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Mattheisen, Mike

From: Mattheisen, Mike

Sent: Monday, June 22, 2015 1:45 PM

To: Scott_Jensen@americanchemistry.com; 'gainesj@socma.com'; 

'daniel.a.turner@dupont.com'; 'wohlschlegele@api.org'; 'MSCANLAN@vermontlaw.edu'; 

'stacy@aafa.org'; 'sstein@edf.org'; 'ken@ewg.org'; 'eheyd@nrdc.org'

Subject: Request for Assistance; Public Comment on the Proposed Renewal of an Information 

Collection Request (ICR) Concerning Reporting Information to the U.S. EPA under Section 

8(a) of TSCA

On June 19, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a notice in the Federal Register (80 FR

35349) announcing that EPA intends to submit an existing Information Collection Request (ICR) that is scheduled to

expire in March 2016 to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for renewal, and requesting public comment. The

ICR applies to the Preliminary Assessment Information Reporting rule (PAIR), 40 CFR Part B, which was issued under

section 8(a) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). TSCA Section 8(a) authorizes EPA to issue rules that require

chemical manufacturers (including importers) submit certain chemical use and production information to EPA.

Manufacturers and importers who report under the PAIR rule are required to use EPA Form 7710‐35. (“Agency

Information Collection Activities; Proposed Renewal and Comment Request; TSCA Section 8(a) Preliminary Assessment

Information Rule (PAIR).” EPA ICR No. 0586.13; OMB Control No. 2070‐0054. See,

http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=EPA‐HQ‐OPPT‐2015‐0236‐0001.)   

In addition to the public comment requested by the notice in the Federal Register, OMB regulations at 5 CFR

1320.8(d)(1) require agencies to consult with potential respondents and data users about specific aspects of an ICR. As

part of this required consultation, I am contacting you to solicit your input.  Please note that if you take this opportunity

to provide input, your name, affiliation, e‐mail address, phone number and any information you provide (e.g., copies of

e‐mails) will be incorporated and attached to the ICR supporting statement, which will be a public document.  In

addition, the OMB Desk Examiner for the ICR in question may contact you to verify the accuracy of any comments EPA

identifies in the ICR.

EPA solicits your input on the following questions:

1. Are the data that are required to be submitted under this ICR available from any other public source that you

are aware of, or are they data already collected by another EPA office or by another agency?  If so, where is the

data publicly available?

2. Is the data submission requirement clear?  If not, do you have any suggestions for how the data submission can

be clarified?  

3. Data is required to be submitted electronically through EPA’s Central Data Exchange (CDX). Is EPA’s CDX a good

method, or is there a better alternative?

4. Do you have any concerns about the submission of confidential business information (CBI)?

5. Do you agree with EPA’s estimated burden and costs? (ICRs address only costs associated with paperwork.) Are

the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) labor rates accurate?  If you have any reason to consider the BLS labor rates

inaccurate or inappropriate as used by EPA, please explain your rationale.  

To access the Federal Register notice, the ICR supporting document (including the economic analysis), and any public

comments received, go to www.regulations.gov and search using EPA‐HQ‐OPPT‐2015‐0236. Click on any of the

documents listed within the docket to read the document.  
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If you have any comments in response to the above questions, or with respect to any other part of this ICR, please

respond by return e‐mail by COB on Tuesday, August 18, 2015. EPA will consider those responses, as well as any public

comment received in response to the Federal Register notice identified above, in preparing a final document for OMB

review.

Mike Mattheisen

Assistant Branch Chief

Chemical Information and  

  Testing Branch/CCD/OPPT

202‐564‐3077