Document ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0073-0017
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Distribution of Offsite Consequence Analysis Information under Section 112(r)(7)(H) of the Clean Air Act
Posted Date: 2018-11-23T05:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 226 (Friday, November 23, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59379-59380]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-25555]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0073; FRL-9986-93-OAR]

Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; 
Distribution of Offsite Consequence Analysis Information Under Section 
112(r)(7)(H) of the Clean Air Act (CAA), as Amended--EPA No. 1981.07, 
OMB Control Number 2050-0172

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an 
information collection request (ICR), Distribution of Offsite 
Consequence Analysis Information under Section 112(r)(7)(H) of the 
Clean Air Act (CAA), as amended--EPA No. 1981.07, OMB Control Number 
2050-0172 to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and 
approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq.). Before doing so, EPA is soliciting public comments on 
specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described 
below. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently 
approved through May 31, 2019. 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.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before January 22, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2003-0073 referencing the Docket ID numbers provided for each item in 
the text, online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), or 
by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail 
Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460 and (2) 
OMB via email to [email protected]. Address comments to OMB 
Desk Officer for EPA.
    EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the 
public docket without change including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes profanity, threats, information 
claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wendy Hoffman, Office of Emergency 
Management, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564-8794; email address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supporting documents which explain in detail 
the information that the EPA will be collecting are available in the 
public docket for this ICR. The docket can be viewed online at 
www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, WJC West, 
Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC. The telephone 
number for the Docket Center is 202-566-1744. For additional 
information about EPA's public docket, visit http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA is soliciting 
comments and information to enable it 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. 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. At that time, EPA will issue another Federal Register notice 
to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the opportunity to 
submit additional comments to OMB.
    Abstract: This ICR is the renewal of the ICR developed for the 
final rule, Accidental Release Prevention Requirements; Risk Management 
Programs Under the Clean Air Act Section 112(r)(7); Distribution of 
Off-Site Consequence Analysis Information. CAA section 112(r)(7) 
required EPA to promulgate reasonable regulations and appropriate 
guidance to provide for the prevention and detection of accidental 
releases and for responses to such releases. The regulations include 
requirements for submittal of a risk management plan (RMP) to EPA. The 
RMP includes information on offsite consequence analyses (OCA) as well 
as other elements of the risk management program.
    On August 5, 1999, the President signed the Chemical Safety 
Information, Site Security, and Fuels Regulatory Relief Act 
(CSISSFRRA). The Act required the President to promulgate regulations 
on the distribution of OCA information (CAA section 112(r)(7)(H)(ii)). 
The President delegated to EPA and the Department of Justice (DOJ) the 
responsibility to promulgate regulations to govern the dissemination of 
OCA information to the public. The final rule was published on August 
4, 2000 (65 FR 48108). The regulations imposed minimal information and 
recordkeeping requirements.
    In accordance with the final rule, the federal government 
established 55 reading rooms at federal facilities geographically 
distributed across the United States and its territories. At these 
reading rooms, members of the public are able to read, but not 
mechanically copy or remove paper copies of OCA information for up to 
10 stationary sources per calendar month. At these reading rooms, the 
members of the

[[Page 59380]]

public may also have access to OCA information that the Local Emergency 
Planning Committee (LEPC) in whose jurisdiction the person lives or 
works is authorized to provide.
    The final rule also authorizes and encourages state and local 
government officials to have access to OCA information for their 
official use, and to provide members of the public with read-only 
access to OCA sections of RMPs for sources located within the 
jurisdiction of the LEPC where the person lives or works and for any 
other stationary sources with vulnerability zones extending into the 
LEPC's jurisdiction.
    EPA also established a Vulnerable Zone Indicator System (VZIS) that 
informs any person located in any state whether an address specified by 
that person might be within the vulnerable zone of one or more 
stationary sources, according to the data reported in RMPs. The VZIS is 
available on the internet. Members of the public who do not have access 
to the internet are able to obtain the same information by regular mail 
request to the EPA.
    Form numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: State and local agencies and the 
public.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Required to obtain or retain a 
benefit (40 CFR 1400).
    Estimated number of respondents: 860 (total).
    Frequency of response: As necessary.
    Total estimated burden: 1,500 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $46,865 (per year), includes $620 annualized 
capital or operation & maintenance costs.
    The Agency is requesting comments on the burden and costs estimated 
in the current ICR. EPA will revise the burden and costs, if necessary, 
prior to submitting the package to OMB for approval for this 
information collection.

    Dated: November 14, 2018.
Reggie Cheatham,
Director, Office of Emergency Management.
[FR Doc. 2018-25555 Filed 11-21-18; 8:45 am]
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