Document ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0085-0023
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Radionuclides and Radon Emissions from Operating Mill Tailings
Posted Date: 2021-10-04T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 189 (Monday, October 4, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54691-54692]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-21533]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0085; FRL-8946-01-OAR]

Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; NESHAP 
for Radionuclides (40 CFR Part 61, Subparts B, K, R and W) and NESHAP 
for Radon Emissions From Operating Mill Tailings (40 CFR Part 61, 
Subpart W) (Renewal)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to 
submit an information collection request (ICR), ``NESHAP for 
Radionuclides (40 CFR part 61, subparts B, K, R and W) (Renewal)'' (EPA 
ICR No. 1100.16, OMB Control No. 2060-0191) to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the 
Paperwork Reduction Act. Before doing so, the EPA is soliciting public 
comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as 
described below. In addition to being a proposed extension of the ICR, 
which is currently approved through May 31, 2022, the Agency seeks to 
consolidate this ICR with EPA ICR Number 2464.03, OMB Control Number 
2060-0706, which was established to address the information collection 
requirements created by the revision to NESHAP subpart W in 2017. All 
information collection required under 40 CFR part 61, subpart W would 
then be included in a single ICR, together with the information 
collection requirements of subparts B, K, and R. 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 December 3, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2003-0085, online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), by 
email to [a-and-r-Docket@epa.gov], or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, 
Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460.
    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: Jonathan P. Walsh, Radiation 
Protection Division, Office of Radiation and Indoor Air, Mail Code 
6608T, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-343-9238; fax number: 202-
343-2304; email address: walsh.jonathan@epa.gov.

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. Please visit http://www.epa.gov/dockets for more information.
    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act, 
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: On December 15, 1989, pursuant to Section 112 of the 
Clean Air Act as amended in 1977 (42 U.S.C. 1857), the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) promulgated National Emission Standards for 
Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) regulations to control radionuclide 
emissions from several source categories. The regulations are codified 
at 40 CFR part 61. Of the eight subparts (B, H, I, K, Q, R, T and W) 
included in the 1989 rule, as currently amended, four apply to 
privately-operated facilities. In addition to requiring operational 
practices that limit emissions, subparts B, K, R, and W impose 
radionuclide dose and/or emission limits, respectively, to underground 
uranium mines, elemental phosphorous plants, phosphogypsum stacks, and 
uranium mill tailings impoundments. Facilities must inspect 
impoundments, measure radionuclide emissions, perform analyses or 
calculations per EPA procedures, and report the results to the EPA.
    Information collected is used by the EPA to ensure that public 
health and the environment continue to be protected from the hazards of 
airborne radionuclides by compliance with these standards. Compliance 
is demonstrated through emissions testing and dose calculation when 
appropriate.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Respondents/affected entities: The North American Industry 
Classification System (NAICS) codes of facilities associated with the 
activity of the respondents are: (1) Elemental Phosphorous--325180, (2) 
Phosphogypsum Stacks--212392, (3) Underground Uranium Mines--212291, 
and (4) Uranium Mill Tailings--212291.
    Respondent's obligation to respond: mandatory (CAA, Sec, 112; 40 
CFR part 61).
    Estimated number of respondents: 25 (total).
    Frequency of response: Monthly, annual, or one-time depending on 
the source category and respondent activity.
    Total estimated burden: 4,146 hours (per year). Burden is defined 
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
    Total estimated cost: $632,392 (per year), which includes $338,600 
annualized capital or operation and maintenance costs.
    Changes in Estimates: Total estimated respondent hours increased 
from 1,898 hours in the previous approved version

[[Page 54692]]

of this ICR to 4146, primarily as a result of consolidating this ICR 
with ICR 2060-0706. No Subpart B facilities were reporting at the time 
of the last renewal in 2018, however, the Agency identified two 
respondents that are likely to submit annual reports in 2021, and two 
responses were added to the ICR, adding 460 hours of labor and $10,600 
of non-labor cost to the burden that was approved in 2019. For Subparts 
K, R, and W, there were no changes to the number of respondents, the 
annual time burden, or the annual non-labor cost compared to the most 
recent renewals of these ICRs.\1\ The requested burden reflects the sum 
of the two ICRs that are being consolidated.
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    \1\ For the most recent renewal of ICR 2060-0706, see 86 FR 
1965, January 11, 2021.

Lee Ann Veal,
Director, Radiation Protection Division.
[FR Doc. 2021-21533 Filed 10-1-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P