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[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 61 (Wednesday, March 30, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17694-17696]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-07174]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2016-0125; FRL-9943-74]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed New Collection 
(EPA ICR No. 2532.01); Comment Request

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), this 
document announces that EPA is planning to submit an Information 
Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). 
The ICR, entitled: ``Use of Mercury and Mercury Compounds in Products 
and Processes'' and identified by EPA ICR No. 2532.01 and OMB Control 
No. 2070-NEW, represents a new request. Before submitting the ICR to 
OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific 
aspects of the proposed information collection that is summarized in 
this document. The ICR and accompanying material are available in the 
docket for public review and comment.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 31, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2016-0125, by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Do not submit 
electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business 
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted 
by statute.
     Mail: Document Control Office (7407M), Office of Pollution 
Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001.
     Hand Delivery: To make special arrangements for hand 
delivery or delivery of boxed information, please follow the 
instructions at http://www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.html.
    Additional instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along 
with more information about dockets generally, is available at http://www.epa.gov/dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical information contact: Sue 
Slotnick, National Program Chemicals Division (7404T), Office of 
Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001;

[[Page 17695]]

telephone number: (202) 566-1973; email address: slotnick.sue@epa.gov.
    For general information contact: The TSCA-Hotline, ABVI-Goodwill, 
422 South Clinton Ave., Rochester, NY 14620; telephone number: (202) 
554-1404; email address: TSCA-Hotline@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. What information is EPA particularly interested in?

    Pursuant to PRA section 3506(c)(2)(A) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), 
EPA specifically solicits comments and information to enable it to:
    1. 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.
    2. Evaluate the accuracy of the Agency's estimates of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used.
    3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected. In particular, EPA seeks comment on these aspects of the 
questionnaire:
     Are there additional products or product categories that 
should be included in the questionnaire?
     Are there additional products or product categories that 
should be eliminated from the questionnaire?
     Should the questionnaire ask respondents to identify which 
products are intended solely as replacement parts?
    4. 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.

II. What information collection activity or ICR does this action apply 
to?

    Title: Use of Mercury and Mercury Compounds in Products and 
Processes.
    ICR number: EPA ICR No. 2532.01.
    OMB control number: OMB Control No. 2070-NEW.
    ICR status: This ICR is for a new information collection activity. 
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 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), after appearing 
in the Federal Register when approved, are listed in 40 CFR part 9, and 
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 for certain EPA 
regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
    Abstract: The U.S. EPA is making efforts to reduce the non-
essential use of mercury and mercury compounds in products and certain 
manufacturing processes to prevent future releases of mercury to the 
environment. After negotiating and joining a global agreement called 
the Minamata Convention on Mercury, EPA continues to pursue measures to 
reduce the use of mercury in various media. EPA has determined that 
significant data gaps exist that prevent the Agency from taking 
systematic, strategic, and effective actions to reduce the use of 
mercury and mercury compounds in order to prevent potential releases to 
the environment.
    To close such data gaps, EPA will collect information from persons 
who process, import, and/or export mercury or mercury-added products. 
In addition, EPA will request information from persons who process 
mercury or mercury compounds for use in certain industrial processes. 
EPA is particularly interested in the amount of mercury or mercury 
compounds used in mercury-added products as a whole and among various 
categories of products, including mercury or mercury compounds that are 
added during domestic manufacture, as well as contained in imported and 
exported products.
    Initially this will be a one-time information collection, but EPA 
may request subsequent renewals of OMB approval of the information 
collection as necessary. Information will be collected from companies 
that manufacture, import, or export a product or products containing 
mercury or mercury compounds, or companies that use mercury or mercury 
compounds in a manufacturing process or processes. EPA will request 
that companies voluntarily submit responses to a questionnaire during a 
period of 60 days after OMB approves the proposed collection. 
Thereafter, EPA will issue formal measures under section 11 of the 
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to obtain the information if 
appropriate. EPA anticipates that the information collection activity 
will involve 250 private entities, although the number of entities may 
be as high as 646. The years of interest are 2010, 2013, and 2016.
    EPA will use the collected information to determine whether and if 
so what type of actions, including voluntary and/or mandatory measures, 
are needed to reduce non-essential use of mercury or mercury compounds. 
The Agency will also use such information to prioritize where and how 
EPA applies measures in order to help prevent potential risks of 
mercury exposure to human health and the environment. In addition, this 
information will be used to facilitate compliance with obligations of 
the United States under the Minamata Convention to continue to reduce 
the use of mercury in products and processes and to report on actions 
taken to do so.
    Responses to the collection of information are voluntary. However, 
should EPA initiate TSCA section 11 actions to compel submission of 
information, those responses would be mandatory. 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 annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 9.9 
hours per response. Burden is defined in 5 CFR 1320.3(b).
    The ICR, which is available in the docket along with other related 
materials, provides a detailed explanation of the collection activities 
and the burden estimate that is only briefly summarized here:
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Entities potentially affected by 
this ICR are persons who process mercury or mercury compounds for use 
in the production of mercury-added products, import mercury for use in 
the production of mercury-added products, import mercury-added 
products, export mercury-added products, and/or process mercury or 
mercury compounds for use in certain industrial processes.
    Estimated total number of potential respondents: 646.
    Frequency of response: One time.
    Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 
1.0.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 6,399 hours.
    Estimated total annual costs: $444,430. This includes an estimated 
burden cost of $444,430 and an

[[Page 17696]]

estimated cost of $0 for capital investment or maintenance and 
operational costs.

III. 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 document 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.

    Authority:  44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.

    Dated: March 23, 2016.
James Jones,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2016-07174 Filed 3-29-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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