Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 114 / Tuesday, June 13, 2000 / Notices 37131

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–6715–1]

Continuous Release Reporting

Regulations (CRRR) Under the

Comprehensive Environmental

Response, Compensation, and Liability

Act of 1980 (CERCLA); Request for

Comment on Renewal Information

Collection

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 EPA is planning to submit the

following continuing Information

Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB):

Continuous Release Reporting

Regulations (CRRR) under the

Comprehensive Environmental

Response, Compensation, and Liability

Act of 1980 (CERCLA) (EPA ICR No.

1445.05, OMB No. 2050–0086). This is

a request to renew an existing ICR that

is currently approved. Before submitting

the ICR to OMB for review and

approval, EPA is soliciting comments on

specific aspects of the collection.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on

or before August 14, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments submitted by

regular U.S. Postal Service mail should

be sent to: Docket Coordinator,

Superfund Docket Office, Mail Code

5201G, U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency Headquarters, Ariel Rios

Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue,

NW., Washington, DC 20460. To ensure

proper receipt by EPA, it is imperative

that you identify docket control number

102RQ–CR2 in the subject line on the

first page of your comment. Comments

may also be submitted electronically or

in person. Please follow the detailed

instructions for these submission

methods as provided in unit III of the

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Lynn Beasley, (703) 603–9086.

Facsimile number: (703) 603–9104.

Electronic address:

beasley.lynn@epa.gov. Comments

should not be submitted to this contact

person.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Does This Notice Apply to Me?

You may be affected by this notice if

you are in charge of a facility that

releases hazardous substances into the

environment as specified in section

103(a) of the Comprehensive

Environmental Response,

Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980

(CERCLA), as amended. According to

section 103(a) of CERCLA, if the facility

you are in charge of releases a

hazardous substance that equals or

exceeds its reportable quantity (RQ) and

the release is not Federally permitted,

you are required to notify the National

Response Center (NRC) of the release

immediately. However, according to

section 103(f)(2) of CERCLA, if the

release at the facility you are in charge

of is ‘‘continuous,’’ and ‘‘stable in

quantity and rate,’’ you may be

exempted from the per-occurrence

notification requirements of section

103(a) of CERCLA. To determine if the

facility you are in charge of is affected

by this action, you should carefully

examine the applicability provisions in

the Continuing Release Reporting

Regulations (CRRR) (40 CFR part 302.8).

II. How Can I Get Additional

Information or Copies of This

Document or Other Support

Documents?

A. By Phone, Fax, or E-Mail

If you have any questions or need

additional information about this notice

or the information collection request

(ICR) referenced, please contact Lynn

Beasley, (703) 603–9086. Facsimile

number: (703) 603–9104. Electronic

address: beasley.lynn@epa.gov.

B. In Person

The official record for this notice,

including the public version, and the

referenced ICR have been established

under docket control number 102RQ–

CR2 (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),

and the referenced ICR are available for

inspection in the U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency Superfund Docket

Office, Crystal Gateway I, First Floor,

1235 Jefferson Davis Highway,

Arlington, VA. The Superfund Docket is

open from 9 AM to 4 PM, Monday

through Friday, excluding legal

holidays. The telephone number of the

Superfund Docket is (703) 603–9232.

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 docket control

number 102RQ–CR2 on any

correspondence.

1. By mail. Submit written comments

to: Docket Coordinator, Superfund

Docket Office, Mail Code 5201G, U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency

Headquarters, Ariel Rios Building, 1200

Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.,

Washington, DC 20460.

2. In person or by courier. Deliver

written comments to: U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency

Superfund Docket Office, Crystal

Gateway I, First Floor, 1235 Jefferson

Davis Highway, Arlington, VA.

Telephone: (703) 603–9232.

3. Electronically. Submit your

comments and/or data electronically by

e-mail to: superfund.docket@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

6/7/8 or ASCII file format. All

comments and data in electronic form

must be identified by the docket control

number 102RQ–CR2. 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

EPA?

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 Lynn Beasley, (703)

603–9086. Facsimile number: (703) 603–

9104. Electronic address:

beasley.lynn@epa.gov.

C. What Information Is EPA Particularly

Interested in?

Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(a) of

the Paperwork Reduction Act (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 EPA, including whether the

information will have practical utility.

2. Evaluate the accuracy of EPA’s

estimates of the burdens of the proposed

collections of information.

37132 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 114 / Tuesday, June 13, 2000 / Notices

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?

EPA invites you to provide your

views on the various options EPA

proposes, new approaches EPA hasn’t

considered, the potential impacts of the

various options (including possible

unintended consequences), and any

data or information that you would like

EPA 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 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 rule or 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 this notice, along with the

name, date, and Federal Register

citation, or by using the appropriate

EPA ICR or the Office of Management

and Budget (OMB) control number.

IV. To What Information Collection

Activity or ICR Does This Notice

Apply?

EPA is seeking comments on the

following ICR:

Title: Continuous Release Reporting

Regulations (CRRR) under the

Comprehensive Environmental

Response, Compensation, and Liability

Act of 1980 (CERCLA).

ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1445.05,

OMB No. 2050–0086.

ICR status: This ICR is currently

scheduled to expire on September 30,

2000. 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: Section 103(a) of CERCLA,

as amended, requires the person in

charge of a facility to immediately notify

the NRC of a hazardous substance

release into the environment if the

amount of the release equals or exceeds

the substance’s RQ. The RQ of every

hazardous substance can be found in

Table 302.4 of 40 CFR part 302.4.

Section 103(f)(2) of CERCLA provides

facilities relief from this per-occurrence

notification requirement if the

hazardous substance release above the

RQ is continuous, and stable in quantity

and rate. Under the CRRR, a continuous

release of a hazardous substance above

the RQ requires an initial telephone call

to the NRC, an initial written report to

the EPA Region, and, if the source and

chemical composition of the continuous

release does not change and the level of

the continuous release does not

significantly increase, a follow-up

written report to the EPA Region one

year after submission of the initial

written report. If the source or chemical

composition of the previously reported

continuous release changes, notifying

the NRC and EPA Region of a change in

the source or composition of the release

is required. Further, a significant

increase in the level of the previously

reported continuous release must be

reported immediately to the NRC

according to section 103(a) of CERCLA.

Finally, any change in information

submitted in support of a continuous

release notification must be reported to

the EPA Region.

The reporting of a hazardous

substance release that is above the

substance’s RQ allows the Federal

government to determine whether a

Federal response action is required to

control or mitigate any potential adverse

effects to public health or welfare or the

environment.

The continuous release of hazardous

substance information collected under

CERCLA section 103(f)(2) is also

available to EPA program offices and

other Federal agencies who use the

information to evaluate the potential

need for additional regulations, new

permitting requirements for specific

substances or sources, or improved

emergency response planning. Release

notification information, which is stored

in the national Continuous ReleaseEmergency Response Notification

System (CR–ERNS) data base, is

available to State and local government

authorities as well as the general public.

State and local government authorities

and facilities subject to the CRRR use

release information for purposes of local

emergency response planning. Members

of the general public, who have access

to release information through the

Freedom of Information Act, may

request release information for purposes

of maintaining an awareness of what

types of releases are occurring in

different localities and what actions, if

any, are being taken to protect public

health and welfare and the

environment. CR-ERNS fact sheets,

which provide summary and statistical

information about hazardous substance

release notifications, also are available

to the public.

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 use 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 77 hours per affected facility.

The following is a summary of the

estimates taken from the ICR:

Respondents/affected entities: Entities

potentially affected by this action are

facilities that manufacture, process, or

otherwise use certain specified

hazardous substances.

Estimated total number of facilities

that will have to report continuous

hazardous substance releases per year:

2,342.

Frequency of response: After reporting

the continuous release to the NRC and

EPA Region initially, only an annual

report to the EPA Region is necessary

unless there is a change in the source of

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 114 / Tuesday, June 13, 2000 / Notices 37133

the continuous release, a change in the

chemical composition of the continuous

release, or a significant increase in the

level of the continuous release. In these

cases the person in charge of the facility

has to notify the NRC and/or the EPA

Region of the change in the continuous

release.

Estimated total annual burden hours:

24,732 hours.

Estimated total annual burden costs:

$725,000.

VI. Are There Changes in the Estimates

From the Last Approval?

In the renewal ICR, EPA will review

the current burden and cost statement

and adjust it accordingly. EPA does not

expect the burden and cost statement in

the renewal ICR to be any greater than

the burden and cost statement in the

current ICR.

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 Lynn Beasley,

(703) 603–9086. Facsimile number:

(703) 603–9104. Electronic address:

beasley.lynn@epa.gov.

List of Subjects

Environmental protection,

Information collection requests,

Reporting and record keeping

requirements.

Dated: June 1, 2000.

Stephen D. Luftig,

Director, Office of Emergency and Remedial

Response.

[FR Doc. 00–14869 Filed 6–12–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

COMMISSION

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Submission for OMB

Review; Final Comment Request

AGENCY: Equal Employment

Opportunity Commission.

ACTION: Final notice of submission for

OMB review.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act, the Equal

Employment Opportunity Commission

(EEOC) has submitted a request for

clearance of the information collection

described below to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB). A

notice that the EEOC would be

submitting this request was published

in the Federal Register on March 1,

2000, allowing for a 60-day public

comment period. No public comments

were received.

DATES: Written comments on this final

notice must be submitted on or before

July 13, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments on this final

notice should be submitted to the Office

of Information and Regulatory Affairs,

Attention: Stuart Shapiro, Desk Officer

for the U.S. Equal Employment

Opportunity Commission, Office of

Management and Budget, 725 17th

Street, NW., Room 10235, New

Executive Office Building, Washington,

DC 20503 or electronically mailed to

SSHAPIRO@OMB.EOP.GOV. Requests

for copies of the proposed information

collection request should be addressed

to Mr. Neckere at the address below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Joachim Neckere, Director, Program

Research and Surveys Division, 1801 L

Street, NW., Room 9222, Washington,

DC 20507, (202) 663–4958 (voice) or

(202) 663–7063 (TDD).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Collection Title: State and Local

Government Information (EEO–4).

OMB Number: 3046–0008.

Frequency of Report: Biennial.

Type of Respondent: State and local

government jurisdictions with 100 or

more full-time employees.

Description of Affected Public: State

and local governments excluding

elementary and secondary public school

districts.

Number of Responses: 10,000.

Reporting Hours: 40,000.

Number of Forms: 1.

Federal Cost: $47,000.

Abstract: Section 709(c) of Title VII of

the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as

amended, 42 U.S.C. 2000e–8(c), requires

employers to make and keep records

relevant to a determination of whether

unlawful employment practices have

been or are being committed and to

make reports therefrom as required by

the EEOC. Accordingly, the EEOC has

issued regulations which set forth the

reporting requirements for various kinds

of employers. State and local

governments with 100 or more full-time

employees have been required to submit

EEO–4 reports since 1973 (biennially in

odd-numbered years since 1993). The

individual reports are confidential.

EEO–4 data are used by the EEOC to

investigate charges of discrimination

against state and local governments. In

addition, the data are used to support

EEOC decisions and conciliations, and

for research. The data are shared with

several other Federal government

agencies. Pursuant to section 709(d) of

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,

as amended, EEO–4 data are also shared

with 86 State and Local Fair

Employment Practices Agencies

(FEPAs). Aggregated data are also used

by researchers and the general public.

Burden Statement: The estimated

number of respondents included in the

EEO–4 survey is 5,000 state and local

governments. The estimated number of

responses per respondent is

approximately 2 EEO–4 reports and the

reporting burden averages between 1

and 5 hours per response, including the

time needed to review instructions,

search existing data sources, gather and

maintain the data, and complete and

review the collection of information.

The total number of responses is thus

10,000 reports while the total burden is

estimated to be 40,000 hours, including

recordkeeping burden. In order to help

reduce burden, respondents are

encouraged to report data on electronic

media such as magnetic tapes and

diskettes.

Dated: June 7, 2000.

For the Commission.

Ida L. Castro,

Chairwoman.

[FR Doc. 00–14889 Filed 6–12–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6750–01–M

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS

COMMISSION

Notice of Public Information

Collection(s) Being Reviewed by the

Federal Communications Commission

for Extension Under Delegated

Authority; Comments Requested

June 7, 2000.

SUMMARY: The Federal Communications

Commission, as part of its continuing

effort to reduce paperwork burden

invites the general public and other

Federal agencies to take this

opportunity to comment on the

following information collection(s), as

required by the Paperwork Reduction

Act of 1995, Public Law 104–13. An

agency may not conduct or sponsor a

collection of information unless it

displays a currently valid control

number. No person shall be subject to

any penalty for failing to comply with

a collection of information subject to the

Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) that

does not display a valid control number.

Comments are requested concerning (a)