82 FR 43962 - Clean Water Act; Contractor Access to Confidential Business Information

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 181 (September 20, 2017)

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) intends to transfer confidential business information (CBI) collected from the steam electric power generating industry to ICF International (ICF). Transfer of the information will allow the contractor to support EPA in its reconsideration of effluent limitations guidelines and standards promulgated for the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source Category on November 3, 2015. The information being transferred was or will be collected under the authority of section 308 of the Clean Water Act (CWA). Interested persons may submit comments on this intended transfer of information to the address noted below.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 181 (Wednesday, September 20, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 43962]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-19930]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9967-98-OW]


Clean Water Act; Contractor Access to Confidential Business 
Information

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of Intended Transfer of Confidential Business 
Information to Contractor.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) intends to transfer 
confidential business information (CBI) collected from the steam 
electric power generating industry to ICF International (ICF). Transfer 
of the information will allow the contractor to support EPA in its 
reconsideration of effluent limitations guidelines and standards 
promulgated for the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source 
Category on November 3, 2015. The information being transferred was or 
will be collected under the authority of section 308 of the Clean Water 
Act (CWA). Interested persons may submit comments on this intended 
transfer of information to the address noted below.

DATES: Comments on the transfer of data are due September 27, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to M. Ahmar Siddiqui, Document Control 
Officer, Engineering and Analysis Division (4303T), U.S. EPA, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: M. Ahmar Siddiqui, Document Control 
Officer, at (202) 566-1044, or via email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has transferred CBI to various 
contractors and subcontractors over the history of the effluent 
guidelines program under 40 CFR 2.302(h). EPA determined that this 
transfer was necessary to enable the contractors and subcontractors to 
perform their work in supporting EPA in planning, developing, and 
reviewing effluent guidelines and standards for certain industries.
    Today, pursuant to 40 CFR 2.302(h)(2), EPA is giving notice that it 
will be transferring CBI to ICF (located in Fairfax, VA), which 
operates under contract number EP-C-16-011. The purpose of this 
transfer is to support economic analysis support for EPA in its 
reconsideration of effluent limitations guidelines and standards for 
the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source Category established 
in 2015.
    All EPA contractor, subcontractor, and consultant personnel are 
bound by the requirements and sanctions contained in their contracts 
with EPA and in EPA's confidentiality regulations found at 40 CFR part 
2, subpart B. ICF will adhere to an EPA-approved security plan which 
describes procedures to protect CBI. ICF will apply the procedures in 
this plan to CBI previously gathered by EPA and to CBI that may be 
gathered in the future. The security plan specifies that contractor 
personnel are required to sign non-disclosure agreements and are 
briefed on appropriate security procedures before they are permitted 
access to CBI. No person is automatically granted access to CBI: A need 
to know must exist.
    The information that will be transferred to ICF consists of 
information previously collected by EPA to support the development of 
effluent limitations guidelines and standards under the CWA for the 
Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source Category and any that may 
be collected in the future under the authority of section 308 of the 
CWA or voluntarily submitted (e.g., in comments in response to a 
Federal Register notice), as is necessary to enable ICF to support 
EPA's reconsideration of the aforementioned effluent limitations 
guidelines and standards.

    Dated: September 8, 2017.
Jeff Lape,
Acting Director, Office of Science and Technology, Office of Water.
[FR Doc. 2017-19930 Filed 9-19-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P