TSCA, or manufacturers, processors, or importers of a
chemical substance for a use that has been determined a significant new
use, as defined by TSCA.
Estimated total number of potential respondents: 432.
Frequency of response: On occasion.
Estimated total/average number of responses for each respondent: 5-
6 (average).
Estimated total annual burden hours: 241,611 hours.
Estimated total annual burden costs: $31.665 million.
VI. Are There Changes in the Estimates From the Last Approval?
There is no change in burden from that indicated in the information
collection most recently approved by OMB.
VII. What is the Next Step in the Process for This ICR?
EPA will consider the comments received and amend the ICR as
appropriate. The final ICR package will then be submitted to OMB for
review and approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. EPA will issue another
Federal Register notice pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to announce
the submission of the ICR to OMB and the opportunity to submit
additional comments to OMB. If you have any questions about this ICR or
the approval process, please contact the person listed in the ``FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT'' section.
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Information collection requests,
Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
Dated: September 2, 1999.
Susan H. Wayland,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic
Substances.
[FR Doc. 99-23711 Filed 9-10-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F
