Document ID: EPA-HQ-OEI-2013-0565-0005
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Confidentiality Rules (Renewal)
Posted Date: 2013-12-24T05:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 247 (Tuesday, December 24, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77672-77673]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-30608]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OEI-2013-0565; FRL-9904-58-OEI]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; Confidentiality Rules (Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information 
Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an 
existing approved collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below, 
describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated 
burden and cost.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before February 24, 
2014.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OEI-
2013-0565; to EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred 
method), by email to docket.oei@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA Docket 
Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460 and (2) OMB by mail to: 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 
725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Larry F. Gottesman, Agency Freedom of 
Information Act Officer, Collection Strategies Division, Office of 
Information Collection, (Mail Code 2822T), Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone 
number: 202-566-2162; email address: gottesman.larry@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB 
for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 
1320.12. On September 6, 2013 (75 FR 59708), EPA sought comments on 
this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments. Any 
comments on this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB within 30 days 
of this notice.
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID. 
No. EPA-HQ-OEI-2013-0565, which is available for online viewing at 
http://www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Office of 
Environmental Information Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA 
WJC West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC. The 
EPA/DC Public Reading Room is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the 
Reading Room is 202-566-1744 and the telephone number for the Office of 
Environmental Information Docket is 202-566-0219.
    Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at http://www.regulations.gov to submit or view public comments, access the index 
listing of the contents of the docket and to access documents in the 
docket that are available electronically. Once in the system, select 
``docket search'', then key in the docket ID number identified above. 
Please note that EPA's policy is that public comments, whether 
submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available for public 
viewing at http://www.regulations.gov as EPA receives them and without 
change, unless the comment contains copyrighted material, confidential 
business information (CBI), or other information whose public 
disclosure is restricted by statute. For further information about the 
electronic docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov.
    Title: Confidentiality Rules (Renewal).
    ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1665.12; OMB Control No. 2020-0003.
    ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on January 31, 2014. 
Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor 
the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. 
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 CFR, after appearing in the Federal Register when 
approved, are listed in 40 CFR part 9, 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.
    Abstract: In the course of administering environmental protection 
statutes, EPA collects data from ``businesses'' in many sectors of the 
U.S. economy. In many cases, ``businesses'' mark the data it submits to 
EPA as confidential business information (CBI). In addition, businesses 
submit information to EPA without the Agency requesting the 
information. EPA established the procedures described in 40 CFR part 2, 
subparts A and B, to protect the confidentiality of information as well 
as the rights of the public to obtain access to information under the 
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). In accordance with these 
regulations, when EPA finds it necessary to make a final 
confidentiality determination (e.g., in response to a FOIA request or 
in the course of rulemaking or litigation, a resubstantiation of a 
prior claim, or an advance confidentiality determination), it shall 
notify the affected business and provide an opportunity to submit a 
substantiation of confidentiality claims. This ICR relates to 
information EPA needs to collect to assist in determining whether 
previously submitted information is entitled to confidential treatment.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: Entities potentially affected by 
this action are businesses and other for-profit companies.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Required to obtain or retain a 
benefit, 5 U.S.C. Section 522 Freedom of Information Action.
    Estimated number of respondents: 228.
    Frequency of response: 1 per year.
    Total estimated burden: 1533 hours. Burden is defined at 5 CFR 
1320.3(b).

[[Page 77673]]

    Total estimated cost: $139,514 includes $0 annualized capital or 
operation & maintenance costs.
    Changes in Estimates: EPA as part of the ICR renewal process 
obtained usage of each of the letters for the past 12 months that 
comprise this ICR to obtain up-to-date estimates. EPA found that both 
usage and response rates decreased.

John Moses,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. 2013-30608 Filed 12-23-13; 8:45 am]
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