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[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 101 (Thursday, May 24, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31005-31006]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-12628]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-RCRA-2011-0280, FRL-9677-6]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; 2013 Hazardous Waste Report, Notification of Regulated 
Waste Activity, and Part A Hazardous Waste Permit Application and 
Modification

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to 
submit a request to amend an existing approved Information Collection 
Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR is 
scheduled to expire on December 31, 2014. 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 July 23, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
RCRA-2011-0280, by one of the following methods:
    www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for 
submitting comments.
     Email: rcra-docket@epa.gov.
     Fax: 202-566-9744.
     Mail: RCRA Docket (28221T), U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460.
     Hand Delivery: 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Room 3334, 
Washington, DC 20460. Such deliveries are only accepted during the 
Docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be 
made for deliveries of boxed information.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-RCRA-
2011-0280. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included 
in the public docket without change and may be made available online at 
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, 
unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to 
be CBI or otherwise protected through www.regulations.gov or email. The 
www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' system, which 
means EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you 
provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an email comment 
directly to EPA without going through www.regulations.gov your email 
address will be automatically captured and included as part of the 
comment that is placed in the public docket and made available on the 
Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you 
include your name and other contact information in the body of your 
comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your 
comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for 
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic 
files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of 
encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. For additional 
information about EPA's public docket visit the EPA Docket Center 
homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peggy Vyas, Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone 
number: 703-308-5477; fax number: 703-308-8433; email address: 
vyas.peggy@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

How can I access the docket and/or submit comments?

    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-RCRA-2011-0280, which is available for online viewing at 
www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the RCRA Docket in the EPA 
Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. 
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, and the 
telephone number for RCRA Docket is (202) 566-0270.
    Use www.regulations.gov to obtain a copy of the draft collection of 
information, submit or view public comments, access the index listing 
of the contents of the docket, and to access those documents in the 
public docket that are available electronically. Once in the system, 
select ``search,'' then key in the docket ID number identified in this 
document.

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:
    (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. In particular, EPA is requesting comments from 
very small businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples of 
specific additional efforts that EPA could make to reduce the paperwork 
burden for very small businesses affected by this collection.
    In addition, EPA is requesting comments on some proposed changes to 
the Hazardous Waste Report form and instructions designed to clarify 
long-standing points of confusion. Some of these changes are scheduled 
for the 2011 booklet, some for the 2013 booklet. The proposed changes 
can be found in a draft Hazardous Waste Report From and Instructions 
booklet in the docket for this notice.

What should I consider when I prepare my comments for EPA?

    You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your 
comments:
    1. Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific 
examples.
    2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
    3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used 
that support your views.
    4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you 
arrived at the estimate that you provide.
    5. Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity.
    6. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline identified 
under DATES.

[[Page 31006]]

    7. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the docket 
ID number assigned to this action in the subject line on the first page 
of your response. You may also provide the name, date, and Federal 
Register citation.

What information collection activity or ICR does this apply to?

    Affected entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
business or other for-profit as well as State, Local, or Tribal 
governments.
    Title: Hazardous Waste Report, Notification of Regulated Waste 
Activity, and Part A Hazardous Waste Permit Application and 
Modification
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 0976.14, OMB Control No. 2050-0024.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on December 
31, 2014. 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: The Hazardous Waste Report Instructions and Forms booklet 
is updated every two years, to comply with the statutory mandate that 
EPA conduct a survey of hazardous waste generation at least every two 
years. The report, known as the ``Biennial Report,'' has been conducted 
since 1989, every odd-numbered year, known as the data collection year. 
The even-numbered years are known as the reporting years. The ICR has 
been renewed every data collection year, and the forms have been made 
available to respondents at the beginning of the reporting year. 
However, EPA is amending the current ICR this year so that the booklet 
for the next cycle, the 2013 cycle, will be available at the beginning 
of the data collection year. This change is in response to many 
requests by States.
    The proposed changes to the 2013 booklet include: (1) Some 
management method codes will be consolidated in order to ease 
reporting, (2) the waste minimization codes will be revised in order to 
assist filers with reporting their waste minimization activities, and 
(3) editorial changes will be made to the description of some source 
codes in order to improve clarity for filers.
    This amendment will not affect the Notification booklet or the Part 
A Permit Application booklet, which are both part of this ICR.
    Burden Statement: The annual reporting burden for the Hazardous 
Waste Report is estimated to average 17 hours per respondent, and 
includes time for reviewing instructions, gathering data, completing 
and reviewing the forms, and submitting the report. The recordkeeping 
requirement is estimated to average 4 hours per response and includes 
the time for filing and storing the Hazardous Waste Report submission 
for three years.
    The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for the 
Notification of Regulated Waste Activity is estimated to average 2 
hours per response for the initial notification, and 1 hour per 
response for any subsequent notifications.
    The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for the Part A 
Permit Application is estimated to average 25 hours per response for an 
initial application and 13 hours per response for a revised 
application.
    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.
    The ICR provides a detailed explanation of the Agency's estimate, 
which is only briefly summarized here:
    Estimated total number of potential respondents: 56,800.
    Frequency of response: biennially, and on occasion.
    Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 
varies.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 422,633 hours.
    Estimated total annual costs: $16,540,823. This includes an 
estimated burden cost of $16,339,984 in annualized labor cost and 
$200,839 for capital investment or maintenance and operational costs.

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. At that time, 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 
technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Dated: May 10, 2012.
 Suzanne Rudzinski,
Director, Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery.
[FR Doc. 2012-12628 Filed 5-23-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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