83 FR 5257 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Renewal of an Existing Collection (EPA ICR No. 1741.08); Comment Request

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 25 (February 6, 2018)

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: ``Correction of Misreported Chemical Substances on the TSCA Inventory'' and identified by EPA ICR No. 1741.08 and OMB Control No. 2070-0145, represents the renewal of an existing ICR that is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2018. 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.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 25 (Tuesday, February 6, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5257-5258]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-02348]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2017-0320; FRL-9970-37]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Renewal of an 
Existing Collection (EPA ICR No. 1741.08); Comment Request

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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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: ``Correction of Misreported Chemical Substances on 
the TSCA Inventory'' and identified by EPA ICR No. 1741.08 and OMB 
Control No. 2070-0145, represents the renewal of an existing ICR that 
is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2018. 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 April 9, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2017-0320, by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://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 http://www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.html.
    Additional instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along 
with more information about dockets generally, is available at http://www.epa.gov/dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical information contact: Ron 
Carlson, Information Management Division (7407M), Office of Pollution 
Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: 
(202) 564-8631; email address: [email protected].
    For general information contact: The TSCA-Hotline, ABVI-Goodwill, 
422 South Clinton Ave., Rochester, NY 14620; telephone number: (202) 
554-1404; email address: [email protected].

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.

[[Page 5258]]

II. What information collection activity or ICR does this action apply 
to?

    Title: Correction of Misreported Chemical Substances on the TSCA 
Inventory.
    ICR number: EPA ICR No. 1741.08.
    OMB control number: OMB Control No. 2070-0145.
    ICR status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on June 30, 
2018. 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: Section 8(b) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) 
requires EPA to compile and keep current an Inventory of Chemical 
Substances in Commerce, which is a listing of chemical substances 
manufactured, imported, and processed for commercial purposes in the 
United States. The purpose of the Inventory is to define, for the 
purpose of TSCA, what chemical substances exist in U.S. commerce. Since 
the Inventory thereby performs a regulatory function by distinguishing 
between existing chemicals and new chemicals, which TSCA regulates in 
different ways, it is imperative that the Inventory be accurate.
    However, from time to time, EPA or respondents discover that 
substances have been incorrectly described by reporting companies. 
Reported substances have been unintentionally misidentified as a result 
of simple typographical errors, the misidentification of substances, or 
the lack of sufficient technical or analytical information to 
characterize fully the exact chemical substances. EPA has developed 
guidelines (45 FR 50544, July 29, 1980) under which incorrectly 
described substances listed in the Inventory can be corrected. The 
correction mechanism ensures the accuracy of the Inventory without 
imposing an unreasonable burden on the chemical industry. Without the 
Inventory correction mechanism, a company that submitted incorrect 
information would have to file a pre-manufacture notification (PMN) 
under TSCA section 5 to place the correct chemical substance on the 
Inventory whenever the previously reported substance is found to be 
misidentified. This would impose a much greater burden on both EPA and 
the submitter than the existing correction mechanism. This information 
collection applies to reporting and recordkeeping activities associated 
with the correction of misreported chemical substances found on the 
TSCA Inventory.
    Responses to the collection of information are voluntary. 
Respondents may claim all or part of a response confidential. EPA will 
disclose information that is covered by a claim of confidentiality only 
to the extent permitted by, and in accordance with, the procedures in 
TSCA section 14 and 40 CFR part 2.
    Burden statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 2.25 
hours per 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 manufacturers or importers of chemical substances, 
mixtures or categories listed on the TSCA Inventory and regulated under 
TSCA section 8, who had reported to EPA during the initial effort to 
establish the TSCA Inventory in 1979, and who need to make a correction 
to that submission.
    Estimated total number of potential respondents: 9.
    Frequency of response: On occasion.
    Estimated total average number of responses for each respondent: 
1.0.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 39.24 hours.
    Estimated total annual costs: $3,029.72. This includes an estimated 
burden cost of $3,029.72 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 19 hours in the total estimated respondent 
burden compared with that identified in the ICR currently approved by 
OMB. This increase reflects program changes in CBI substantiation 
requirements, as enacted in the Frank R Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act 
for the 21st Century. This change is the result of a program change.

IV. 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: January 31, 2018.
Charlotte Bertrand,
Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical 
Safety and Pollution Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2018-02348 Filed 2-5-18; 8:45 am]
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