Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 38 / Wednesday, February 26, 1997 / Notices 8725

Dated: February 14, 1997.

Paul Stolpman,

Office Director, Office of Air Programs.

[FR Doc. 97–4754 Filed 2–24–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

[OPPTS–00207; FRL–5587–5]

Agency Information Collection

Activities; Request for Comment

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In compliance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.

3501 et seq.), this notice announces that

EPA is planning to submit the following

continuing Information Collection

Request (ICR) to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB). Before

submitting the ICR to OMB for review

and approval, EPA is soliciting

comments on specific aspects of the

information collection described below.

The ICR is a continuing ICR entitled

‘‘Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

Section 8(a) Chemical-Specific Rules,’’

EPA ICR No. 1198.05, OMB No. 2070-

0067, which relates to reporting

requirements found at 40 CFR part 704,

subpart B. 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.

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted on or before April 28, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Submit three copies of all

written comments to: TSCA Document

Receipts (7407), Room E-G99, Office of

Pollution Prevention and Toxics,

Environmental Protection Agency, 401

M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460,

Telephone: 202-260-7099. All comments

should be identified by administrative

record number AR-171 and ICR number

1198.05. This ICR is available for public

review at, and copies may be requested

from, the docket address and phone

number listed above.

Comments and data may also be

submitted electronically by sending

electronic mail (e-mail) to:

oppt.ncic@epamail.epa.gov. Electronic

comments must be submitted as an

ASCII file avoiding the use of special

characters and any form of encryption.

Comments and data will also be

accepted on disks in WordPerfect 5.1

file format or ASCII file format. All

comments and data in electronic form

must be identified by the administrative

record number AR-171 and ICR number

1198.05. No confidential business

information (CBI) should be submitted

through e-mail. Electronic comments on

this document may be filed online at

many Federal Depository Libraries.

Additional information on electronic

submissions can be found in Unit III. of

this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

general information contact: Susan B.

Hazen, Director, Environmental

Assistance Division (7408), Office of

Pollution Prevention and Toxics,

Environmental Protection Agency, 401

M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460,

Telephone: 202–554–1404, TDD: 202–

554–0551, e-mail: TSCAHotline@epamail.epa.gov. For technical

information contact Keith Cronin,

Chemical Control Division (7405),

Office of Pollution Prevention and

Toxics, Environmental Protection

Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington,

DC 20460, Telephone: 202–260–8157,

Fax: 202–260–1096, e-mail:

cronin.keith@epamail.epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Availability: Electronic

copies of this document and the ICR are

available from the EPA home page at the

Environmental Sub-Set entry for this

document under ‘‘Regulations’’(http://

www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/).

I. Background

Entities potentially affected by this

action are persons who manufacture,

process or import, or who propose to

manufacture, process or import,

chemical substances and mixtures. For

the collection of information addressed

in this notice, 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.

(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.

II. Information Collections

EPA is seeking comments on the

following Information Collection

Request.

Title: Toxic Substances Control Act

(TSCA) Section 8(a) Chemical-Specific

Rules, EPA ICR No. 1198.05, OMB No.

2070-0067. Expires August 31, 1997.

Abstract: TSCA section 8(a)

authorizes the Administrator of EPA to

promulgate rules that require persons

who manufacture, import or process

chemical substances and mixtures, or

who propose to manufacture, import or

process chemical substances and

mixtures, to maintain such records and

submit such reports to EPA as may be

reasonably required. Any chemical

covered by TSCA for which EPA or

another Federal agency has a reasonable

need for information and which cannot

be satisfied via other sources is a proper

potential subject for a chemical-specific

TSCA section 8(a) rulemaking.

Information that may be collected under

TSCA section 8(a) includes, but is not

limited to, chemical names, categories

of use, production volume, byproducts

of chemical production, existing data on

deaths and environmental effects,

exposure data, and disposal

information. Generally, EPA uses

chemical-specific information under

TSCA section 8(a) to evaluate the

potential for adverse human health and

environmental effects caused by the

manufacture, importation, processing,

use or disposal of identified chemical

substances and mixtures. Additionally,

EPA may use TSCA section 8(a)

information to assess the need or set

priorities for testing and/or further

regulatory action. To the extent that

reported information is not considered

confidential, environmental groups,

environmental justice advocates, state

and local government entities and other

members of the public will also have

access to this information for their own

use.

Responses to the collection of

information are mandatory (see 40 CFR

part 704, subpart B). Respondents may

claim all or part of a notice confidential.

EPA will disclose information that is

covered by a claim of confidentiality

only to the extent permitted by, and in

accordance with, the procedures in

TSCA section 14 and 40 CFR part 2.

Burden Statement: The burden to

respondents for complying with this ICR

is estimated to total 275 hours per year

with an annual cost of $15,745. These

totals are based on an average burden of

approximately 69 hours per response for

an estimated four respondents making

one response annually. These estimates

include 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
8726 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 38 / Wednesday, February 26, 1997 / Notices

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.

III. Public Record

A record has been established for this

action under docket control number

‘‘OPPTS-00207’’ (including comments

and data submitted electronically as

described below). A public version of

this record, including printed, paper

versions of electronic comments, which

does not include any information

claimed as CBI, is available for

inspection from noon to 4 p.m., Monday

through Friday, excluding legal

holidays. The public record is located in

the TSCA Nonconfidential Information

Center, Rm. NE-B607, 401 M St., SW.,

Washington, DC 20460.

Electronic comments can be sent

directly to EPA at:

oppt.ncic@epamail.epa.gov

Electronic comments must be

submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the

use of special characters and any form

of encryption.

The official record for this action, as

well as the public version, as described

above will be kept in paper form.

Accordingly, EPA will transfer all

comments received electronically into

printed, paper form as they are received

and will place the paper copies in the

official record which will also include

all comments submitted directly in

writing. The official record is the paper

record maintained at the address in

ADDRESSES at the beginning of this

document.

List of Subjects

Environmental protection and

Information collection requests.

Dated: February 11, 1997.

Susan H. Wayland,

Acting Assistant Administrator for

Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances.

[FR Doc. 97–4777 Filed 2–25–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–F

[FRL–5694–3]

Effluent Guidelines Plan Update

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: EPA has obtained approval in

U.S. District Court to modify a Consent

Decree covering the Agency’s Effluent

Guidelines Program. The modified

Decree extends deadlines for several

rulemaking projects described in the

1996 Effluent Guidelines Plan.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eric

Strassler, Engineering and Analysis

Division (4303), Environmental

Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW,

Washington, D.C. 20460; telephone 202–

260–7150. E-mail:

strassler.eric@epamail.epa.gov

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA

published its 1996 Effluent Guidelines

Plan on October 7, 1996 (61 FR 52582).

The Plan described the Effluent

Guidelines Program and listed

regulations that the Agency was

developing or intended to develop. As

mentioned in the Plan, several of these

regulation projects are required by a

Consent Decree in Natural Resources

Defense Council et al v. Browner (D.D.C.

89–2980, January 31, 1992 (the

‘‘Consent Decree’’). Table 1 in the Plan

listed deadlines for the rules, with a

footnote explaining that EPA was

discussing extensions to the deadlines

with the Natural Resources Defense

Council (NRDC). See 61 FR 52583.

EPA and NRDC have agreed on

revised deadlines and related

adjustments for several of the rules

listed in the Plan, and have obtained

Court approval of modifications to the

Decree. An unopposed motion to

modify the Decree was filed in U.S.

District Court for the District of

Columbia on January 31, 1997, and the

motion was approved by District Judge

Royce C. Lamberth on February 4, 1997.

In addition to extending several

deadlines, the modifications allow the

Agency to merge two ongoing rules,

Metal Products and Machinery Phases 1

and 2, into a single project. The

modified dates are listed in the

following table.

MODIFICATIONS TO EFFLUENT

GUIDELINES DEADLINES

Category Proposal Final action

Centralized Waste

Treatment (proposed 1/27/95, 60

FR 5464) ............... ................ 8/15/99

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing (proposed 5/2/95, 60

FR 21592) ............. ................ 4/98

Industrial Laundries ... 9/97 6/99

Transportation Equipment Cleaning ....... 1/98 2/00

Landfills and Incinerators ....................... 11/97 11/99

MODIFICATIONS TO EFFLUENT

GUIDELINES DEADLINES—Continued

Category Proposal Final action

Metal Products and

Machinery (Phase

1 proposed 5/30/

95, 60 FR 28209) .. 10/00 12/02

EPA and NRDC signed a related

Settlement Agreement stating the

Agency’s intent to take final action on

air emission standards for

pharmaceutical production, under

Section 112 of the Clean Air Act, jointly

with the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

Effluent Guidelines in April 1998. A

separate notice describing this action

was published on February 21, 1997 at

62 FR 8012.

The parties also agreed on revised

deadlines for completion of four

Preliminary Studies, which the Agency

uses to support decisions on selecting

industries for additional rulemaking.

The deadlines for the studies are as

follows:

Chemical Formulators and Packagers:

April 1997.

Feedlots: 1998.

Urban Stormwater: 1998.

Airport De-Icing: 1999.

EPA and NRDC are continuing

negotiations on deadlines for other rules

covered by the Decree.

Dated: February 19, 1997.

Tudor T. Davies,

Director, Office of Science and Technology.

[FR Doc. 97–4756 Filed 2–25–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE: 6560–50–P

[OPP–00471; FRL–5589–5]

EPA’s Interim Approach to

Implementation of the 1996 Food

Quality Protection Act; Notice of

Availability

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: EPA is announcing its interim

approach to implementation of the new

food safety requirements of the Food

Quality Protection Act through a

Pesticide Registration (PR) Notice 97-1.

Interested parties may request this

document as described in the

ADDRESSES unit of this notice.

ADDRESSES: PR Notice 97-1 is available

by mail from the Policy and Special

Projects Staff, Mail Code 7506C, Office

of Pesticide Programs, Environmental

Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW.,

Washington, DC 20460. Office location,