Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 229 / Friday, November 28, 1997 / Notices 63329

‘‘OR ‘‘MOTION TO INTERVENE’’, as

applicable, and the Project number of

the particular application to which the

filing refers. Any of the above-named

documents must be filed by providing

the original and the number of copies

provided by the Commission’s

regulations to: The Secretary, Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission, 888

First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.

20426. A copy of any motion to

intervene must also be served upon each

representative of the Applicant

specified in the particular application.

D2. Agency Comments—Federal,

state, and local agencies are invited to

file comments on the described

application. A copy of the application

may be obtained by agencies directly

from the Applicant. If an agency does

not file comments within the time

specified for filing comments, if will be

presumed to have no comments. One

copy of an agency’s comments must also

be sent to the Applicant’s

representatives.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–31186 Filed 11–26–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–5928–9]

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Proposed Collection;

Comment Request; Information

Collection Request Number 1597.02:

Universal Waste Handlers and

Destination Facilities, Reporting and

Recordkeeping Requirements

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 proposed Information

Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB):

Universal Waste Handlers and

Destination Facilities Reporting and

Recordkeeping Requirements, EPA ICR

Number 1597.02, OMB Control Number

2050–0145, current expiration date: 5/

31/98. 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. Please note that this

action does not create any new

regulatory requirements for persons who

manage universal waste.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on

or before January 27, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Commenters must send an

original and two copies of their

comments referencing docket number

F–97–UWIP–FFFFF to RCRA Docket

Information Center, Office of Solid

Waste (5305G), U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency Headquarters (EPA

HQ), 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC

20460. Hand deliveries of comments

should be made to the Arlington, VA,

address listed below. Comments may

also be submitted electronically by

sending electronic mail through the

Internet to: rcradocket@epamail.epa.gov. Comments in

electronic format should also be

identified by the docket number F–97–

UWIP–FFFFF. All electronic comments

must be submitted as an ASCII file

avoiding the use of special characters

and any form of encryption.

Public comments and supporting

materials are available for viewing in

the RCRA Information Center (RIC),

located at Crystal Gateway 1, 1235

Jefferson Davis Highway, first floor,

Arlington, VA. The RIC is open from 9

a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday,

excluding federal holidays. To review

docket materials, the public must make

an appointment by calling 703–603–

9230. The public may copy a maximum

of 100 pages from any regulatory docket

at no charge. Additional copies cost

$.15/page.

Copies of the original ICR may be

requested from the docket address and

phone number listed above or may be

found on the Internet. On the Internet,

access the main EPA gopher menu and

locate the directory: EPA Offices and

Regions/Office of Solid Waste and

Emergency Response (OSWER)/Office of

Solid Waste (RCRA/hazardous wasteRCRA Subtitle C/generators.

Follow these instructions to access

the information electronically:

WWW: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/

hazwaste/id/univwast.htm

FTP: ftp.epa.gov

Login: anonymous

Password: your Internet address

Files are located in /pub/epaoswer.

The official record for this action will

be kept in paper form. Accordingly, EPA

will transfer all comments received

electronically into paper form and place

them in the official record, which will

also include all comments submitted

directly in writing. The official record is

the paper record maintained in the

RCRA Information Center (the RIC

address is listed above in this section).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

general information, contact the RCRA

Hotline at 1–800–424–9346 or TDD 1–

800–553–7672 (hearing impaired). In

the Washington metropolitan area, call

703–412–9610 or TDD 703–412–3323.

For technical information, contact Bryan

Groce at 703–308–8750.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Affected

entities: Entities potentially affected by

this action are waste handlers and

destination facilities that collect and

manage certain hazardous waste

batteries, certain hazardous waste

pesticides, and hazardous waste

mercury-containing thermostats.

Title: Universal Waste Handlers and

Destination Facilities Reporting and

Recordkeeping Requirements, EPA ICR

Number 1597.02, OMB Control Number

2050–0145, expiration date: 5/31/98.

Abstract: EPA promulgated the

Universal Waste standards at 40 CFR

part 273. The Universal Waste standards

govern the collection and management

of widely generated wastes known as

universal wastes. EPA has identified

hazardous waste batteries, certain

hazardous waste pesticides, and

hazardous waste thermostats as

universal wastes. Other wastes may be

added to the universal waste Federal

program if EPA determines such

regulation is appropriate. The

regulations allow universal waste

handlers to manage universal wastes

under a reduced set of regulatory

requirements. Destination facilities, on

the other hand, (i.e., those facilities

accepting universal waste for treatment,

recycling, or disposal) remain subject to

standards under 40 CFR parts 264 or

265.

The universal waste regulations at

part 273 were promulgated by EPA

under the authority of Subtitle C in

RCRA. This information collection

targets the collection of information for

the following reporting or recordkeeping

requirements: notification, labeling and

marking, storage-time limitations, offsite shipments, tracking universal waste

shipments, and petitions to include

other waste categories at the federal

level.

It is necessary for EPA to collect

universal waste information to ensure

that universal waste is collected and

managed in a manner that is protective

of human health and the environment.

EPA requires, among other things, large

quantity handlers of universal waste

(LQHUWs) to notify the Agency for their

universal waste management activities

so that EPA can obtain general

information on these handlers, and so

that it can facilitate enforcement of the

regulations at part 273. In addition, EPA

requires universal waste handlers to

record the date on which they begin

storing universal waste on-site to ensure
63330 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 229 / Friday, November 28, 1997 / Notices

that such accumulation is performed

responsibly. EPA also requires certain

universal waste handlers to track receipt

of universal waste shipments as well as

shipments sent off-site to ensure that

universal waste is properly treated,

recycled, and disposed. Finally, the

submission of petitions in support of

regulating other wastes or waste

categories under part 273 helps EPA (1)

to compile information on these wastes,

and (2) to determine whether regulation

as a universal waste is appropriate.

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.

EPA would like to solicit comments

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.

Burden Statement: The estimated

number of likely respondents under this

collection of information is 79,510

(78,973 Small Quantity Handlers of

Universal Wastes (SQHUWs), 485

LQHUWs, and 52 Destination

Facilities). The bottom line annual

reporting and recordkeeping burden to

respondents under this collection of

information is 122,674 hours. The

average annual public reporting burden

per response for SQHUWs under this

collection of information is 0 hours. The

average annual public reporting burden

per response for LQHUWs is estimated

to range from 0 to 2.41 hours. The

average annual public reporting burden

per response for destination facilities is

estimated to range from 0 to 2.41 hours.

The average annual recordkeeping

burden per response for SQHUWs under

this collection of information is

estimated to range from 1.12 to 1.62

hours. The average annual

recordkeeping burden per response for

LQHUWs is estimated to range from

5.82 to 6.82 hours. The average annual

recordkeeping burden per response for

destination facilities is estimated to be

115.37 hours. The total average annual

burden cost for universal waste

handlers, universal waste petitioners,

and destination facilities is: $5,303,419

in labor costs; $1,212 in capital costs;

and $244.25 in annual O&M costs (O&M

costs include a purchase of service

component). 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.

Dated: November 20, 1997.

Elizabeth Cotsworth,

Acting Director, Office of Solid Waste.

[FR Doc. 97–31271 Filed 11–26–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–5928–4]

Request for Nominations to North

American Free Trade Agreement– and

U.S.–Mexico Border–Related

Environmental Advisory Committees

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of request for

nominations.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency (USEPA) is inviting

nominations to fill vacancies on two

national advisory committees: the

Governmental Advisory Committee to

the U.S. Representative to the North

American Commission for

Environmental Cooperation and the

Good Neighbor Environmental Board.

The Agency is seeking qualified senior

level decision makers from diverse

sectors to be considered for

appointments. Nominees for the

Governmental Advisory Committee may

come from state, local or tribal

government entities anywhere in the

U.S. Nominees for the Good Neighbor

Environmental Board must come from

governmental or nongovernmental

entities in the states of Arizona,

California, New Mexico or Texas.

DATES: Nominations will be accepted

until close of business December 12,

1997.

ADDRESSES: Submit nominations to: Mr.

Robert Hardaker, Team Leader for

Environment and Trade, Office of

Cooperative Environmental

Management, U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency, 1601-F, 401 M

Street, SW., Washington, DC 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Robert Hardaker, Designated Federal

Officer, U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency, 1601-F, Washington, DC 20460;

telephone (202) 260–2477.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: These two

committees are Federal advisory

committees operating under the Federal

Advisory Committee Act, PL 92–463.

The Governmental Advisory

Committee (GAC) advises the U.S.

Government Representative to the North

American Free Trade Agreement

(NAFTA) Commission on

Environmental Cooperation (CEC). The

Commission on Environmental

Cooperation (composed of the heads of

the environmental agencies for Canada,

Mexico and the U.S.; a Secretariat

headquartered in Montreal, Canada; and

a Joint Public Advisory Committee

composed of members of the public

from each country) was established to

protect the North American

environment and support the

environmental goals of NAFTA. NAFTA

also authorized each country to

establish two public advisory

committees to advise its representative

to the CEC. The U.S. Governmental

Advisory Committee (GAC) is composed

of 10 representatives of state, local and

tribal governments. The counterpart

U.S. National Advisory Committee is

composed of 12 representatives of

nongovernmental organizations. USEPA

is not currently soliciting for

membership on the National Advisory

Committee.

The Good Neighbor Environmental

Board, created under the Enterprise for

the Americas Initiative Act of 1992,

advises the President and the Congress

on approaches to sustainable

development for the U.S.–Mexico

border region that address

environmental, natural resources,

health, transportation, housing, and

economic development issues, and that

promote coordination of governmental

activities along the U.S.–Mexico border.

The Board consists of representatives

from nongovernmental organizations,