E6-19751. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Confidentiality Rules (Renewal); EPA ICR No. 1665.07, OMB Control No. 2020-0003

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)(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 and its estimated burden and cost.

DATES:

Additional comments may be submitted on or before December 22, 2006.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OEI-2006-0515 to (1) EPA online using http://www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), by e-mail to [e-mail], or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460 and (2) OMB by mail to: 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:

Larry F. Gottesman, National FOIA Officer, Collection Strategies Division, Office of Information Collection, Mail Code 2822T, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-566-2162; fax number: 202-566-2147; 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 July 17, 2006, (71 FR 40510), EPA sought comments on this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments. 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-OEI-2006-0515, which is available for online viewing at http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Office of Environmental Information Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue, 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.

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 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 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. For further information about the electronic docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov.

Title: Confidentiality Rules (Renewal).

ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1665.07, OMB Control No. 2020-0003.

ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on November 30, 2006. 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: In the course of administering environmental protection statutes, EPA collects data from thousands of facilities in many sectors of the U.S. economy. In many cases, industry marks the data it submits to EPA as CBI. In addition, businesses submit information to EPA without the Agency requesting the information. EPA established the procedures described in 40 CFR part 2, subparts A and B, to protect the confidentiality of information as well as the rights of the public to obtain access to information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). In accordance with these regulations, when EPA finds it necessary to make a final confidentiality determination (e.g., in response to a FOIA request or in the course of rulemaking or litigation), or in advance confidentiality determination, it shall notify the affected business and provides an opportunity to comment (i.e., to submit a substantiation of confidentiality claim). This ICR relates to the collection of information that will assist EPA in determining whether previously submitted information is entitled to confidential treatment.

Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 4.9 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 which have subsequently changed; 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 businesses and other for-profit companies.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,330.

Frequency of Response: 1 per year.

Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 6,521 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Cost: $240,158, includes $0 annualized capital or O&M costs and $240,158 annual labor costs.

Changes in the Estimates: There is no change in hours in the total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of Approved ICR Burdens.

Dated: November 14, 2006.

Oscar Morales,

Director, Collection Strategies Division.