Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Renewal of an Existing Collection; Comment Request, 24702-24703 [2017-11086]
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24702
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 102 / Tuesday, May 30, 2017 / Notices
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[EPA–HQ–TRI–2017–0057; FRL–9961–07]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Proposed Renewal of an
Existing Collection; Comment Request
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
In compliance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), this
document announces that EPA is
planning to submit an Information
Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB). The
ICR, entitled: ‘‘Toxic Chemical Release
Reporting and Renewals of Form R,
Form A, and Form R Schedule 1’’ and
identified by EPA ICR No. 1363.26 and
OMB Control No. 2025–0009, represents
the renewal of an existing ICR that is
scheduled to expire on November 30,
2017. Before submitting the ICR to OMB
for review and approval, EPA is
soliciting comments on specific aspects
of the proposed information collection
that is summarized in this document.
The ICR and accompanying material are
available in the docket for public review
and comment.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before July 31, 2017.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by docket identification (ID)
number EPA–HQ–TRI–2017–0057, by
one of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments.
Do not submit electronically any
information you consider to be
Confidential Business Information (CBI)
or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute.
• Mail: Document Control Office
(7407M), Office of Pollution Prevention
and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania
Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460–0001.
• Hand Delivery: To make special
arrangements for hand delivery or
delivery of boxed information, please
follow the instructions at https://
www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.html.
Additional instructions on commenting
or visiting the docket, along with more
information about dockets generally, is
available at https://www.epa.gov/
dockets.
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
For
technical information contact:
Cassandra Vail, Toxics Release
Inventory Program Division (7410M),
Office of Pollution Prevention and
Toxics, Environmental Protection
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:59 May 26, 2017
Jkt 241001
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.,
Washington, DC 20460–0001; telephone
number: (202) 566–0753; email address:
vail.cassandra@epa.gov.
For general information contact: The
Emergency Planning and Community
Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) Hotline;
telephone numbers: Toll free at (800)
424–9346 (select menu option 3) or
(703) 412–9810 in the Washington, DC
area and international; or toll free, TDD
(800) 553–7672; or go to https://
www.epa.gov/superfund/contacts/
infocenter.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. What information is EPA particularly
interested in?
Pursuant to PRA section 3506(c)(2)(A)
(44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), EPA
specifically solicits comments and
information to enable it to:
1. 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.
2. Evaluate the accuracy of the
Agency’s estimates of the burden of the
proposed collection of information,
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used.
3. Enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected.
4. 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. In
particular, EPA is requesting comments
from very small businesses (those that
employ less than 25) on examples of
specific additional efforts that EPA
could make to reduce the paperwork
burden for very small businesses
affected by this collection.
II. What information collection activity
or ICR does this action apply to?
Title: Toxic Chemical Release
Reporting and Renewals of Form R,
Form A, and Form R Schedule 1.
ICR number: EPA ICR No. 1363.26.
OMB control number: OMB Control
No. 2025–0009.
ICR status: This ICR is currently
scheduled to expire on November 30,
2017. 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
PO 00000
Frm 00044
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
of the Code of Federal Regulations
(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. The display of OMB
control numbers for certain EPA
regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR
part 9.
Abstract: Pursuant to section 313 of
the Emergency Planning and
Community Right-to-Know Act
(EPCRA), certain facilities that
manufacture, process, or otherwise use
specified toxic chemicals in amounts
above reporting threshold levels must
submit annually to EPA and to
designated State or Tribal officials toxic
chemical release forms containing
information specified by EPA. 42 U.S.C.
11023. In addition, pursuant to section
6607 of the Pollution Prevention Act
(PPA), facilities reporting under section
313 of EPCRA must also report
pollution prevention and waste
management data, including recycling
information, for such chemicals; see 42
U.S.C. 13106. EPA compiles and stores
these reports in a publicly accessible
database known as the Toxics Release
Inventory (TRI). Regulations at 40 CFR
part 372, subpart B, require facilities
that meet all of the following criteria to
report:
1. The facility has 10 or more fulltime
employee equivalents (i.e., a total of
20,000 hours worked per year or greater;
see 40 CFR 372.3); and
2. The facility is included in a North
American Industry Classification
System (NAICS) Code listed at 40 CFR
372.23 or under Executive Order 13693,
federal facilities regardless of their
industry classification; and
3. The facility manufactures (defined
to include importing), processes, or
otherwise uses any EPCRA section 313
(TRI) chemical in quantities greater than
the established thresholds for the
specific chemical in the course of a
calendar year.
Facilities that meet these criteria must
file a Form R report or, in some cases,
may submit a Form A Certification
Statement, for each listed toxic chemical
for which the criteria are met. As
specified in EPCRA section 313(a),
facilities must submit reports for any
calendar year on or before July 1 of the
following year. For example, reporting
year 2015 data should have been
submitted and certified on or before July
1, 2016.
EPA maintains the list of toxic
chemicals subject to TRI reporting at 40
CFR 372.65 and the Agency publishes
this list each year as Table II in the
E:\FR\FM\30MYN1.SGM
30MYN1
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 102 / Tuesday, May 30, 2017 / Notices
Toxics Release Inventory Reporting
Forms and Instructions. The current TRI
chemical list contains 595 chemicals
and 31 chemical categories.
Environmental agencies, industry, and
the public use TRI data for a wide
variety of purposes. EPA program
offices use TRI data, along with other
data, to help establish programmatic
priorities, evaluate potential hazards to
human health and the natural
environment, and undertake appropriate
regulatory and/or enforcement
activities. Environmental and public
interest groups use the data to better
understand toxic chemical releases at
the community level and to work with
industry, government agencies, and
others to promote reductions in toxic
chemical releases. Industrial facilities
use the TRI data to evaluate the
efficiency of their production processes
and to help track and communicate
their progress in achieving pollution
prevention goals.
The TRI data are unique in providing
a multi-media (air, water, and land)
picture of toxic chemical releases,
transfers, and other waste management
activities by covered facilities on a
yearly basis. While other environmental
media programs provide some toxic
chemical data and related permit data,
TRI data are unique with regard to the
types of chemicals and industry sectors
covered as well as the frequency of
reporting. Facilities subject to TRI
reporting must submit reports for each
calendar year to EPA and the State or
Indian Country in which they are
located by July 1 of the following year.
Respondents may claim trade secrecy
for a chemical’s identity as described in
EPCRA Section 322 and its
implementing regulations in 40 CFR
part 350. EPA will disclose information
covered by a claim of trade secrecy only
to the extent permitted by and in
accordance with the procedures in 40
CFR part 350 and 40 CFR part 2).
Burden statement: The annual public
reporting and recordkeeping burden for
this collection of information is
estimated to range between 22.0 hours
and 35.7 hours per response, depending
upon the nature of the response. Burden
is defined in 5 CFR 1320.3(b).
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 here:
Respondents/Affected Entities:
Entities potentially affected by this ICR
are facilities that submit annual reports
under section 313 of EPCRA and section
6607 of PPA.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:59 May 26, 2017
Jkt 241001
Estimated total number of potential
respondents: 21,856.
Frequency of response: Annual.
Estimated total average number of
responses for each respondent: 3.5.
Estimated total annual burden hours:
3,597,275 hours.
Estimated total annual costs:
$199,217,090. This includes an
estimated burden cost of $199,217,090
and an estimated cost of $0 for capital
investment or maintenance and
operational costs.
III. Are there changes in the estimates
from the last approval?
There is an increase of 41,277 hours
(from 3,555,998 hours to 3,597,275
hours) in the total estimated respondent
burden compared with that identified in
the ICR currently approved by OMB.
This increase reflects a slight increase in
the number of facilities reporting to TRI.
This change is an adjustment.
IV. What changes does this ICR
propose?
OMB approved the ICR for Form R,
the Form A Certification Statement, and
Form R Schedule 1 on November 24,
2014, with the expiration date of
November 30, 2017. EPA proposes
making several changes to the TRI
reporting forms and associated
instructions. These revisions are aimed
at improving the user experience by
clarifying the intent of questions.
1. Provide Bureau of Indian Affairs
(BIA) code as a separate element on the
form. (Part I: Section 4.1)
2. When reporting a metal compound,
indicate whether report also includes
the elemental metal. (Part II: Section 1)
3. Add sub-categories of uses. (Part II:
Sections 3.2a, b and Sections 3.3a, b, c)
4. Add finer gradation for range codes
used for Maximum Amount of the
EPCRA Section 313 Chemical On-site at
Any Time during the Calendar Year.
(Part II: Section 4)
5. Add management codes for the
transfer of waste to POTWs. (Part II:
Section 6.1)
6. Separate 8.8 into separate boxes for
quantities associated with (1) remedial
actions, (2) catastrophic events, and (3)
one-time events not associated with
production processes. (Part II: Section
8.8)
7. When reporting an air release of
chromium, indicate whether the release
contains Chromium-VI (hexavalent
chromium). (Part II: Section 9.1)
8. Add a free text field for each
chemical listed on Form A. (Part II:
Section 3)
9. Add a free text field for facilitylevel info on Form A. (Part III: Section
1.1)
PO 00000
Frm 00045
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
24703
V. What is the next step in the process
for this ICR?
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 pursuant to 5 CFR
1320.12. EPA will issue another Federal
Register document pursuant to 5 CFR
1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to announce the
submission of the ICR to OMB and the
opportunity to submit additional
comments to OMB. If you have any
questions about this ICR or the approval
process, please contact the technical
person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.
Dated: April 14, 2017.
Wendy C. Hamnett,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of
Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2017–11086 Filed 5–26–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[EPA–HQ–ORD–2015–0765; FRL–9963–33–
ORD]
Request for Nominations of Experts to
the EPA Office of Research and
Development’s Board of Scientific
Counselors; Correction
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice; correction.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) published a
notice seeking nominations for technical
experts to serve on its Board of
Scientific Counselors (BOSC), a federal
advisory committee to the Office of
Research and Development (ORD) in the
Federal Register on May 25, 2017. An
error in the date for submitting
nominations via the BOSC Web site is
identified and corrected in this action.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any
member of the public needing
additional information regarding this
Notice and Request for Nominations
may contact Mr. Tom Tracy, Office of
Science Policy, Office of Research and
Development, Mail Code 8104–R,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington,
DC 20460; via phone/voice mail at:
(202) 564–6518; via fax at: (202) 565–
2911; or via email at: tracy.tom@
epa.gov. General information
concerning the BOSC can be found at
the following Web site: https://
www.epa.gov/bosc.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\30MYN1.SGM
30MYN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 102 (Tuesday, May 30, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24702-24703]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-11086]
[[Page 24702]]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-TRI-2017-0057; FRL-9961-07]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Renewal of an
Existing Collection; Comment Request
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), this
document announces that EPA is planning to submit an Information
Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
The ICR, entitled: ``Toxic Chemical Release Reporting and Renewals of
Form R, Form A, and Form R Schedule 1'' and identified by EPA ICR No.
1363.26 and OMB Control No. 2025-0009, represents the renewal of an
existing ICR that is scheduled to expire on November 30, 2017. Before
submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting
comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection
that is summarized in this document. The ICR and accompanying material
are available in the docket for public review and comment.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before July 31, 2017.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification
(ID) number EPA-HQ-TRI-2017-0057, by one of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Do not submit
electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted
by statute.
Mail: Document Control Office (7407M), Office of Pollution
Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001.
Hand Delivery: To make special arrangements for hand
delivery or delivery of boxed information, please follow the
instructions at https://www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.html.
Additional instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along
with more information about dockets generally, is available at https://www.epa.gov/dockets.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical information contact:
Cassandra Vail, Toxics Release Inventory Program Division (7410M),
Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001;
telephone number: (202) 566-0753; email address:
vail.cassandra@epa.gov.
For general information contact: The Emergency Planning and
Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) Hotline; telephone numbers: Toll
free at (800) 424-9346 (select menu option 3) or (703) 412-9810 in the
Washington, DC area and international; or toll free, TDD (800) 553-
7672; or go to https://www.epa.gov/superfund/contacts/infocenter.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. What information is EPA particularly interested in?
Pursuant to PRA section 3506(c)(2)(A) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)),
EPA specifically solicits comments and information to enable it to:
1. 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.
2. Evaluate the accuracy of the Agency's estimates of the burden of
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used.
3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected.
4. 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. In particular, EPA is requesting comments from
very small businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples of
specific additional efforts that EPA could make to reduce the paperwork
burden for very small businesses affected by this collection.
II. What information collection activity or ICR does this action apply
to?
Title: Toxic Chemical Release Reporting and Renewals of Form R,
Form A, and Form R Schedule 1.
ICR number: EPA ICR No. 1363.26.
OMB control number: OMB Control No. 2025-0009.
ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on November
30, 2017. 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 Code of Federal Regulations (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. The display of OMB control numbers
for certain EPA regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
Abstract: Pursuant to section 313 of the Emergency Planning and
Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), certain facilities that
manufacture, process, or otherwise use specified toxic chemicals in
amounts above reporting threshold levels must submit annually to EPA
and to designated State or Tribal officials toxic chemical release
forms containing information specified by EPA. 42 U.S.C. 11023. In
addition, pursuant to section 6607 of the Pollution Prevention Act
(PPA), facilities reporting under section 313 of EPCRA must also report
pollution prevention and waste management data, including recycling
information, for such chemicals; see 42 U.S.C. 13106. EPA compiles and
stores these reports in a publicly accessible database known as the
Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). Regulations at 40 CFR part 372, subpart
B, require facilities that meet all of the following criteria to
report:
1. The facility has 10 or more fulltime employee equivalents (i.e.,
a total of 20,000 hours worked per year or greater; see 40 CFR 372.3);
and
2. The facility is included in a North American Industry
Classification System (NAICS) Code listed at 40 CFR 372.23 or under
Executive Order 13693, federal facilities regardless of their industry
classification; and
3. The facility manufactures (defined to include importing),
processes, or otherwise uses any EPCRA section 313 (TRI) chemical in
quantities greater than the established thresholds for the specific
chemical in the course of a calendar year.
Facilities that meet these criteria must file a Form R report or,
in some cases, may submit a Form A Certification Statement, for each
listed toxic chemical for which the criteria are met. As specified in
EPCRA section 313(a), facilities must submit reports for any calendar
year on or before July 1 of the following year. For example, reporting
year 2015 data should have been submitted and certified on or before
July 1, 2016.
EPA maintains the list of toxic chemicals subject to TRI reporting
at 40 CFR 372.65 and the Agency publishes this list each year as Table
II in the
[[Page 24703]]
Toxics Release Inventory Reporting Forms and Instructions. The current
TRI chemical list contains 595 chemicals and 31 chemical categories.
Environmental agencies, industry, and the public use TRI data for a
wide variety of purposes. EPA program offices use TRI data, along with
other data, to help establish programmatic priorities, evaluate
potential hazards to human health and the natural environment, and
undertake appropriate regulatory and/or enforcement activities.
Environmental and public interest groups use the data to better
understand toxic chemical releases at the community level and to work
with industry, government agencies, and others to promote reductions in
toxic chemical releases. Industrial facilities use the TRI data to
evaluate the efficiency of their production processes and to help track
and communicate their progress in achieving pollution prevention goals.
The TRI data are unique in providing a multi-media (air, water, and
land) picture of toxic chemical releases, transfers, and other waste
management activities by covered facilities on a yearly basis. While
other environmental media programs provide some toxic chemical data and
related permit data, TRI data are unique with regard to the types of
chemicals and industry sectors covered as well as the frequency of
reporting. Facilities subject to TRI reporting must submit reports for
each calendar year to EPA and the State or Indian Country in which they
are located by July 1 of the following year.
Respondents may claim trade secrecy for a chemical's identity as
described in EPCRA Section 322 and its implementing regulations in 40
CFR part 350. EPA will disclose information covered by a claim of trade
secrecy only to the extent permitted by and in accordance with the
procedures in 40 CFR part 350 and 40 CFR part 2).
Burden statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping
burden for this collection of information is estimated to range between
22.0 hours and 35.7 hours per response, depending upon the nature of
the response. Burden is defined in 5 CFR 1320.3(b).
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 here:
Respondents/Affected Entities: Entities potentially affected by
this ICR are facilities that submit annual reports under section 313 of
EPCRA and section 6607 of PPA.
Estimated total number of potential respondents: 21,856.
Frequency of response: Annual.
Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent:
3.5.
Estimated total annual burden hours: 3,597,275 hours.
Estimated total annual costs: $199,217,090. This includes an
estimated burden cost of $199,217,090 and an estimated cost of $0 for
capital investment or maintenance and operational costs.
III. Are there changes in the estimates from the last approval?
There is an increase of 41,277 hours (from 3,555,998 hours to
3,597,275 hours) in the total estimated respondent burden compared with
that identified in the ICR currently approved by OMB. This increase
reflects a slight increase in the number of facilities reporting to
TRI. This change is an adjustment.
IV. What changes does this ICR propose?
OMB approved the ICR for Form R, the Form A Certification
Statement, and Form R Schedule 1 on November 24, 2014, with the
expiration date of November 30, 2017. EPA proposes making several
changes to the TRI reporting forms and associated instructions. These
revisions are aimed at improving the user experience by clarifying the
intent of questions.
1. Provide Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) code as a separate
element on the form. (Part I: Section 4.1)
2. When reporting a metal compound, indicate whether report also
includes the elemental metal. (Part II: Section 1)
3. Add sub-categories of uses. (Part II: Sections 3.2a, b and
Sections 3.3a, b, c)
4. Add finer gradation for range codes used for Maximum Amount of
the EPCRA Section 313 Chemical On-site at Any Time during the Calendar
Year. (Part II: Section 4)
5. Add management codes for the transfer of waste to POTWs. (Part
II: Section 6.1)
6. Separate 8.8 into separate boxes for quantities associated with
(1) remedial actions, (2) catastrophic events, and (3) one-time events
not associated with production processes. (Part II: Section 8.8)
7. When reporting an air release of chromium, indicate whether the
release contains Chromium-VI (hexavalent chromium). (Part II: Section
9.1)
8. Add a free text field for each chemical listed on Form A. (Part
II: Section 3)
9. Add a free text field for facility-level info on Form A. (Part
III: Section 1.1)
V. What is the next step in the process for this ICR?
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 pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. EPA will issue another
Federal Register document pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to
announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the opportunity to submit
additional comments to OMB. If you have any questions about this ICR or
the approval process, please contact the technical person listed under
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.
Dated: April 14, 2017.
Wendy C. Hamnett,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2017-11086 Filed 5-26-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P