41818 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 150 /Wednesday, August 5, 1998 / Notices

LIST OF CASES RECEIVED BY THE OFFICE OF HEARINGS AND APPEALS

[Week of June 29 through July 3, 1998]

Date Name and location of

applicant Case No. Type of submission

6/30/98 ....... Personnel Security

Hearing

VSO–0216 Request for Hearing Under 10 CFR Part 710. If Granted: An individual employed by a

contractor of the Department of Energy would receive a hearing under 10 CFR Part

710.

7/1/98 ......... Edwin S. Rothschild,

McLean, VA

VFA–0423 Appeal of an Information Request Denial. If Granted: The June 12, 1998 Freedom of Information Request Denial issued by the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Strategic Petroleum Reserve would be rescinded, and Edwin S. Rothschild would receive access

to certain DOE information.

7/1/98 ......... Personnel Security

Hearing

VSO–0217 Request for Hearing Under 10 CFR Part 710. If Granted: An individual employed by a

contractor of the Department of Energy would receive a hearing under 10 CFR Part

710.

7/2/98 ......... Charles E. Hemingway, Falls Church,

VA

VFA–0424 Appeal of an Information Request Denial. If Granted: The June 30, 1998 Freedom of Information Request Denial issued by the Assistant General Counsel for General Law

would be rescinded, and Charles W. Hemingway would receive access to certain DOE

information.

7/2/98 ......... Personnel Security

Hearing

VSO–0218 Request for Hearing Under 10 CFR Part 710. If Granted: An individual employed by a

contractor of the Department of Energy would receive a hearing under 10 CFR Part

710.

[FR Doc. 98–20894 Filed 8–4–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–6136–5]

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Proposed Collection,

Comment Request; Enforcement

Policy Regarding the Sale and Use of

Aftermarket Catalytic Converters

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

proposed and/or continuing Information

Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB):

Enforcement Policy Regarding the Sale

and Use of Aftermarket Catalytic

Converters; EPA ICR # 1292.05; OMB

No. 2060–0135; expires 9/30/98. 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.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on

or before October 5, 1998.

ADDRESSES: U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency, Office of

Enforcement and Compliance

Assurance, Office of Regulatory

Enforcement (2242A), 401 M Street SW,

Washington, D.C. 20460. Copies of the

ICR can be obtained free of charge by

contacting Ervin Pickell as provided

below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ervin Pickell, Telephone: (303) 969–

6485; Facsimile number: (303) 969–

6490; E–MAIL:

pickell.erv@epamail.epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Affected entities: Entities potentially

affected by this action are manufacturers

and installers of aftermarket automobile

catalytic converters.

Title: Enforcement Policy Regarding

the Sale and Use of Aftermarket

Catalytic Converters (OMB Control

number 2060–0135; EPA ICR # 1292.05.)

expiring 09/30/98.

Abstract: Section 203(a)(3) of the

Clean Air Act (Act) prohibits removing

or rendering inoperative automobile

emission control devices or elements of

design. But for the adoption of the

aftermarket catalytic converter

enforcement policy (51 FR 28114–

28119, 28133 (Aug. 5, 1986); 52 FR

42144 (Nov. 3, 1987)), the manufacture,

sale or installation of aftermarket

catalytic converters (catalysts) not

equivalent to new original equipment

(OE) catalysts would constitute a

violation of the Act. However, because

replacement OE catalysts are expensive,

many consumers had elected to not

replace catalysts that malfunctioned

subsequent to the expiration of the

emissions warranty on their vehicles.

The Agency believes that allowing the

installation of slightly less effective

aftermarket catalysts on older vehicles

can be environmentally beneficial if the

Agency can be assured that the

aftermarket catalysts meet certain

standards and if installers are

accountable to select the proper

aftermarket catalyst for each vehicle

application. Manufacturers of new

aftermarket catalysts are required, on a

one-time basis, for each catalyst line

manufactured, to identify the catalyst

physical specifications and summarize

pre-production testing of the prototype.

In addition, the manufacturer must

submit semi-annual reports to EPA of

the number of each type of catalyst

manufactured and a summary of

warranty card information (or copies of

warranty cards, at the manufacturer’s

option). Companies that recondition

used catalysts must, on a one-time basis,

identify the company and provide

information regarding procedures to be

used to test used catalysts. All used

catalysts must be individually benchtested, and the company must submit

semi-annual reports to EPA of the

identity of persons who distribute the

reconditioned catalysts and the number

of reconditioned catalysts of each type

that are sold to each distributor.

Companies that install aftermarket

catalysts have no reporting requirements

but for 6 months must keep copies of

installation invoices and records that

show the reason an aftermarket catalyst

installation was appropriate. Removed

catalysts must be tagged with

identifying information and be kept for

15 days. EPA allows the use of preprinted documents or computergenerated documents. All the

recordkeeping under the policy is

authorized by section 114 of the Act, 42

U.S.C. § 7414 and section 208 of the Act,

42 U.S.C. § 7542.

Parties who comply with these

policies are allowed to install

aftermarket catalysts instead of OE

catalysts.

Confidentiality provisions are found

at 40 CFR Part 2. These requirements

have been in effect for over 10 years.

Startup costs have been completed. The
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 150 /Wednesday, August 5, 1998 / Notices 41819

proposed ICR utilizes assumptions that

are the same as the previous ICR.

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.

In addition to this information, you

may obtain a copy of the draft ICR

supporting statement as provided above.

The 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: For new catalyst

manufacturers the average hourly

burden per year per respondent is about

5 hours for the reporting required by the

policy and the associated

recordkeeping. The reporting is

mandatory. The frequency of response is

estimated to be 1 report per year for a

new product line and 2 reports per year

on manufacturing and warranty card

information. There are 12 entities in the

country covered by the requirements.

Total burden for all new catalyst

manufacturers is about 60 hours per

year. There are annual operating and

maintenance costs of about $60 per

manufacturer. There are annualized

purchased service costs of $35,700 per

respondent. There are no annualized

capital costs. Startup costs have been

completed.

For parties who recondition used

catalysts, the average annual hourly

reporting burden is 631 hours per

respondent. The reporting is mandatory.

The frequency of response is 2 reports

per year based on about 8,900 tests of

used catalysts per respondent. Total

burden for all 8 respondents is about

5,048 hours. There are annual operation

and maintenance costs of about $200

per respondent. There are annualized

capital costs of about $38,244 per

respondent.

For parties who install aftermarket

catalysts there is no reporting burden.

The average annual recordkeeping

burden is about 3.5 hours per

respondent. There are no annualized

operation and maintenance costs or

annualized capital costs. 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: June 23, 1998.

Sylvia K. Lowrance,

Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator,

Office of Enforcement and Compliance

Assurance.

[FR Doc. 98–20903 Filed 8–4–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[OPPTS–40032; FRL–6021–8]

Toxics Data Reporting Committee of

the National Advisory Council for

Environmental Policy and Technology;

Notice of Public Meeting

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: Under the Federal Advisory

Committee Act, EPA is providing notice

of a 2-day meeting of the Toxics Data

Reporting (TDR) Committee of the

National Advisory Council for

Environmental Policy and Technology

(NACEPT). This will be the seventh

meeting of the TDR Committee, whose

mission is to provide advice to EPA

regarding the Agency’s Toxics Release

Inventory (TRI) Program.

DATES: The public meeting will take

place on August 27 through 28, 1998,

from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Written and

electronic comments in response to this

notice should be received by August 14,

1998.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at

L’Enfant Plaza, SW., Washington, DC,

(202) 484–1000.

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.

G–099, East Tower, Washington, DC

20460. Each comment must bear the

docket control number OPPTS–40032.

Comments and data may also be

submitted electronically to:

oppt.ncic@epa.gov. Follow the

instructions under Unit II. of this

document.

No Confidential Business Information

(CBI) should be submitted through email. All comments which 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 action. Persons

submitting information on 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:

Cassandra Vail, telephone: (202) 260–

0675, fax number: (202) 401–8142, email: vail.cassandra@epa.gov or

Michelle Price, telephone: (202) 260–

3372, fax number: (202) 401–8142, email: price.michelle@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

At the 2-day meeting, the TDR

Committee will review and discuss

drafts of their reports to EPA.

Information on availability of meeting

summaries from previous TDR

Committee meetings will be available on

the TRI Home Page. The address of the

TRI Home Page is http://www.epa.gov/

opptintr/tri. This information can be

found under the heading ‘‘TRI

Stakeholder Dialogue.’’ In addition, the

agenda for the August 27 through 28

TDR Committee meeting will also be

available at this same site prior to the

meeting. Oral presentations or

statements by interested parties will be

limited to 5 minutes. Interested parties

are encouraged to contact Cassandra

Vail, to schedule presentations before

the Committee.