Document ID: EPA-HQ-OPPT-2015-0436-0011
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: TSCA Section 4 Test Rules, Consent Orders, Enforceable Consent Agreements, Voluntary Testing Agreements, Voluntary Data Submissions, and Exemptions from Testing Requirements
Posted Date: 2017-12-13T05:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 238 (Wednesday, December 13, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58599-58600]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-26777]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2015-0436; FRL-9967-79-OEI]

Agency Information Collection Activities; TSCA Section 4 Test 
Rules, Consent Orders, Enforceable Consent Agreements, Voluntary 
Testing Agreements, Voluntary Data Submissions, and Exemptions From 
Testing Requirements; Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: EPA has submitted the following information collection request 
(ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and 
approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA): ``TSCA 
Section 4 Test Rules, Consent Orders, Enforceable Consent Agreements, 
Voluntary Testing Agreements, Voluntary Data

[[Page 58600]]

Submissions, and Exemptions from Testing Requirements'' and identified 
by EPA ICR No. 1139.11, OMB Control No. 2070-0033. 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 in this document. EPA has 
addressed the comments received in response to the previously provided 
public review opportunity issued in the Federal Register on March 15, 
2016 (81 FR 13790). With this submission, EPA is providing an 
additional 30 days for public review.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before January 12, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID number EPA-HQ-
OPPT-2015-0436, to both EPA and OMB as follows:
     To EPA online using http://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
     To 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: Colby Lintner, Environmental 
Assistance Division (7408M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, 
DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (202) 554-1404; email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Docket: Supporting documents, including the ICR that explains in 
detail the information collection activities and the related burden and 
cost estimates that are summarized in this document, are available in 
the docket for this ICR. The docket can be viewed online at http://www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, West William 
Jefferson Clinton Bldg., Rm. 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.
    ICR status: OMB approval for this ICR expired on September 1, 2016, 
due to administrative error. This action is a request to reinstate OMB 
approval for the information collection activities outlined in this 
document. Under PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., 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 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: Section 4 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is 
designed to assure that chemicals that may pose serious risks to human 
health or the environment undergo testing by manufacturers or 
processors, and that the results of such testing are made available to 
EPA. EPA uses the information collected under the authority of TSCA 
section 4 to assess risks associated with the manufacture, processing, 
distribution, use or disposal of a chemical, and to support any 
necessary regulatory action with respect to that chemical.
    EPA must assure that appropriate tests are performed on a chemical 
if it decides: (1) That a chemical being considered under TSCA section 
4(a) may pose an ``unreasonable risk'' or is produced in 
``substantial'' quantities that may result in substantial or 
significant human exposure or substantial environmental release of the 
chemical; (2) that additional data are needed to determine or predict 
the impacts of the chemical's manufacture, processing, distribution, 
use or disposal; and (3) that testing is needed to develop such data. 
Rules and consent orders under TSCA section 4 require that one 
manufacturer or processor of a subject chemical perform the specified 
testing and report the results of that testing to EPA. TSCA section 4 
also allows a manufacturer or processor of a subject chemical to apply 
for an exemption from the testing requirement if that testing will be 
or has been performed by another party. This information collection 
applies to reporting and recordkeeping activities associated with the 
information that EPA requires industry to provide in response to TSCA 
section 4 test rules, consent orders, test rule exemptions and other 
data submissions.
    Respondents/affected entities: Entities potentially affected by 
this ICR are manufacturers, processors, importers, users, distributors 
or disposers of one or more specified chemical substances.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: Mandatory (see 40 CFR part 
790).
    Estimated number of respondents: 15 (total).
    Frequency of response: On occasion.
    Total estimated burden: 3,127 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.3(b).
    Total estimated cost: $9,232,952 (per year), includes $9,010,065 
annualized capital investment or maintenance and operational costs.
    Changes in the estimates: There is a decrease of 626,766 hours in 
the total estimated respondent burden compared with that identified in 
the ICR currently approved by OMB. This decrease reflects EPA's 
corrections to the previous renewal of this collection, plus reduced 
levels of activity in test rules, methodological corrections and 
updates, and requirements for electronic reporting of information. This 
change is both the result of a program change (electronic reporting) 
and an adjustment (all other factors).

Courtney Kerwin,
Director, Regulatory Support Division.
[FR Doc. 2017-26777 Filed 12-12-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P