[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 172 (Friday, September 4, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47277-47278]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-23814]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-6155-6]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; RCRA
Expanded Public Participation
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 EPA is planning to submit the
following continuing Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB): RCRA Expanded Public Participation, EPA
ICR Number 1688.03, OMB Control Number 2050-0149, current expiration
date: 11/30/98. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and
approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the
proposed information collection as described below.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before November 3, 1998.
ADDRESSES: Commenters must send an original and two copies of their
comments referencing docket number F-98-RPIP-FFFFF to RCRA Docket
Information Center, Office of Solid Waste (5305G), U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency Headquarters (EPA HQ), 401 M Street, SW, Washington,
DC 20460. Hand deliveries of comments should be made to the Arlington,
VA, address listed below. Comments may also be submitted electronically
by sending electronic mail through the Internet to: docket@epamail.epa.gov. Comments in electronic format should also be
identified by the docket number F-98-RPIP-FFFFF. All electronic
comments must be submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the use of special
characters and any form of encryption.
Public comments and supporting materials are available for viewing
in the RCRA Information Center (RIC), located at Crystal Gateway 1,
1235 Jefferson Davis Highway, first floor, Arlington, VA. The RIC is
open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding federal
holidays. To review docket materials, the public must make an
appointment by calling 703-603-9230. The public may copy a maximum of
100 pages from any regulatory docket at no charge. Additional copies
cost $.15/page.
Copies of the original ICR may be requested from the docket address
and phone number listed above or may be found on the Internet.
[[Page 47278]]
Follow these instructions to access the information electronically.
WWW: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/permit/pubpart/index.htm
FTP: ftp.epa.gov
Login: anonymous
Password: your Internet address
Files are located in /pub/epaoswer.
The official record for this action will be kept in paper form.
Accordingly, EPA will transfer all comments received electronically
into paper form and place them in the official record, which will also
include all comments submitted directly in writing. The official record
is the paper record maintained in the RCRA Information Center (the RIC
address is listed above in the section).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information, contact the
RCRA Hotline at 1-800-424-9346 or TDD 1-800-553-7672 (hearing
impaired). In the Washington metropolitan area, call 703/412-9610 or
TDD 703-412-3323. For technical information, contact Toshia King at
703-308-7033.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are
owners and operators of facilities that treat, store, or dispose of
hazardous waste to comply with standards, under Section 3004 of RCRA,
that are necessary to protect human health and the environment.
Title: RCRA Expanded Public Participation, EPA ICR Number 1688.03,
OMB Control Number 2050-0149, expiration date: 11/30/98.
Abstract: Congress gave EPA broad authority to provide for public
participation in the RCRA permitting process. EPA promulgated
requirements for providing additional opportunities for the public to
be involved in the RCRA permitting process at 40 CFR Part 124
Secs. 124.31 through 124.33 and in Part 270 Secs. 270.62 and 270.66.
The Part 124 requirements apply to all types of hazardous waste
treatment, storage, and disposal facilities, unless exempted under a
specific section; the Part 270 requirements apply only to hazardous
waste combustors planning trial burns.
The public participation regulations at parts 124 and 270 were
promulgated by EPA under the authority of Subtitle C in RCRA to provide
earlier and better public participation in the hazardous waste facility
permitting process. In summary the regulations require a permit
applicant to provide notice of and hold an informal meeting with the
public before submitting a Part B application, and to submit a summary
of the meeting to the agency (Sec. 124.31). This meeting is the
earliest formal step in the RCRA permitting process. The agency is
required to issue a public notice when it receives an application
(Sec. 124.32). The notice informs the recipient that the facility has
submitted a permit application for agency review. Certain facilities
(as decided by the agency director on a case-by-case basis) are
required to set up and maintain an information repository(Sec. 124.33).
Lastly, the agency is required to issue a public notice of an upcoming
trial burn at a permitted hazardous waste combustion facility
(Secs. 270.62(b)(6) and 270.66(d)(3)), or at a hazardous waste
combustion facility operating under interim status (270.62(d) and
270.66(g)).
This information collection targets the reporting frequency and
requirements of the permit and assures public involvement regulations
are met by owners or operators. The reporting frequency is essential to
assure that any changes in the trial burn plans or in the anticipated
permit application contents are made known to EPA and to the public. In
addition, in the RCRA Expanded Public Participation rule, EPA
promulgated regulations to build upon the Part 124 requirements, in
support of the Agency's goal to enhance public involvement in RCRA
permit-ting procedures. These requirements are important components in
: (1) meeting its statutory mandate to promote public participation in
the development, revision, and implementation of any regulation under
RCRA; and (2) achieving EPA's goal of enhancing public involvement.
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 EPA would like to solicit comments to:
(i) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
(ii) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden
of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions used;
(iii) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information
to be collected; and
(iv) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic
submission of responses.
Burden Statement: EPA estimated repondent burden hours for the
information collection requirements associated with the pre-application
meeting and the information repository requirements. The estimated
number of likely respondents subject to public participation activities
required under this collection of information is 78. The Agency
estimates that 76 facilities are expected to apply for permits or renew
their permits each year, and an additional two facilities are included
in this universe because they are the percent of the existing RCRA
TSDFs expected to be required to initiate information repositories. The
total annual burden to respondents, as estimated for all public
participation reporting and recordkeeping activities under this
collection of information is 7,253 hours. The total estimated average
annual burden cost to respondents required to perform public
participation activities under this information collection request is
$320,590 ($311,384 in labor cost, $3,786 in total capital cost, and
$5,420 in O&M cost). The estimates for O& M cost include preparation of
multilingual notices and the purchase of a file cabinet to retain
copies and other required documentation. 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.
Dated: August 18, 1998.
Barnes Johnson,
Acting Director, Office of Solid Waste.
[FR Doc. 98-23814 Filed 9-3-98; 8:45 am]
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