27952 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 98 /Thursday, May 21, 1998 / Notices

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[OPPTS–00237; FRL–5781–4]

Toxic Chemicals; Asbestos and PCBs;

Agency Information Collection

Activities

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

Information Collection Requests (ICRs)

to the Office of Management and Budget

(OMB). Before submitting the ICRs to

OMB for review and approval, EPA is

soliciting comments on specific aspects

of the information collections described

below. The ICRs are: (1) a continuing

ICR entitled ‘‘Reporting and

Recordkeeping Requirements for

Asbestos Abatement Worker

Protection,’’ EPA ICR No. 1246.06, OMB

No. 2070-0072, which relates to

reporting requirements found at 40 CFR

part 763, subpart G, and (2) a continuing

ICR entitled ‘‘PCB Notification and

Manifesting of PCB Waste Activities,

and Records of PCB Storage and

Disposal,’’ EPA ICR No. 1446.06, OMB

No. 2070-0112, which relates to

reporting requirements found at 40 CFR

part 761. 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 July 20, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Each comment must bear

the respective docket control number

and administrative record numbers, as

follows: comments on ICR No. 1246.06

should reference docket control number

‘‘OPPTS–00237’’ and administrative

record number 192; comments on ICR

No. 1446.06 should reference docket

control number ‘‘OPPTS–00237’’ and

administrative record number 193. All

comments should be sent in triplicate

to: OPPT Document Control Officer

(7407), Office of Pollution Prevention

and Toxics, Environmental Protection

Agency, 401 M St., SW., Rm. G099,

Washington, DC 20460. Comments and

data may also be submitted

electronically to:

oppt.ncic@epamail.epa.gov. Follow the

instructions under Unit III. of this

document. No TSCA Confidential

Business Information (CBI) should be

submitted through e-mail.

All comments that contain

information claimed as CBI must be

clearly marked as such. Three sanitized

copies of any comments containing

information claimed as CBI must also be

submitted and will be placed in the

public record for this document.

Persons submitting information any

portion of which they believe is entitled

to treatment as CBI by EPA must assert

a business confidentiality claim in

accordance with 40 CFR 2.203(b) for

each such portion. This claim must be

made at the time that the information is

submitted to EPA. If a submitter does

not assert a confidentiality claim at the

time of submission, EPA will consider

this as a waiver of any confidentiality

claim and the information may be made

available to the public by EPA without

further notice to the submitter.

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: Tony Baney,

National Program Chemicals Division

(7404), Office of Pollution Prevention

and Toxics, Environmental Protection

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

DC 20460, Telephone: 202–260–3933;

Fax: 202–260–1724; e-mail:

baney.tony@epamail.epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Availability:

Internet

Electronic copies of the ICRs are

available from the EPA Home Page at

the Federal Register - Environmental

Documents entry for this document

under ‘‘Laws and Regulations’’ (http://

www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/).

Fax-on-Demand

Use a faxphone to call 202-401-0527

and select item 4059 for a copy of ICR

No. 1246.06, or select item 4060 for a

copy of ICR No. 1446.06.

I. Background

Affected entities: Entities potentially

affected by this action are: with respect

to ICR No. 1246.06, state and local

governments without OSHA-approved

state plans that have employees engaged

in asbestos abatement; and, with respect

to ICR No. 1446.06, persons who own or

operate equipment containing

polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) or

who own or operate PCB storage and

disposal facilities. For each collection of

information addressed in this notice,

EPA would like to solicit comments 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 estimate 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.

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.

II. Information Collections

EPA is seeking comments on the

following two ICRs, as well as the

Agency’s intention to renew the

corresponding OMB approvals.

Title: Reporting and Recordkeeping

Requirements for Asbestos Abatement

Worker Protection.

ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1246.06,

OMB No. 2070–0072.

Approval expiration date: August 31,

1998.

Abstract: EPA’s asbestos worker

protection rule (40 CFR 763, subpart G)

is designed to provide occupational

exposure protection to state and local

government employees who are engaged

in asbestos abatement activities in states

that do not have state plans approved by

the Occupational Safety and Health

Administration (OSHA). The rule

provides protection for public

employees not covered by the OSHA

standard from the adverse health effects

associated with occupational exposure

to asbestos.

This rule requires state and local

governments to monitor employee

exposure to asbestos, take action to

reduce exposure, to monitor employee

health, train employees about asbestos

hazards, and provide employees with

information about exposures to asbestos

and the associated health effects. The

rule also requires state and local

governments to notify EPA before

commencing any asbestos abatement

project. State and local governments

must maintain medical surveillance and

monitoring records and training records

on their employees, must establish a set

of written procedures for respirator

programs, and must maintain

procedures and records of respirator fit

tests. EPA will use the information to
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 98 /Thursday, May 21, 1998 / Notices 27953

monitor compliance with the asbestos

worker protection rule.

Responses to the collection of

information are mandatory (see 40 CFR

part 763, subpart G). 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 47,133 hours at a

cost of $2,394,000. These totals are

based on an average burden of

approximately 22.7 hours per response

for an estimated 2,080 respondents

making one or more responses 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 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.

Title: PCB Notification and

Manifesting of PCB Waste Activities,

and Records of PCB Storage and

Disposal.

ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1446.06,

OMB No. 2070-0112.

Approval expiration date: September

30, 1998.

Abstract: Section 6(e) of the Toxic

Substances Control Act (TSCA) directs

EPA to regulate the marking, disposal,

manufacturing, processing, distribution

in commerce, and use of PCBs. EPA has

promulgated rules prescribing methods

for disposal of PCBs and criteria for the

storage and handling of PCBs prior to

disposal. These regulations require

persons who own or operate equipment

containing PCBs, or persons who own

and operate facilities that store or

dispose of PCB waste, to maintain

records and submit certain reports,

including third-party notifications, on

the handling and disposition of such

PCBs and PCB Items. This ICR addresses

the burden associated with such

recordkeeping and reporting

requirements.

Responses to the collection of

information are mandatory (see 40 CFR

part 761). 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 175,453 hours per

year with an annual cost of $7,337,200.

These totals are based on an average

burden ranging between approximately

1 hour and 428 hours per response,

depending upon the category of

respondent, for an estimated 50,955

respondents making one or more

responses 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

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 and Electronic

Submissions

The official record for this document,

as well as the public version, has been

established for this document under

docket number ‘‘OPPTS-00237’’

(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 12 noon

to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday,

excluding legal holidays. The official

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. Comments and data will

also be accepted on disks in

WordPerfect 5.1/6.1 or ASCII file

format. All comments and data in

electronic form addressing ICR No.

1246.06 must be identified by docket

control number ‘‘OPPTS-00237’’ and

administrative record number 192. All

comments and data in electronic form

addressing ICR No. 1446.06 must be

identified by docket control number

‘‘OPPTS-00237’’ and administrative

record number 193. Electronic

comments on this document may be

filed online at many Federal Depository

Libraries.

List of Subjects

Environmental protection,

Information collection requests,

Reporting and recordkeeping.

Dated: May 13, 1998.

Lynn R. Goldman,

Assistant Administrator for Prevention,

Pesticides and Toxic Substances.

[FR Doc. 98–13629 Filed 5–20–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–F

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Submission for OMB

Review; Comment Request; Graphic

Arts Industry Subject to New Source

Performance Standards

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

the following Information Collection

Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the

Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) for review and approval: New

Source Performance Standards for the

Graphic Arts Industry, OMB Control

Number 2060–0105, expiration date 7/

31/98. The ICR describes the nature of

the information collection and its

expected burden and cost; where

appropriate, it includes the actual data

collection instrument.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on

or before June 22, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

a copy of the ICR, call Sandy Farmer at

EPA, by phone at (202) 260–2740, by EMail at Farmer.Sandy@epamail.epa.gov

or download off the Internet at http://

www.epa.gov/icr/icr.htm, and refer to

EPA ICR No. 0657.06

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: NSPS for Graphic Arts Industry

(OMB Control No. 2060–0105,

expiration date 7/31/98; EPA ICR No.

0657.06). This is a request for extension

of a currently approved collection.

Abstract: The EPA is charged under

Section 111 of the Clean Air Act, as

amended, to establish standards of

performance for new stationary sources

that reflect:

* * * application of the best technological

system of continuous emissions reduction

which (taking into consideration the cost

* * * and energy requirements) the

Administrator determines has been