51654 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 191 / Thursday, October 2, 1997 / Notices

be sent via e-mail to

bonner.patricia@epamail.epa.gov.

ADDRESSES: USEPA, Office of Policy,

Planning and Evaluation, OSPED/IO

Mail Code 2161, 401 M Street SW,

Washington, D.C. 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Sandy Farmer at EPA, (202) 260–2740,

and refer to EPA ICR No. 1711.02. The

ICR may be accessed electronically via

Internet [http://www/epa.gov/oppe on

the World Wide Web], requested via fax

at 202–260–4968, or by calling 202–

260–0599.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Voluntary Customer Service

Satisfaction Surveys, OMB Control No.

2090–0019, EPA ICR Number 1711.02,

expiring 10/31/97. This is a request

seeking renewal of a generic clearance

for customer satisfaction surveys

directed under Executive Order 12862

‘‘Setting Customer Service Standards’’

(9/11/93).

Abstract: Within the Environmental

Protection Agency, voluntary customer

surveys are used to learn how customers

perceive EPA’s services, and whether

the Agency is achieving its customer

service standards. Surveys involve

individuals who have used EPA services

directly or could have obtained such

services (e.g. people notified about [X]

who did not respond). Information

obtained from surveys has been and will

be used to evaluate and improve service

delivery. Surveys provide managers

with information to help them take

actions that will lead to improved

service delivery and streamlined

procedures. During the next three years,

EPA nationwide plans up to 994

surveys. 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 Federal Register Notice

required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d),

soliciting comments on this collection

of information, was published on 4/30/

97 (62 FR 23446); no comments were

received.

Burden Statement: Response time

ranges from seconds to full day focus

group sessions; the average annual

public reporting and record keeping

burden for this collection of information

is 11 minutes per response. The Agency

plans to use: minimal question/

comment cards with narrow scope;

longer comment sheets to evaluate

training/conferences/workshops/events

and publications; telephone interviews;

in-person interviews; short and long

written (mail) surveys; focus groups;

and Internet feedback screens. 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. Labor costs

were estimated using the Bureau of

Labor Statistics April 18, 1997, release

of weekly earnings of wage and salary

workers, using the median earnings

reported ($504/week).

Respondents/Affected Entities: Any

person or entity that uses EPA services.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

83,469—FY 1998; 82,144—FY 1999; and

85,294—FY 2000.

Frequency of Response: Generally, 1

time. However, one survey will go to the

same 75 individuals twice a year, each

year, and individuals may select to

reply more than one and many times to

Internet screens.

Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden:

18,405—FY 1998; 14,014—FY 1999; and

14,824—FY 2000.

Estimated Total Annualized Cost

Burden: FY 1998—$231,903; FY 1999—

$176,576; FY 2000—$186,783.

Send comments on the Agency’s need

for this information, the accuracy of the

provided burden estimates, and any

suggested methods for minimizing

respondent burden, including use of

automated collection techniques to the

following addresses. Please refer to EPA

ICR No.1711.02 and OMB Control

No.2090–0019 in any correspondence.

Ms. Sandy Farmer, U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency, OPPE Regulatory

Information Division (2137), 401 M

Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460

and

Office of Information and Regulatory

Affairs, Office of Management and

Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for

EPA, 725 17th Street, NW,

Washington, DC 20503.

Dated: September 26, 1997.

Joseph Retzer,

Director, Regulatory Information Division.

[FR Doc. 97–26176 Filed 10–1–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–5901–9]

Asbestos NESHAP State Notification

Procedures Change

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice to regulated community.

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection

Agency, Region I Office, Boston, MA,

has notified in writing the EPA—New

England states of Maine, New

Hampshire, Massachusetts, and

Connecticut that effective October 1,

1997, all owners or operators of a

demolition or renovation activity

subject to the asbestos NESHAP and

who provide written notification to the

states 10-working days in advance of

commencing with the renovation or

demolition activity, will not have to

provide similar notification to the EPA

Administrator as required pursuant to

40 CFR 61.145(b). Important exceptions

to the Federal and state notification

procedures change are discussed below.

In brief, such exceptions require

regulated entities to continue to submit

asbestos NESHAP notifications to the

EPA for all demolitions involving

asbestos below each respective State’s

regulatory threshold amount, including

all demolitions believed to involve no

asbestos.

Background

The asbestos National Emissions

Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants

(asbestos NESHAP) was promulgated

pursuant to section 112 of the 1990

Clean Air Act as Amended and is

codified at 40 CFR, part 61, subpart M.

Among other things, the asbestos

NESHAP [40 CFR 61.145(b)] requires all

owners or operators of a demolition or

renovation (demo/reno) activity that is

subject to the asbestos NESHAP, to

notify the Administrator in writing, at

least 10-working days before asbestos

stripping or removal work or any other

activity begins, such as site preparation

that would breakup, dislodge or

similarly disturb asbestos material.

Since the states of Maine, New

Hampshire, Massachusetts and

Connecticut were fully-delegated EPA

asbestos NESHAP states, pursuant to

section 112(d) of the Clean Air Act prior

to the 1990 amendments, EPA made a

determination that enabling legislation

and promulgated regulations these

states had in place governing demo/reno

activities at the time of delegation were

adequate for the purposes of effectively

implementing the and enforcing the

asbestos NESHAP. Included in this was
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 191 / Thursday, October 2, 1997 / Notices 51655

the requirement that these same owners

or operators of a demolition or

renovation activity, notify in writing the

designated state agency in advance of

commencing with the demo/reno

activity. EPA views this as a duplication

of effort. EPA also believes that the

costs, in terms of time and resources, of

providing duel notification to both the

state and federal government represent

an unnecessary burden for the regulated

community. Therefore, effective October

1, 1997, and with the exception

referenced below, EPA will no longer

require the regulated community in

Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts,

or Connecticut, to provide written

Notification of Demolition and

Renovation to EPA, pursuant to 40 CFR

61.145(b), as long as such notices are

delivered to the designated state agency.

EPA will view notification to the state

agency as having satisfied the Federal

notification requirement and

conversely, will consider non-notifiers

to the state agency as being in violation

of the Federal notification requirement

as well.

This notice is not subject to the

Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C.

3501 et seq., since no additional

reporting, recordkeeping, or notification

requirements are being imposed as a

result of this action.

Exception

Exceptions to this transfer of

notification receipt procedures will

apply to regulated facilities, as defined

by the asbestos NESHAP at 40 CFR

61.141, where a demolition is to occur

but where asbestos is believed to be

present below State regulatory threshold

amounts, including those demolitions

believed to involve zero asbestos. In

addition, this notification procedures

change applies only to applicable demo/

reno activities being conducted the

states of Maine, New Hampshire,

Massachusetts, and Connecticut. EPA

will continue to require full compliance

with the notification requirements

outlined in 40 CFR 61.145(b) for any

demo/reno operation, subject to the

asbestos NESHAP, being conducted in

the states of Vermont and Rhode Island.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Wayne R. Toland; U.S. EPA Region I;

Office of Environmental Stewardship;

Air, Pesticides, and Toxics Enforcement

Office (SEA); J.F.K. Federal Building;

Boston, MA, 02203. Telephone: (617)

565–3260.

Dated: September 25, 1997.

John P. DeVillars,

Regional Administrator EPA, Region I.

[FR Doc. 97–26175 Filed 10–1–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–5902–1]

Request for Applications for Essential

Use Exemptions to the Production and

Import Phaseout of Ozone Depleting

Substances Under the Montreal

Protocol

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: Through this notice, the

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

is requesting applications for

consideration at the Tenth Meeting of

the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on

Substances that Deplete the Ozone

Layer (the Protocol) to be held in

September 1998, for exemptions to the

production and import phaseout in 1999

and subsequent years for ozonedepleting substances (including halons

1211 and 1301, CFC–11, CFC–12, CFC–

113, CFC–114, CFC–115, CFC–13, CFC–

111, CFC–112, CFC–211, CFC–212,

CFC–213, CFC–214, CFC–215, CFC–216,

CFC–217, carbon tetrachloride, and

methyl chloroform).

DATES: Applications for essential use

exemptions must be submitted to EPA

no later than November 17, 1997 in

order for the United States (U.S.)

government to complete its review and

to submit nominations to the United

Nations Environment Programme

(UNEP) and the Protocol Parties in a

timely manner.

ADDRESSES: Send five copies of

application materials to: Chris

O’Donnell, Stratospheric Protection

Division (6205J), Environmental

Protection Agency, 401 M Street, S.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20460. Send one copy

of application materials to: Air Docket

A–93–39, 401 M Street, S.W. (6102),

Room M1500, Washington, D.C. 20460.

Confidentiality: Applications should

not contain confidential or proprietary

information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Chris O’Donnell at the above address or

at (202) 233–9079 telephone, (202) 233–

9665 fax, or

odonnell.chris@epamail.epa.gov.

General information may be obtained

from the Stratospheric Ozone Hotline at

1–800–296–1996.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

I. Background—The Essential Use

Nomination Process

II. Information Required for Essential Use

Applications for Production or

Importation of Class I Substances in 1999

and Subsequent Years

I. Background—The Essential Use

Nomination Process

As described in previous Federal

Register (FR) notices (58 FR 29410, May

20, 1993; 59 FR 52544, October 18,

1994; 60 FR 54349, October 23, 1995;

and 61 FR 51110, September 30, 1996),

the Parties to the Protocol agreed during

the Fourth Meeting in Copenhagen on

November 23–25, 1992, to accelerate the

phaseout schedules for Class I ozonedepleting substances. Specifically, the

Parties agreed to phase out the

production of halons by January 1, 1994,

and the production of other Class I

substances, except methyl bromide, by

January 1, 1996. The Parties also

reached decisions and adopted

resolutions on a variety of other matters,

including the criteria to be used for

allowing ‘‘essential use’’ exemptions

from the phaseout of production and

importation of controlled substances.

Language regarding essential uses was

added to the Protocol provisions in

Article 2 governing the control

measures. Decision IV/25 of the Fourth

Meeting of the Parties details the

specific criteria and review process for

granting essential use exemptions.

At the Eighth Meeting of the Parties

in 1996, the Parties modified the

timetable for nomination of essential

uses. Pursuant to Decision VIII/9,

Parties may nominate a controlled

substance for an exemption from the

production phaseout by January 31 of

each year. The United Nations

Environment Programme (UNEP)

committees then review the

nominations at their spring meetings

and forward their recommendations for

decision at the Meeting of the Parties

later that year. The Parties may choose

to grant the exemption for one or more

of the nominated years, but each

approved or pending application may be

reconsidered and modified by the

Parties at their annual meetings. Since

the Parties in 1998 will be considering

nominations for the year 1999 and

beyond, today’s notice solicits requests

for those years. Further detail on the

essential use process is provided later in

this section.

Decision IV/25 states that ‘‘* * * a

use of a controlled substance should

qualify as ‘‘essential’’ only if: (i) It is

necessary for the health, safety or is

critical for the functioning of society

(encompassing cultural and intellectual

aspects); and (ii) there are no available

technically and economically feasible

alternatives or substitutes that are

acceptable from the standpoint of

environment and health’’. In addition,

the Parties agreed ‘‘that production and

consumption, if any, of a controlled